Christmas and Gospel Movements
In 2009 Monica began her first trips to the field after receiving a calling to Central Asia. Afghans have suffered from war for years, but by getting to know them Monica fell in love with their culture. When they invited her to their homes, even though they didn’t have a lot, they would give her the best seat and a big plate with food. When she finished they would bring more because in their culture this is the way they honor their guests.
Unfortunately the government found her passport activity suspicious and they warned her to not come back so Monica had to leave. This didn’t stop her though, in 2010 Monica began her first prayer group. A small group of people would all meet once a month to learn about and pray for Afghans.
In 2021 after 11 years, Monica’s prayer group expanded and instead of meeting monthly they started daily prayer calls. Things began changing and when Monica and her team received news that Afghan refugees would be sent to Mexico she started an NGO to help them. Monica thought she was supposed to go to the Afghans but God had other plans, He sent Afghans right to her doorstep and she was prepared.
They started helping the refugees with first aid and then they began scheduling days to bring them essential supplies. Monica and her team brought them food, groceries and even toys for Afghan children to play with. In these visits Monica always made sure to dress and act in a respectful way towards their culture. She knew this was a window to getting closer to the Afghan ladies.
Many NGOs didn’t understand how to interact with the Afghans. When some NGOs told the Afghan ladies that they didn’t have to worry and they could take off their headscarves, Monica told them.
“Why would you want to take away their headscarf? It’s part of their identity and their culture. If you want to get close to these women you should wear one.”
Monica knew that these afghans had everything they’ve ever known stripped away from them. They were strangers in a foreign land and even if they were safer in Mexico, they missed their home deeply.
Marcos, a man who also had a great love for afghans and had smuggled bibles for people to receive the gospel, approached Monica one day.
“Monica, what do you think about hosting a Christmas dinner party for all the Afghan Refugees, but let’s honor their culture. Let’s have everything set up so it feels like they are in Afghanistan again. Afghan food, Afghan music and Afghan clothing! We’ll even add some Mexican details to combine the two“ he said.
“For this to mean much more than just a Christmas dinner, I would like to invite my Afghan pastor friends, Ahmed and Malika. I want them to know about Jesus Christ without any language barrier”
Monica felt amazed by this opportunity. Since this was an enormous chance for them to connect with the refugees and share the gospel Monica prayed and fasted along with her team for two weeks. This had never been done before, and she didn’t know if the Afghans would open their hearts to receive the gospel.
When the day came 200 Afghans showed up. In total there were 300 Afghan refugees invited but since it was done on a Friday, the day Muslims go to the mosque, many couldn’t come. As people came walking in, their eyes widened looking around at the dessert table, the decorations and the big Christmas tree.
People started sitting down while Afghan music played in the background. Everyone was surprised at the amount of preparations they had done. When the food came out, many people told Monica. “How did you do this? It tastes just like in Afghanistan.”
Just how they honored us as guests we will honor them, Monica thought. When they finished eating, people would come out and serve them more food. The children were left to play and dance after eating. Monica felt so blessed that she was able to give them this. She had spent months trying to build respect with them so that they would feel like their actions were always genuine.
After everyone ate, Ahmed and Malika came out wearing traditional afghan clothes. Then they started introducing themselves and greeting everyone in Farsi, their native language. Everyone looked at Ahmed curiously, waiting for what was about to happen.
“I know the gifts are wonderful, but I think what comes next is the most important thing,” he said.
The national Afghan anthem started playing and everyone stood up to sing. Their faces broke down as they cried. They were remembering everything they had left behind. Monica felt an indescribable emotion seeing everyone’s expression.
Once they finished, the room became silent and Ahmed spoke into the microphone again.
“Why are we celebrating Christmas today? Well...we are actually celebrating the birth of Jesus.” Everyone stared attentively at Ahmed, with curiosity.
Monica knew that God’s Holy Spirit was moving through the room and touching people’s hearts. This was the key to opening new doors, so they could begin sharing more with them.
Ahmed finished explaining the story of Jesus in Farsi and after praying he told everyone. “We have some gifts for you. If you would like to know more, we also have Bibles in Farsi. Whoever would like to take one, come and grab a Bible, but if you don’t want to, please leave it so someone else can have it.” Monica was shocked to see every single person stand up and grab a Bible.
After that many Afghan ladies came up to Monica and hugged her with gratitude. “After all of our pain and suffering, we’ve been able to feel like we’re back in our home, Afghanistan.” they said. Monica felt overjoyed at how her team was able to honor them. This was only the first step to sharing the gospel. After the dinner ended Monica told everyone that they would have a follow-up for people who wanted to know more.
The following day 40 people showed up. They divided the tables between women and men and Ahmed and Malika shared more with everyone. The women, men and even children stayed seated for 4 hours listening and paying close attention to everything that was being said.
Ahmed and Malika then gave back reports and said, “Everyone is open to hearing more about the gospel. We still need to follow with discipleship, but they will make a decision on whether they want to or not. For now, we just need to keep sharing as much as we can.”
So the following day they invited them back to hear more. When Ahmed gave Monica another report, she was touched. “The women are very thankful for everything you have done for them.” He said. “They are grateful for how you have loved them, given them hope and encouraged them to continue moving forward. They said they found a family with you and your team.” This created the chance for Monica to tell the afghans.
“We are Christians, and we are here because God has taught us to love you as he loves us.”
What happened would have been really difficult to do in Afghanistan. As we know, preaching the gospel is prohibited and punishable by jail or even death but now a door has opened to continue sharing about Jesus. The churches in Mexico are starting to open up to interacting with the Afghan Refugees and we know God is moving people’s hearts.