“I’m sorry, we are full.  There are no more seats!” David says apologetically as he stands at the door after having just filled the last free seats in the already crammed Oasis main room.  The building is maxed out and every spare chair is in use and still there is a crowd hoping to get in at the door.

Today is a special day at the Oasis, it is the day we are celebrating World Refugee Day.  World Refugee Day is celebrated worldwide on June 20th every year.  Since the camp here in Traiskirchen has a special program on the 20th, we decided to have the Oasis celebration on the eve of World Refugee Day.  Lots of preparation went into making this evening special and celebrating the diversity and cultures represented by the many refugee friends of the Oasis.  Tom, our team leader, is giving the talk on God’s love for the each one of us.  Dan has prepared a special video (see it here) with pictures taken at the Oasis over the last few months.  This is a huge hit; the refugees are very excited to see themselves and their friends on the screen.  Two of the Iranian Christian refugees have prepared special music for the evening.  Many of our weekly volunteers who help out at various Oasis programs have come to help.  And the celebration wouldn’t be complete without some delicious treats made by several women from two of the local Austrian churches.

The refugees have been invited throughout the week and told the program would begin at 7:00pm.  At 6:15 there are already people grouping outside.  We are all excited to see that many of the people waiting to be let in are women.  Normally on Thursday nights the Oasis has their weekly coffee and tea café, and generally there are very few women who come, so we are always happy to have the women join us.  After all the helpers have been prepped for the evening and a time of prayer, the doors are opened and in flood men, women and children from Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Mongolia.  Add to this the number of volunteers and translators from at least seven different countries and we have nearly 20 people groups represented tonight!  It is beautiful to see the different faces, and hear the different languages and accents all gathered in one room.  In the midst of all this action and movement I cannot help but marvel at God’s creative power.

When we are convinced there are no more chairs to be found and squeezed into the room, the evening begins.  Everything comes together and the program runs smoothly.  I spend most of the time watching from the kitchen and keeping a cubby little Chechnyian baby occupied so her parents can relax and enjoy the evening.  There are so many kids that our small kid room in the back of the building is crammed full and the three brave ladies working with the kids are doing a great job at managing what essentially amounts to kid chaos. 

As soon as the talk ends we all man our stations for serving the treats, coffee and tea.  It all works like a well oiled machine and everyone is served in record time.  Many of the refugees sit in big groups talking with friends and some of the groups gather around the translators who answer questions.  Tom brings out his camera and groups of people get together to have their pictures taken.  Things have settled down into a nice time of leisurely conversations.  I am happy to get a chance to talk again to the mother from Mongolia I had a chance to spend time with the evening before.  She speaks good German, so I am happy to have a chance to use what I learned at language school.  When I take a moment to think about it I am amazed to think that two women from opposite sides of the earth can sit down together in Austria and speak to each other in a language foreign to both of them.

The evening is over.  The room has slowly emptied and the team is busy cleaning up and sharing impressions of the evening.  It has been a great time of celebrating these refugees the Oasis has come to know and love.

As today is World Refugee Day, we ask that you take some time to pray for refugees around the world and here in Austria: for the struggles they are going through, and ultimately that God would lead them to places where they have opportunities to encounter and come to know Him.  We want to thank each of you for your continued prayers and for partnering with us in this ministry.