After graduating from college, Fletcher began his journey to Sudan to serve in Christian ministry. There, he met Eva, who would later become his wife. Eva was fluent in Arabic and played a crucial role in helping Fletcher learn the language, and together they spent years as global workers in Sudan.
Though their initial idea was to serve long-term in Sudan, God had different plans. Through prayer and fasting, they sensed a clear calling to move to Chicago, home to one of the largest refugee populations in the United States. The transition was unexpected, but they felt confident in God’s leadership.
In Chicago, a city known for its refugee communities from countries like Sudan, Afghanistan, and Syria, Fletcher and Eva recognized a new opportunity for refugee ministry. As more refugees arrived, especially from majority-Muslim nations, the spiritual need became clear. This marked the beginning of their outreach to Muslim refugees in Chicago.
Although they had served in Sudan for years, Fletcher and Eva had never been involved in Muslim outreach, as sharing the gospel with Muslims was prohibited there. Now, as home-based missionaries in the United States, they would have their first opportunity to engage in direct ministry among Muslim refugees.
“We had never worked with Muslims before. We befriended them, we were among them, but we were not allowed to speak to Muslims or evangelize Muslims in Sudan,” Eva explained. “So, I had a very difficult time accepting this call from God.”
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
Their move to Chicago marked the beginning of a new season that would open doors for them to engage in refugee ministry in Chicago and share the love of Christ with those who had never heard it before. Today, Fletcher and Eva are on the frontlines of Muslim outreach in Chicago, making a significant impact in the lives of Muslim refugees. Through their work, they are building meaningful relationships within Chicago’s refugee communities, helping open hearts to the gospel through their Christian ministry among refugees.
Despite her initial hesitation, God transformed Eva’s heart, filling her with deep compassion for the Muslim refugees in Chicago. The love she felt for them went beyond human understanding—it was a reflection of God’s immense love for these people. He allowed her to experience a glimpse of His own heart for the refugees.
“I was very burdened because I saw these people rushing into a big mosque—we have big mosques in Chicago. I saw women and children running in, and I thought, ‘They are sheep going into slaughter.’ I started to weep,” Eva recalled. “I felt that Jesus had given me a heart of compassion for them. I call it the Baptism of Love. It has never departed from me.”
Eva’s compassion helped her see the refugees not just as people fleeing hardship, but as souls in desperate need of the gospel. Fletcher and Eva’s Muslim ministry is more than outreach; it’s a mission of love, demonstrating God’s heart for refugees who have never encountered Him.
“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” Deuteronomy 10:18-19
As Fletcher and Eva continue their ministry to Muslim refugees in Chicago, their deep love and compassion for them is unmistakable. This love has made a profound impact on the community.
“They feel it. They say, ‘Nobody has ever loved us the way you love us.’ And I keep telling them this is the love of God. It’s not me,” Eva said.
Their outreach to Muslim refugees in Chicago often looks different from traditional ministry ideas. It isn’t always about planting churches or organizing Bible studies. Instead, it can look like building genuine friendships, establishing trust, and demonstrating unconditional love through daily interactions.
“We’ve been in Chicago now for 32 years. I wish I could tell you that we started a Bible study among Muslims and a church or something like that. We have not, but we continue to serve faithfully,” Eva said. “There are some who have been baptized; some are walking with God, but some are not walking with God. So, we keep praying and we keep trusting that the harvest time will come. It’s all in God’s hands.”
Andrew and Kristina served in West Africa for many years before returning to the United States due to security threats and instability. Even though they had to go home, God was not leading them to retirement. Instead, he gave them eyes and hearts to see the Muslim refugee population in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Through volunteering with an English language program for refugees, they met people from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and other majority-Muslim countries.
“The goal of this language program is not only to help people with conversational English but to develop contacts. And so, we began to ask people that we met there, ‘Hey, we have time to come visit you in your apartment. Do you want an English tutor?’ Lots of them were thrilled and said yes, and we began visiting them,” Andrew said.
Since Andrew and Kristina previously lived in a foreign country, they could connect with Muslim refugees who were now adjusting to a brand-new culture in America. However, they soon realized one major difference: the refugees did not come to America out of free will, but necessity. This realization deepened their compassion for the refugees.
