New World Outlook - Summer 2017 - Open - 15

New World Outlook

SUMMER 2017

Crossing Paths with Refugees
in Germany
by Taurai Jokonya

n January 2017, I had the privilege of attending a leadership conference in Stuttgart,
Germany. There, more than
30 Christian leaders, predominantly United Methodist ministers from
Europe, gathered to discuss refugees
in their churches. It was refreshing to
hear amazing stories of how people
in Germany are prepared to go out of
their way to accommodate our friends
whom the world calls refugees.
I met four Zimbabwean ministers
who are now based in the United
Kingdom, and the Zimbabwean ambassador to Germany was also part
of this gathering. I also had the privilege of meeting the bishop-elect for
the Germany Central Conference, the
Rev. Harald Rückert, when we visited his church in Reutlingen. It was
an enriching experience to discuss
issues guided by the theme "Things

that keep us apart and unite us." Sad
that the outgoing bishop Rosemary
Wenner wasn't around because she
had other commitments in the United
States. It would have been great
meeting her as well.

Progress for Refugee
Friends

A number of our refugee friends
have really settled well here. When
I first arrived in 2015, these friends
didn't know anything about Germany.
Some arrived after I did and we took
it upon ourselves to try and make
them feel at home and settled. Now,
13 months down the line, I'm glad
to have witnessed what the Lord
can do. Though two of our friends
have not acquired proper documentation, they are now working and living in their own apartments. Some
have yet to find their own apartments

Taurai Jokonya, second standing from left, meets with refugees who have begun to settle into
life in Frankfurt, Germany.
PHOTO: COURTESY TAURAI JOKONYA

and jobs, but there is a lot of positive
progress. Three are living in a hotel
now, which is much better than the
town hall they shared when we first
knew them. The process might be
painfully slow, but they are definitely
getting there.
All of these friends have Muslim
backgrounds and when we started
meeting, they were skeptical about us
because of our Christian faith. But now
we can count on them to come and be
part of some of our church programs.
While in Germany, my bike was
stolen in the Spring. Fortunately,
someone had just left another bike
by our church in late December, and
we didn't know what to do with it. So
soon after mine was stolen, I got the
needed approval from my supervisor to start using the abandoned one.
The owner never returned for it and
the cycling was great in those days!
My service in Germany came to
an end in June and I am now back
home in Zimbabwe. End of service
meant traveling to the United States
for our end-term debriefing in Atlanta,
Georgia. I'm praying for God to reveal
plans for my next steps.

Taurai Jokonya (Advance #3022116)
was one of a group of Global Mission Fellows assigned to International
and Migrant Ministries in Germany,
a United Methodist outreach to asylum seekers and other migrants. He is
from Harare, Zimbabwe, and earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Education
from Africa University.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of New World Outlook - Summer 2017 - Open