Rev. Laura Fry, Pastor and Head of Staff of Perinton Presbyterian Church, shares her journey of walking alongside one of World Relief WNY’s first clients, an Afghan couple, as they welcome a beautiful baby girl into the world. Read to hear more about Pastor Laura’s experience.
“I’d like to give you a glimpse into a recent blessing for our congregation through our partnership with World Relief WNY. On an early August afternoon, we hosted a baby shower for the newborn daughter of the Afghan couple PPC has been accompanying in their resettlement in Rochester. The shower was a collaboration between two Perinton Presbyterian Church members and several women from Afghanistan who came together to cook, bake, decorate, and host the joyous celebration.
One special thing about Afghan baby showers is that they happen after the baby is born, which means we all got to meet the sweet new baby girl. The hospitality we shared across cultures, faiths, and languages as we welcomed and blessed this new baby was such a gift. I myself felt not showered but rather drenched in the goodness of God.
All this joy was more pronounced because it stood in stark contrast to what these women have lived through. The child’s mother and father escaped Kabul in the midst of the Taliban takeover of August 2021; other women I talked with told me they escaped a few months later, having seen first-hand the oppression and violence brought by the Taliban. Nearly all the women have family members still there, loved ones for whom they are very afraid. One woman told me she and her husband are sending everything he makes back to help their parents and siblings; they are getting by here, raising their three children, on her part-time salary.
After we had eaten and enjoyed tea, cookies, and cake, we moved on to dancing—the women each taking a turn for the others, dancing in the traditional Afghan style—their vibrant dresses flowing freely to the music. As I watched, and clapped, and smiled, I saw the best of what can happen when we build relationships across cultures.
I had to leave before the new mother started opening gifts, yet I felt as though I, and our other church members in attendance received abundantly that day: experiencing life in all its contrasts–joy and heartbreak, tears and beauty, and most of all, defiant, determined love still living, still breathing, still dancing as I closed the door.”
-Pastor Laura Fry
Interested in learning more about World Relief WNY and our local impact? Read more here.
We all want to make a difference in the world. It’s part of how we are designed. Here at World Relief, we believe making a difference is a two-way street. Over the past 40+ years, we’ve been guiding people like you to volunteering in ways that make a lasting impact. We will help you connect and walk alongside families and individuals as they rebuild their lives in Western New York.
Laura was called to serve as pastor at Perinton Presbyterian Church in 2019. Before joining PPC, she spent eleven years as a pastor at Covington Presbyterian Church in Pavilion, NY. Laura has a deep interest in helping families grow in their faith and has experience working in missions through the Presbyterian Young Adult Volunteer Program. She has served at both Rosemary Presbyterian Church and The Vine Community Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as well as migrant ministries in Tucson, Arizona. Laura earned her M.Div. degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and a B.A. in English from Davidson College.