Leaps of Faith
At the end of June, we heard Father Grey’s announcement and call to action. An Afghan family that was being granted asylum to the United States would soon arrive in Baltimore, and would be aided by Memorial Church. As a member of the Memorial Vestry, my mind had dwelt on the pressing financial issues that our church faced post-COVID. Would we be able to take on this new challenge, and would we have the resources and energy to bring an unfamiliar family into our care? Nevertheless, I found myself raising my hand to help create a Welcoming Circle for the Afghan family.
With less than a week's notice, volunteers from Memorial, the Episcopal Refugee and Immigrant Center Alliance (ERICA), St. Thomas at Owings Mills, and the Chizuk Amuno Synagogue sprang into action. This was my first introduction to ERICA and to members of the other houses of worship, but I found myself quickly and happily drawn into their cooperative fray. I was thankful for their advice, as many of them had had experience working with refugees and asylum seekers, and their guidance gave us a format to support the newcomers. In record time, the volunteers, including a few Afghans who had only arrived a few months prior, transformed two unoccupied floors of an old house, quietly cluttered with stored items and years of dust, into a new home and refuge for the newcomers. Furniture and household items were procured, and a positive energy radiated into the house.
I did not know very much about the family that Memorial would be supporting, but I did wonder about the threats that they might have endured, the traumas that had forced them to leave. I wondered what hopes and fears they harbored as they left behind family and home, as they made a leap of faith into the unknown. I wondered how they viewed America and Americans - what they would expect from us when they arrived?
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”
Psalm 46:1-3
Of course, I need not have worried about my fellow Memorialites feeling stretched thin. We have welcomed the new family and witnessed the joy of their reunion with loved ones. Many parishioners continue working tirelessly to help address medical, food, clothing and scholastic needs. I am thankful for those who have shown the family local resources and the charms of our neighborhood, and who have helped them adapt to the quirks of living in a lovely but old building.
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
I Thessalonians 5:11
Joys aside, the road ahead for our guests is long and uncertain, and I expect that we will experience miscommunication and misunderstandings as we learn to understand each other. The family is eager to build new lives in the United States, and Memorial is committed to help them on the road to independence. But I understand from my own experiences, as an American transplanted back to the United States after a childhood in Singapore, that adaptation to American life will require patience from all sides. As the boundaries of unfamiliarity and language fade, however, I am hopeful that we will get to know the family well. I look forward to hearing their stories, to learn more about their extended family, culture and about Afghanistan. I hope we truly get to know them in a meaningful way, as members of our community.
The first few months of the family’s arrival are particularly critical. We are partnering with the Samaritan Community to collect non-perishable foods, toiletries and supplies for the family during this time. Please contact Wendy Yap at wendy.yapper@gmail.com or other members of the Memorial Vestry for more information on how to provide support.
