Refugee Ministry update — December 2024

During this quarter, our Refugee Ministry has worked extensively with our Afghan family of six in Manassas to assist with learning English, job searches, asylum applications, dental and medical care, and winter clothing. The ministry will step back from major assistance to this family, expecting them to be able to take over their own finances soon.

We have also been involved with a young Afghan couple, Ahmad and Nadia, who are pregnant with their first child. Refugee Ministry team member Terry Owsley and his wife Lee have offered Ahmad and Nadia use of their basement apartment for six months. Ahmad and Nadia are here with humanitarian visas, needing to flee Afghanistan due to a close relative working with the U.S. military. Ahmad is a mechanic and looking for a job. They will need some help with transportation and shopping; they are short on furniture and baby items; and Nadia will need help with English. The Refugee Ministry, with help from Saint James’ parishioners, will try to fill in the gaps.

The Refugee Ministry has resolved that we will not be able to sponsor any new families that need the level of support similar to our Manassas family. We lack both personnel and financial resources for such a commitment. We will continue to network with our four area churches to see what assistance we can offer to new refugees in the area, and our team is now collecting furniture and household goods to assist an Afghan family newly arrived in Centreville.

Contact Cathy Byrne at catheeb@icloud.com and Joanne Charles at jcharles1331@gmail.com.

Click here to view the December 2024 quarterly newsletter.