A passion for refugee ministry

Two Calvary women share how they serve and benefit from this meaningful ministry

Angie Schatz

Our experience with working with refugees and other displaced people started about 4 years ago, and then we found opportunities to help after the Afghanistan evacuation.  Catholic Charities and Arrive Ministries were looking for groups to support Afghan families that were coming into Rochester.  Through those programs we were able to learn about different refugee experiences and processes and ways to help. We were “assigned” a family and needed to help them get established with medical, school, employment, English and adjusting to life here in Rochester. 

Through the process we were able to see the needs that came about since we were “boots on the ground”. What started out as meeting a family’s needs has grown into a very close bond and friendship. We also were able to meet other families that needed help navigating life here in America. 

I would say right now we are very involved with 3 families.  There are so many ways to serve, but I think what naturally comes about is a friendship and a feeling of being a family.  They will call when they are happy, sad, have exciting news, or need to navigate something.  As the friendships grow deeper, they open up and we talk about many difficult and horrific experiences just like what would happen when you become friends with someone here.  We talk about our differences in beliefs which is really interesting.   It seems as though the mission field was brought to us here in Rochester. A common question is “why do you do this?”  Such a great open door to have those deep talks.

I have so many funny stories due to translation issues.  One of my favorite texts was one that said, “Angie, come quick my son is dead!” We weren’t sure what to expect, so we rushed over there instead of trying to deal with google translate.  Another was when a child had a problem with their “private part” and she sent me a picture of it and said “what is going on?”  I went over there and said, “You can’t send me these kind of pictures.”  We laughed together. 

The most important thing I think about when working with others, whether refugees or not, is considering how I would feel in their shoes.  What help would I need, and how would I want to be treated? Often it is the little things they need help with that make large impacts.  The goal is for them to be completely self-sufficient, which is what we would want if we were in their shoes.

Honestly this may sound strange, but I don’t really think about the refugee part as much as how they are a person put in my path who needs help with something and how I can help them. One of the biggest things I have learned is to stop and pray before acting.  So many times I would think about the big picture and get overwhelmed by all the moving parts, while God was showing me I needed to just stop and rely on Him.  He is the one the does it; we are just the hands and feet.  Since I am a planner, he sometimes needs to knock me over the head a bit with this concept, however, I have seen it play out time and again.  God’s hand has intervened in so many ways with these families that I could not have done on my own.  So honestly, helping refugees and others I believe is God’s way of using us, but more importantly growing us, in our walk with Him.  Although these families may think we are blessing them, I believe God is using them to bless us.  

Janet Isley

Refugee ministry was not on my radar.  I was recently retired and open to a new ministry, but I assumed God would want me to “stay in my lane” with ministries that were familiar to me.  But God surprised me with guidance toward this new opportunity, and I am very thankful that He did.  I have been blessed and stretched in ways I would never have imagined.

In October of 2021 I was introduced to Paul (Hassan), Dorcas (Riziki), and their four girls.  I learned that they had recently arrived in Rochester from Uganda, but parents were originally from the Congo.  They liked our church and wanted to keep attending Calvary if they could; however, they did not have a car or drivers licenses.  A refugee team was already in place at Calvary to assist them, but more drivers were needed.  Two cars were needed each Sunday for transportation.  I prayed about it and decided that I could join the team as a Sunday driver.  

Through rides to and from church, friendships grew along with insights into other needs the family had.  Due to the ages of their children that year, parents had connections to Head Start, Riverside Elementary, Kellogg Middle School, and Century High School.  Information and connections with each school were sometimes challenging to parents due to the language barrier and lack of experience with our public education system.  Since I was a retired teacher with Rochester Public Schools, I gradually realized that I was in a unique position to serve as a liaison between parents and school staff.  Who knew?  God did! 

It has been a privilege to help the family in this way and also to provide transportation to school functions that they might not otherwise be able to attend.  One highlight was attending the preschool graduation of their daughter Israela at Head Start.  Neither parent could take off work that day, so I was able to attend as a friend and take videos to share with parents.   Another special experience was helping Olga apply for and then go through the onboarding requirements for a summer internship opportunity at Mayo Clinic offered in conjunction with the NAACP.  Other memories included attending Prophecy’s choir concert and helping Milka and her mom attend meet the teacher night at Kellogg.

Many shared experiences with the family have been filled with fun and laughter.  These have included shopping trips, singing Moana songs in the car, eating their favorite foods on New Year’s Day, attending a baby shower for their new daughter, bringing baby Acsa home from the hospital, introducing the girls to my dog, and playing the Jenga game.  Since my own children and grandchildren live far away, it has been an unexpected blessing to “share life’ with this family in Rochester.

As you can see, my experience with Dorcas and Paul and their 5 girls has developed into more than just rides to and from church.  As new opportunities to help the family became apparent, I had to pray about each step and what my participation level should be.  I learned that each team member has special strengths to share, and no one person needs to do it all.   I learned that the goal is helping the family become independent and helping them learn how to do things on their own.   I learned that sometimes I need to say no or refer them to a different person as a resource. I learned that many other church members are open to sharing their love and strengths with family members.  I  also learned that Paul and Dorcas and their girls have amazing patience and thankfulness and trust in God for each step of their journey.   They have been and continue to be an example and inspiration to me.   They pray for me, and I pray for them.  We rejoice in prayers already answered and encourage each other to wait on His direction and provision in other areas.   God is leading and teaching each one of us, and He often directs our lives to intersect in amazing ways!