(This is a true story, but the identity of the individuals involved has been deliberately obscured for their protection.)
We had a really moving experience at the refugee camp.
We were visiting a refugee orphanage run by a Christian couple within the camp. Wow! How the Lord is using the husband and wife in such awful circumstances. He was a government official in his previous country who couldn’t condone or carry out the killings by the President. An assassination on his life was attempted and he narrowly escaped death several times during his escape. He got separated from his wife for a while and sadly she got raped and beaten.
On top of that two of their seven children were lost in the escape which led them to have a love for the orphans when they eventually got to the refugee camp.
While he is waiting to be resettled he has built a school and teaches and feeds currently 88 orphans as well as teaching them of God’s love and His way of salvation. Thankfully after seven years he finally located his lost son in Tanzania. Then miraculously after 8 years (just recently) his daughter was also located. She is in Canada. She had been taken in by another fleeing family who took her to safety in Canada although not yet granted asylum there.
The husband teaches the gospel in the refugee camp. That’s his passion as well as caring for the orphans. His wife supports him in all he does but sadly still looked traumatised! If you could – pray for this couple and the wonderful work they do. Also that they will one day be released from the refugee camp to live a free life even though they are doing such a good work there. He thinks only of the future of his children. For himself he doesn’t mind staying where he is. He was a well educated man with initiative and integrity. You can imagine one day a book being written with their story. They really are heroes of the faith.
This was an amazing lesson in how the Lord uses us in the midst of our deepest suffering and trials. The work this couple do is tremendous yet couldn’t be done if they weren’t themselves refugees and was born out of the loss of their own two children as they escaped. There’s more to their work than I’ve described but I’d need to write a book to cover it all.

It was a privilege to see the wee children gathered for a children’s meeting both times when we arrived. Afterwards they just wanted to hold our hands and be hugged. The poverty there was desperate and very real. One toddler wore no clothes at all on his lower half except one shoe!
On our second visit as well as teaching the children about the love of God we were pleased to be able to leave some food, toiletries and school equipment. A drop in the ocean but very much appreciated.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so moved by one couple’s story and the work they do.
(Contributed by Janet McMaster)