Is it possible to turn the trauma of persecution and having to flee across the world into something good? If the cause of this trauma has been Muslims, how would you react when Muslims follow you to Europe?
EEA met Pastor Latif Jacob at both at the Italian Evangelical Alliance’s General Assembly and our own General Assembly this year. Pastor Latif is a Pakistani refugee now ministering in Italy. It was a privilege to hear his story and to get a glimpse into the realities for many refugees and migrants when they first arrive in Europe.
Pakistan is number seven on 2024’s World Watch List, meaning it is the seventh most challenging country in the world to be a Christian. Pastor Latif fled persecution in Pakistan and came to Italy 14 years ago. Homeless and cold when he first arrived, the Lord surprised him with a new vision and mission – to welcome and assist the many other persecuted Christians arriving in Italy. The ministry developed into Facilitators, providing much needed care for Pakistani brothers and sisters in both Europe and Pakistan. Latif is President of the work in Italy. But God is also opening the Pakistani Christians’ hearts to the Muslim community around them in Europe. Friendship evangelism is a natural part of their lives.
A newly arrived refugee may not speak the local language. They need food or clothes or medical care. They need help to navigate the legal system in order to gain permission to stay. They miss their family, food and culture. For persecuted Christians, there is added trauma to process. There are immediate practical, social and legal difficulties. There are ongoing spiritual and emotional needs. Encouragement from Christians helps to support integration into the local community, to strengthen perseverance in overcoming the barriers that are perceived to be there from the local population. Facilitators works to serve practically, provide counselling and advice, create a community of mutual care, provide church in the Urdu language on Saturdays and encourage attendance at local Italian churches on Sundays.
Latif and his colleagues have found that one good deed causes a chain reaction of other good deeds. Refugees and migrants help each other, and this ripples out beyond their immediate circle. This is how friendship, care and evangelism has naturally happened among Muslims in Italy. Muslims are not their enemy, despite the reality of terrible persecution in Pakistan. These Christian refugees are hugely blessed to see what the Lord is doing.
This ministry makes so much sense. There are cultural reasons why mission can naturally take place within the refugee and migrant circles. But it is also clear that Evangelicals outside this community can do so much to support, encourage and learn and replicate the mission. We have skilled missionaries in our midst. The opportunity is there to partner with them, to care for persecuted Christians who are now in Europe, to aid their integration through our welcome and to work with them to reach Muslim migrants on our doorstep. Going to the Muslim world to be a missionary would be hard. The Great Commission is a little easier when we reach out to the Muslims living around us.
We asked Latif how he would like Evangelicals to pray.
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Please pray that Facilitators will be able to set up a house of new hope in Trento, a simple property where Pakistani and Italian Christians can serve in the ministry together.
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Please pray for more partnership across Europe between Pakistani and local Christians so that refugees are supported to recover and integrate, so that mission among Muslims in Europe will see a greater harvest and that so that care for the persecuted Church in Pakistan would be strengthened.
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Please pray for a strong chain of good deeds that the Lord can use to heal and restore hurting Christians and to bring salvation to many Muslims.
