In his home country of Liberia, John knew nothing but civil war. He was recruited into battle at a tender age. He witnessed the devastation of his family, his community and his nation. He escaped the mayhem as a war refugee, eventually landing in his new home – America. But life in the land of plenty often wasn’t. He had to learn to survive in a culture that wasn’t his own, find work in a foreign land, communicate in a new tongue.

John did more than survive; he thrived.

Now, 10 years later, John shares his experiences – both triumphs and failures – with new Liberian refugees continually landing in Houston. He shares so they will learn from his journey, making their own journeys more sure-footed.

“I choose to help them because when I came here I went through a lot of difficulties. I don’t want them to go through the difficulties I went through,” John says.

John is just one of 12 Liberian natives taking a leadership role in the Liberian Refugee Assistance Program run by the Lutheran Inter-City Network Coalition (LINC) in Houston. It’s a holistic program to address both the spiritual and physical needs of the refugees entering this country.

The physical needs of the newly arrived Liberian refugees are lengthy: housing, jobs, training, health care, transportation, school, immigration counseling, and social activities. Beyond the pragmatic, the refugees also need hope for a future, spiritual grounding, and encouragement that life in this country need not be as devastating as in the last.

Many organizations would address such needs with dollars and handouts. But LINC Executive Director Rev. Mark Junkans opted for a more sustainable program that empowers indigenous leaders within the Liberian community to mentor and guide newcomers through the acclimation process.

“In the apartment complexes (where the Liberian refugees live), there are churches that come through with furniture and clothes and food, but we didn’t see that as a positive all the time,” explains Mark. “The refugees learn to depend on somebody else. So we try to let the refugees know that it’s up to them. They have people in their own community who are empowered, who have walked the same walk and can be better mentors than some of the other people who have tried to help.

“It gives them hope because they don’t have to depend on other people, they now have the means to build their own future,” Mark adds. “And then they can tell their story to other people who are just arriving here.”

This long-term approach centered on indigenous leadership required more substantial resources than available through the handful of supporting Lutheran congregations. That’s where Wheat Ridge Ministries stepped in. A seed grant was used to cover real costs such as a van to transport the Liberians to regular church services or job interviews, and rental space within the Liberian apartment complex for regular Bible studies and fellowship.

Perhaps most significantly, the grant provided the human resources necessary to ensure a continuous presence in the Liberian community and adequate training of the indigenous leaders.

“It is good for the Liberians to lead themselves,” says Chris Attah, LINC lay-pastor, who understands the difficulty many Liberians face since he emigrated to the U.S. from nearby Ghana eight years ago. “It’s not me telling them, but they themselves understand the basic principles of salvation, the grace of God, that God has brought them this far, brought them into this culture and given them jobs. They can see how great God is and see where they are going.”

As the Liberian Refugee Assistance Program successfully cultivates Liberian leaders, the impact ripples throughout the 300-plus people they touch every year. The program’s leaders all hold steady jobs and are thus able to coach newcomers on the benefits of regular employment. They’ve started the Liberian Unification Club which helps community members save money and get loans. Three leaders are enrolled in seminary training, hoping one day to plant their own churches. The Liberian community recently celebrated its first wedding uniting former refugees, symbolizing of the entire community’s hope for the future. And now, as the Wheat Ridge seed grant phases out, the program will be sustained by the indigenous leaders who are ready and capable.

“If we’re supposed to make disciples of all nations, we don’t have to go very far,” says Mark. “The nations are coming to us. We see them as human beings in need of Christ and in need of God’s love. If we provide those tangible needs and bless people, then God will fulfill that great commission through us.”

Thank you for your prayer and financial support of Wheat Ridge Ministries, allowing us to link arms with those reaching out to Liberian refugees as we fulfill the great commission together.

Written by Jennifer Halupnik