Help Provide A Refuge for Missionaries

A friend of mine who married into an awesome family contacted me yesterday and asked if I would blog about something they’re doing. After looking it over, I have to say I’m excited about the project. I thought I’d tell my readers about it as well.

The site is called A Refuge and their goal is to have 2,222 people donate $100. Why? They are hoping to provide a house, a refuge, for missionaries just returning from the field. It’s a place for them to stop, breathe and recoup after their long journey before heading home where things could be chaotic upon their return. They also want to provide a refuge to missionaries as a stop before they head out to the field. A place to sit, pray and mentally prepare for their important journey ahead, whereas if they stayed at home during that time they might feel torn between worlds.

The verse they have on their site banner is Nahum 1:7 which reads:

The LORD is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him, (NIV)

That’s what this family wants to do. They want to provide a refuge for those who trust in Him.

I have a soft spot for missionaries; for their work and for their hearts. I love this project. I love that this family wants to provide a useful service to a group of people who are doing hard, sometimes life-threatening work. This idea isn’t just a whim, of course. Rick has had this dream for over 20 years. His family is hoping to help make this a reality before Christmas of this year. Can you help?

For those not familiar with the family, Pastor Rick has been battling cancer for quite some time. The family has a blog that details his long but faithful journey. The family is hoping to help Rick see his dream through completion. The good news is that it is as simple as a one-time $100 donation. (As a side note: due to the economic times, they also have made it possible for you to donate $20, $40 or $75 online. I’m sure they would accept any donation via check. Contact them!) More information on the plan is available. The family has also set up an email address to handle questions as well. Knowing them as I do, I know that they will respond quickly and as honestly as possible.

If you are unable to help at this time, consider passing the information on to someone who you know has a heart for missionaries. Also consider sharing the information with your church (or your local churches, plural). If you own or run a corporation who wants to donate more than $100, I’m sure they’d accept your generous offer! They have a twitter account set up (@arefuge) as well where you can follow their progress. We’ll be putting up a link to the site on our sidebar and will be tweeting the site regularly.

If you are interested in giving now, go give your donation. Donations are not currently tax deductible but as they’ve recently received their 501(c)(3), that shouldn’t be far behind. (Read more about that here.) We send the Starr family our best in this beautiful journey.

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[I received no compensation for this post. I shared it with my readers in hopes that they can donate or pass on word about this beautiful project.]