14 minute read
MISSION Afghan Update
SERVANTOKC.ORG/AFGHAN AFGHAN MOVE-IN DAY!
M I S S I O N S
Advertisement
On March 16, Carolyn Hays, Ann Knutson and I had the pleasure of helping Church of the Servant’s 2nd Afghan family move into their new home. This family of eleven had been staying in two hotel rooms for several months waiting for an appropriate apartment to become available. We arrived at their hotel around 3:00 p.m. and by 4:00 p.m. their friends and family had all the family’s duffel bags loaded into my truck and Ann’s and Carolyn’s cars.
As you can imagine, it was a tight fit but we got it all in one trip. The teenagers were sad when they waved goodbye to their friends at the hotel, but the whole family was thrilled when they saw their new home for the first time. I really want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone from Church of the Servant who prepared the apartment for the family. Thank you! Since several of the family’s friends from the hotel wanted to come and see their new home, I watched the men carrying all the duffel bags up three flights of stairs and relished the privileged of experiencing the family’s joy of having a new home after their several months journey from Afghanistan. What a blessing that Church of the Servant was a part of this!
James Maxwell
We first decided to meet with two Afghani gentlemen, Amir and Kabir, because we were told that they were feeling isolated. They lived in an apartment complex near I-40, away from other Afghan families. When we met them, they seemed very eager to interact with visitors. Of course, we didn’t understand what they were saying, and they didn’t understand what we were saying; but, with the help of a translator over the telephone, we were able to communicate reasonably well. They were eager to provide us with a snack or some food every time we visited – usually tea and nuts, or fruit. The serving of tea is an important part of their culture. We tried to avoid sensitive subjects, but we found out that each of the men had families that were still in Afghanistan. These families were in a sense trapped behind Taliban lines (since the whole country is now Taliban). They said that their families were being harassed by the Taliban, especially if they went out into the marketplace. They were concerned about the safety of their wives and children (with up to 10 children each) and about them having enough food. For that reason, they were eager to find work and start sending money home.
That first Saturday, Ed and Rick McDaniel took Amir and Kabir to get clothes at Walmart. On subsequent weekends we drove them around town to see the Murrah Building Memorial and Bricktown, among other things. They were always appreciative and very polite.
The next weekend, we were surprised to find out that, somehow, they had obtained bus tickets to leave town in order to be with family who were out of state (Families are very tight-knit, and they help each other find jobs). They felt the need to start work immediately to help their families. Amir said he had a job waiting for him in Sioux City, Iowa, and Kabir was going to be with a brother in San Antonio, Texas. A call was sent out for volunteers to take them to the bus station, and we thought that it would be a simple and straightforward way for us to help them. In fact, it turned out to be anything but simple and straightforward.
Kabir was going to San Antonio, with a layover in Dallas. We were worried about him catching his bus in Dallas and making the bus change, but after talking with the bus driver it appeared that he would be assisted with his transfer in Dallas.
On the other hand, Amir’s ticket to Sioux City, Iowa involved four different buses and three layovers. He didn’t speak or read any English at all. He was just learning to recognize letters in our alphabet. If he missed a bus, he would not understand anything being said to him about a change in itinerary. Ed got him to the bus station with time to spare only to learn that the bus was going to be delayed by three hours. That meant that all his itinerary had to be changed. That ticket agent was helpful and patient and eventually printed him a new set of tickets. However, the new schedule involved six buses and five layovers! In my mind it was literally going to require a miracle for him to catch all his buses and not to get lost. For that reason, after leaving the terminal and thinking it over, we went back to the bus station to request a change in his tickets that would involve fewer buses, even if it meant waiting a few days. However, the previously patient ticket agent felt she had had enough of us and told us that she was off duty; she said that the next on duty ticket agent would be there several hours later. So, we decided to go back to Amir’s apartment and come back at 11:15 p.m. for the six-bus itinerary. We would just have to trust in a miracle.
