Camp experience



“If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as noonday. 
The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
Isaiah 58:10-11

A refugee camp is a place that must be experienced to be understood, and even then there are only levels of understanding. I (Abbie) am experiencing it as a Eurorelief volunteer. I can understand that. But for the people of concern who live here, their understanding is raw and heartbreaking and kind and thankful. In the few short days I have been here, I have seen all of these and so much more that cannot be put into words: the stories that are too traumatic and unbearable to even imagine, but these stories intersect with such kindness and compassion that these people of different cultures extend to each other. 

God is using a terrible situation to demonstrate love to people who may never have experienced God-love before. I spent my first two dayshifts building tents. Putting up the UNHCR tents is no big deal - it takes about 15 minutes. However, preparing and leveling the ground with pick axes, shovels, and rakes requires a lot more work. I watched Hasan, who speaks Farsi, expertly and with great kindness guide our tent building. He is not a volunteer; he is a resident of the camp. Abib, also a resident of camp who speaks Arabic and works just as hard, joined our efforts. At the end of the day, we had built 6 tents and housed 24 families. 400 people were waiting in new arrivals for a place to sleep. This is a tiny glimpse into the life here. There is so much to tell - so many stories, but the stories cannot fully describe the experience. Everywhere I go in camp, I see God showing up. I see Him demonstrating His love, being present in the midst of this suffering. The refugee camp is indescribable, and I am so very grateful for this experience. 

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