War-torn Syria has left millions of people displaced who are now seeking asylum in neighbouring countries, Europe and Australia.
Just recently I met a Syrian family on one of my visits to a home in Sydney, to take them blankets and to find out their needs. I asked a simple question, “Do you have any children?” The mother replied, “We have a son who died in the war in Syria and our other son is still missing.” Not having any children of my own, I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a child or to have one missing.
I’m a member of the Sydney Refugee Team and this is one of the many stories I come across when I meet with asylum seekers and refugees. I work with a team of people from International Teams to offer support to families who have sought refuge in Australia. I’m not a qualified counsellor, so dealing with people who have experienced so much trauma can be difficult. I have an excellent mentor and supervisor with whom I can debrief and also a teammate who has done a counselling course, so we often chat about some of the challenging issues that come up.
My role as Connections Coordinator is to match volunteers with families as they transition into life in the community. We take them food, blankets, help with English–showing them the love of Christ in tangible ways. We get referrals from different agencies because they know of the voluntary services we provide. Through financial support from generous donors and also some donations from Food Bank in Sydney, we are able to deliver food parcels to the refugee families.
Last Thursday, I met with an Afghani lady who has an adult son with an intellectual disability. I introduced her to one of our new volunteers and brought along a food parcel. When we arrived we found out that she really wanted to learn English, but only had a basic grasp and so I had to call one of my Iranian asylum seeker friends to interpret for me over the phone. We unpacked the food parcel, had a spread on the floor and used those objects as a way to help teach the family English. While it seems like such a small task, it does make an impact on those who are vulnerable and feel isolated because of the language barrier. It’s a small step to helping them in their language learning.
When we visit people, we make it clear that we are a Christian organisation and that we are willing to help anyone from any background. As we develop relationships with these people, some are keen to know about our faith and are often open to us praying for them. One Muslim guy said to me on one of my first visits to their family, “When I know you, then I will be willing to listen to what you have to say.” He has honoured that and has sat in on Bible talks and let his daughter come to our events. They’re not Christians, but they’re willing to listen to what we have to say.
The Sydney Refugee Team covers a lot of ground in the Sydney areas and surrounding suburbs. We are keen to hear from potential volunteers who have the time and desire to reach out to our asylum seeker and refugee friends. While we can’t meet all needs, we do our best to offer hope. That’s what I’m most passionate about in this work.
Linda completed her Graduate Diploma of Bible and Ministry at BST in 2003. She was a member of International Teams serving in Innsbruck, Austria, providing support to refugees there for almost six years before returning home to Australia. If you would like to be involved with the Sydney Refugee Team, please visit their website iteams.org.au/sydney-refugee-team.
Check out their RIDE for Refugees events being held across Australia in support of refugees.
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