CENTER FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE

Many of us may not quite understand who is a refugee. That calls for the following questions:

Who is a refugee? A refugee is a person who, “…owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social or political opinion, outside the country of his nationality and unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.

Where are they from? Refugee families come to Dallas from Afghanistan , Bhutan , Burma , Ethiopia , Iran , Iraq , Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo , Sudan , Burundi , Eritrea , Somalia , Cuba , Nepal and other areas of conflict.

What services does New Heart Assembly provide to the refugees? We provide resettlement; employment referrals and education to help families and individuals become independent and self sufficient. All our services are free and it also includes teaching English as a second language (ESL), cultural orientation, Adjustment counseling, school registration, family support services, job readiness, budget planning, referrals for social security, Health referrals, English classes referrals, TXIDs & WIC referrals, job skills training, case management, mentoring, youth programs, Immigration referrals and advocacy. But the primary aim of this ministry to every refugees is to share the gospel, witness to the gospel, preach the gospel, communicate the gospel, present the gospel, enable them to hear the gospel, reach them with the gospel, and give them opportunity to respond to the gospel.

What are the items they need? Most importantly, they need financial assistance, prayer and love. Other needs include:

Shampoo, Bath soap, Dish soap, Toothpaste and Toothbrushes, Razors and Shaving Cream, Diapers (sizes 1-5) Gift Cards for Kroger/Carnival/Fiesta, Wal-Mart, DART bus tickets, Furniture e.g. Cribs, Dinning Tables & Chairs, Dressers, Lamps, Sofas, Brooms & Dustpans, Laundry Detergent, Deodorant (men/women) Shower Curtain Liners & Rings, Flatware Pots and Pans, Large cooking pots, Dishes, Mixing and serving bowls, Cooking spoons, spatulas, other utensils, Can Openers & Vegetable peelers, Colander/Strainer, Towels & Washcloths, Sheets (twin, double queen & king), Blankets (twin, double, queen and king), Pillows, Alarm cloths & radios, toys, coffee Makers & Teapots, Vacuum cleaners, computers, printers and electronics.

We ensure that we provide them with food; basic furnishings and we are actively involved in meeting them at the Airport, and providing them transportation as they arrive. As soon as we settle them in, we take them for grocery shopping within their first three days in this country. Assist with obtaining Social Security card, Medicaid, and we teach them English as a second language.

URGENT NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION

Our Refugee Ministry requires lots of running around, driving, carrying all the items we donate to them, picking up donated items and picking up the refugees to church. We are a small ministry and cannot afford to buy a van at this point. We are therefore making a desperate appeal to all churches, ministers and individuals all over this country to assist in donating a van or in giving us a financial gift to purchase a van. We need at least three vans at this point but can use anything in the form of transportation for a start. We are an Ethnic Multicultural ministry with a big vision but are seriously hindered by finances. I pray that God will open a door and grant us favor through you in Jesus Name.

The Refuges stories are sad. Once uprooted, refugees and displaced people embark on a perilous journey. They flee in small groups smuggled out in the night, and in long, weary columns tramping across scorched earth. They fling themselves onto leaky boats and hand up their babies to strangers leaning from beating helicopters or hissing trains. We at NEW HEART know their stories as immigrants ourselves. We therefore have stepped up to be an advocate and answer to the cries of the oppressed, but we cannot do it alone. You can help. Many people become refugees as a result of war, economic crisis, food shortages, global warming or environmental catastrophes. This ministry has made a commitment to saving lives and helping refugees and all displaced people on their journey from harm to home. We need your help.

Just recently, a refugee from NEPAL said to me, “ Everyone in my village fled during the conflict. The village became an overgrown fields and broken houses. Our village economy is very bad and the literacy rate almost 90%. I am thankful for America helping me escape the refugee camp. I now have hope and a chance to live a better life. I am grateful to America . I pray they find my wife and two babies who are lost in Nepal ”.

New Heart is a ministry that is committed to reaching every living person in the world with the gospel. To set the captives free in Jesus Name. To utilize every visible method of taking and sending the Christian good news to the entire world. To show unconditional love to others by caring and sharing. To always remember that God has placed the world in our hearts. He has given us a responsive, dangerous, and opportune moment in history. Genesis 1:26-30. He is loving us to love a lost world… He desires to use us and bless us. My prayer is that God will use us fully as we keep the whole world in view.

We therefore provide pastoral care, support and prayers as well as resettlement services and education to help refugees and other individuals become self sufficient, we pray that you join us as we together make a difference in the lives of the less privileged.

“ If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth”. 1 John 3:17-18.

“Suppose a brother or sister is without food. If one of you says to him, go I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”

Most refugees who come to America arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs and a suitcase or two containing all their possessions. Many have spent years in teaming refugee camps. Nearly all have suffered enormous physical and emotional traumas. Yet they all bring with them the same hopes and dreams that accompanied previous generations of newcomers seeking the freedom and opportunities so widely recognized as ” America ‘s promise.” Welcoming newcomers to the country and helping them adjust to a new homeland is what NEW HEART ASSEMBLY MINISTRIES Refugee Resettlement Program is all about.