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Greetings!
A little over a week ago, I sent you a request to help us care for the refugees left in Afghanistan. Evidently, my appeal was not strong enough or lacked sufficient information because only half the need has been met. Some would suggest that receiving half in less than two weeks is great, but they would be wrong. Usually, you fill requests within a few days, one to five. I know that is incredible, but that is your track record. And now, the need has grown from being essential to being urgent. Let me explain.
You may remember that we moved seven families from Afghanistan to a neighboring country, but sixty-four families had to remain. We moved them quickly because they were being hunted by false converts, planted by the Taliban, who had penetrated our house churches to discover who the Christians were and where they lived. This penetration resulted in a new convert being crucified publicly and another dragged behind a truck until he was decapitated. Both of these young men were new converts, as are all our members there. They are all babes in Christ, still on milk and needing care and encouragement.
The martyrdom frightened them terribly, and to save their lives, we had to immediately move seven families out of the country and relocate the remaining sixty-four families to another region of their land where they are entirely unknown. It was a massive operation with no funding from a government, a radio audience, or a denomination. Nevertheless, God provided the need, and you were His instrument. We are so thankful for what you did so we could save them.
We arranged to find fourteen apartments into which the sixty-four families moved (@ about $300 monthly). These are small, two-bedroom apartments. That’s nearly five families per apartment. Crowded? Do you think so? Well, imagine this. Each family contains five to fifteen members. So that is an average of fifty people crammed into a two-bedroom apartment with only one bathroom.
There are other concerns they live with daily; the first is trying to enroll the children in school or creating some type of home school. Second is the reality that they have no jobs yet, and it may be months before they all do. Third, they had to leave everything behind. I mean everything. Clothes, shoes, photos, books, pots, and pans, cups, silverware, tables, chairs, beds, sheets, and extended families were immediately and entirely jettisoned as if to save a sinking ship.
Their greatest need, however, is food and clean water. But, unfortunately, we can give them only two small meals daily. That’s all. Not because we want them to suffer, but because we don’t have funds to give them more. And that is why I am writing to you.
Ten days ago, I asked you to help me raise $22,986 to cover their needs for several months. To date, we have only received half of that amount, which is barely enough to pay the rent for three months. I know I constantly come to you with needs, but that is the nature of our ministry. We exist to help others, to raise funds for others -- not ourselves. They need $11,000 now, and there is no doubt they will need a bit more in a few months. However, they will have settled in, found jobs, and better care for their own needs by that time.
Jon Nelms
