Reaching out – one friend at a time

The people at St Paul Lutheran Church in Blair Athol, located in suburban Adelaide, have been on a journey this year to get to know migrants from India and Afghanistan who have moved into their area.

With this in mind, a few of us have been visiting local restaurants to meet the staff and sample their food.

As we go to places where most of the clientele (and all the staff) are of a particular ethnicity, it can feel like you are visiting another world.

Let me tell you about a waitress called Nazuk*, who has become a dear friend over these past few months.

Nazuk was quick to respond (with a gracious smile) when we showed some interest in her life, but her smile masked some tough circumstances.

When we first met her, she had just arrived from Punjab. Shortly after she married, her husband left for Australia, promising to send for her once he was settled.

When Nazuk finally arrived, she found her husband had a new girlfriend, and she was left to fend for herself. She was shamed (along with her family back in India), her visa was in jeopardy, and she was forced to take low-paying work waiting on tables.

With each visit, Nazuk shared a bit more of her story and allowed us to pray for her.

After one particularly harrowing conversation, we asked whether she had any friends supporting her, only to hear her say, ‘I have no friends here in Australia, and I have never met anyone as kind as you. You are the only ones I can talk to, and my family back in India is so relieved that I’ve met you.’

Now, we make contact every few days, helping her resolve some of the practical issues.

Sometimes, I think we overcomplicate ‘mission’ and forget we are surrounded by lonely people. If we are willing, the Lord will nudge us towards those we can befriend.

Nazuk is easy to love, and when she refers to our kindness, we have only responded in ways that you would do. Nazuk and her family are drinking in the love of Jesus (perhaps for the first time).

It’s being reported that there is an epidemic of loneliness in Australia. Migrants and overseas students can be particularly vulnerable; however, many people we pass by every day live with the sense that nobody sees them.

God sees them!

Let’s stay sensitive to his prompting and be a channel of his love.

*Nazuk is not her real name, and she is of Sikh background.

Craig Heidenreich is the cross-cultural coach for the St Paul Lutheran congregation in Blair Athol SA, as part of their LCANZ Local Mission Grant-funded project this year.