Wilmont! We have an opportunity to bless our Amini family this Christmas season. Their new apartment has a hookup for a stackable washer/dryer combo. Our goal is raise enough funds this week to be able to give this precious family of six a new washer and dryer.

There are several ways to give: In person on Sunday (mark your offering envelope Laundry), on the Church Center app (select the fund Laundry), on our website (select the fund Laundry), or text to 84321 ("amount" laundry).

You might be wondering if our efforts with the Amini family are really making a difference for the Kingdom. Let us assure you they are! Check out this update from Nicole on behalf of our Refugee Response Team:

• The Aminis' relatives and friends are noticing the difference in the way that our team operates. We have even been approached by others asking questions about the differences in the care and love that we show. We have been able to explain that the difference is Jesus Christ! He loves them so much and has equipped us for ample opportunities to relay His love through service. Not every Refugee has the same experience with their Sponsors, so we are encouraged to see that others are noticing God's love in our team.
• The resettlement effort in Oklahoma is very nuanced - not every sponsor or case worker is operating with the same evangelistic purpose that we have. We believe that God has a specific plan for this family and is constantly changing our own hearts and minds to fulfill his purpose.
• We have had a lot of breakthrough conversations in recent weeks about adapting to their new American life. How to make a budget, how to pay bills, how to be more self sufficient, etc. But it goes even deeper. Their abrupt evacuation from their home in Afghanistan was very traumatic for them, so we are constantly working through their experience with them to introduce them to the hope and healing that can be found in Christ. 
• God has blessed the Aminis with a beautiful apartment community. We are constantly finding things that are evidence of God's handiwork. For instance: his neighbor turned out to be Sharif's friend from Afghanistan. He speaks English and has been a blessing to us and the Aminis. His kids go to the same school as the Aminis and they are becoming great friends.
• The Amini kids are thriving in their new school. They are among a growing Afghan population in their school (that was not the case at their old school). God used their new location to answer the prayer of school transportation - at their old school, Bibi was walking them back and forth two miles. (With all 4 children - this was a great challenge). At their new school, they are able to ride the bus so this was a tremendous answer to a very serious concern.
• Sharif is flourishing in his new job. He is working as a Maintenance Technician at a nearby auto shop. He has said that he has always wanted to work with cars and God provided this in a big way. He is working for a supervisor who truly cares about teaching him skills to help him develop his career.
• God is using this ministry in our own lives to point people to Him. We have had countless conversations about the good things that God has done for the Aminis with people of all walks of life. As we go about our lives, we have talked about the work God is doing in the  Aminis' lives with translators, hospital staff and other patients, case workers and others at Catholic Charities, old friends, work colleagues, distant family members - anybody who asks "how are you" gets an earful about God's amazing progress with this family! (Many of whom are not believers). God is really using this to reach people that might have never otherwise heard about the good news of Christ.
• Arifullah, (the baby) was in the hospital with RSV during the week of Thanksgiving. He had been sick for almost two months and both the RRT and the Amini parents were exhausted. During one particular late night in the ER, Stephen and the kids met Bibi and myself in their room to bring us food and drinks. Before they left, we joined hands around them and prayed for Arifullah's healing. We spoke the name of Jesus over his body, over his family, and over the doctors and nurses. Later, Bibi and I sat in the uncomfortable ER chairs in the middle of the night, shared a cup of hot tea, and she said "thank you for everything" in the best English that she knew. I believe that our prayers met her on a mutual level of respect, despite our differing beliefs. They see that we are serving a God of love, and I believe He is showing them His love for them. It was a very beautiful moment that I will never forget.

Is it truly better to give than to receive as stated in Acts 20? I think you'd agree, when we give, we also receive! If you're able, help us give our friends this gift that will be a blessing to their whole family. Plus, if you'd like to get in on these blessings and be a part of our Refugee Response Team, contact any member of staff or call the church office. We'll get you connected to the team!

There are many ongoing challenges facing our ministry of the Amini family. Many of these obstacles are opportunities for our church to serve and support, whether through prayer, financially, or through service. One of the more time sensitive and critical needs is for legislation (the Afghan Adjustment Act) to be passed, providing a path to remaining in the United States. This is an opportunity to provide indirect support, by petitioning our State’s Senators to cosign the proposed legislation.

Because the unusual and unprecedented process for evacuating the 76k Afghans, these families do not have the normal path to a more permanent immigration status, which would normally exist for refugees seeking asylum. These Afghans, including our Amini family, are in the middle of a two-year temporary status. During this timeframe, a more permanent immigration status must be attained, in order for these families to remain in the United States. Unfortunately, this has created a bottleneck and has overwhelmed the legal claims process/system. It is unlikely that all claims will be processed prior to the expiration of the two-year deadline.

The Afghan Adjustment Act, would fast track the current, onerous process, giving these Afghan families a path to remain in the United States. This act has been presented to the Senate and in the House. However, to gain significant traction and have any hope of being passed this fall, it needs the support of our State’s Senators (Senator Lankford and Senator Inhofe). This is the most feasible solution to not only keeping our commitment to these families, as a country, but also, more near and dear to us, it allows us to continue our ministry to the Amini family.

A letter has been drafted, addressed to Senator Lankford and Senator Inhofe, urging them to support this bill. It is our hope to get as many Oklahoman signatures on this letter as possible, to encourage their support. Below is a Google doc link, where you can read the letter and consider signing your name by providing your contact information. Feel free to share this link with your family and friends! We want the best for our Afghan friends and this legislation would be a huge step forward. The letters will be delivered next week on September 23rd so we appreciate your timely support and continued prayers!

Click to read and sign
https://bit.ly/3DqtvW2

The 2022 SBC Annual Meeting will mark the first time in more than 40 years that Southern Baptists have held our annual convention in the great state of California. After the largest crowd we’ve seen in a generation last year in Nashville, we want to invite you to join us in Anaheim, California on June 12-15, 2022. We are so excited about the opportunity to join together with messengers and guests from across our Convention to come together and celebrate what God has done as we cooperate together for the Great Commission.
We are here to help you prepare for your journey to Anaheim to join us. We hope to answer any questions you may have and share insights you didn’t even know you needed.
In episodes of The Road to Anaheim, we will give you all the information you need to know about Southern California, the convention center area, the annual meeting itself, the Pastors’ Conference and yes…Disneyland—which is just blocks away from where we are meeting.
Join us each and every week on The Road to Anaheim presented by California Baptist University.