Dear friends:
Saturday, June 20 is World Refugee Day 2020!
This year we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980 which passed the Senate unanimously and formalized the U.S. refugee resettlement program that we know today.
The bipartisan Act declared “it is the historic policy of the United States to respond to the urgent needs of persons subject to persecution in their homelands.” Sadly, the number of those being persecuted and forced to flee as refugees is larger than ever, currently standing at well over 25.9 million (1).
Arrive Ministries serves the persecuted because God has called us to seek justice and defend the oppressed (Isaiah 1:17).
Recently, the weight of injustice has been strongly felt in our own communities, with the murder of George Floyd and the aftermath that ensued. We lament his inexcusable death and the oppression so sadly prevalent in our society. In the name of Christ, we desperately call for justice and mercy to prevail!
Many impacted by the riots and civil unrest were our refugee neighbors who live and work along the worst-hit corridor on Lake Street, Minneapolis. For example, our Somali friend Kaltuma initially stayed in her shop to protect it, but it was eventually burned and completely lost. We look forward to coming alongside her on the road to recovery.
When you support Arrive Ministries, you’re enabling our staff to quickly respond by caring for the well-being of the families we serve.
As we seek justice near and far, we are grieved that the U.S. has reduced the number of refugees admitted to our country to an all-time low.
Encouragingly, yesterday we welcomed a family of four who fled Burma decades ago. Their daughter was resettled to the U.S. ten years ago. She applied for her family to join her shortly after arriving. What a delight to welcome this family at the airport! After being separated for a decade, they are finally reunited.
Our work would not be possible without the partnership of friends like you.
- This past year more than 50 refugee families were befriended by volunteers from dozens of local churches
- We launched conversational English classes for Afghan women, who were resettled with their families because their husbands aided the U.S. Military in Afghanistan
- Several hundred tutors are offering weekly ESL instruction to their Somali neighbors in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Willmar, and Rochester
- Our Immigration Legal department provided critical services like Green Card and Citizenship Applications to more than 900 refugees
Thank you for helping us extend the love of Christ to our refugee neighbors as we carry out our value of “justice and mercy for the vulnerable”.
Will you please join us? Here are two meaningful ways to do so:
- Partner financially. We can only provide support, friendship, ESL, homework help, and more because of partners like you. Please consider a financial gift to Arrive Ministries – especially now – to help us continue serving our refugee friends and connecting them with loving volunteers.
- Celebrate World Refugee Day. This year, instead of just one day, we are having World Refugee WEEK. Join us beginning this Sunday, June 14.
“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” Lev.19:34
Even in the midst of Covid-19 and societal unrest, we remain focused on living out God’s command to welcome refugees and immigrants. Thank you so much for your partnership and generosity.
Sincerely,
Mike Bergman
Executive Director
