E-BOOK

By Farshad Mohamadi

Farshad's autobiography, "The Nomad's Refuge," recounts his journey of seeking refuge and belonging across multiple countries. Starting in Turkey, he faces challenges as an undocumented migrant before finding temporary sanctuary in Greece. His travels take him through Italy, France, and England, each presenting its own trials and opportunities. Returning briefly to Iran, he embarks on another journey through Turkey and Greece before finding stability in Austria and Switzerland. Finally, after a long wait, he receives an opportunity to immigrate to the United States, marking the culmination of his odyssey. Throughout his adventure, Farshad grapples with uncertainty, bureaucracy, and the search for meaning, ultimately finding solace and purpose in his faith and the pursuit of a better life for himself and his family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 30, 2024
• ISBN: 9781304409652

Book preview

The Nomad’s Refuge

First edition published by Farshad Mohamadi 2022

Copyright © 2022 by Farshad Mohamadi

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN: 978-1-304-40965-2

Cover design by Laura Mohamadi

Formatted by Daiana Morales

Dedication

To Melody, Enoch, Silas, and Camilla. This dedication is for you, my precious children. May you always find courage in the face of adversity, strength in your faith, and love in your hearts. Remember that no matter where life takes you, you are never alone, for God’s love and protection surround you.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Notes from the Author

Chapter One: I Am a Qashqai

Chapter Two: Passing from Turkey to Greece

Chapter Three: The Exodus

Chapter Four: Smuggler in Calais

Chapter Five: The Turnaround

Chapter Six: Back to Turkey Again

Chapter Seven: The Oasis

Chapter Eight: Leaving Greece

Chapter Nine: The God of the Wilderness

Chapter Ten: Refugee camp in Austria

Chapter Eleven: Coming to the US

Final Thoughts

Acknowledgments

This story is essentially an outpouring of my love for Christ, which has grown over the years. For this reason, I am immensely appreciative to the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) for the lifelong impact they have embedded in my walk with Christ. I would not have been able to compose this autobiography without the sustained efforts of my professors, who challenged me to think, speak, write, and live for the glory of Christ and his church.

I am also thankful to my wife for inspiring me to write this story, for her creativity and patience, and for manifesting the Christ-centered character and the sweet spirit that I needed to develop. In addition, Laura’s entrepreneurial skills and industriousness have permitted me the time and energy to write this story.

I am thankful for John Thomas, who has been a big part of my journey. He has been an agent in God’s sovereign hand in shaping and reforming me to Christ’s image during my wilderness expedition. He was one of the few who saw me as God sees me and loved me from the moment of our first encounter, even to this day.

I am exceedingly grateful to my church for their prompt intervention during my struggles in seminary and for aiding me in the continuation of my education, encouraging me to press on, and challenging me to pursue the calling God has placed on my life. I could not have finished this book without them.

Furthermore, I want to express my gratitude to every individual who has been part of my journey, creating momentum for my life to move forward. These individuals made my endeavor worthwhile. Your support, encouragement, and belief in me have been invaluable, and I am deeply thankful for each of you.

Preface

My fundamental reasoning for composing this story is to illustrate God’s faithfulness in my own life as a wandering refugee for over ten years. I am no overcomer and have failed God repeatedly, yet God overcame on my behalf and peeled off the unauthentic layers of my identity. Over the years, as a refugee, God has been good to me despite my annoying and ungrateful attitude. He has been patient with me and driven my life for the ultimate purpose of Soli Deo Gloria.

My secondary motive for authoring this story is to raise awareness and enlighten others about what refugees experience as they travel and what it feels like to be alone as a thirteen-year-old refugee without parental supervision. Moreover, I am offering the world a new and unique perspective on a refugee narrative. What makes it unique is that my story exhibits that God has a plan for refugees, and they are not forgotten.

Furthermore, I am driven by the desire to challenge misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding refugees. Through my story, I aim to humanize the refugee experience and showcase the resilience, strength, and dignity of individuals abandoning their homes regardless of their reasons. No one leaves their home aspiring to enter into a world of pain; rather, they are often escaping pain, pursuing bigger dreams, or striving for survival. Some never make it, and others, even after making it, remain trapped in past experiences, unable to move forward. Only a few manage to dream again. By sharing my journey, I hope to inspire empathy, compassion, and understanding, ultimately fostering greater solidarity and support for refugees worldwide.

Lastly, my intention for writing these stories and experiences is not to prescribe a specific path for others to follow. They are neither right nor wrong; they simply exist. These experiences are just one of millions of other stories. However, I do hope that they will serve as an inspiration for you to dream again, to explore, and to embrace your journey into the unknown.

Notes from the Author

As you embark on this journey through the pages of my life, I want to preface these tales with a simple truth: what you are about to read are not just stories but real experiences that have shaped my existence. It may be tempting to attribute these stories to the twists of fate or the fortunate encounters to mere luck, but I assure you, there is a deeper narrative at play--a narrative that transcends the boundaries of our reality.

Long before I recognized His presence, God knew me intimately. He walked beside me through every trial and triumph, even when I wandered far from Him. As you delve into these pages, I invite you to ponder the unseen hand that guided my path and discover the profound significance of faith in the midst of life’s uncertainties.

Furthermore, the stories you’re about to read aren’t blueprints to emulate. This is my journey, my choices, and my stride into the unknown. You may find parallels or insights that resonate with your own journey, but remember that your path is yours alone. My hope is that by sharing my experiences, you’ll find inspiration, empathy, or perhaps even a new perspective on your own journey through life.

Chapter One

I Am a Qashqai

I was born during the hottest season of the year, in the month of August, two years after the Iran-Iraq war had ended. I grew up in a small town in Iran called Lobnan, located in the county of Gachsaran, which had a population of about 100,000 people. The people there spoke mainly Farsi, Lurish, and Qashqai Turkish, but the Qashqai dialect was our primary language at home.

I am the youngest of six siblings; I have three brothers and two sisters. Darioush is my oldest brother. We called him the savvy one. He was a keen student who never missed school, never misbehaved, and effortlessly kept his grades to the maximum level. He valued education and joyfully studied without grumbling. His success was due to his willful selection of the circle of his friends. He loved math and architecture. The only time I ever saw him upset was when I dared push the boundaries, urging my parents to buy me two pairs of jeans instead of one. Our family’s tradition dictated a single pair per year, a rule I recklessly sought to challenge.

He was a true explorer, opening our family’s eyes to a realm of technological wonders: computers, modern TVs, electric kettles, and a myriad of other gadgets that I deemed truly celestial objects, bringing the touch of otherworldly wonder into house unmodernized home. Among them all, the electric kettle stood out to me the most. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I watched water boil without the need for a natural flame—it was a mesmerizing display of innovation and convenience that left me in awe. That kettle opened my eyes to the world out there I had yet to experience.

Ali is second to the oldest and an industrious entrepreneur. He was very frugal with his money, so he would indulge in laborious work and save every penny to invest in building houses and supporting our family. Unlike Darioush, academics didn’t capture Ali’s heart; instead, he harbored aspirations of realizing his own version of the American dream right there in Iran. Some days, he would even skip meals to save that money for investment in a project. He was a kind and loving person. His generosity knew no bounds. Without his selfless contributions, none of us would have achieved financial stability. I would not have been able to make it to other countries without him.

My sister Shamsi is the valiant