Cedars, April 2018

April 2018 9 THE GLOBAL REFUGEE CRISIS: CONNECTION gees face during resettlement. These faculty and staff members can speak to the difficul- ties of moving from one culture to another, having coordinated it many times. Matthew Bennett, professor of theolo- gy and mission at Cedarville, said that the experience of cross-cultural disconnect is shared between an international student and a refugee, which allows for increased understanding. “Of course the cause might be different, but I think that [missionary kids and interna- tional students] have an exceptional oppor- tunity to speak to a level of common ground and a common sense of being wanderers in some ways,” Bennett said. “There’s an affini- ty that is gained in a situation like that.” Brenda Reid, coordinator of Interna- tional Student Services at Cedarville, has overseen many international students’ transition to Cedarville. She believes under- standing that refugees are often transition- ing into a completely new way of life is criti- cal to ministering to them effectively. “Their whole identity is changing and it is often misunderstood or not really val- ued,” Reid said. “If we really want to un- derstand them we have to constantly think about what our lives would be like if we truly started over with nothing at all.” Reid also believes we should have a bib- lical perspective on the refugee crisis. “Looking at the bigger story, Jesus him- self was a refugee when his family fled Israel and went to Egypt to ensure his safety from Herod, who wanted to find and kill him. I think that adds more depth and dimension to why we should try and understand, em- pathize, and support the refugee cause.” Zach Krauss is a junior pharmacy/music double major from central Texas and cam- pus reporter for Cedars. He loves music, theatre, biology, community, and meeting new people. Alexandria Hentschel is a sophomore In- ternational Studies and Spanish double major and the Off-Campus news editor for Cedars. She enjoys old books, strong coffee, Photo provided by Christina Macris Christina Macris (right) is a missionary kid from Uganda who has served refugees. (937) 766-9852 105 W Xenia Ave, Cedarville, OH 45314 From oil changes to brake jobs we have proudly served the Cedarville community for over ten years. Free shuttle service for University students! www.resoundradio.com Listen Online Now! Student Focused Radio 24/7