Showing Tag: "jesus" (Show all posts)

Repaying Evil with Love... Crazy Love

Posted by Kaylee K on Thursday, February 15, 2018, In : Faith 
In the wake of the Parkfield, FL shootings it is again challenging to watch the news. It's challenging even to be on Facebook and see the polarized conversations. Or, honestly, for me it is sometimes more challenging to see selfies and trivial minutia posted when I know of the serious condition of our world. But then again, social media really is more a means of escape than a place for answers. So, where do we turn? How do we respond?



It seems to me that any human-offered solution is limited. ...
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Why have hope this Christmas? Jesus was a refugee.

Posted by Kaylee K on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, In : Faith 

With all the “wrong” going on in this world, it is hard to imagine that any one of us can make things “right”. Watch the news, look at social media, accidentally get pulled into a political conversation at the office, and before you know it you’re lost in a state of ‘how can our world be this dark?’ and ‘what can lil’ ol’ me do about it?’ 

Believe it or not, that is where the good news dwells. When we look at the millions of people displaced by war, persecution, starvatio...

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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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A Desire for Home

Posted by Kaylee K on Thursday, October 1, 2015, In : Faith 
John and I have had quite an interesting journey since giving up our apartment in Jersey City in early June. We spent this summer living at my Pop's place on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to save funds so we could begin to prepare for ministry in Italy. In late August, we began what will be at least 10 week road trip, of which we are 5 weeks into. These travels have taken us to see family in the north east and mid west. We've gotten to see two of our three sons at their respective colleges. W...

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God's Timing

Posted by Kaylee K on Wednesday, September 28, 2011, In : Italy 
Going to Italy. Why now? Why there? How can this be serving? How can it be ministry? These are questions that sit beneath the surface of my brain as we prepare for our upcoming vision trip with IAFR.

As I read a devastating article (see Refugee News tab) about the recent burning of the refugee center in Lampedusa, Italy, the answers are clear. God's timing is perfect and He knows the work He has prepared us for.

The refugee crisis is causing suffering in Italy and not just for the asylum seek...
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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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