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Moving Forward with World Relief Durham

This fall, a few of World Relief Durham’s partners shared why they serve with World Relief and what it looks like for their community to move forward together. Here are some of their thoughts:

Why World Relief?

“They not only serve [the international community] well, but they love it well, and they do it from a biblical perspective and they do it holistically, which is very, very important to a person who has no idea what to do next.”

Raven Fox, ServeRDU Associate Director of Community Training, The Summit Church

“World Relief is great access to finding people that we can support as a church, and it’s also a place that gives us the tools with the training before people enter – that’s really helpful for them to be culturally sensitive and ready to help in a good, kind way!”

Andrea Tshihamba, World Relief Durham Volunteer

“I think it’s a great organization that combines our love for Jesus with love for people. I think keeping those things together is really important for us, as God’s people, and as a pastor, I’m excited that this is an organization that really shows us how to do that.”

Dave Dunderdale, Associate Pastor, Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church

How have you seen your community “move together” to create lasting change?

“I think Durham represents a lot of history and a lot of grit. And I feel like World Relief Durham is part of that community and when, for example, with the Afghanistan crisis, the amount of outpouring to […] donate money to help World Relief Durham to be able to serve the refugees coming in, was completely – we were all just blown away by the support of the community.” 

Naoshi Yamauchi, World Relief Durham Board Member & Volunteer

“We’ve seen more and more people thinking through what skill set or what gifting they have and how they can leverage that. […] One [example] around housing: some people who own a variety of rental units, and have been thinking how could they make them affordable; make them affordable especially to refugees who are just getting here. Maybe you have no credit history; maybe you can’t afford market rate. So they’re able to offer them at affordable rates, and be able to work with them to build credit and to be able to eventually move towards owning their own homes.”

KJ Hill, Pastor of Community Development and Outreach, The Summit Church

Interviews collected by Karen Spencer, U.S. Marketing Partner, World Relief, and Rachel Clair, Content Manager, World Relief.

Servant: Caring for the Immigrant and Refugee

This discipleship video from one of our church partners, The Summit Church, discusses the Biblical command to “welcome the stranger” and offers some practical steps believers can take to follow God’s call, including giving, volunteering, and advocating alongside World Relief Durham.

“God commands his people to care for strangers and foreigners, along with the poor, the widows, and orphans. It’s important to recognize that these passages are not simply proof-texts free of context. Rather, compassionate and just treatment of foreigners is a core ethical principle, rooted in God’s covenant with his people. Just one representative example is Leviticus 19:34, ‘The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.’ As God cared for his people when they were oppressed strangers in Egypt, his people were to demonstrate his faithfulness and compassion by welcoming strangers into their community and treating them justly.”

“Servant – Caring for the Immigrant & Refugee” – The Summit Church (00:49-01:43)

Watch the 5-minute video on Vimeo.

Surge of Afghan refugees is exposing housing issues in N.C.

By Alexis Bell, Spectrum News //

RALEIGH, N.C. — A recent surge of Afghan refugees coming to North Carolina has made it difficult to find housing for all the families, leaving some to stay in hotels.

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) North Carolina is helping some of the refugees coming to our state. Omer, the director of the Raleigh office, says they have seen 125 refugees since September. Fifty have come in the past week. 

USCRI, Lutheran Services Carolinas and World Relief Durham are all helping people from Afghanistan in Raleigh and surrounding areas.

Welcome House Community Network â€” a supporting nonprofit of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Congregations — is stepping in to fill temporary housing needs. There are welcome houses in Triangle North, Raleigh, Henderson and Fayetteville. … [READ MORE]

Mercy over Judgment

By K.J. Hill and Reema Nasrallah //

The tragic fall of Afghanistan’s government has led the international community to rally to assist evacuees fleeing the Taliban. More than 1,000 of these Afghan evacuees are slated for resettlement in North Carolina in the coming months.

As a pastor, I have been getting lots of questions about this crisis. Many of the questions are rooted in compassion with a sincere desire to help, like “How can we help people arriving overcome culture shock?” or “How can we meet basic needs like housing, clothing and food?” Other questions reveal cynicism, angst, and fear, such as “How do we know people coming here can be trusted?” or “How do we know they are who they claim to be?” These questions — which are also asked about asylum-seekers at our southern border — aren’t new, but are actually the same questions that the early church was asking.

In fourth-century Antioch, Archbishop John Chrysostom objected to the congregations who were complaining about poor foreigners (including refugees and economic migrants) arriving in their city: “But to what extent do [the poor] seek to deceive you? They are fugitives, they say, strangers, worthless creatures, who have left their native land and are gathering in our city. Do you resent this, tell me, and do you pluck the crown of honor from your city, because all men consider it a common refuge, and prefer it to their own land? Nay, rather, for this reason you ought to exult and rejoice, that to you, as if to some common market, they all run, and consider this city their common mother.” Read more at Baptist Press.

