Far From Home: Praying for Displaced People Groups

Suzanne Pearson • Apr 18, 2023

In this month’s Ministry Update , we focused on TEAM’s value of Creative Vision, and specifically the need to be flexible when serving in cross-cultural work. We heard from TEAM global worker, Samantha* how she has had to learn to hold her plans loosely in ministering to and serving alongside displaced Ukranian populations since the war began.

Samantha is not alone. According to the International Organization for Migration’s 2022 World Migration Report , approximately 281 million people, or 3.6% of the world’s population, live in a country other than their country of birth. Of these, many live as expatriates due to war, political or religious persecution, natural disaster, or economic hardship.

God has graciously allowed TEAM the privilege of coming alongside displaced people, sometimes called refugees or “diaspora" in multiple nations around the world. For this month’s Prayer Focus, we reached out to global workers serving diaspora populations and asked how we can pray. Here are 5 ways to pray for Diaspora Ministries:

1. First of all, PRAISE God for His goodness and provision for displaced peoples.

TEAM workers shared many stories of how God has miraculously provided for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of families far from the comforts of home. One such story comes from Sara, a TEAM worker in the Czech Republic:

“Alina* arrived in Czech Republic with her two young children. She is a believer and wanted to connect to a church. God has been incredibly good to her by providing a church family for her. The first eight months were difficult for Alina, as she watched her children growing up without their father. She knew God was providing for her, yet this was hard.

Praise God – a few months ago, Alina’s husband was permitted to come to Czech Republic and be reunited with his family! Last week, they shared about Ukraine with our church. We had Ukrainian food and learned how we could pray. They also shared how incredibly good God has been to them.”

Join us in praising God for being Jehovah Jireh to displaced people and families.

2. PRAY for creative ways to make connections with displaced people.

When people find themselves living in a culture that is not their own, it can be difficult to know how to engage with others. TEAM worker Meg* likens this to a scenario we can all relate to – socializing during the pandemic.

“Remember when Covid regulations started and it was so confusing?” Meg asks. “Do we mask or not? Hug or not? Have a meal together or not? Doing work with diaspora peoples, in a culture that doesn’t belong to either them or us, is a lot like the confusion of Covid times. We are trying to fit into the host culture where neither of us really know the cultural norms and rules and it makes everyone a little nervous to engage. But it also gives us common ground!”

Meg goes on to share that in her context, she’s found that inviting a group of people to share a meal together is more effective than just inviting one person or one family. This new dynamic leads to deeper conversation and more meaningful engagement.

Pray for global workers as well as other believers to find creative and effective ways to engage with and care for displaced people .

In addition to the trauma that many displaced people have experienced is the challenge of learning to find community in a new culture.

3. PRAY for people living indefinitely in the “in between.”

Samantha says that in preparation for this Prayer Focus piece, she asked some of her Ukrainian friends what they would like prayer for. Most said the same thing, “Ask God to end the war.” For many refugees forced to flee due to war, persecution, or other dire circumstances, their greatest hope is that those circumstances will end so they can return home.

And while we do plead with God to end war and suffering, there is also a tremendous need for displaced people to find strength, purpose, and hope in the present. “Those living far from home aren’t fully able to jump into life where they are because they’re holding on to what life was before the war,” says Samantha. “Many are living lives in suspended reality, not putting down roots where they are in hopes that they’ll be able to go home soon.”

Pray for displaced people to be strengthened and encouraged while living in this “in-between” reality, and that those serving them will have much sensitivity, wisdom, compassion, and timely words from the Lord to share with them.

4. PRAY for hearts to be softened to the truth of the Gospel.

The Bible tells us that God always has purpose in our pain, and we see this so often in diaspora ministry. Through suffering and hardship, as well as through the love of Jesus displayed by those providing aid, many people are coming to faith in Christ.

Sara shares the story of a Ukrainian family who survived an intense escape into the Czech Republic. They are not believers and in fact had a negative view of Christians. However, during their exodus from Ukraine, they took refuge in churches along the way. “They began to think differently about believers and were very grateful,” says Sara. She goes on to explain how God continues to pursue this family as He has provided accommodations for them as well as jobs for mom and dad, and a comfortable school environment for their son with disabilities.

Pray for displaced people to experience the peace of Christ as promised in John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

5. PRAY for displaced Christians among the various diaspora groups.

It’s important to remember that among the millions of displaced people around the world, many are already our brothers and sisters in Christ! They have the opportunity to not only trust the Lord with their own lives, but also to minister to those around them. Samantha says this is happening in amazing ways in her current context.

“I’m a part of a small Ukrainian church that is trying to reach out to the 500,000 Ukrainians in Czech Republic, even as the pastor and church members themselves are refugees,” she shares. “Pray for wisdom to know how best to encourage and equip them as they reach their own for Jesus.”

*names changed for security reasons


By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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