When a refugee mother in Greece with a 5-year-old son went to police to report her two other children were missing last fall, they put her in jail for lack of legal documents and sent her boy – who had autism and was heavily dependent on her – to a children’s hospital.
Native Christian workers assisting her had learned that her other two children were also on the autism spectrum and had become lost somewhere near Greece’s 132-mile border with Turkey, the ministry leader said.
“The situation was very bad, and the woman was very frustrated, as now she seemed to miss also the only child who was with her,” the ministry leader said. “The autistic child, who was very much dependent on his mother, was asking for her and didn’t eat anything – until later, when she was released and reunited with him.”
The then 25-year-old mother, who had fled an abusive husband after marrying at age 15, told workers that her other two children had come separately via Turkey with another family. That family had decided to return to Turkey and left them with another refugee.
“The man had sent a voice message to the mother explaining they were in the middle of nowhere, with no food or water, hearing only animals.”
“The man had sent a voice message to the mother explaining they were in the middle of nowhere, with no food or water, hearing only animals,” the leader said.
She said that workers networked with an attorney and migration officials to expedite the mother’s registration and accommodation, enabling her to be released from jail and reunited with her son. They also helped arrange for security officials to issue a missing persons alert, and her other two children were located in Turkey.
The native ministry tapped networks to bring the children to Greece and coordinated efforts to guide them toward a safe place, she said.
“A lot of communication between different actors had to be done, and by God’s amazing grace, a couple of days later the children, 2 and 10 years old, were reunited with their mother who now had been registered in the refugee camp and had been given official asylum applicant documents,” the leader said. “We thank the Lord, because He is full of grace, and He is the one who opened the way for this mother to be reunited with her children after all this time, coordinating it all.”
The now 26-year-old mother continually thanked workers for standing by her and praying with her, the leader said.
“When we had a Bible study, we saw her joining the rest of the group along with her three children,” she said. “We had the opportunity to lead her and a friend of hers to Jesus. What presence of the Lord, that Heaven is opened to accepting these two ladies from the darkness to the light and from death to life.”
Natural Gospel Opportunities
Such natural opportunities to share the message of Christ’s salvation arise in countless situations as workers offer humanitarian aid to refugees, and then the Lord intervenes and reveals Himself to people in mighty ways, the leader said.
A refugee woman from the Middle East who had listened to the leader speak to her many times about Christ recently came to her office, grabbed her hand and requested she pray for another refugee in a case worker’s office.
“She started saying to another refugee single mother, ‘You have no idea what happens when she prays,’” and proceeded to tell her how the leader’s prayer had stopped her daughter’s nightmares, enabled her to see her estranged son and resolved all her paperwork.
The leader assured her that it was the power of God in Christ, not human will, that answered her prayers. The woman replied, “I am 34 years old, and I am a Muslim. It doesn’t cross my mind that Jesus is God.”
The ministry leader suggested that she tell Christ what she was telling her.
“Say, ‘Jesus, I cannot believe you are God because I have been a Muslim for 34 years. Reveal yourself to me,’” the leader told her.
The leader prayed for her and her friend, who was wearing an Islamic head covering, and received a revelation that the friend had been suffering headaches. The friend confirmed that she had been suffering headaches for two years as a result of domestic abuse.
“It was a great opportunity to see God’s hand working on her and also keep a door wide open to keep ministering to them,” the leader said.
Native Christian workers show the love of Christ to refugees in Greece in many such ways. Please consider a donation today to help equip and encourage them.