Sometimes the best way to be a support to a refugee (or anyone who has been through trauma) is to show that you care enough to learn about their culture and the situation in their country, beyond what is prevalent in the popular media. Reading biographies and memoirs has allowed me to "travel" to war-torn countries and glimpse into the joys and sorrows of daily life for those who become refugees. Reading books about cross-cultural outreach has equipped me with tools and ideas for engaging with internationals effectively and appropriately. Reading about a specific country transforms my worldview and stirs my heart to reach the nations with the gospel.
Here are a few books I have read that relate to the topics of refugees & displaced persons, cross-cultural outreach, religion & cultures, religious/ethnic persecution, unreached people groups, etc. If you know of more books to add to this list, please leave a comment!
Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis
Authors: Stephan Bauman, Matthew Soerens, and Dr. Issam Smeir
This essential resource from World Relief is an informative and practical guide for Christians desiring to learn the facts about refugees, resettlement, and the Church's role from a biblical perspective
When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor... and Yourself
This is an important resource for the American church; it explains the different root causes of poverty and presents practical ways for Christians to engage in biblical, transforming relief work.
Frederick: A Story of Boundless Hope
Author: Frederick Ndabaramiye
The inspiring autobiography of a young man who lost his hands in 1994 because he refused an order to execute a group of people during the Rwandan genocide. The author is surprisingly upbeat and shares a powerful testimony of forgiveness.
A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story
Author: Qais Akbar Omar
The painful yet hopeful memoir of an Afghan childhood in the 1980s and 1990s, from the rise of the Mujahedin to the reign of the Taliban. After reading this book, you will feel like you have traveled all over Afghanistan with Omar and his displaced family, and gain a fresh understanding of the scars war leaves on its children.
Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis
Authors: Stephan Bauman, Matthew Soerens, and Dr. Issam Smeir
This essential resource from World Relief is an informative and practical guide for Christians desiring to learn the facts about refugees, resettlement, and the Church's role from a biblical perspective
Authors: Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
This is an important resource for the American church; it explains the different root causes of poverty and presents practical ways for Christians to engage in biblical, transforming relief work.
Frederick: A Story of Boundless Hope
Author: Frederick Ndabaramiye
The inspiring autobiography of a young man who lost his hands in 1994 because he refused an order to execute a group of people during the Rwandan genocide. The author is surprisingly upbeat and shares a powerful testimony of forgiveness.
A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family StoryAuthor: Qais Akbar Omar
The painful yet hopeful memoir of an Afghan childhood in the 1980s and 1990s, from the rise of the Mujahedin to the reign of the Taliban. After reading this book, you will feel like you have traveled all over Afghanistan with Omar and his displaced family, and gain a fresh understanding of the scars war leaves on its children.
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