By Karen Morrow

Spring in Texas is marked by the blooming of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes and other wildflowers along the roadways. It is a yearly reminder of God’s faithfulness through the cooler winter days and an announcement of spring. These wildflowers bring joy and hope.

Today I am seeing this same sense of hope in the lives of many of the refugee families I serve. Since January, I have been blessed to be a part of welcoming six baby girls and one boy with basic baby items, clothing, diapers, wipes, etc. thanks to generous donors. We are expecting more precious babies.

I saw hope this week in the overflowing Ready for School class as the children recognized their names in print, quickly matched the magnetic letters of the alphabet and enthusiastically danced and sang the alphabet disco. These children begin the program in the fall as quiet as mice and by spring they are shouting out the answers. Many of the Afghan mothers have had no formal education in Afghanistan and they are so beautifully learning alongside their children. Learning brings hope.

I see hope each week in a dedicated group of volunteers that teach English to refugees. They give not only their time, but also their resources to create learning materials and meet the needs of their students. Last week, one of the student’s husbands lost his job as his temporary visa expired while waiting for his green card. S. texted me that she had no money and needed food and basic necessities. These ESL teachers rallied around her to provide her ongoing needs.

I see hope when I see Natalie, a young mother so lovingly caring for Zahra, an expectant Afghan mother. Zahra’s husband recently obtained his CDL license and is currently out-of-state training with a trucking company. Natalie brought Zahra maternity clothes, helped her file a claim for documents which had been lost in the mail and regularly texts to encourage her. Sarah, a nurse midwife, spent several hours this week teaching Zahra about gestational diabetes and how to monitor her blood sugar. Other friends will be showering Zahra with baby gifts next month. Hope is expressed by a loving and caring Christian community.

I saw hope this past month as youth from Cornerstone Baptist Church spent part of their spring break learning about refugees and providing fun activities for refugee children. My hope is that they will now have a new understanding of who refugees are and that they will advocate for welcoming refugees in their church and school.

My greatest hope lies in my faith in Christ and His deep love and concern for refugees and immigrants. My prayer is that they may too someday will personally know Christ’s transforming love.

Karen Morrow is a CBF field personnel in Fort Worth, Texas.