This Week from Mitch
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Yesterday, Caitlyn and I met with some of the area's leaders at Lutheran Services Carolinas about the New Americans Program. Caitlyn and I were trying to figure out what it takes financially to get a refugee family on their feet here in the United States. Unsurprisingly, the most expensive part of bringing a legal refugee safely into the country happens in the first 90 days. The expenses are high as people find jobs, register for school, and move into housing, but then drop after that initial rush. For the family we support, we estimate that the first 90 days (which they are still in) cost roughly $24,000 to $30,000. Considering our family moved here from a refugee camp in Turkey with just the clothes on their back, this number is quite frankly low and reasonable. While there will be expenses after the first 90 days, the cost is largely front-loaded. We have already had one generous gift donated and another pledged. With support from our missions budget, Foundation, and individual donations, we can and will support the family in our care. All of this is exciting and hopeful, and also there's more!
Before I go too far, here is some background. The model for the Lutheran Services New Americans Program depends on churches like ours helping to shepherd new families through the systems that make up our society. In the same way that I just took Lydia to get her learner's permit and helped her navigate the DMV for the first time, members of St. Martin's Circle of Welcome ministry take our new friends and do the same. Imagine navigating our health care system, the DMV, the Social Security Office, etc., without someone showing you the ropes. It's a lot. We represent a friendly face and assistance amidst a sea of strangers. It's a great program.
Sadly, not every church that has taken a family on in this round of welcoming new Americans is as well-resourced as ours. I believe we can go a bit further. With that in mind, I have decided to combine my upcoming Lenten discipline with a fundraising effort that is a little out of the ordinary for me.
Friends, I have been thinking about swimming again for a little while. The last competitive swim I did was on November 3, 2013. It was a 2.4-mile open-water swim, which means the last time I swam laps in a pool was probably November 1 of that year. I figure if you are going to do something, you might as well go all the way! With that in mind, I have signed up for a 5K open water swim followed by a 5K run on May 17, 2025. If I had started training 3 days ago (which I didn't), that would have given me 90 days to prepare. It's the same time frame in which our families need critical support.
If you would like to sponsor my effort, please consider doing so by giving to our Circle of Welcome ministry here at St. Martin's. If you would like to share my foolishness with others in person or on social media, please do so! With a little effort and luck, we might really be able to help some people. A good friend once taught me that mission happens when a person's passion meets the service of God. I don't know if swimming is still my passion, but I intend to find out. I know for sure that I am passionate about helping people. These families came here legally from some of the scariest places on Earth; the least I can do is help give some of them a chance. Click the button below to make a gift to Circle of Welcome.
In Christ,
Mitch