One Volunteer’s Journey with Afghan Youth

Sometimes the most meaningful work does not begin with a plan. It begins with a pull.

For Dave, a volunteer and after-school program lead working with Afghan youth, that pull came in what he describes as a “two-step calling.” What started nearly a decade ago as a desire to connect with Muslim communities grew into something far more personal and transformative for him and his wife, Mindy.

“It was a 2 step calling… to meet Muslims, befriend them, learn about their culture, and be a blessing.”

But it was not until the winter of 2022 to 2023, when newly arrived Afghan families were living in local hotels, that everything shifted.

“I’ve told people that it changed my life to see them in the hotels.”

That moment stayed with him and became something deeper.

“We [my wife Mindy and I,] committed ourselves to knowing and helping them. Since they are still here, the Lord has not yet released us from that calling.”

What followed was not just service, but relationship. Through their work with Afghan youth and their families, Dave and his wife Mindy began to see a fuller picture of what it means to rebuild a life in a new place. He speaks about the strength of the families, especially the parents and grandparents, who carry the weight of starting over so that their children can have opportunities they never did.

“We have seen how the parents and grandparents endure so much… for the sake of their kids.”

He is clear-eyed about the challenges many adults face as they navigate a new country, language and system.

“The adults will always have it hard, in a way. They will work long hours just to pay the rent . . . But the next generation will survive and thrive.”

That belief in the next generation is not abstract. It is something he has witnessed firsthand. He remembers one student in particular who arrived without access to education.

“When we first met her she could not read or write and had never had any education in Afghanistan.”

Years later, after her involvement in Bridge Builders tutoring, him and Mindy watched her graduate from high school.

“What an accomplishment. We were so thrilled.”

Moments like this have reshaped not only how he sees the work, but how he understands what it means to persevere.

“They are so resilient! We are constantly impressed.”

Even in the face of uncertainty and fear, especially around immigration policies, he has seen a steadiness that is difficult to ignore.

“We thought they would be beside themselves… however, they take things in stride.”

Through these relationships, Dave’s own perspective has shifted. What began as a calling to serve has become something reciprocal, even transformational.

“We are blessed to be a blessing.”

There is a quiet conviction in the way he describes it. Giving without expectation has, in his experience, led to something unexpected in return.

“When you do that, you receive much in return… And the kids are a blessing to us too.”

At the same time, he hopes others begin to see Afghan refugees through a different lens. Not as strangers, but as neighbors. Not as a challenge, but as an opportunity for connection.

“I wish that people would appreciate the fact that God has brought these people to us.”

He sees meaning in proximity, in the way lives that might never have intersected now do.

“Many are from regions where [we] have never been and would never get to. He brought [them] to us. We should be grateful.”

Even in the complexity, what remains most important to him is simple.

“I want them to know that they are loved.”

He knows that has not always been their experience.

“Some people have been mean to them… I hope they know that we care.”

And beyond that, he hopes they carry something deeper with them.

“Mainly, I hope they know that God cares… and that God shows his love and compassion for them through people like us.”

In the end, this work is not just about tutoring or programs. It is about presence. It is about showing up consistently, building trust over time and creating spaces where people feel seen. Dave and Mindy are perfect examples of this in motion.

This is what it looks like to build bridges in your community.