The Impact of Abundant Life , Continued ROSALIE’S STORY By Chris Hughes
For Rosalie,
the journey from the Congo to Fort Worth, Texas, has been filled with many obstacles and setbacks. But God’s providence and the faithful presence of supportive people along the way has made all the difference. “God has sent so many people in my life. That’s how I’ve experienced God’s love,” she said. Over 25 years ago, at age nine, Rosalie and her family had to flee from their home in Zaire for a refugee camp in Tanzania, where God sent United Nations workers to provide a tent shelter. During her 12-plus years in the refugee camp, God sent aid workers to provide food, dishes and blankets for her parents and siblings. When the family resettled in Fort Worth, God sent Catholic
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fellowship!
Charities and a Methodist congregation to help them find jobs, learn English and get drivers’ licenses. And in 2012, as Rosalie was starting her own family and applying to college, God sent Karen Morrow, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel serving among internationals and refugees in Fort Worth. “Karen shows Christ’s love through her humility and her willingness to help those in need,” Rosalie said. “That’s what we need to do as people in Christ Jesus. We need to be willing to help other people.”
Since 1996, Morrow has ministered to refugees who have been forced to flee their home countries due to violence and persecution, and helped them resettle in Texas. Through her ministry, she empowers refugees with early childhood and adult education, as well as resources for housing, health care and cultural transition with the support of the CBF Offering for Global Missions. When she met Rosalie 10 years ago, however, Rosalie had already overcome many of the toughest obstacles immigrants face in the United States—learning English, finding employment, and acquiring transportation and housing. But Rosalie wanted more than just survival for her family. She wanted an abundant life, and that meant investing in her education.