But when we arrived that night, we found out that THAT bus was also going to be late by three hours, which meant that there was going to have to be a change in ticketing and a new itinerary. The ticket agent was a different person but was not helpful in changing the tickets. Amir could get to Wichita but then would need to get someone to change all the rest of his tickets (in the middle of the night). Through an online interpreter, he and Ed decided that the bus was not going to work for him.
Fortunately, two marvelous volunteers, Nick Knutson and John Hays, volunteered to drive him (yes drive him!) to Sioux City. Amir was truly fortunate to have two volunteers to be so giving of their time. It was the best of all worlds for him because there was no chance of him getting lost and stranded. We were looking for a miracle for Amir. It came, but from a different direction than we had expected it.
OUR EXPERIENCE
WITH AMIR AND KABIR
by Ed and Cecilia Beckham
M I S S I O N S
HELPING THE AFGHANS
Each time I do work for God, I leave with the same thought. Did they bless me more than I blessed them? The answer has always been “YES,” and helping settle the Afghan families into their new homes is no different. After I participated in several opportunities, the need arose to help them hang curtains in their new apartment. My husband, Bill, and I agreed to be the hands and feet in this task.
Helping others who do not speak English comes with some challenges and endless amounts of blessings. On the designated day, we headed over with some anxiousness. We planned to get in and out as quickly as possible since communications would be difficult. Once there, Bill set off to work. The older girls encouraged me to sit with them and drink some tea while their dad helped Bill. Before long, they asked if I wanted to get a henna tattoo on my hand. Since I knew these were temporary, I thought that sounded fun and allowed me time to bond with the girls.
Once Bill finished his task and the girls completed my hand painting, they prepared a lunch of lamb kebobs, samosas, fruits, and nuts for us. We enjoyed our time together and used a translation program for some of the communications. When the time came for us to leave, they asked that we stay longer. We had somewhere else to go, so we said our goodbyes and left feeling more blessed than when we arrived.
My biggest takeaway is that I think they are lonely in this strange new world. These families long for some companionship. So, if you have some free time, why not visit with one of our Afghan families. Then, you, too, will be blessed by the time spent with them.
Yvonne Morgan
James and I recently had the privilege of watching angels at work. The principal, teachers and staff at Wiley Post Elementary School organized a giveaway event for our Afghan neighbors. Many of these students have newly arrived with very few possessions. The teachers requested donations of household goods, toiletries, clothing, toys, and so much more. Our neighbors were invited to come and take anything that they needed. The response was nothing less than incredible! In the short space of 2 hours, many, many parents and children selected their treasures. I have never been more impressed with the generosity and loving spirit of dedicated teachers. As one translator told the principal, Mrs. Rexach, “The new Afghan arrivals have been given many gifts, but to be able to choose exactly those items they wanted and needed was something very special.” What a blessing these angels are to our new neighbors!
Cathy Maxwell
AFGHAN FAMILIES
PREPARE TO CELEBRATE RAMADAN
We transported four families to the Ramadan Clothing Bazaar held at the CAIR Office (Council on American-Islamic Relations) for free traditional clothes for the celebration of Ramadan which begins April 2nd and ends on May 1st. It is a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community for Muslims worldwide. The women and older girls were able to choose 3 beautiful outfits for the holiday and one more casual dress for everyday wear. Men could also choose tunics for the special holiday. In addition, there was a room full of “western” clothing with sizes for babies through adult men. They also offered shoes and purses. This was an amazing shopping experience for all of us. Kimberly, Jaci, and Carolyn received special THANK YOUs from our family of 11 people. One of the daughters painted beautiful designs on our hands with henna. Pictured are a few racks of clothing with our lovely model, Ann, showing off one selection.