“While we knew they had to learn everything from scratch like we had to, we did not recognize that we went out of free will to West Africa,” Kristina said. “Most of the refugees didn’t come here out of free will. They came here because they were chased out of their country for one reason or another. Their life was endangered. Most of them were in refugee camps. A lot of them are really traumatized, and now they have to deal with this strange culture they didn’t want to get into in the first place… they have to deal with a lot more than we ever had to deal with.”
As Andrew and Kristina continued their Christian outreach to refugees, God gave them deeper insight into the spiritual lives of Muslim refugees. They saw how Islam represented a connection to their homelands.
“The only thing that really connects them to their home is others from their home country and Islam. They go to the mosque, and it’s still in Arabic,” Kristina explained. “The way you pray, the way you behave, what you say, when you celebrate Ramadan, the way you dress, that is still the same. So, for many of them, they connect even more to Islam here than they did at home because that’s the only familiar thing they have.”
Like Fletcher and Eva’s Muslim refugee ministry in Chicago, Andrew and Kristina also focus on building genuine friendships with refugees.
“The biggest thing is just to dive in and be a friend. Be nice and talk about things that are common to both of you,” Andrew said. “It’s just as easy as being kind to people and greeting them.”
Kristina echoed this sentiment, highlighting practical ways to connect with refugees. She explained how relational ministry to refugees can be as simple as inviting them to your home to cook together, sharing a meal, going hiking, or playing a card game. The goal, she emphasized, is to treat people as friends, not projects.
“Simple things like that go a very long way in giving them a way to get to know you. Then, you can ask the Holy Spirit to lead you, and to open a door for you where you can share,” she said. “I think it’s very important that they first know you as a friend and realize you’re sincere; that you see them as a whole, and not just as ‘somebody I can evangelize to.’ You can bring them food. You can celebrate a birthday with them. When they’re sick, you can take them to the doctor.”
Andrew and Kristina’s relational approach to Muslim refugee ministry reflects the biblical model of friendship and genuine relationships in ministry. Throughout scripture, God reveals Himself as a relational God who desires friendship with His people. He invites us into a deep, personal relationship with Himself.
In John 15:15, Jesus highlights His desire for friendship with His people, saying, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Similarly, in Revelation 3:20, God offers a beautiful image of relational pursuit: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
James 2:23 further illustrates this, as Abraham is described as “God’s friend:” “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend.”
Andrew believes this friendship evangelism should guide how Christians serve Muslim refugees.
“God is a relational God,” he said. “If we, as believers, show love, kindness, and gentleness to the people God brings into our lives, the opportunities to share the gospel will naturally arise. But we need to surprise people with kindness, especially refugees who may not expect it.”
In a world where many refugees are marginalized, Andrew and Kristina’s ministry shows that evangelism through friendship is most effective when it begins with genuine love and care. Their message is clear: if God pursues friendship with His people, our ministry to refugees should reflect the same relational heart.
In Mark 16:15, Jesus commands His disciples to,“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” For centuries, believers have gone to distant countries, spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. But today, a unique shift is taking place. What if the “world” Jesus spoke of is no longer just in far-off countries, but right here in our neighborhoods across America?
Refugees in the U.S. are arriving from every corner of the globe, bringing diverse backgrounds and cultures. Many come from nations where the gospel has yet to be widely proclaimed, making this an unprecedented mission field in America. For many refugees, this is the first time they have ever had the chance to hear about Jesus.
This presents an extraordinary chance to share the gospel with refugees right at our doorstep. The question is, are we prepared to meet them with the love and kindness of Christ?
Every refugee who arrives is a person created in the image of God who is seeking hope and a future. Refugees often arrive with deep emotional wounds, having endured the loss of home, security, and loved ones. They are navigating the complexities of a new culture and language while carrying the weight of trauma from their past.
In light of this, the church’s outreach to refugees in America is crucial. We are called not only to preach the gospel but to live it—to build relationships with refugees, offer compassion, and meet the tangible needs of those God is bringing into our communities. Whether acts of kindness, providing support for basic needs, or simply being a friend, we can demonstrate Christ’s love for refugees. Through these relationships, God can open doors for the gospel to be shared naturally and meaningfully.
The world is coming to us. As the body of Christ, we are uniquely positioned to respond to refugees with love, intentionality, and the great news of the gospel. Let’s embrace this opportunity to reach the unreached refugees and show them the love of Christ.
Are you interested in learning more about Muslim refugee ministry with SIM USA? Connect with us here!
*Names have been changed for the privacy and safety of our workers, ministry partners and those we serve.
