By Marc Wyatt, CBF field personnel

Early one morning, We received a request from one of our refugee agency partners. She asked if we could help one of her clients, an Afghan gentleman who had moved to Cary, N.C. Often, refugee clients who migrate from their original resettlement location start over from zero and with fewer resources. He had found a one-bedroom apartment, but it was not furnished. He was sleeping on a blanket on his bedroom floor.  

Our Welcome House Raleigh Team includes Afghan, Congolese and Colombian Christians. Whenever we receive requests to help Afghans, our teammates who understand the culture and language are the ones to take the lead. The caseworker contacted her client to let him know we would be reaching out about furniture and enrolling in one of our English as a Second Language Classes. Kim coordinates in person and virtual ESL classes for many of the refugee clients with our local refugee agencies in the Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill).  

My teammate, M used WhatsApp to call the Afghan refugee. In Dari he indicated that we would bring furnishings today if he was home to receive them. It was arranged. One ministry of Welcome House Raleigh is our Furniture Bank. It’s like a food bank, only with furniture and other items needed to help a refugee family get a good start in their first home in the United States. We loaded up the truck and made our way from Raleigh to Cary.  

When we arrived at N’s apartment, M greeted him in his native language. I always imagine how refreshing it must be to hear someone you’ve just met in this strange foreign land speak normally, you know, in your heart language. In this case M spoke in Dari. We unloaded the bedroom, dining and living room furniture and helped put everything in its place. There was a lot being said between the two men. Big smiles abounded.  

Before we left, our new friend asked if we could kindly sit for tea. N had worked in a five star hotel back in Kabul, Afghanistan before the Taliban took over the country. N humbly told us that he was a pretty decent chef.  Could we come back another day so he might have a chance to prove it? Our new friend along with so many other thousands fled Afghanistan during and after Operation Allies Welcome in 2021. Not everyone came to countries like the U.S. initially. It wasn’t until this year that he was allowed to resettle in the U.S. and start a new life in North Carolina. The refugee highway is a long and difficult road to travel.  

I asked M to translate for me so we could talk. “We are your friends from Welcome House Raleigh. My name is Marc. Your caseworker contacted us this morning and asked if we might be able to help you with home furnishings and enroll you into an ESL class.”  

Our small talk included sharing about our children and the weather. Of course, I had to show pictures of my one-year-old granddaughter, Elliott Ann (yes, I’m that granddad). I shared that her parents, my daughter, Rebecca and son-in-law Taylor also live in Cary. He didn’t want to talk about his family. He told us his caseworker knew about them. I could feel his distress.   

I told him that we were Christians. N asked M if he was a Christian too? M replied, yes, I’m a Baptist, meaning, the Cooperative Baptist kind of Christian. N had lots to say about how God uses religion to guide people toward the truth. He said that good people come from God.  I asked N if it would be ok with him if I prayed for him and his family. “Yes, please,” he replied. We stood. I opened my hands and asked God to help N. I prayed for his new home and for his family. I asked God to bring peace and forgiveness to his family however it was needed. M repeated every word in Dari. I finished saying, “I pray this in the name of my Savior. Amen.”  

Something special was happening. You could sense God’s presence. After a moment of silence, N told us that he had had a dream last night. In the dream he said God told him that he was going to send a man to help him.  

I’ve experienced this a couple of times before. The room was filled with anticipation. N looked at us and said, “Are you really here or am I still dreaming?” 

Job 33:14 – 15 

For God does speak – now one way, now another – though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds.  

Joel 2:28 

And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.