You're Welcome Here how backpacks lead to connection with the nations in detroit

“We love them. You love them more.”

These words were prayed over 70 immigrant and refugee families just a few days before serving them a community meal in the park, gifting them backpacks for their children and a bag of home goods for the entire family.

For seven years, the Borderless Detroit team has hosted a back-to-school picnic for their international friends. They invite local churches to come alongside them, donating school supplies and their time to help with the event.

This year, the picnic felt extra important.

With tensions running high around the immigrant and refugee space, hosting an event that says "you're welcome here" is vital to showing God's love and care towards internationals. In the words of one: “People aren’t feeling very welcome right now. We want to make them feel welcome.”

So that’s what the Borderless team did.

They welcomed.

Come along with us as we take you through the week leading up to the picnic.

A few days before, backpacks were stuffed with school supplies and lots of love from church volunteers.

All in all, 325 backpacks were stuffed to bless immigrant and refugee families at the picnic.

The night before, volunteers gathered together to prep and pack. One volunteer prayed these words:

“God, let us be instruments of your peace tomorrow.”

After prayer, they prepped food and packed the U-Haul with the backpacks. They had to make the shawarma recipe 30 times bigger to feed everyone at the picnic. The children of the volunteers played games and had a dance party.

By the time the U-Haul left for the park, it was packed full.

Balloons helped guide people to the park.

The day of the picnic, 70 families gathered in a local park to eat, play, and simply be together.

Someone wrote the word WELCOME in chalk on the sidewalk leading to the gazebo where the picnic was hosted.

When families arrived, they were welcomed with their backpacks before heading over for food.

Volunteers felt not only the heat of the August night, but the heat from grilling chicken shawarma and kosher beef hot dogs. Women gathered in groups around tables to eat. Men sat in a circle of chairs, smoking traditional hooka pipes. The bouncy house was overflowing with children, a line 5-10 kiddos deep stood waiting their turns, a pile of shoes nearby. Faces were painted. Live worship music played.

Families came from Afghanistan, Congo, Egypt, Iraq, Senegal, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Venezuela.

After the picnic was over and the night had settled, one of the Borderless teammates remarked:

“These picnics are always so peaceful."

The desire for this picnic is and always will be to deepen connection, giving international friends an opportunity to experience the welcomeness of the Christian community with the hope that they will one day become a part of it.

Photos and words by Naphtali, who serves on the Borderless communication team. She creates content to help mobilize people to join in on the work that God is already doing in the hearts and lives of immigrants and refugees. One of her favorite things to do is to visit Borderless missionaries, gathering stories and photographs of God at work. She loved being at the picnic and had her heart stolen by the little guy in the photograph, along with his big brothers and mom.

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CREATED BY

Naphtali Foster