My heart was pounding as I closed the pages of the book, “When Stars Are Scattered,” and whispered to the Lord, “...But Lord, I don’t even know any refugees. How can I help?” Fast forward 3 years, a pandemic, a 600 mile move, and a phone call that would change my family’s life forever. After moving to Boise in 2021, our pastor from our home church mentioned that he knew of a wonderful ministry called Glocal where we could serve the world, right in our own backyard, by joining refugees in friendship. Immediately, I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit; I might not have KNOWN any refugees, but God had a much bigger story to invite the Hulen family to be a part of.

There are 6 of us in the Hulen clan, Corey and Jessica, plus 4 kids, so we didn’t even blink twice when we heard that there was an Afghan family with 5 children that we could be paired with through Glocal. “Perfect,” my husband said, “they know what it’s like to go places with lots of kids too!” From the first introductions when we found out that both husbands love to fish, and both wives love to crochet, to the fun we’ve had visiting local parks and introducing our friends to the joy of living near the lake, every opportunity to be together has been so rewarding. We’ve shared delicious food, both Afghan and American, celebrated the 4th of July together, and walked the aisles of grocery stores and craft shops while using Google Translate and our best hand gestures to learn each other’s languages. Thanks to Lida, we’ve sipped many glasses of delicious green tea. We’ve played games and taken walks and enjoyed each other’s company.

I can’t imagine a week going by without a visit with our friends, the Nooris. Our lives are richer, our compassion is deeper, and our love is stronger because of our friendship. I’m so grateful that we said yes to this adventure that the Lord invited us to share in.                                                   by Jessica Hulen

P.S. The picture at the top of the newsletter is of Jessica's daughter and the Noori's daughter, and another friend when they first met.

• Please Pray: 
  • Pray for more Friendship Partners to be raised up to connect with and support New Arrivals.
  • Pray for the Gardeners as the weather is hotter and their crops are getting bigger. Prayers for a fruitful harvest. 
  • Pray for Glocal and the volunteers to be a source of information as well as a source of encouragement and support to those who have come as refugees. 
  • Pray for the right people (teachers, childcare, drivers) for the English Program starting in September. Let Laura know if you might be interested. 
  • For continued wisdom in moving forward as a non-profit- organization, processes, new board members, finances, etc.