Update on Afghan Resettlement

This week, World Relief Durham’s Resettlement Manager, Rebecca Evens, shared about the ongoing resettlement process for Afghan evacuees arriving in the Triangle as humanitarian parolees. At this point, the office has resettled about half of the humanitarian parolees expected, with the remainder of these arrivals anticipated by mid-January. “We did increase our initial capacity by almost doubling it, so we are receiving more than we initially planned to. It’s also highly likely that we will eventually increase our capacity again because there are still Afghans who haven’t even made it to the US yet,” Rebecca explained. Currently, around 75,000 Afghan allies have been evacuated to the United States, with close to another 25,000 still waiting outside the country. “At the same time,” Rebecca noted, “it’s important to remember that we’re also receiving refugee arrivals who are not Afghans; we have arrivals coming in from Syria, Sudan, hopefully one from Eritrea soon. And so it’s also refugees coming from other environments.”

Everyone resettled by World Relief Durham is enrolled in initial resettlement programs, which include housing, ESL, school enrollment, getting connected to public benefits, cultural orientation, and other services. “We do triage when people first arrive — how ready are they for work, what documents are missing, do they have exigent medical conditions.” Although humanitarian parole does not include all of the rights and benefits held by those with Special Immigrant Visas or refugee status (notably, parole is considered a temporary status, without a direct path to a green card and naturalization), parolees do receive work authorization. “Most get enrolled in employment services fairly quickly,” Rebecca shared.

Refugees, Advocates, and Nonprofit Organizations Stress the Need for Better Messaging on How Afghan Refugees Experiencing PTSD Can Access Mental Health Resources

By Mona Dougani //

This story originally published online at NC Health News.

Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, and Raleigh are starting to see Afghan refugees, who were displaced from their home country in August, resettle in North Carolina.

As the refugees arrive, other Afghan residents already in this state have lessons to share about some of the mental health challenges that often accompany refugees fleeing turmoil who are suddenly thrust into a new life in a foreign place.

Since the Taliban overthrew the Afghan government on August 15 and U.S. troops withdrew from the country 15 days later, many who had lived in the country and fled for safety reasons are being dispersed around the globe.

But a larger exodus from Afghanistan has been going on for two decades now. 

Over the years, roughly 6 million Afghans have been forcibly displaced from their homes, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Of those 6 million, about 3.5 million are still living in Afghanistan, while 2.6 million are refugees living around the world. 

North Carolina is expecting about 1,169 refugees in this most recent wave. Read more at the IndyWeek.

An Afghan Neighbor’s Call for Peace

Northwestern Afghanistan by koldo hormaza CC 2.0

By Adrienne Morton //

World Relief Durham had the privilege of welcoming and resettling an Afghan family of seven this past July, providing housing, school enrollment and support for the children, employment services, health care coordination, and other wraparound services that help them begin rebuilding their lives in Durham. Husband and father Shir Khan Shirzad recently shared some of his family’s story of moving from Afghanistan to Durham.

After graduating from high school in Afghanistan, Shir Khan Shirzad began working in a small grocery store to support himself and his family. Knowing that going to university wouldn’t be financially viable, he worked as a grocer until the United States forces arrived and began employing Afghans in various roles supporting the military operation.

In 2004, Shir Khan was introduced to his next employer—the U.S. military—after his nephew secured a job as an interpreter. His initial job was as an entry-level laborer supporting the U.S. military, but he worked hard and moved his way up to become head of all labor workers in a particular region.

Having worked for the U.S. government, Shir Khan knew that his safety would be at risk should the U.S. withdraw from Afghanistan. He recruited an English-speaking friend to help him begin the arduous process of submitting documents required for a Special Immigrant Visa. Shir Khan did not speak or read English, but he eventually taught himself enough to complete the first step of the process—the paperwork. It would be years before his case was processed, but he eventually secured an interview with the U.S. embassy in 2018. Even then his visa did not come through until 2021. He, his wife Fazila, and their five children arrived in Durham in July.

It has now been several months since Shir Khan left his house, country, job, brothers, sisters, nephews, culture—his home. When asked how he is getting along thus far in the U.S. he said, “me and my family are safe … it will take time for example, to know the culture, rules, everything about America.” Nonetheless, “we are still sad thinking about home … I don’t know how long it will take for us, living so far from our families in Afghanistan.”  

Shir Khan struggled to find the words to sufficiently express his depth of sadness for the Afghan people. “[They are] innocent people, young people, not only for my family … I’m worried about all people there because Afghan people [have been] suffering for a long time. It seems endless for Afghan people.”

