Afghan Refugee Ministry
I’m praying for a family I have not yet met. This isn’t too unusual. My prayer list includes several names of friends of my friends. And yet, this feels different.
Each morning I pray for the Afghan refugee family that will soon be assigned to the care of our community. Wherever they are right now, I pray that they may remain hopeful and healthy. That they will sense that they are already loved and welcomed, before we have met them in person.
Back in August and September of 2021, members of the faith community I serve were pinging me with texts and emails demanding that we do something- anything- to support the evacuation of Afghan citizens. The tv news shows ran constant footage of the chaos in Kabul as Afghans fled impending Taliban control and sought to be evacuated.
In September, 24 members of the two Episcopal congregations I serve (St. Andrew’s, Glenwood & St. Paul’s, Poplar Springs) came together to strategize in anticipation of refugees arriving.
Over the past six months, this number of invested folks has grown to 60+. We have raised over $40,000, renovated and furnished a three bedroom house on the property of St. Paul’s, created and experienced cultural competency trainings, and applied for a family of refugees in Sponsor Circles pipeline through Episcopal Migration Ministries — all to the glory of God!
We learned recently that the application has been accepted. We now await news from Sponsor Circles regarding the family, the composition and ages of family members, and when and where we will meet them. Two gentle souls in the community have agreed to serve as our reception hosts. We have worked out a reception plan to settle the family into the beautifully renovated home. A few volunteers are the appointed grocery store crew - standing ready to fill the pantry and fridge with Halal meats, lentils, basmati rice and fresh vegetables.
We are grateful for so many outward and visible signs of Christ’s presence at work, such as:
the generosity of the people who donated appliances, beds and other furnishings,
the skill and commitment of the House Renovation team (Mallory, Jeff, Bill, Pete) who labored and pulled in other laborers to get the house ready,
the financial support of so many faithful folks,.
the guidance and encouragement of Betty Symington of Episcopal Refugee & Immigration Center Alliance in Baltimore,
the coaching of the Rev. Chris McNabb of Episcopal Migration Ministries,
the wise example of my colleague the Rev. Grey Maggiano,
and the co-chairs of the Afghan Assistance Refugee Committee, Bob & Deacon Amy.
Let us continue to pray for the family who, while unknown to us, is known to God. May God's peace, hope, and love surround them in this moment, and may they arrive at their new home in Mt. Airy in good health.
May we live into the love of God and neighbor that Christ highlighted for us as the greatest of all the commandments for God's beloved community.
The living room of the home prepared for Afghan refugees.
If you would like to take part in a round table for communities interested in responding to the relocation needs of Afghan refugees, please be in touch. According to the Episcopal Migration Ministries website, there are over 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees globally.
