Refugee Resettlement
Is God Calling You?

By Arlis Scanlan

Are You Talking To Me, God?

A year ago at this time I read a series of articles in the Omaha World Herald outlining the problems in Sudan. The article talked about the need for people to volunteer to help with the resettlement of refugees. I remember cutting the article out and thinking, "I wish I could do more." Over the next few days I felt an extraordinary sense that God was nudging me to find out more information on how I could help with this ministry. The box beside the article listed Don Duoy with Lutheran Family Service as a person to call for more information. I called Don and he gave me a list of the things that a sponsoring church would be responsible for. I called Pastor Harless at church (Thanksgiving Lutheran Church or TLC) and within 24 hours he had council approval for funding of the ministry... all I had to do was get started! I didn’t sleep much that night. Now I had committed and it was overwhelming. How was I, a mother with 4 young children, part-time job and a very busy schedule going to do this. From the beginning what I didn’t understand is that God didn’t intend for me to do this alone... only to answer his calling. What he needed was someone to offer this opportunity to the TLC congregation and he would take it from there!

Too Late To Back Out Now!

I signed the sponsorship paperwork with Heartland Refugee Resettlement in March 2001 and put information on the new startup ministry in the bulletin and church newsletter. Within a couple of weeks we had a solid group of about 15 people that were interested in helping. We started learning as much as we could about Sudan as we knew that there was a high likelihood that we would be matched up with a Sudanese family. In April we received word that there were 6 Lost Boys coming and they would be OURS! Now we scrambled to find out as much as we could about the Lost Boys of Sudan. The hard thing at this time was that we did not have an arrival date... a bit like being pregnant and waiting for the arrival of a baby. We gathered all the supplies for an apartment and waited. On Friday afternoon June 2nd we received word that our guys would arrive on June 5th. WOW - three days to find and set up an apartment! What an emotional group at the airport as we awaited the arrival of our guys at midnight on June 5th. Apprehension filled the room as we all wondered what we had gotten into and if we really knew how to help these 6 young men, ages 20-24 years, resettle in America. Once again my stomach was churning and I kept wondering how I was going to do this. I completely missed God’s plan that it wasn’t going to be ME... it was going to be HIM doing it!

God's Plan Grows!

Since those 6 men walked off of the airplane the Lord has been ever present in this ministry. Every need that has arisen has been met by our congregation or the Bellevue community. Shortly after the arrival of the first 6 guys, Heartland Refugee Resettlement had 12 more Lost Boys arrive who were not matched up with a sponsoring church. We announced on the next Sunday morning that a new group of Lost Boys needed help and we would sponsor as many as we could get mentors for. By September we had 18 guys altogether, living in three apartments. Within 3 months God had supplied 18 sets of mentors, 3 group coordinators, and a transportation director not to mention all the furniture, clothes, money, etc. that was needed to care for these young men. These were busy times as we taught them to cook, clean, do laundry, shop, drive, took them to the doctor, dentist, etc. One of the biggest challenges was finding work for all 18 guys and then providing transportation to get them to their jobs. Never did God fail us and what would appear to be a daunting task was accomplished with amazing ease.

God's Vision Was Bigger Than Mine

Now looking back a year later I am amazed at what has happened with this ministry. A year ago I would have never imagined that over 100 people at our church would be involved closely with this ministry. I would never have dreamed that we would have raised over $12,000 to take care of these guys and others in the Sudanese community. I would never have dreamed that we would be able to furnish 3 complete apartments and dress 18 guys (with extra left over to donate to others in need). I would never have dreamed that we would have a brigade of over 100 volunteer drivers to get all 18 guys to school and to work each day.

The problem with the vision I had one year ago is that I thought God was calling ME to do this. I didn’t fully understand that HE was going to provide all that was needed. All I simply had to do was offer the opportunity to the members of TLC and let him do the rest. Again and again I hear from the volunteers how much this opportunity to serve has increased their faith and renewed their spirits. I know exactly what they mean! The joy this has brought to my life has greatly exceeded the effort put in. A statement that Pastor Harless has used in the past, "You can't outgive God" has certainly been proven over and over to me in the last year. God had a definite plan for those Lost Boys (they were never really lost to Him) and I am thankful that I was able to be a part of that plan!

If you feel God is calling you to find out more about refugee resettlement, please call Heartland Refugee Resettlement at 661-7105 to get more information. There is ALWAYS a need for more sponsor churches.