More than 100,000 immigrants and refugees from
all over the world now make their home in St. Louis.

Their past struggles and grief still profoundly impact daily life.

They also face a multitude of stressful, new challenges every day:

• Learning a new language
• Adapting to a new climate
• Securing a new job
• Eating new foods
• Parenting in a new context
• Understanding a new culture

Refuge in Relationship

Refuge of Nations was established in 2005 to;

“mentor our immigrant and refugee
neighbors for new life -
in St. Louis and beyond.”

Our vision is both inspired and empowered by Jesus Christ who immigrated to this world

“to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19).”

Mentoring Relationships

We mentor our immigrant and refugee neighbors for new life in three fundamental ways. We visit their homes, helping them to navigate life in a new culture. We provide free, professional counseling of all kinds to help them start anew after suffering through a wide variety of tragedies. We also teach the Gospel, invite those who don’t know Christ to find refuge in Him, and disciple our friends for New Life in His Kingdom. For many immigrants and refugees, the alternatives to Refuge of Nations are stark- isolation, addictions, cults, depression, crime.

Refuge of Nations welcomes anyone who desires to enter humbly into caring cross-cultural relationships to volunteer with us. In fact, every week volunteers visit homes with us, provide care for children, attend our community meals, participate in celebrations, and enjoy meaningful friendships with our community members. As volunteers join in the life of our community, everyone discovers that we have much to learn from one another and that our lives are much richer for it.

Is Refuge Of Nations Making A Difference?

Recent surveys of both our community members and volunteers show that God is using Refuge of Nations to make a significant impact on the world in your own back yard.

New Life For Participants

“My life took a 360 degree turn when I came to Refuge of Nations. Today I am a different woman- more self-confident, a better mother, a better friend, and I have greater fellowship with God. My Refuge of Nations family encourages me and allows me to miss my family in Mexico less.”

• 99% of our participants, when surveyed, noted that our services are excellent and asked that they be continued.
• 90% of respondents indicated that they had received meaningful support during an emotional crisis or a family crisis.

New Life For Volunteers Too!

• 100% of our student volunteers, when surveyed, noted that working with RoN has expanded their views of God, immigrants, poverty and themselves.
• 61% of all volunteers indicated that RoN has influenced their decisions about career and calling.

“ ’Being’ is a concept I learned while at RoN. We Americans are so used to doing, doing, doing- and even doing for others. But, often times we can do all kinds of good work and not make as great of an impact as when we are sitting and ‘being’ with someone.”

Our Community

At present, we have regular contact with friends and volunteers from Argentina, Bosnia, Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Iraq, Liberia, Mexico, Panama, Somalia, Thailand, Togo and the USA. Ten to thirty adults, twenty to thirty children, and ten to fifteen volunteers regularly participate in our weekly Community Group Meeting. We also visit personally with families every week and provide professional counseling to many individuals.