When asked how Americans can best support him and the Afghan people, he was quick to respond: “I just want peace in Afghanistan. They are suffering all of the time … just bring peace.”

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Photo “Northwestern Afghanistan” by koldo hormaza, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Todd Unzicker and Adam Clark: Christians must heed the call to welcome Afghan refugees and other vulnerable immigrants

By Todd Unzicker and Adam Clark //

More than 1,000 Afghans will resettle in North Carolina in the coming months after fleeing violence and oppression from the Taliban. When they arrive here, it will be up to North Carolinians to welcome them.

This presents a challenge, but it is also an opportunity. We can and must answer the call to welcome our vulnerable neighbors from across the world. As Christian leaders, we think a big part of the responsibility for doing so falls to us and our fellow believers, to those of us who call ourselves the body of Christ.

Our faith commands that we empathize with the suffering of refugees. Jesus himself, our Lord, fled persecution with his family as a child. Caring for the vulnerable demonstrates the great love that Christ first showed us, and we live out our calling as Christ-followers by welcoming and seeking justice for the “sojourner.”

Many are already answering this call to welcome. For example, Vic and Michele Wallace are long-time members of The Summit Church in Durham. The Wallaces have been serving refugees in the local community for the past decade as they have lived out biblical hospitality and been blessed by their new refugee friends. Read more at the Greensboro News & Record

Abdul’s Story

by Adrienne Morton //

Abdul* began working for the United States Government in Afghanistan in 2007. Prior to his employment with the US military, he had served as a border soldier in Afghanistan and also spent time working for the United Nations. Abdul had always been a hard worker, and his work ethic was quickly recognized by the United States as he rapidly moved his way up the ladder and ultimately served as Chief of Support for a team of Afghan soldiers working alongside Americans.

Even now with the horrific images the world is seeing out of Afghanistan, he speaks fondly of his former life. “We had a good life back home. My family was in a village while I worked in the country…we felt comfortable there…my family was in a good position.” Having worked for the U.S. Government, Abdul qualified for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), which allowed him to enter the U.S. under refugee status, along with his family. The SIV program is designed to protect global citizens who were formerly employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government overseas. Abdul’s family was resettled by World Relief Durham in November 2020.

Abdul was appreciative when asked about his family in Afghanistan, with whom he speaks every day. “They are safe because they are not in Kabul. They don’t go outside very often and are staying at home.” As the only member of his extended family who served with the U.S. Government, he was the sole family member who qualified for SIV status.

He believes his family in Afghanistan is safe – for now. While his extended family is healthy and has food on the table, he acknowledges that their future in Afghanistan is fraught with uncertainty and fear. “Those who worked with the U.S. and Afghan governments are not safe; there is no trust. Everyone is in danger right now…people’s lives are unsafe…every moment is very dangerous.”

Abdul says that all Afghans are sad right now. “We are all thinking about our families back home and how we can support them.” When asked about how the local community can help, his answer was quick and simple – “It’s your kindness.”

Starting again in the U.S. has been hard. “There are new people, it’s a new and different country, sometimes very happy and sometimes very sad. But it is better than Afghanistan. No one wants to leave their country, but we will do our best to have a good life here.”

After being offered several employment opportunities, Abdul opted to work as a cashier at a gas station due to its proximity to his apartment. He’s currently supporting his immediate family of nine in the U.S. and his extended family in Afghanistan through this job, though he aspires to gain employment more like what he had back in Afghanistan. “I had a big position with the U.S. Government and I will do my best to find a better job.”

When asked what he would like others to know about the situation in Afghanistan he replied, “I ask all of the world to help Afghanistan, to understand the situation there, because only Afghan people suffer from everything (happening there). I don’t want this situation to continue.”

*Name changed for confidentiality

BSC and World Relief Durham offer training on refugee, immigrant ministry

The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC) partnered with World Relief Durham yesterday (Sept. 23) to host an information session on serving immigrants and refugees. The session addressed assisting Afghan parolees and special immigrant visa holders resettling in North Carolina.

More than 30 pastors and church members from the Triangle area attended. Imago Dei Church in Raleigh hosted the event, according to a press release from World Relief.

Over the next six months, 1,169 Afghan refugees are projected to arrive in North Carolina, the News & Observer reported. World Relief Durham expects to resettle at least 80 refugees from Afghanistan in the next year, and about 300 from other countries. In addition to Raleigh and Durham, Charlotte, Asheville, Greensboro and New Bern will also welcome refugees.

Read the full article by Biblical Recorder & World Relief Staff at the Biblical Recorder here.

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