Work We Cannot Do

Terri Saelee (pictured with a Mizo member), North American Division Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries coordinator, believes it’s vitally important to reach out to refugees. “Reaching refugees is at the core of finishing the work because when we reach other cultures they can do a work we cannot do to reach their own people and other related language groups, both here in North America and in their home countries, where we cannot send missionaries.”

She says the Spirit of Prophecy contains a powerful quote, referring to “refugees”: “Great benefits would come to the cause of God in the regions beyond if faithful effort were put forth in behalf of the foreigners in the cities of our homeland … if we were quick in discerning the opening providences of God, we should be able to see in the multiplying opportunities to reach many foreigners in America a divinely appointed means of rapidly extending the third angel's message into all the nations of earth. God in His providence has brought men to our very doors and thrust them, as it were, into our arms, that they might learn the truth, and be qualified to do a work we could not do in getting the light before men of other tongues” (Ellen White, Evangelism, p. 571).  

Saelee says that within the North American Division, there are currently 152 and counting refugee congregations among 19 language groups. She offers that if there is a refugee group someone would like to reach out to, church planting consultants are ready and willing to help. Visit refugeeministries.org for more information.