by Daniel and Rebekah Behrens, SAMS Missionaries in the U.S.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
These famous words begin Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and they come to mind when I reflect on the stark contrasts we have seen during the season of Epiphany. We want to share honestly about both the darkness and the light, with the assurance that Jesus gives: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Days later the State Department issued an unexpected “Stop Work” order to organizations that resettle refugees. This meant that refugee families who had arrived in November, December, and January were left without the support which the U.S. government had promised them. The first 90 days are a critical time where agencies help families struggle for stability (learning how to ride the bus, finding groceries, signing up for school, finding a job, etc). In the best of circumstances, this is a huge effort for the agency and a massive adjustment for the family. Suddenly, agencies across the country had the rug pulled out from them. In Pittsburgh, they reeled to adjust, laying off staff, re-assigning families to other programs, and putting out pleas for volunteer help and financial support.
Let me say here that I am in favor of reforms to the way immigration to the U.S. happens. There is much we can and should debate and reform. But refugee resettlement is a model of regulated, legal immigration for families who do not have the option of returning to their home countries. To halt resettlement and cut support without warning to vulnerable families we have already invited into our communities is a level of barbarity which still makes me shake with anger and bow my head in shame.
The Season of Light
Where have we seen the light in the midst of this darkness? Because of our existing relationship with Hello Neighbor, one of the resettlement agencies in Pittsburgh, Church of the Ascension was positioned to respond quickly. Within days of the “Stop Work” order our senior pastor shared a request with the congregation for gift cards to help purchase groceries for families who were still in temporary housing. We, in partnership with another missionary couple within Ascension, extended an invitation for congregants to form a “Rapid Response Team” (RRT) to meet needs in our area. The congregation responded with overwhelming generosity. Over 50 people came to an informational meeting to learn more about the RRT and we received thousands of dollars in gift cards.
Within days, the RRT was on the move – picking up groceries, driving people to the grocery store, or showing them how to use the bus. In the weeks since then, our efforts have included setting up a home, gathering and delivering furniture, driving to medical appointments, providing English learning resources, sharing clothing, playing at a park, going to the library, and simply visiting and drinking tea. We have focused on about a dozen recently-arrived families from the Congo, South Sudan, Eritrea, Honduras, and Afghanistan. The resettlement agencies have had to continue laying off staff and making hard adjustments as it becomes clear that federal support is likely to stop for a prolonged time. In the midst of this darkness, it has been an absolute honor to see God’s people rising to the occasion. Their joy and sacrifice bolster our faith that God is still at work.
Thank you!
Read more about Daniel and Rebekah Behren’s ministry to immigrants and how you can support them and the immigrants they serve here.
Where in your neighborhood are there refugee families or resettlement agencies that you can support financially or through volunteering? This situation is not unique to Pittsburgh so we encourage you to get involved locally. Particularly during this season of Lent, have your eyes open to see others around you who may be hurting or needy and ask God to guide your words and actions.
This past winter, Church of the Ascension in Pittsburgh, PA, welcomed Daniel and Rebekah Behrens to their congregation to serve as Missionaries in Residence to local immigrant and refugee communities. Even though they themselves recently arrived, the Behrens are already busy welcoming immigrants and also their own third daughter, Mary, at the end of June!
Daniel recently wrote an article for Ascension’s newsletter about the Gomez family, a Christian Cuban family he is helping settle into Pittsburgh, and how God worked through the Gomezes in their difficult journey. Daniel also shares about opportunities for parishioners to participate in ministry to refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. You may read the article by clicking the button below and scrolling to page six. How may God be calling your church to send missionaries and share the hope of Christ cross-culturally?
We have moved to snowy Pittsburgh! We miss the warmth and big sky and food of the Rio Grande Valley, but our time here so far has been filled with many good things. Our main focus in these first months of transition is seeking financial partners and looking for a house to rent, but in this update I wanted to introduce you to one of our new neighbors who makes me excited about our mission, which is to partner with the local church in Pittsburgh to extend Christ’s love and truth to recent immigrants.
“Amina” is a young woman from Afghanistan who arrived in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. She was halfway through her university studies in psychology and sign-language when she had to flee the resurgence of the Taliban. Her new landlord knew about the English classes at Church of the Ascension, the church with whom we are partnering in Pittsburgh, and she arranged for Amina to begin weekly tutoring.
Before our first meeting, I nervously wondered what she would be like, picturing a fierce yet tragic, robed figure, maybe like the iconic “Afghan Girl” cover photo from National Geographic. In reality, Amina was wearing a soccer hoodie with a puffy winter coat and snow hat. She had a big smile, a nervous laugh, and came across as a friendly, slightly shy, slightly sleepy college student.
Not surprisingly, I have heard that one of the hardest things for Afghan refugees is being separated from family. Amina is no different, leaving behind her whole family – her mom, four older siblings, five nieces, and five nephews.
My mental image of an Afghan refugee: The famous “Afghan Girl” from National Geographic in 1985
After one of our first meetings, a woman from the church met Amina and walked with her around the church building. In the sanctuary, Amina saw the mural behind the altar depicting the Ascension and asked, “Is that Jesus?”
I feel incredibly privileged to spend time with Amina each week, to help her improve her English, and to be one of the first Christians she gets to meet in her new neighborhood.
Some of the Christ-centered artwork which visitors see inside Church of the Ascension in Pittsburgh
I pray that as she adjusts to this new place, that she will come to recognize the risen Christ in the kindness of people around her. Your partnership is touching the lives of those like Amina who are far from home. Thank you for being a part of this ministry!
We have been officially commissioned as missionaries serving refugees and other recent immigrants in Pittsburgh alongside Church of the Ascension!
Almighty God, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, you revealed the way of eternal life to every race and nation: Pour out this gift anew, that by the preaching of the Gospel your salvation may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Prayer for World Mission Sunday from the 2019 Book of Common Prayer, p. 604.
