Showing Tag: "children" (Show all posts)

The Issues Behind the Issue of Family Separation at our Southern Border

Posted by Kaylee K on Tuesday, May 29, 2018, In : Unaccompanied Refugee Youth 
Over this past week my heart has grieved seeing the news of American border officials forcibly removing children from their families at the U.S. southern border. It is tempting, of course, to post responses full of emotion; I admit, I did this a bit on Facebook. However, I also researched to find out not only what is happening, but what got us here. The trail is not straight nor is it crystal clear. But what I continue to see is that we need to recognize the people behind the news, and behind...
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The Power of Prayer

Posted by Kaylee K on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, In : Unaccompanied Refugee Youth 

9:36 Prayer Initiative for Unaccompanied Refugee Children

November focus: For the week of the 12th-18th of November, will you join people around the globe in daily prayer for the 200,000+ unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and youth who are traveling alone through Europe? Simply set a daily calendar reminder for 9:36 a.m. and p.m. to remind you to pray for twice each day for these children.

Why 9:36 a.m./p.m.? In the Bible, the book of Mark, chapter 9, verse 36 tells us that “[Jesus] took...
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The Power of Connections

Posted by Kaylee K on Thursday, September 21, 2017, In : Unaccompanied Refugee Youth 


As I reflect on our visits with many individuals and ministries across Europe this summer, I am truly grateful for the connections we have made. I recognize that God has designed John and I both as connectors and He uses this in our ministry work almost daily. Again and again this summer, we were able to see how God wove together new relationships to help build out support programs for refugees...some having nothing to do with our own ministry but for the furthering of other work (which is aw...
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Welcome

Posted by Kaylee K on Friday, June 2, 2017, In : Response 
"Welcome." A single word that can transform an experience.

When we arrived at the For Refugees offices on Tuesday a sign awaited us, “Welcome John & Kaylee”. In this one act, the organization that is hosting us this summer in London made it clear: we want you here; you have a place.


And I felt that. Not just in the sign. But also in the smiles that greeted us. In the words shared. In the attitudes of hospitality. And in the considerate acts such as a teammate showing us around the office ...
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Our First Visit to a Jungle: Dunkirk Camp

Posted by Kaylee K on Monday, October 17, 2016, In : France 

We stop at the security check point and sign in. As we enter the Dunkirk camp, we pass many men in the mobile station charging phones and accessing WiFi. The dirt road winds right where we see the latrines and then left, leading us to the kitchen (pictured above). As we go through the tent that covers the dining area and water station, several Afghan men greet us and direct us to the kitchen. There we find a cement block building housing food donations. As we walk through we are greeted by th...

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Prayerfully, Together: The Church Can Help Refugee Children

Posted by Kaylee K on Tuesday, September 20, 2016, In : Unaccompanied Refugee Youth 
Nearly 100,000 refugee children are traveling to and across Europe without a parent or guardian. Despite their recognition as the most vulnerable population within the millions of asylum seekers on the Refugee Highway, there has been little coordinated assistance, and many challenges to establishing such assistance, to ensure their safety and care as they travel from their home country to their destination country in Europe.

Several months ago, I felt a very strong leading to research this sit...

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A Vision to Help 100,000 Children

Posted by Kaylee K on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, In : Unaccompanied Refugee Youth 


As we prepare for our work in Europe, we’ve become aware of the dire situation faced by refugee youth as nearly 100,000 travel alone to and through Europe. Our hearts are burdened for these children, some as young as 7, who are alone and scared, and often living in over-filled shelters or on the streets where they are targeted for sex trafficking and slave labor. Because of this, over these last many months we have refined our focus to that of helping the church in Europe to help these chil...

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"Mommy, Is It OK to Be Friends with a Muslim?"

Posted by Kaylee K on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, In : Response 
This is what I suppose our children are soon to be asking… if we’re lucky. The conversation might go something like: “There’s a new boy in my class. His name is different. It’s Mohammed. Is it ok to be his friend?” or perhaps, “This new girl in my class looks different. She wears a scarf on her head. Can I talk to her?” If we are lucky, they’ll at least ask us. And, if we’re following Jesus’s teaching our answer must be: “Yes.”

But what if they don’t even ask? That...
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When Children are Being Harmed, We Must Respond

Posted by Kaylee K on Friday, September 18, 2015, In : Response 
My heart is breaking. I just watched a video newscast on what equates to child slavery and trafficking in Italy, which is being fueled by the migrant crisis and the EU’s inability to decide on how to respond. As a human, I cannot tolerate this. As a Christian, I am called to respond.

 
But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the k...

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Blog Authors


John and Kaylee Kolditz Kaylee founded Refugee Connect in 2008. John joined the work in 2011 as we investigated the refugee situation in Europe. But our faith and cross-cultural journeys have been a work-in-progress for many years. Much of this blog reflects that. ************************************************ We met in Austin, TX, while volunteering at a serving event at Gateway Church and have been married since 2002. Marriage, parenting and ministry all require a great deal of intentionality, humility and true reliance on God for strength, wisdom, and grace. It is a journey we are grateful to be on together. Ultimately, what matters to us is building into meaningful relationships in ways that, to the best of our ability and by God's grace, demonstrate the love and hope Jesus freely offers to us all. ************************************************ We bring both business and ministry backgrounds into our current work. John started a business in his 20's and helped build several other businesses. He has also served with churches in a variety of roles including as an assistant pastor, director of community development, and missions board member. Kaylee left her marketing career to become the global missions director for our home church in Austin, TX, then founded a local refugee ministry, and became TEFL certified (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) in order to prepare for our work overseas. We have led short-term teams domestically and internationally, and served with a variety of cross-cultural ministries. In 2008, we sensed a call to build into the church in Europe, which was also around the time when God broke Kaylee’s heart for refugees. Since then, God has continued to weave together this heart for refugees, desire to serve alongside the church, and focus on His call to Europe.

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