Nora and Pieter are regional missionaries serving as coordinators of short-term mission (STM) with the European Baptist Federation. They facilitate life-changing mission experiences by matching the interests of volunteers with the needs of the 50+ Baptist conventions in Europe and the Middle East. With only 2.5% Evangelical Christians, Europe is a priority mission field. Nora and Pieter travel extensively, roaming the front lines of ministry while identifying STM opportunities for groups and individuals to effectively multiply mission efforts.

They write – With the refugee crises emerging explosively in recent months, someone mentioned to me that ‘migration has always been a part of humanity’. … Before the fall arrived, nobody seemed to see this avalanche coming. … Suddenly hundreds of thousands of refugees were flooding into Europe. Daily between 5,000 to 10,000 crossed European borders, by December 2015, estimated totals surpassed the million mark. It is the largest migrant crisis since WWII. Never in known history have there been so many refugees, migrants and misplaced people worldwide, (economical, climate-change, and conflict area refugees). Let’s not forget that Lebanon saw its population increase by 30% with over 1,000,000 Syrian refugees in the past 4 years. Lebanon is smaller than Connecticut, or almost 1000x smaller than the US. (US accepted 1,500 Syrian refugees in the same 4 years.) Also Jordan accepted likely over a million refugees, and Turkey over 2 million. After depleting their savings in those countries, many Syrians are trying to move/ migrate on to Western Europe now.

Please Pray for –

• Christ’s Glory may be revealed to the refugees and the displaced, through God’s children as they show God’s care for them. Pray for wisdom for responding Churches.
• Churches and its members may grow and mature spiritually in knowing God better through their outreach and make new dedication and commitments to Him.
• That this crisis may cause many to put their lives in order with God and experience Christ’s peace in their hearts.
• More laborers in the harvest (Lk.10:2), more volunteers for short-term mission in Europe.
• For us to be a blessing to the churches where we speak.
• For us to meet our fundraising goals during this deputation year.

Read their complete journal at https://internationalministries.org/1005-2/