Terri Saelee

Refugee Ministries Coordinator

North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists

terri.saelee@nad.adventist.org

www.refugeeministries.org

608-443-6575

The Annual Flow Report on Refugees and Asylees is now available.

Note the following highlights:

· More refugees are arriving from Iraq than from any other country.  Burma (with refugees primarily from the Karen ethnic group) is a close second, and Bhutan is not far behind.(Fig. 3)

· Figure 5 shows Refugee Arrivals by State of Residence with California and Texas in the lead.

· An overwhelming majority of Asylees are coming from China.  (See Fig. 6.)

· Figure 10 shows Affirmative Asylees by State of Residence with California, New York, and Florida at the top of the list.

May God help us to fulfill His purpose in bringing these precious souls—many from countries closed to missionaries—to our shores.  (See quote below.)

“God in His providence has brought men to our very doors and thrust them, as it were, into our arms, that they might learn the truth, and be qualified to do a work we could not do in getting the light before men of other tongues.” (Evangelism, p. 570)

“Success in any line demands a definite aim. He who would achieve true success in life must keep steadily in view the aim worthy of his endeavor. Such an aim is set before the youth of today. The heaven-appointed purpose of giving the gospel to the world in this generation is the noblest that can appeal to any human being. It opens a field of effort to everyone whose heart Christ has touched.”  (Education, p. 262)