Refugees

It was a full day!

Woke up to SUNSHINE (finally!) and had a good morning with a good breakfast and a good time with God. He is teaching me about what it means for me to walk in the Spirit and what it means to walk in the flesh. It's more familiar for me to read those words in the Bible but it's felt vague or unfamiliar to my every-day life, as in knowing with clarity and confidence when I'm walking in the Spirit and when I'm not. It's so simple! That doesn't mean it's easy, but it is simple. Yesterday I realized that if I love people all day and if I spend my moments loving and adoring and being with Jesus in my heart, then I win! I've succeeded for the day! And not I, but Christ in me. How freeing that is!

At 11, I made my way to the train station to head into Vienna for German class. It takes about 45 minutes to travel there. Class was good but challenging! It's been exciting to read through newspapers or paragraphs in my German book and be able to get the gist of it! I was encouraged today that I have been learning and that I am growing in understanding and speaking this language. Please continue to pray that I really grasp it! I'm looking for more opportunities to speak and practice it!

After school, Jeff and I hopped on a train and headed to a different district in Vienna to meet up with Greta and Jeff Simon, who are missionaries here in Vienna. We met up with them last week over coffee to swap stories about how we got here and what we're doing here, and today we got to see their apartment then headed south of Vienna to participate in one of the refugee outreaches they were apart of.

Vienna has the greatest number of immigrant applications out of any other European country, mostly because it's closest to the eastern nations that are so desperately seeking refuge outside of their own country. Most of them are Turks, Serbians, Kurds, Afghans or Iranians, but there are countless others from many other nations. They come to Vienna in dire circumstances, many from war-torn countries, others from grave poverty, others from oppressive governments.

The place we went to tonight is called the Oasis, and they have an assortment of outreaches to refugees who are temporarily staying in their town (most in a place called "The Logger" which houses over 15,000 people!). Tonight there were about 40 men (they are praying for women and children to come!), primarily Afghans, who came for a time of short worship, a message and some coffee, tea and snacks. Most of them are not believers. Jeff and I got to help serve coffee and then talk and hang out with the people afterwards. We learned some Farse and had fun interacting with the people and the workers of Oasis.

I was really struck tonight by the fact that the only legal job for these refugees (until their "case" is heard and they find out if they can legally stay in Vienna or if they'll get deported home) is prostitution. Human trafficking is massive in Vienna- a sickening death-sentence to thousands of people.

Please pray for me as I continue to learn about the needs here in Vienna and as I seek God on how He would have me express God and his love here.