Bhutanese refugees enjoy a day in the country

ROYSE CITY—For one day, about 40 Bhutanese people felt a little more at home—out of the cityscape where they had been transplanted and back to a more rural setting.

But Rob Matchett wants them to know God has an eternal home reserved just for them.

Ten families made the trip from Dallas to Sabine Creek Ranch, south of Royse City, as a part of the fun day for the refugee families who had resettled in Dallas from Bhutan, in South Asia.

College students involved in the Segue ministry sponsored by Sabine Creek Ranch help the refugee families transition to life in a new country. The students help them with matters as simple as learning how to use a dishwasher or an air conditioning thermostat and as involved as helping learn English or obtain a driver’s license.

“It’s not that they need a toaster or need to wash dishes with a dishwasher, but it provides a great way for our college students to establish a loving, caring relationship with them,” Matchett explained. And in the process, students help them grow or enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Bhutanese children wait their turn to try to conquer a climbing wall at Sabine Creek Ranch.

A Bhutanese mother and child enjoy a meal during an event sponsored by Segue at Sabine Creek Ranch.

A minority of the Bhutanese already are Christian when they come to America, and for them, the transition may be even harder than for their compatriots.

“We found a pocket of Christians, and they said to us, ‘Where are the Christians,” Matchett related. “They said, ‘If we stay Hindu, we have help from the temple.’”

Several Hindu businessmen have given many of the Hindu refugees work in their warehouses. The few Christians have found it much harder to find employment, Matchett said.

Three Bhutanese men have communicated to their American friends that they have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, but they have not said so publicly out of fear of losing their jobs. The day of the outing at Sabine Creek, the men sent their families, but they did not attend.

Bhutanese children enjoy fun and games in the country.

The day at the ranch included worship, arts and crafts for children, a climbing wall, ropes course, other outdoor games and a hayride.

“They’re pretty adventurous in some ways,” Matchett said. “They’ve made it to America and 100,000 others still are in the refugee camps. To be one of the first, that says a lot about their courage.”

The Baptist Student Ministry at Texas A&M-Commerce helped lead games and serve lunch.

Texas Baptists helped to support the event through gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions.

“If you do the Mary Hill Davis Offering, you helped this day happen,” Matchett said.