November 2018 - LPNI

Over 70 years ago, after World War II, my mother came to West Germany as a refugee from the Eastern part, which now belongs to Russia.  She and her family had lost everything: their homes, their friends, their pasts.  To this day, she still suffers from the trauma of violence and loss.  Therefore, the trauma, disruption, and loss of refugees touches me personally.

Today, we once more have a lot of refugees in Germany – and worldwide.  This time they come from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and African countries.  In 2017, over 25 million people lost their homes.  Many of these refugees are traumatised.  They must cope with the loss of home, family and country.  Some of them have experienced severe violence, went guiltless to prison and mourn over lost family members.

Having refugees living among us in our villages and cities is a challenge for our churches. Refugees need someone to explain to them how the society they now live in works, where to shop and how to find work.  They need guidance through the health system, someone who comes along with them if they have to see a doctor or go to hospital.  They need someone to simply be their friend and invite them over for a meal.

In Galatians 6:10 we read:  So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith.

I want to tell you about our church in Dudenhofen, Germany.  Recently a few Iranian refugees visited our Sunday service.  As they couldn’t understand any German we had to communicate with our hands and invite them for coffee.  Surprisingly, they returned the next Sunday and met another family from the Iran, who were able to translate a bit.  From then on they came every Sunday.  This was the way we got in contact with refugee families and all their needs. The other way was that a nurse and her husband started to visit the young men in a refugee camp in our village.  An entirely new branch of service started for our volunteers and Parish Nurses.  They went with the refugees to doctors and hospitals with ill members of refugee families.   Additionally, they tried to find translators or used Google to help overcome the language barrier.  The Parish Nurses helped pregnant women through medical and other problems, such as having to deliver and care for a baby in this very unstable situation, neither knowing where the little one will grow up nor being connected to their own mothers and fathers back in their home countries.

In 2017 our Parish Nurse, Anja, helped a pregnant refugee woman through many tough situations.  When the little boy was born, the parents called him Martin.  They chose the name in honour of Martin Luther, since it was the year we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.  The whole family was baptised and now officially belongs to our church.  We are very blessed to have them and other refugee families among us.  More and more they become our friends and faith family members.   However, it is also a blessing to be able to help refugees, who do not belong to the Christian faith.  We learn a lot about their countries and different ways of life.  They help us to broaden our minds and reshape our attitudes.  

Arriving in a Christian country, everybody should experience the love and hope through Christ, as we are asked in Galatians.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, we need to practise the words of Galatians:  Let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

The Parish Nurse can help to provide a climate where the congregation becomes an oasis of rest and peace to give strength in unsettled life situations for all, but especially for those who are displaced and need encouragement, comfort and help.

Angela Glaeser, MA

Parish Nursing Coordinator and Educator in Germany