In word and deed:
Samples welcome Afghans with the presence of Christ
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As a way of welcome, Lita Sample often buys a scarf for new Afghan women in Fremont, who often know no one in the area and arrive in the United States with few possessions. Carla Wynn Davis photo
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In Afghanistan, the Taliban murdered Mustafa’s father, kidnapped and imprisoned his brother, and helped force him and his remaining family out of their homeland and into a crowded refugee camp in Pakistan. That they survived and made it to Fremont, Calif., is a small miracle; that they ended up meeting CBF field personnel Lita and Rick Sample is another.
When the Samples met Mustafa’s family in this suburb of San Francisco, they were not unlike other refugee families who arrive in the United States with little more than each other. When refugees arrive, they may have a few sets of clothes, but they usually don’t have furniture, dishes, hygiene items or even a blanket to keep them warm on brisk northern California nights.
Refugee resettlement agencies often find new families a place to live and help as much as their resources allow, but inevitably some people slip through the cracks. Often, refugees – those forced from their home country because of violence, poverty or other life-threatening reasons – don’t speak much English, which makes it even harder to let someone know they need help.
“Even though refugees are very happy to finally be safe in America, there are many challenges that they find here,” Rick said. “There are immigration challenges. It’s hard for them to find jobs, and most of the older people don’t speak English. So the adjustment period is very challenging to them.”
That’s where the Samples step in as CBF field personnel who welcome and care for families as they adjust to a new country, culture and life. For years, Mustafa’s family has been one of those families. Initially, the Samples helped find furniture for them. Then they made sure their children had school supplies and later helped the missing teenage brother – who had been released from imprisonment in Afghanistan– navigate U.S. immigration procedures to rejoin his family in the United States.
While the Samples help Afghan refugees and immigrants, they build relationships that eventually allow the Gospel to be shared. Carla Wynn Davis photo
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“After sharing our lives and showing that we genuinely care for these families and that we want to be in their lives and part of their lives, then we have the opportunity to share the gospel verbally,” Lita said.
“We want them to know that the reason we are there for them is not just because we’re nice Americans, but because Jesus loves them,” Rick said. “I believe it’s so important for us to have ministries with them to show them that there is hope and that Jesus is that hope.”
That hope, which the Samples share frequently, eventually changed Mustafa’s life. Through the Samples, he heard the gospel. Through a visiting student mission team he got answers to some of his questions about Christ. And finally – during worship at an Iranian church retreat – Mustafa said he was ready to become a follower of Jesus.
Mustafa’s life is one of many changed through the Samples’ ministry in Fremont, which has the largest Afghan-American population in the United States. One Afghan family came to a church-sponsored Christmas party, heard about the birth of Jesus and, after two months of reading the Bible, decided to follow Christ. Another family went to an Iranian Christian camp and made the same decision.
“Often, it takes a lot of time for them to really be open to the gospel,” Lita said. “It takes a lot of sharing and a lot of patience and a lot of love.”
By sharing Christ with refugees and immigrants, the Samples believe they are sharing with the world. Many times families still communicate with relatives in their home countries, telling them stories about the kind of things Christians do and of the gospel story Christians speak.
Another way the Samples are reaching beyond Fremont is through a local ministry called FarsiPraise. This ministry partner provides worship songs and resources in the Farsi language, which is spoken in countries such as Iran and Afghanistan. Christians in these countries, where it’s illegal to convert from the Islam religion, wouldn’t have access to Christian music if it wasn’t for FarsiPraise’s Web site.
The Samples partner with FarsiPraise, an organization that records praise and worship music in the language of Farsi and makes it available online for Farsi-speaking people around the world. Carla Wynn Davis photo
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“On a monthly basis we have about 13,000 people visiting our Web site,” said the ministry’s founder, Fariborz Ansari. “We get e-mails about how it’s touching their lives, and it’s amazing. God used CBF for FarsiPraise to get started and reach other nations.”
While the Samples have seen God change lives in Fremont, they are convinced it’s only the beginning of a fruitful ministry. Through CBF’s Offering for Global Missions, which supports their salary, ministry and living expenses, the Samples are able to continue being a long-term presence among Afghan refugees. They are able to continue sharing their lives and the gospel with people who might not hear otherwise.
“This is a group of people that are desperate for the gospel, and without the Offering, they won’t be able to hear,” Lita said. “In supporting the Offering, everyone has an opportunity to make an incredible difference in these Afghan lives – more than just sharing the gospel, but to make a difference in their whole being.”
By Carla Wynn Davis, CBF Communications