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PLOSMOSIS:
The Osmosis Of PL
I live in Berlin, working with other BMW Germany missionaries as I wait for a team to work with me in Poland. Being so close to the border (about an hour away) I have learned so much about what is really going on over here! As BMW and I dreamed up this vision of working in Poland, we had a great many ideas about how things were and how they might be. I grew up in Poland as a missionary kid for part of my life, and so I was able to help contribute to our ideas of what needed to be done in Poland…or so I thought. Since arriving here in Berlin, about one year ago, my view of the situation has undergone serious surgery. You could factor in naivity, one-sided perspectives and even climate change to explain the shift, and yet the change was still drastic. Don't get me wrong: BMW and I still long for a missionary work in Poland. I think, though, that it would be wise for me to mention that I think that our baby has a case of the hiccups…
All of this to say, that this is having an astronomical impact on Poland and the rest of Europe. I was not aware of this when I came, but Poland is now experiencing a massive emigration problem. Stephen Alscher says,
In the EU, a person can travel to and work in other EU countries without the need of a visa (except for Germany). Given the situation in Poland, many people are choosing to leave the country to try to make their fortunes in foreign markets.
KEY STATISTICS
- 427,000 workers from eight EU accession states successfully applied
for work in UK:
What numbers! I could hardly believe it when I found out that there are at least 41,000 Polish people in Berlin alone. A true osmosis crisis is happening. Pastors and missionaries in Poland have told me that young people from their churches are leaving Poland to find jobs. These Poles are arriving in cities which are just barely managing to keep up with the flood of new immigrants. The Catholic churches have already begun to reach out to the newcomers. Many Poles never return to Poland. So where does that leave us? I have thought about this question for a long time. The problem intrigues me: I forsee the possibility of the need for mission organizations in Europe to start approaching ministry differently. As Europe moves closer and closer to the melting pot, mission agencies are going to need to start looking beyond borders. They will need to start thinking of their Turks in Paris, their Poles in London, their Russians in Berlin. Times are changing for Europe. I am wondering what the Lord has in store for our desire to work with the Polish people. Would you pray for me and BMW as we think about this? Would you consider coming over to help? Trust me, it's more than one girl can handle! Home | About | Mission Fields | Opportunities | Support | Resources BIBLICAL
MINISTRIES WORLDWIDE Site
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Nearly
two years ago, a big BMW idea was born! The mission decided to begin
looking for workers to send into Poland. The country of Poland was
one of the new "kids on the block" in the mission, and
there were a lot of ideas and conceptions floating around as the
excitement caught on. The "birth" of our "big baby"
was announced, people started praying, and I was dispatched to begin
to get to know this new field. 
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