{"id":10576,"date":"2021-11-03T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=10576"},"modified":"2021-11-02T15:59:52","modified_gmt":"2021-11-02T19:59:52","slug":"practical-mobilization-sponsor-circles-for-afghan-refugees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=10576","title":{"rendered":"Practical Mobilization: Sponsor Circles for Afghan Refugees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Shane Bennett<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some things are more valuable due to their rarity. For instance, solar eclipses are cool at their present rate. If they happened daily, we\u2019d be annoyed. You may value people who exemplify Proverbs 31<\/a> because you don\u2019t see them very often. (I mean the first seven verses, of course. Most women I know check the boxes on the second part of the chapter!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An opportunity of exquisite rarity has just been offered to us. Last week the US State Department launched a program<\/a> called Sponsor Circles that allows five American citizens to band together to help an Afghan family get going in the US. Not just give them a winter coat and a phrasebook, but enough to take them the whole nine yards from being a precarious and mystified stranger to being a productive community member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The website for Sponsor Circles<\/a> exuberantly reads, \u201cNo matter where you are located in the United States, you can welcome a newcomer and provide them with the practical support they need to get settled by serving as a certified sponsor circle. As a sponsor circle, you and your neighbors will take on tasks like finding initial housing, stocking the pantry, connecting children to school, providing initial income support, and helping adults to find employment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This amazing opportunity is not unprecedented. Americans could privately sponsor refugees under a short-lived program President Reagan initiated in 1986 called the Private Sector Initiative<\/a>. While it was active, 16,000 refugees entered the US via private sponsorship, including thousands of Pentecostal Christians fleeing persecution in the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be noted that, as in many efforts like this, Canada has led the way<\/a>. Over the past 50 years, private sponsors have welcomed more than 350,000 refugees to Canada. Way to go, eh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By now you may be wondering some of the same things I am:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this safe? What if we mess up?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like first-time parents, we wonder, \u201cWhat if we drop the baby?\u201d The good people behind Sponsor Circles promise to help with the application process and training. Once you\u2019re approved, they\u2019ll link you with an agency that will help with tricky questions and challenging bureaucracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus\u2019s words from Luke 14 also apply, \u201cSuppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won\u2019t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, \u2018This person began to build and wasn\u2019t able to finish.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t a mobilization challenge you execute over a weekend, take a victory lap, and be done. This calls for careful prayer and consideration. And some money!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much does it cost?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Groups of five sponsors commit to raising $2,275 for each member of the Afghan family to be hosted. This money will be used for the initial setup and care of the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of time, Circles commit to preparing for the family\u2019s arrival, then helping with their adjustment for at least three months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does the Sponsor Circle need to actually do?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to the website, Sponsor Circles are responsible to support the Afghan newcomer(s) with the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n