By Karen Morrow, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel There is a proverb that says, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Refugees arrive with many needs. Our desire is not to just provide the physical things they need, … Continue reading
Category Archives: CBF Field Personnel
Lord, Open Their Eyes
By Rev. David and Lauren Bass “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us … Continue reading
Persistent Planting
By Jessica Hearne, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Who knew it would be so difficult to grow watermelons? Isaiah certainly didn’t know when he started planting them on the Urban Farm five years ago. We can grow cucumbers just fine, and watermelons are kind of like cucumbers, so it shouldn’t be a problem, right? Maybe … Continue reading
Making Home Away from Home: Kim and Marc Wyatt are rebranding what it means to be a neighbor through North Carolina’s refugee programs
By Jennifer Colosimo Shortly after Marc Wyatt, CBF field personnel in North Carolina, sends a hopeful email to a group at his church, he starts to see God at work. A request to help a local Ukrainian family with groceries, toiletries, etc., results in an overwhelming fulfillment of those needs, but also unveils how close … Continue reading
Blessed Birthday
By Sue Smith, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel We arrived at the migrant shelter along the Mexican border with the U.S. just in time for the party. Miguel* was celebrating his fourth birthday that day, and we had stopped with the leadership team from the shelter at a supermarket to pick up a birthday cake and … Continue reading
The Already and the Not Yet
By Rev. Rick Sample “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am,” John 14:3, NIV. Heavenly Father, the events during the summer of 2021 in Afghanistan were devastating for the Afghan people just as … Continue reading
An All-In Ministry Partner
By Steve Clark, Cooperative Baptist Foundation field personnel Walking to the car after the third day of opening Hope Rising Ministry Center, I saw a Chin church member (probably a church leader and seminary student) pull into the parking lot of the parsonage beside the church. He got out of his car and waved to me … Continue reading
Village of Hope
By Gennady Podgaisky, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel We came to the States in December of 2021 on a scheduled off-field assignment. We were planning to go back to the Ukraine on March 12, 2022 but, due to the war, we could not return. About a week after the war started on February 24, we … Continue reading
In-Between
By Rev. Kim and Marc Wyatt God of the universe, of each one of us, show us Your way. God who sees EVERYONE traversing the refugee highway, help me to see the sojourner too, because they are precious in your sight. EVERYONE is seen by you. Those seen on TV and those still languishing from … Continue reading
Take Care of Yourself
By Cindy Ruble, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Recently, thanks to a generous donor, I had the privilege of facilitating a Self-Care Retreat for 25 trauma social workers, staff,and volunteers. The pandemic brought many things with it, including an increase in cases of domestic violence, sexual assault and child sexual abuse as life moved more … Continue reading