Talking Tools

Just how do the refugees manage here with our being able to ask the simplest question as : "Where is the train?   How much does that cost?" 

So often they ask us at Oasis for a dictionary of German and Farsi, or German and Arabic or Urdu which is the language of those coming from Pakistan. 

Thursday night coffee bar has also turned into an “on the spot “ German Class.  It is simple, basic and fun.   Our  Austrian helpers  come  to serve with us  and they enjoy helping refugees  through German conversation  or taking  a paper  and writing some words . One of our volunteers has begun to reverse this; She is learning Farsi as she teaches German.

Last week I was again asked: “please can you give me a dictionary in Urdu and German.”   Well I said:” I cannot do that, but I have an idea of a way you can learn some words and also learn about God”.  Ali from Pakistan was most thankful to take the German Gospel of Luke, and the URDU Gospel of Luke along with a note book, read pencil and a pen and begin to work.   With the package of tools in hand I said:  “Oh, one more thing, being these books are both the WORD of GOD, I suggest you pray first, ask God to help you understand the Words, and the meaning of them.”   He left the Oasis not with a expensive dictionary to learn German but a much better GIFT - all the tools to begin to read the Word of God in His language and in German.

Julie Soltis