Welcoming the Stranger

Short stories about embracing our immigrant and refugee neighbors. *

by Marc Wyatt CBF Advocate for Refugees and Immigrants and Welcome House Community Network Co-Founder

Marc and his wife, Kim, are CBF field personnel serving in the Raleigh area to partner with churches and individuals to welcome and love their international neighbors. In collaboration with CBFNC, refugee agencies and partner churches, they co-founded the Welcome House Community Network—a network of seven Welcome Houses established across North Carolina and Tennessee and two apartments that are used for ESL instruction and other ministries. To learn more, email: mkwyatt@cbfnc.org. Beloved Community

Mujib came to live at Welcome House under a Special Immigrant Visa from the U.S. Military. He risked his life for many years interpreting and helping with military logistics in his home country of Afghanistan. Not long after arriving here, he met Gary.

Gary and his wife, Roberta, are volunteers at Welcome House. They invited Mujib to their church, Tabernacle Baptist in Raleigh. Mujib had never been to church before. It was a first for him. He’d never heard Christians pray, or followed the words of a hymn with his finger while the congregation sang, or listened to a sermon, or shook hands with the preacher after church before that first Sunday.

Mujib soon began calling Tabernacle Baptist his church. I was frankly surprised. I mean there are a lot of churches in our area; why that one, the only one he’d visited?

I’m pretty sure it was because it was his friend’s church. It was the beloved community that welcomed him in. Well, it didn’t take long for the church to consider Mujib one of theirs, either. He soon stopped being the guy from a faraway country where folks worship God differently and speak a different language. He was Mujib, their friend and faithful visitor from Welcome House. Continued at the bottom of page 11.

Aunt Joan and Uncle Bill

Joan is an amazing person. She is also a retired nurse. She attends Greystone Baptist in Raleigh with her husband, Bill. When her church began partnering with us, Joan asked if she could help. There was a need right up her alley, but we weren’t sure if we should ask her to help with that one.

A newly arrived refugee family with a seriously ill daughter had come to our attention. We weren’t sure if we should ask her to help with that big need because it would take a lot of time and she was just getting started. But we asked, and Joan took a big step of faith by saying, “YES!”

She later told us that she’d spent her life helping sick people. But helping sick refugees had challenged her and frankly helped her grow by leaps and bounds in her faith. Welcome House Virtual ESL Teacher, Gladys Walker, She said that now she believes she is being a real disciple member of FBC Raleigh South of Christ. Wilmington Street.

Joan became “Aunt Joan” to that family and many more since then. And her husband Bill—well, he’s “Uncle Bill” to just as many new neighbors. “It’s changed our lives for the better,” testifies Bill.

They continue to embrace their immigrant neighbors practicing social distancing. They prayerfully look forward to the day when they can once again have folks over to their house for dinner, swap stories (mostly true Children’s Mission Day Flat ones) and then there are the hugs; lots of hugs will be River Baptist Association given out at that grand, post pandemic reunion. collected paper products for Welcome House.

“He soon stopped being the guy from a faraway country where folks worship God differently and speak a different language. HE WAS MUJIB, THEIR FRIEND AND FAITHFUL VISITOR FROM WELCOME HOUSE.”

Mujib went to church regularly for many months. He heard many sermons and enjoyed the fellowship of his church family. And then at the right time and place it all became clear. Mujib told me, “It’s true. It’s all true!” He professed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior sitting with me in the front seat of my old F-150. He was baptized later by his pastor.

Mujib is currently the Welcome House host. He lives in the house overseeing the care of both guests and property. He continues to grow in his faith and practice as a member in good standing at his church in Raleigh. Gary and Mujib are a part of a weekly Zoom Bible study that meets on Monday nights. Social distance discipleship is something neither imagined before March. But then again, pretty much all things have become new now.

Beautiful Church

Barbara Best, member of Crabtree Valley Baptist Church and Beth Baker, member of Hayes Barton United Methodist Church work with refugee child on preschool readiness.

Former Welcome House guest hosts the Wyatts for dinner.

Kim Wyatt reviews schedule and plans with volunteers for Baptists on Mission Medical/Dental Bus Day at Welcome House apartment community.

Alexi came to the U.S. seeking asylum from Russia. We didn’t know he was even in Raleigh until his friend, Victor also from Russia and an asylum seeker, told us about him. Victor was referred to us by our local refugee agency partner. He was our guest at Welcome House for about three weeks. His friend, Alexi however, did not have a case worker from the agency.

Asylum seekers don’t have the same kind of support as sponsored refugees. Asylum seekers must prove they are in threat of their lives when they enter a U.S. Immigration check point. It’s all up to the immigration officer. Most are denied entry. Many are detained.

It is a long and difficult legal process. Most asylum seekers in North Carolina are deported. Because Alexi didn’t have a sponsor, he was on the verge of homelessness. Victor asked if his friend could sleep on the sofa of Welcome House until he could figure something else out.

While at Welcome House, Alexi was taken to the refugee agency where he found help. They helped him find a job and a place to live. We didn’t learn much about Alexi. He kept to himself while with us. When he moved out, we helped him furnish the room he rented in someone’s apartment near NC State University.

About two weeks later I received an email from Courtney. She is a member of First Baptist-Raleigh where she volunteers in their clothing ministry. Refugees and others in need are referred to the ministry by many non-profits and helping organizations in our community.

Courtney shared that she had helped Alexi with some clothes and that she later found out that he had stayed at Welcome House. She asked him if there was anything else her church could do for him. He shared that he needed a few kitchen items, so Courtney wrote to confirm his needs and asked for direction on how to help him.

She went on to say that when Alexi was at the clothing ministry, he told her how beautiful her church was and asked if he could worship there. “Of course,” she told him. “All are welcome here!”

He said he would figure out how to get there by bus to which she replied, “Please let me and my husband come and get you this Sunday. We will bring you to church.”

Courtney went on to share with us that during Alexi’s first Sunday in worship, he was spending a lot of time on his cell phone. Apparently, he was live streaming the service back to Russia so his wife could hear the beautiful words and music of his church. They had never experienced anything like it before. It was a first for Courtney, too, and the first time her church’s worship service was live streamed to Russia.

Courtney and her family remain connected to Alexi despite the pandemic. Most recently she texted asking if I could give her some advice; she is helping her new neighbor do his taxes for the first time.