The New York Times has named Clarkston,
Georgia, “The most diverse square mile in America”.
Why? Every year thousands of refugees come
to the United States seeking a better life. In the early 1990′s, the process
of resettling refugees began in the community of Clarkston, a small town
located within metro Atlanta. Since that time, approximately 60,000 refugees
from over 150 different ethnic groups have been resettled in this area.
With so many refugees coming to Atlanta,
Renee and I decided to go and see for ourselves. How? We took a team of 40 to work a summer
camp with partner organizations Cross Pointe Church and Clarkston-based Friends
of Refugees.
One hundred elementary and middle school refugee children, from
countries like Burundi, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Iraq and Iran, gathered at the
Clarkston Community Center for a week of fun and education.
Why did we participate?
Because these refugees are people who have been forced to leave
their country in order to escape war or persecution. They need hope - and they
need the gospel of Jesus Christ! These international people groups are coming,
right to our backyard, like never before and howFar is committed to reaching
them for Christ.
In June of 2013 we plan to return to
Clarkston for two weeks. We’ll build relationships with the students at camp,
do block parties in the apartment communities where they live, and share our
stories with their families.
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