Afghanistan is all over the news these days, as our nation navigates an unexpectedly devastating withdrawal from a nation we have had troops in for 20 years. Meanwhile, here at Abba’s House, a home that welcomes in refugee women and children, we had the joy recently of opening our doors to our first Afghani family. “Z_____” and her four children (ages 8-13) arrived from Istanbul, Turkey about a week ago, and are a vivid reminder that the headlines we read about on a daily basis affect very real people. Every day as we sit at the dinner table we are reminded that on the other side of the world people just like our guests are facing some of the ugliest things that our world has to offer.
That’s a significant part of what we do here at Abba’s House — to help us put a face and a name to refugees and immigrants. They aren’t just a policy stance, a campaign issue, or a world headline . . . they are people. Beautiful people. People with stories. Stories that are inevitably filled with a lot of pain and loss, but also stories that are marked by courage, hope, and compassion.
I so wish I could share some pictures of the beautiful Afghani family that is staying with us right now, but for safety reasons we are holding off until it becomes clear that we would not be putting any of their extended family in harms way.
Most of our guests stay here at Abba’s House for two months. While here, we invite them into our family. We share meals together, learn together, and help them acclimate to their life in a new country. Every day, volunteers from our community come in to help the mom with basic life skills, or to work with the children on their schooling. It’s God’s people, sharing the compassionate heart of Jesus by welcoming in some others of His family who have gone through a particularly hard journey. If interested in rolling up your sleeves and helping out, come get involved. You have a lot to give, and even more to gain.
Abba's House 