When I was growing up at the beach and riding waves in from the “deep end” of the ocean to the shore on my little canvas raft, I realized the first wave I caught was not quite sufficient to get me all the way to the beach. Often, I would need to balance on my raft for that second wave to push me to shore where my float would scrape the shelly, sandy bottom. With our Bright Hope Refugee Ministry team, we are floating well and making forward progress, but we are ready for our “second wave” push of volunteers to help these families land securely on the shore of self-sufficiency.

Our Bright Hope Refugee Ministry is dedicated to sharing the hope of Christ with three Afghan refugee families by walking alongside them as they build a new life. Through practical support and compassionate care, we strive to help them become self-sufficient. During our Pilgrims in Progress Missions Weekend, the speakers emphasized the importance of building relationships in the journey of sharing Christ with Muslim believers. After three years of walking alongside these families, a foundation of trust and mutual appreciation has been built. We've moved beyond the early stages of survival and relief—and now, we're focused on helping our Afghan friends truly thrive in their new lives here in the U.S. To take this next step, we need volunteers who are willing to show the love of Christ through genuine, ongoing relationships. Could you be the one God the Father uses to introduce one of our Afghan friends to His son Jesus?

A volunteer for this ministry is one who commits to having a relationship with a Bright Hope family while supporting that family in a tangible way. Rather than “do for them,” Bright Hope is a ministry of development that helps them learn to meet their own needs in a systematic, progressive way. Our team can use anyone who has a heart to enter into a cross-cultural relationship. It is sometimes messy or confusing, often humorous, but always rewarding. I never leave a tutoring session with a child or a trip to the Halal market with the women without thanking God for the opportunity to love and be loved by these dear ones.

Please be in prayer about being part of the “second wave” of Bright Hope volunteers. Our current Afghan families entered this country legally in order to find safety for their families after supporting our military troops. Let’s help these hardworking families get their rafts all the way to the safety of the shore.

Our current needs for volunteers include, but are not limited to:

• Transportation
• Personal budgeting and financial planning
• Adult ESL
• Tutoring weekly during the school year
• Tutoring at Camp Bright Hope over the summer
• Hospitality (play dates, trips to the library, etc.)