Helping Refugees Find the Practical Love that Comes from the Heart of God
John Crossman, CCIM, CRX
President @ CrossMarc Services | Real Estate Investment
Great leaders are relevant at the point of crisis. They know how to deal with the immediate issues and move into recovery and restoration. Two such great leaders are Michael Parks and Jamal Hashweh, and it was an honor to have them as my guests on The Crossman Conversation.
Mike is the president of Frontier Partners International, serving unreached or least reached communities in crisis, or where people are impoverished, oppressed, and persecuted. Jamal is the founder and director of Refuge Cities Network, which provides relief, medical assistance, development and training to refugees and the poor.
These two organizations work primarily in the Middle East, serving those in need regardless of national origin, race, or tribe.
“We’re here to demonstrate and bring the reality of the love of Jesus Christ to human beings,” Mike said. “We see people as human beings, not evangelistic targets, not racial targets. Just human beings in need. We minister to that in places where God has directed us, and that gives us the opportunity to speak into their lives.”
Because he comes from a refugee family, Jamal has had personal experience of what it’s like to flee and leave everything behind. “We are very careful to keep their dignity and respect them,” he said. “We go in with love in action, love that has hands and feet, not only by words, but by caring for them, giving them something to eat.”
After meeting those immediate essential needs, Jamal said, “We help them to help themselves to secure an ongoing income for their family.” And when people ask why they do this, he says, “It’s because of God’s love. We care about you.”
It starts with love and care because, Jamal said, “Empty stomachs don’t have ears. You need to care about them in the beginning. Then you go to the next level. When people hear the music of our lives, they will ask for the words.”
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While Mike and Jamal have found their mission niche, they know everyone serves in their own way. “If something is resonating in this to you, lean into it,” he said. But if you are called to do something else, he added, “Nothing that we do is any more important than what you do. What’s God saying to you? What’s God telling you to do? Then move in that direction.”
To hear more about the amazing work Frontier Partners International and Refuge Cities Network are doing, listen to my conversation with Mike Parks and Jamal Hashweh here:
For more about issues in the Middle East, including the growing democracy movement in Iran, listen to the Iran Special with Rahman Shahidi and Shirin Taber here:
John Crossman is the founder of Crossman Career Builders, the host of The Crossman Conversation, and the author of Career Killers Career Builders. Check out Crossman Career Builders on YouTube. Connect with John on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.