The 1951 Refugee Convention spells out that a refugee is someone who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country."
Looking back, my ancestors were refugees. Not much is known of my mother's side, but her father was from China. He died long before I was born back in his home town in China.
My father escaped from poverty and ill treatment by this adopted parents in China. At the age of 12 he joined a group of people at the Swatow (or Shantou) pier and boarded a ship not knowing where it was heading to. The ship arrived in Singapore and when passengers disembarked, he joined them. He was alone and made his way to a construction site where he found work.
God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform and here I am today.
During the course of duty, my wife and I visited China several times, but not once to Shantou. There was no craving to search my roots. Where I am heading is more important than where I came from.
My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world. _ Dr Billy Graham
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