CHAPTER 123
The Invitation of Jesus to Hope, Freedom, and Family
Mouyassar Alshahf with Callie Ferguson and Juergen Kramer
Mouyassar Alshahf is a Druze-background Syrian who first came to Germany as a refugee and is now a citizen. He holds a bachelor’s degree in theology and serves as pastor to the Muslim-background-believing refugee population in Germany.
Callie Ferguson, an Oklahoma native, lives in northern Europe with her husband and two children, making disciples and training leaders among the refugee population with All Nations Deutschland.
Juergen Kramer is part of the international leadership of All Nations. He is a church planter as well as a successful businessman. He leads a global initiative called “Mobilizing the believing diasporas to reach their homelands.”
Before I met Jesus, I lived as a foreigner in many countries. I never felt safe. For many years, I wandered across Asia and Europe looking for a home and a family. It wasn’t until I reached Germany that I finally discovered a true belonging and identity. And it wasn’t until I experienced the grace and mercy of Jesus that I came to know my place in His family.
I am no stranger to rejection. From the beginning, my life has been tough. I was born to a Druze family in Syria. The Druze are Muslims, but some of their beliefs are different than other branches of Islam. With few job opportunities in Syria, I started a long journey at seventeen years old that took me through many different Muslim countries. I eventually found a good job in a restaurant in Libya, where I worked for thirteen years. Yet even then, I felt unsettled, unwelcome.
In 2004, I returned to Syria with my family. I found it difficult to get work, so I accepted a job offer to open a restaurant in Malaysia. The Syrian war made a return to my homeland impossible, but in Malaysia, my refugee status was rejected. My only hope was to go to Europe.
As I was trying to get to Europe, an intelligence general in Cambodia discovered I was using a fake passport. Though this man had every reason to arrest me and send me to jail, he showed mercy to me. He gave me a place to stay, fed me, and allowed me to make a call on his cell phone. On the back of the phone was a cross. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but later I understood its meaning. Not long after, my Syrian passport was returned, and I continued my search for a home.
I traveled through Lebanon and Türkiye and had no success in finding a job or place to live. At one point in Türkiye, I had nothing at all, but a Syrian Christian gave me some money to move on. Again, Jesus was speaking to me, but I didn’t understand. This money allowed me to travel by boat from Türkiye to Greece, then to Macedonia, and finally to Serbia.
In Serbia, my wallet and identification were stolen. I didn’t know what to do. I called a friend who lived in Germany. He advised me to go to a church for help. On the way to the church, Jesus spoke to me again through a Christian taxi driver.
After telling him what I was trying to do, the taxi driver gave me some money for food and his business card. However, when I got out of the taxi, instead of going to the church, I decided to go to a mosque. I tried to speak with a mufti (an expert on Islamic law), whom I hoped could help me as a refugee. But he did not help me or even welcome me. The Christian taxi driver, whom I didn’t even know, loved me more than this mufti, a fellow Muslim.
Finally, a Syrian friend sent me money to go from Serbia to Germany. I finally arrived in a refugee camp in Hamburg, Germany. On my first day in that camp, a Syrian believer shared the gospel with me. He told me that the right way to live is to follow Jesus.
Over the next few months, I was moved to different refugee camps in Germany. One day, I met an American missionary who was part of a team of people from many countries working in Germany. He kindly prayed for my foot, which I had injured earlier. I wept because I was so thankful! This gesture of humility opened my heart and renewed my longing to find my true family, which I would later learn was the body of Christ.
I gave my life to Jesus and later became part of the team of mission workers. Most importantly, I felt the loving arms of the Lord around me. I sensed the Lord Jesus whispering: “Welcome, my son! You are forgiven. Your new life has just begun.”
The difference between the Druze (Muslim) people and the Christian community is hope and freedom. In the Druze community, I had protection if I followed their rules, but I was not allowed to say what I felt or thought. Further, I was not accepted by many Muslims. I never felt safe and was always worried about the future. But following Jesus gave me the safety and hope I had always searched for.
I have found a home in Jesus Christ. But many more refugees like me have lost their homes, property, and even family members. Many have lost their self-value and identity. Many feel a deep sense of shame at their inability to provide for their families in the way that they are accustomed to doing.
Many refugees find it difficult to deal with the change in worldview. Moving from a conservative Muslim country to a postmodern, post-Christian country like Germany is difficult. Language learning and cultural integration become a fulltime job. Community, family structures, and friends are stripped away, making it hard to process the other extreme changes. Believers who want to reach out to refugees need to feel and understand this.
Some might wonder if they could ever effectively welcome refugees and migrants to their communities. To welcome newcomers does not require a seminary education, convincing arguments, or deep apologetics. Simple actions speak louder than words. The experience of being loved by believers in Jesus begins with curiosity and longing. Personal testimonies of believing friends go much further than winning a debate. Seeking people will hear the voice of Jesus and sense the Holy Spirit welcoming them through you.
Most importantly, believers sharing Christ can rely on this work of the Holy Spirit. Sharing stories about Jesus, handing out Bibles, bold prayers, and selfless actions—all of these things can be helpful, but they only help because God is already working in people’s hearts. Many refugees have realized that God has put a longing into their hearts to find the peace and hope that only Jesus can give.
God is watching and speaking to many refugees, eager in His great love to welcome them home so that they can follow Jesus.
The story of the prodigal son can become their story (Luke 15:11–32). In this story, the son went far away from home. However, the father was watching. When he saw his son returning, he ran to meet him. He was eager to welcome him home. God is watching and speaking to many refugees, eager in His great love to welcome them home so that they can follow Jesus. 