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Two and a half years ago, Yousif, his wife, and their young son arrived in the United States after fleeing Afghanistan. As Christians who had once worshiped in secret behind locked doors, they hoped they had finally found a place to read their Bibles and pray without fear of death.
With help from World Relief Southern California and a local church that has walked beside them, Yousif found his footing. He earned a work permit, completed our Job Readiness Program, and was promoted to a salaried role with benefits, beating out 62 other applicants. But the relief didn’t last. Their asylum case remains undecided, their son’s Temporary Protected Status was revoked, and fear of immigration enforcement keeps his wife and 4-year-old at home. Once again, they find themselves hiding.
Yousif’s question still lingers: “Do they see me as their brother in Christ? As a human being?”
That is where we left them. Today, their story has moved forward, though it is not yet finished.
Across the world, families live in the dark. Displaced by conflict. Uncertain of what tomorrow holds. Waiting for a decision that will determine the shape of their future.
But even in that darkness, a light breaks through. A whisper, a promise, a revelation to defy the darkness. Hope has come.
Right now, the world aches for that hope. For people like the Yousif family.
When we first shared their story, they were carrying the weight of an uncertain journey and the hope of a life rebuilt. Here is what that life looks like now.
Yousif arrived with years of training and experience as an engineer. Like many who come seeking safety, he was eager to put his skills back to work. Today, he is working full-time and continuing to build toward his goal of returning to the engineering field. Each step forward is part of rebuilding the career he worked hard to establish and creating a future for his family. His wife recently passed her driver’s test, a small milestone that has opened up new independence for the family: the freedom to move through their new home on their own terms.
Their son was diagnosed with autism and has made encouraging progress through speech therapy, including learning to use combined words. Though communication remains a challenge and he has not yet fully found his voice, the family celebrates every milestone along the way. They continue to pray with hope and faith that one day he will be able to communicate more fully and confidently.
“We don’t know what the future holds, but we believe God has brought us this far for a reason. We want to keep growing and keep building a life where our children can feel safe and hopeful. That is what we pray for every day.”
— The Yousif family
Over the years, they have put down roots. They have formed friendships. Found community. Built a life marked by resilience and hope.
But the darkness has not fully lifted.
Their immigration status remains uncertain, their future still waiting on a decision on their asylum claim. The life they have built, including the job, the friendships, and the progress their son has made, is threatened by a decision not yet made.
And still, they hold onto their faith.
Even amid uncertainty, the Yousif family remains hopeful: hopeful that they will be able to stay in the country they now call home, that the roots they have planted will be allowed to grow, and that they will continue contributing to the community that has become part of their story.
This is what hope looks like while the story is still being written.
For the Yousif family, hope looks like staying.
You Can Help Open Doors
Yousif knows how to build things. Before he fled Afghanistan, he was an engineer, and every day he is working toward the moment he can do that work again. A job is how a family stops surviving and starts planting itself somewhere. This Christmas, you can help someone else take that first step: a résumé reviewed, an interview practiced, a door opened that was closed before.
Defy darkness and lead with light by giving today.