Carolyn Hays
MISSIONS
LANGUAGE BARRIER BROKEN DOWN BY LOVE
M I S S I O N S
Ihave been quilting for 45 years. Very seldom do I sell a quilt that I make. I tried many times over the years, but I could never put a price on my quilts. One day, I was sitting at my sewing machine, stitching, and I heard that small still voice inside of me say that I was to give my quilts away—a ministry in quilts was what God was calling me to do. I have given so many of my quilts away over the years that I have lost count. I just recently started to record and take pictures of these quilts so I could remember who I gave them to. I wish I had done that from the beginning. So far, I have cataloged over 500 quilts that I have made for others. When I sit down to design and make a quilt, I never know who it is for. I wait for God to tell me. He even helps me to come up with titles for my quilts. They always seem to fit the circumstance and time of need perfectly.
Late fall 2021, I received the November Church of the Servant newsletter that morning and was very excited to read that Church of the Servant was considering adopting an Afghan family of 11 to help get settled in their new home in Oklahoma City. I have always wanted to do something in the way of missions, and I began to pray about what I could do to make a difference in this family’s life.
As I sat at my sewing machine that next morning, I felt an urging from the Holy Spirit to make quilts for this family of 11. The mother and father would get a large queen-size quilt for their bed, and each child would be presented with their own lap quilt. All I kept thinking was what a big job this was going to be and how would I get them done by Christmas! Then God reminded me that I had two quilting students that might want to help. So, I asked my students, Debbie Gold, and Jo Edwards, if they would help me with putting together a few tops and then I would quilt and bind them. I had about 6 tops already made, and a few that needed to be sewed together. Of course, they said yes, and I knew they would. Debbie had blocks she had started and needed to finish. Jo took some of my blocks and stitched those together for me. I had another friend, Linda Meredith who said she could donate a baby quilt. So, after finishing the stitching, quilting, and binding the 9 quilts, they were finally finished. It only took a month of working on these quilts to get them done. I was so excited that we would
present these quilts to our family at Christmastime 2021— depending on if they moved out of the hotel and into a place that they could call home. Well, Christmas came and went, so did January, February... and on March 19, I met Ann Knutson at the new apartment of our family to give them these quilted treasures that were made just for them.
I was a bit nervous to meet them for the first time. We climbed the 3 flights of stairs to a 3-bedroom apartment, knocked on the door and were greeted by the most wonderful family I have ever met. There were hugs from the children greeting Ann as she has been helping them quite a bit —they were excited to see her. They had not met me until that day, yet they welcomed me into their home with open arms and with the most gracious hospitality I have ever experienced. The mother and her daughters made Ann and I tea and placed a tray of cookies, fruit, dates, and nuts in front of us. They took care of our every need, despite not being able to talk to them as they did not speak English and we did not speak their language. Ann called a translator to help us navigate our conversation with this family. As Ann passed out the quilts to each child and the parents, I saw such sparkle and excitement in their eyes. I was hoping that these quilts would make them feel loved and at home—I believed they did. I stayed an hour or so, sharing pictures of my family and showing the mother and daughter the quilts I have made in the past. With grateful hearts, they each took their quilt and hugged it in our presence. Thank you are the words I kept hearing. They have such grateful hearts for those who have helped them in this new land and wanted to show us their love by “feeding our stomachs and souls” with love and making us feel like we were part of their family. They even asked us to stay for lunch which the teen age girls were working on. I had to leave, but not without the mother packing me a lunch to take with me. For people who don’t have a lot of material possessions, they gave the best of what they had to Ann and I during our visit.
I was not able to take a lot of pictures of the kids with their individual quilts, but the younger boys and girls were allowed to pose for a photo.
Love speaks volumes despite language barriers that occur when ministering to a foreign family trying to find their way in the USA. I am so grateful I had a chance to do something nice for our Afghan family.
My prayer is that they would feel as welcome in our hearts as we do in theirs. Peace and love to our new brothers and sisters in Jesus’ name.
Nancy Harris
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S.POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 99
OKLAHOMA CITY 73125
A United Methodist Congregation
