Dear Friends of the Holy Trinity Migrant Team,
Amina and I are writing to express our heartfelt gratitude to the extraordinary Holy Trinity Migrant Team for all the support, guidance and encouragement our family has received since our arrival in Northern Virginia on April 21, 2022.
Our loss was deep. We had lost our country, our home, our dreams, and the lives and future we were trying to help build. Leaving Afghanistan was painful. We felt as if we were being forced to forsake something special and dear to our hearts. We will never forget the heart-wrenching sense of despair and uncertainty that pervaded our whole being when we glimpsed the still-shining lights of the hilltop slums of Kabul for the final time as our plane took off after nearly 65 hours of wait. This sense of sadness was so overwhelming that we did not even realize the grave danger of our plane being hit by a rocket which was a real possibility at that time.
What brought us relief was the hope that we were headed to a place that was safe, a country that our two boys, Atal and Jalal, could call home and flourish in as free, productive individuals. We are convinced that they will grow up to have at least some appreciation for our decision of bringing them here.
Afghanistan and our people back home, especially those who are hungry, without shelter, and those women and girls, including our own sisters who can’t go to school, are always on our thoughts. We think about them more than we would like to admit. We hope and pray for things to get better. And we ask for strength to hold onto until they do.
In America, we found a second home. We felt loved and embraced. We found friendships and family.
In the Holy Trinity Migrant Team, we are fortunate to have found a family and lifelong friends. From critical livelihood support to education and social engagement to legal and medical assistance to support and advice with my job search, the Team went above and beyond to make our resettlement journey as pleasant and enjoyable as possible. We were touched by the warmth, kindness and deep sense of humanity of the Team. The Team was just a phone call away, always. Someone stepped forward, always.
Today, with your support, we have made a promising transition to life in America. On this auspicious occasion of Thanksgiving, we have so much to give thanks for. The boys are performing well in school – this is the best thing that has happened to them this year. They wake up every morning ready and excited for school. They are upset when weekends are longer and Mondays are off. We are now residing in a place that we love and enjoy. Amina is enjoying her English lessons. She is becoming increasingly self-reliant. I work at a place where I am inspired every day, where I feel relevant, and hopefully more useful. Our legal applications have now been submitted and we hope we will see some progress in the next few months. We are proud to have successfully graduated from the Holy Trinity Migrant Team sponsorship. The list of what we have achieved with your support goes on. We have a long way to go, but we are launched. Without your support, this progress would not have been possible. We remain indebted. Our parents and siblings back home are aware of the assistance we have received. They send their regards and are thankful to the Team for helping our family.
We strongly believe that the work that Holy Trinity does is very important and much needed. It is a blessing that we will have a chance to celebrate this year’s Thanksgiving with you all.
We have every hope that in this great country we will continue to grow and build better lives for ourselves and hopefully be more productive individuals for our new community. We look forward to a time when we will be in position to give back in meaningful ways, with the same love and dedication.
We thank you, again, for everything. Looking forward to the journey forward.
- Amina and Hameed
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