I’m asking for help to support a wonderful family from Pakistan that I recently met at my church in Redlands, CA. The family is made up of a husband and wife, along with three boys – ranging from 7 to 14 years old.

Due to the family’s Christian beliefs and success as business owners in Pakistan, they became a target for extortion and religious persecution (Christians make up less than 2% of the population). They endured violent acts committed against them and as the threat of further violence continued to increase, they were forced to flee the country – leaving behind their family, home, possessions and the only place they had ever lived.

Thankfully, due to travel visas they had from a prior visit, they were able to enter the US at the end of September. With a childhood friend in the local area, they made the decision to come to Redlands while starting to process their new reality. The three boys are enrolled in school and the family is engaging in the community as much as possible.

The family needs financial support in the short-term due to two unfortunate factors. First, their bank accounts in Pakistan have been frozen, meaning they have no access to any of their savings. They are living off the limited funds they were able to pull together while leaving. Second, their case for asylum has been submitted and is going through the normal administrative process. That process restricts applying for employment for 180 days after an application has been submitted. Based on this, it is nearly impossible for them to be employed, even though they are extremely eager to work and support themselves.

With all of the difficult and troubling things going on at home and in the world right now, it is easy to be discouraged. At the same time, there are regular examples of people coming together in incredible ways – regardless of religion, social status, political affiliation, etc. – to support their neighbors and community. My hope is that enough of us can come together and do that for this family. The objective is to raise funds that will help to cover their necessary expenses during these initial few months – the most acute being housing, transportation and food.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me. I know there are competing demands for financial support in your community so thank you for considering this.

Note: Their faces are blurred in the picture based on safety concerns related to their home country, and also due to the current environment in the US.

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