The IAFR Blog

SJ Holsteen is our IAFR Ministry Leader in the Twin Cities. She lives in one of our Jonathan House sites that provides temporary shelter for asylum seekers. She recently wrote...

I have five asylum-seeking housemates. They are mothers, sisters, and daughters made in God’s image and beloved of God. Their lives are marked by excruciating journeys marked by pain, loss, distance, courage, resilience, faith, and hope. Although they were once strangers of different faiths, languages, and cultures, while in Jonathan House, they have come to love and defend and care for each other as family (as evidenced by the above photo of my godson walking with his Jonathan House “grandma” during his birthday party this past summer).

In the midst of it all, I see laments voiced, prayers answered, trauma healed, hope restored, hints of shalom - all evidence of the reality that Jesus is making all things new.

This is what makes IAFR ministries so special. Not only do our missionaries provide desperately needed assistance, they offer life-giving friendships and supportive community.

Safe and supportive relationships are essential to recovery from forced displacement as they break isolation, nurture hope, strengthen resilience, and re-humanize our forcibly displaced friends.  

That's why IAFR's most valuable asset is our missionaries. Your financial partnership makes it possible for them to show up in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers in the Twin Cities, Atlanta, rural Colorado, northern France, Vienna, Athens, Kenya, and Malawi.

Would you consider making a special year end donation to support an IAFR missionary of your choice?

It's quick and easy - and makes a big difference in the lives of the forcibly displaced people we serve! Just click below and select a missionary from the list on our donate page.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Many thanks to our faithful and generous financial partners who make it possible for our team to show up in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers every day!