Last month the World Food Program cut monthly food assistance to Syrian refugees from about $33 to just $17. This came just a few weeks after medical aid was also cut.

Two days ago I sat with a Syrian refugee, a man with six children. He was distraught. “I will not be able to pay my rent, there is no money.”

The next day I got a text from a family I don’t know (which is not unusual) saying they had just been expelled from their apartment. “Help, we have nowhere to go and no money to rent a new apartment. We are sleeping on the street.” When I called them they had found another family to move in with. It was just a small two-room apartment, so they were not sure how long the welcome would last.

Last week we visited another Syrian family. They live in a concrete room that has no glass in the windows and no heat. Within half an hour, the room had filled with relatives and friends. People of all ages had come in and were clamoring to tell us their stories. We had difficulty getting into the car when it came time to leave. They followed us, pleading for us to help them.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:25).

We often share the Word with the refugees we meet, pointing them to Jesus, the One they can turn to with their burdens.

The refugees we meet are downcast, overloaded with burdens that none should have to bear. They are victims of a conflict over which they have no control.

We hear their stories. We are confronted with all kinds of suffering and we are daily presented with opportunities to provide assistance. We help where we can. But it is overwhelming. We are desperate for wisdom, patience, and grace from the Lord.

Pray for the refugees, that Jesus would be the One they turn to, the One in whom they find true refuge.

**This account comes from a long-term worker.**

Original article: www.frontiersusa.org/blog/article/jesus-refuge-for-syrian-refugees