Behind the Wall of Shame

In Lille, France, there is an abandoned area where approximately 50 asylum seekers live in shelters pieced together out of old pallets and worn plastic tarps. Their encampment is surrounded by a wall. It has no entrance or exit. There is no way to see over it.

Bits of wood and stones have been piled together in one place to help people climb over the wall. Not far from that spot someone tagged the wall with large red letters, “WALL OF SHAME” (photo).

Climbing over the Wall

Our team in Lille often climbs over the Wall of Shame to visit those who live there. They bring food and water and assist with shelter when they can.

Paul and Joe recently visited the camp. A resident walked up and asked to speak privately with them saying, “I am ashamed to ask you … Could you help me find a gas stove to cook on?”

A camping stove

Paul and Joe offered to pray right there that God would help supply this need. They then told their friends and networks. They posted a message on a church chat group.

Ten days later a church member donated an old camp stove that still worked. The team brought it to the camp. They have since replaced the gas pod and thanked God many times that this friend has a way to cook a simple meal.

A fire

One winter night some of the makeshift shelters behind the Wall caught fire. Ten people lost the few precious belongings that they still had. This further accentuated the sense of isolation and helplessness residents feel behind the Wall.

When they heard about the fire, our team went out that night to see if anyone was hurt or needed a blanket. The smell of burnt wood doused with water filled the air. Groups of people huddled around small campfires to stay warm. The darkness swallowed the firelight. It was difficult to see each other’s faces.

Words of hope in the darkness

A man walked out of the dark and stood beside Paul and Joe. He quietly said,

“Nothing can separate me from the one who made me.”

Somehow his long journey in search of refuge had not robbed him of his faith. And he recognized Paul and Joe to be believers who would understand his tight grip on this promise of hope.

Paul notes, "Occasions like these make us thankful for the opportunity to go behind the Wall of Shame in Lille and do what we can to affirm the dignity of those with nowhere else to go."

CLICK HERE to learn more about the work in Lille

Many thanks to our IAFR partners who make it possible for teammates like Paul and Joe to show up in the lives of asylum seekers and refugees!

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