Amir needed us - but we also needed him...
Hi, my name is Ruth and I want to tell you the story of a young man we welcomed into my church through our connection with Welcome Churches. Amir is from Iran. He was forced to flee after the government wrongly accused him of being caught up in government protests- he was arrested and tortured. Although he was released on bail he knew that once a person had been arrested by government officials, their future was bleak. Often the accused would disappear, face the death penalty for another crime or face a life of imprisonment. He felt he had no choice but to flee his homeland.
Amir managed to escape Iran and journey to the UK- a journey that was dangerous and scary. Upon his arrival in the UK he was shocked by the kindness of the police who rescued him- he was expecting the same treatment as he had received back home but instead was greeted with kindness and offered food and safety.
The months that followed Amir’s arrival were very difficult. The waiting period for those seeking asylum is long and drawn out. Amir blamed God for everything that had happened- his wrongful imprisonment, his forced fleeing of his homeland and family and even the treacherous journey here. But there were some Christians in Croydon who saw that Amir needed friendship and family and they gently pointed him back to God.
Eventually Amir then found our church. At first he would come and go quickly, never staying long to chat or meet anyone. After coming to our services 2-3 times, we managed to convince him to stay for a coffee, where we discovered his newly found faith and got him connected with the parish Alpha course. Through the Alpha course Amir met many other people who were around the parish and formed some great friendships.
Our parish was able to provide Amir with friendship, support and community in a time when he desperately needed these things. Amir needed us- but we also needed him. Our bond with Amir was powerful for our parish!
Amir eventually met a lovely South African lady and now they have two beautiful children together and are an active and valuable part of our parish community. Recently we had another Iranian man seeking asylum who arrived in our parish. Amir was able to help him settle into the community and support him through the process.
If your parish is considering reaching out to the local community to connect with refugees and those seeking asylum, I’d encourage you to just do what you can and give it a try! You might think that the language barrier is too much to overcome or perhaps you aren’t culturally aware enough- but focus on what you have in common! We have found having everyone saying The Lord’s Prayer in their own language to be incredibly powerful. God calls us to be hospitable in whatever way we can. So give it a go!
Through the power of the local church, we can make sure that no refugee feels alone. Would you generously give £38 this Christmas to make that a reality for one more family? A welcome is the best gift they could get - it’s where they will start to rebuild their lives.