November 15, 2023
I am an Afghan citizen who served with the international forces. My family and I are among the millions affected by the recent Afghan crisis in general and among those who lost everything, are displaced, and have become refugees.
I was raised to believe in an Islamic philosophy of salvation through good deeds. So, I did my best to act within the Islamic Rule of Law.
In mid-Aug 2021, I faced a big drift in my life since those who had worked with the international forces were deemed to be their “Direct Enemies” and “Lawfully (Islamic) Condemned to Death”. Perceived as having assisted the international forces against the Taliban, I had no other option but to get myself and my family out of Afghanistan in order to be safe from the so-called “Justice Blade” of the Taliban.
During the unrest that had taken over the entire nation, I managed to escape to Pakistan and take my family to immediate safety. During this hardship, we have fallen deep into poverty. For two and a half years since we lost everything to the Taliban, I haven’t had the freedom and possibility to have a job and earn any income. There have been a few helpers and donors who gave us money for rent, utilities, and food. Though none have been long-term, we have been able to stay alive and not be shelterless.
The long waiting time and the unrest we have faced and experienced for the past two and a half years have made my wife worrisome about our children’s future. We have two kids who have to live with us like prisoners. They don’t have access to other kids of their own age. They can’t play and live freely. My wife and I are really worried about their psychological well-being when they grow up. Because the life that my kids live will surely and unfortunately affect them psychologically in their subconscious minds. My kids are very smart, and I had big plans for them to get the best education and training in life. They haven’t been able to experience free social life and this is very sad.
There are other family members, relatives, friends, and acquaintances who are affected by the ongoing Afghan Crisis – some linked to us and our history, and some for other reasons. Wherever we look, we see distress, unrest, hopelessness, and loss.
Away from the homeland and during the hardest of times when we had lost all hope and joy, we experienced the biggest miracle in our lives. My family and I were introduced to Jesus Christ. Not the “Prophet of God” and “Son of Mary” that we knew all along, but the “Savior” and “Son of God” and “Lord” Jesus Christ. He gave us new hope, new energy, new plans, and new life. This new life brought us closer to new family members and new brothers and sisters in Christ.
During these interactions I was introduced to a Christian – André Simão [21Wilberforce Latin America Ambassador and Senior Fellow], a dear brother who felt my and my family’s pains and problems and stepped forward to do whatever possible to help us. Brother André made a promise to do his best to help me and my family to safety and freedom through Brazilian Humanitarian Visas for Afghans. And he has been true to his promise ever since. Even though he has been trying his hardest and doing his best for the past year, the system hasn’t yet provided this pathway for us. Lately, we lost the last helper due to his economic problems. Brother André has been helping us with rent money ever since. The Brazilian Baptists’ Foreign Board members have helped us with medical consultations and are in the process of making my loved one’s treatment happen soon.
In the process of waiting for interview appointments, the possibilities changed and hardened for refugees like me and my family, who lacked passports, to get Brazilian visas and subsequently get exit permits from Pakistan and travel abroad. Brother André introduced me to the Brazilian Baptists’ Foreign Board, and they very graciously helped me financially to get the necessary travel documents. To our contretemps, the Brazilian government halted the Brazilian Humanitarian Visa processes due to a change in the system through a new ordinance. We are waiting for the system to resume the process and facilitate the efforts already started to help us and many others like us.