Refugees
In 1989, Rev. Francisco Feliberto Pereira founded the Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries with the purpose of helping refugees fleeing from many atrocities in their homelands. A refugee is defined as a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. Rev. Pereira, former Cuban refugee in the 1960’s, suffered horrific persecution and was sentenced to 1,431 days of forced labor for being a follower of Christ.
Instead of abandoning his faith and leaving his calling as a pastor after graduating from seminary, he decided to follow the Lord regardless of the cost.
Rev. Pereira, former Cuban refugee in the 1960’s, suffered horrific persecution and was sentenced to 1,431 days of forced labor for being a follower of Christ.
Feliberto then became part of the largest airborne rescue of its kind in U.S history and was able to escape along with his wife and two kids. After this, he spent the rest of his life helping other refugees that also experimented persecution, whether religious persecution, political, or general victims of violence and war.
Our ministry supports refugees in five main ways: transportation, room and board, legal aid, spiritual counseling, and the provision of meals. Refugees are our ministry’s primary focus, and we strive to reunite families who have been separated because of violence once they have received their change of venue and are legally processed.
With the referral of ICE and Division of Homeland Security, we are able to help an average of 25-30 refugees every month by paying for their bus tickets, providing them with clothing, and funds for meals as they travel for long hours. In some circumstances, we also work with pro-bono and other lawyers to support special cases.
Through this whole process, we believe that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for those who believe (Rom 1:16), and we strive to share the gospel with each person that goes through our doors by working alongside our local church “Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer (DC)”, where we continuously see miraculous works of the Holy Spirit in the conversion of many people who are suffering and in need of Christ. We believe that it is important to feed both body and soul.
