Weekly devotion: Medical care for refugees in Egypt
Refuge Egypt
The reception area at one of Refuge Egypt’s clinics.
Refuge Egypt clinics provide quality medical care to the most marginalised refugees who are excluded by the national health system. These refugees are not granted equitable access to the public health system due to language or cultural barriers, illiteracy, cost or stigma.
Even in cases where access exists, many refugees forego preventative care or necessary treatment due to fear of miscommunication, discrimination or malpractice. Sadly, this means that many treatable medical conditions advance unnecessarily.
Our partner, Refuge Egypt, stands in this gap, providing culturally responsive medical care to the most vulnerable refugees. They run four clinics across the Greater Cairo area, providing antenatal and well-baby care, as well as HIV, TB, malnutrition and general medical care.
Bible reading
‘Be merciful to me, my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
all day long they press their attack.
My adversaries pursue me all day long;
in their pride many are attacking me.
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?’
Read the full Psalm: Psalm 56
Thought
The psalmist expresses deep-seated grief, fear and anger in this psalm – and yet by the end he has committed his trust to God and is full of gratitude for the life God has given him. It is a beautiful reminder that we are free to bring our whole selves before God and express all that is on our hearts. In a similar way, Refuge Egypt care about the whole selves of the people they support. Motivated by Jesus’ compassion and concern for those in need, they seek to serve selflessly and go the extra mile for one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in Egypt.
Ask yourself: How can a personal assurance of God’s love and care in your own life motivate you to serve others?
Prayer
Loving God,
We thank you for this project and we pray for the refugees it serves. We are deeply saddened by the trauma that so many have experienced but we thank you that every one of them is known by you and precious to you. We pray that you would provide for their every need. We pray that they would find safety and security in Egypt – a place where they can thrive.
We pray for the staff at Refuge Egypt – that they would be equipped to serve, and they would bring your light and your love to people living on the margins.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Project update: Supporting refugees amid a deepening economic crisis in Egypt
Embrace’s Dr Ruth Valerio recently travelled to Egypt to meet our Christian partners. She witnessed the deep need in Egypt but also the amazing work that our partners are doing to bring love and light into people’s lives…
Inspired by what you read here? Share it on social (don’t forget to tag Embrace!):