02/29/2024 Afghanistan (International Christian Concern) – In the aftermath of the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, Afghan Christians seeking refuge in neighboring Pakistan have few choices.
Pakistan was not equipped to manage a refugee crisis, but thousands crossed the border after the takeover. Many Afghans fled to Pakistan without visas, passports, and other identification. Once Afghan Christians step foot in Pakistan, however, their journeys are far from over.
Sardar and his Christian family initially had difficulty getting into Pakistan after the Taliban takeover. He was abducted by the Taliban en route to the border and held until his family could pay a ransom. They managed to scrape the money together, devastating them financially.
Once in Pakistan, Sardar and his family were not well received. Like nearly all refugees, they faced hunger and poor living conditions. With no means of work, they were at the mercy of Pakistan’s refugee system.
While Pakistan received refugees previously, the number of families that arrived following the collapse of Afghanistan was unprecedented. Thousands of Afghans flooded into Pakistan, so Sardar’s family was insignificant and their struggles commonplace. As with all the Christian refugee families, these struggles would undoubtedly have been worse had they been discovered as Christians.
More than two years later, ICC has been caring for more 30 Christian families that fled Afghanistan for Pakistan. We’ve also been sharing the gospel to those we call seekers, those who do not know Christ but are open to hearing the gospel.
Through evangelism and discipleship initiatives, we saw a remarkable transformation within the Afghan refugee community.
A local pastor shared his journey of connecting with these individuals and families. His discussions about God’s generosity and sacrificial love resonated deeply, leading to profound curiosity about Christianity for these seekers. This year, we witnessed the baptism of 22 Afghan Christians.
“In the beginning, when I met with the Afghan refugee families in Pakistan, they were spiritually and mentally isolated from home. I made them feel comfortable as my family members.
Later, during my visits, I started talking about the community in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Slowly, I started talking about the generosity of God and His sacrifice for all of humanity. These families were surprised that even God sacrificed His son for us.
Then, with prayer and His grace, I started sharing the good news. I taught them about the unconditional love of Lord Jesus. They were all fascinated by this idea and His story. I preached to them, and more than that, I prayed very hard for these people.
They felt it in their bones and started asking questions, even texting me questions when I wasn’t visiting with them. I started a Bible study with them, and they were all keen to hear. I taught them the real meaning of baptism and their life after that. Then, they all decided that they were ready to fulfill the richness of baptism. Praise the Lord!”
ICC met with believers and seekers at their doorstep. Through your generous support, we provided them help spiritually, morally, physiologically, and physically.
“We aimed at providing them the Lord’s peace,” said our Pakistan staff member. “We helped Afghan believers with support to live in Pakistan and bear the expenses of their families as they lived as refugees.”
“Through you, we managed to recognize Him and embrace Him as our personal savior,” said one believer we recently baptized. “Thank you for your vital support; it kept us alive for many months. We are so grateful for the generous donors.”
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