Millions of Afghans are Searching for Hope
You can help supply life-saving aid to Afghans and the eternal hope of the Gospel.
Meeting Essential Needs + Sharing the Gospel
Since the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been displaced. These families are homeless, jobless, and in desperate need of hope. We know of 57 different camps of Afghans sleeping under trees or thin, makeshift tents, without access to food, water, or medical care. Our team is at work providing these essential needs to as many people as they can. With these resources, they also give the hope of the Gospel. In one refugee camp, we are seeing the Gospel take root and already multiple house churches have formed!
It Began with Prayer
When Afghanistan fell, many of us felt a range of powerful emotions – shock, outrage, helplessness, sorrow. Our team spent a lot of time praying and asking God to be glorified through the chaos. Then, during our monthly day of prayer and fasting, a church called and asked if we had anything in the works to help Afghanistan.
At the time, our president, Doug Lucas was working on an article on the situation for the Christian Standard. And that call, in the midst of prayer, snapped everything together. Doug started making some calls. Within 4 days, through known friends and workers with years of experience full-time in-country, God raised up an entire network of dozens of Afghan believers and volunteers.
A God-Given Solution
The truth is, God wasn’t surprised by the Taliban. God was and is prepared. While the situation is terrible, we must recognize that God is also giving us an opportunity to act for His glory.
Two years ago, Abdul-Ali and Khan began a ministry in Afghanistan. Their organization enabled them to provide vocational skills for men and women, disciple and train new believers, and oversee multiplication. They created a program that gave young people an associate degree in competitive fields. They offered older women a path for sewing and embroidery. They trained older men in plumbing and electrical work. And they launched a house church that God grew from two people to dozens right in the heart of Afghanistan.
This ministry was perfectly placed to meet needs in this time of crisis.
Read Abdul-Ali's Full Story
Help and Hope
Together, this partnership allows us to provide help and hope for Afghans in three phases.
Phase 1: Meet Immediate Needs in Jesus’ Name
Even now, meals and basic needs are being provided to as many families as possible, as well as simple medical care. Blankets are a priority with winter approaching. There is an urgent need for funding to provide vital supplies for more families.
Phase 2: Provide Care and Training
There is extreme trauma in the camps, which requires specific care and counseling, we will train local leaders to meet this need. Job training is available to give adults a path to providing for themselves and their families.
Phase 3: Make Disciples Who Make Disciples
Disciple making is woven into everything we do at Team Expansion – a relationship with Jesus is the most vital of all of these needs. We will train existing Afghan-Christians in the fruitful practices that lead to a disciple-making movement (making disciples who make disciples).
Help Earthquake Victims Find Help and Hope
There was a catastrophic earthquake in Afghanistan on 10/7/23 with a magnitude of 6.3, primarily affecting Herat and its surrounding districts. Thousands of people have been affected by the earthquake, which has caused widespread damage and immense suffering. Most of Herat’s infrastructure has been severely damaged or destroyed, leaving countless homes, buildings, and roads in ruins. The initial estimate indicates that approximately 2,445 people have tragically lost their lives, with thousands more still missing and many others severely injured.
Afghanistan was already grappling with significant challenges, including political instability and economic hardships due to the rule of the Taliban. Many relief organizations are unable to provide assistance due to these issues. Many Afghans are without shelter, food, clean water, or medical assistance. Thousands of people are stranded and desperately need help.
Immediate Needs:
1. Food & Clean Water: many survivors are currently unable to find food or safe water.
2. Tents and Shelter: Provide tents and temporary shelters to those who have lost their homes.
3. Blankets and Clothing: Distribute blankets and warm clothing to protect against the cold.
4. Medical Assistance: Deploy medical teams and supplies to treat the injured and prevent the outbreak of illnesses.
6. Continue rescue operations to rescue individuals trapped under collapsed buildings.
Will you join us as a monthly supporter or make a special gift?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my gift tax-deductible?
Yes, all donations to Team Expansion are tax-deductible.
Can I give by check?
Yes! Just mail a check made payable to “Team Expansion” to:
Team Expansion
A’stan Fund
4112 Old Routt Road
Louisville, KY 40299.
If you have an email address, please attach a note with it clearly printed so we can email you a receipt for your gift.
Is there a total amount of funding that is needed?
In order to provide both immediate relief and a long-term disciple making/church planting movements among Afghans throughout the region, our strategic plan requires $200,000 per year over the next three years.
How long will Team Expansion be involved in this work?
Team Expansion has been involved with people from this region of Central Asia for decades. Our initial commitment to this initiative is for 3 years. As a result, we aren’t “here today and gone tomorrow.” With God’s power and provision, we’re there today, there throughout all next year, the year after that, and so on. Remember, our long-term goal is to multiply disciples and groups. We’re involved in relief and development because we love people and we serve a God who loves people too. But we’re involved in making disciples because of the Great Commission. That won’t change until everyone has had a chance to say “yes!” to Jesus.
When I provide essential items for a family for a month, what do they get?
- 50kg flour
- 5kg rice
- 5kg chickpeas
- 5kg beans
- 5L cooking oil
- 2kg sugar
- 500 grams green tea
- Salt
- 2 blankets
How do you remain accountable to your donors (can we see how donations are being used)?
We report on our donations each month. We strive to remain financially transparent. All donations are aggregated and reported in our monthly email, The Impact (subscribe here). Donors to the Afghan project can also opt in to receive a monthly report that details the impact of their gift.
How are you providing food for people since food is in such short supply?
Our efforts are “low-tech, high-touch.” Rather than using airlifts and giant warehouses, our on-the-ground volunteers and staff are traveling in and out of neighboring lands on public transport, ferrying food in smaller shipments that are more easily managed. While food is in short supply in Afghanistan, it’s not hard to get in nearby lands. Using this high-touch system, our volunteers can procure food and bring it to those who need it most.
How do you get funds into the country in the middle of all the chaos?
Because of Team Expansion’s long-term friends in the region, we have been able to access pre-existing cash funds inside the country for the first few months. Granted – it will become more and more difficult, as time goes on. So, we’re working steadily on developing supply chains and fund transfer conduits that rely on existing friends in neighboring lands.
Am I able to send physical items or notes?
We are not mailing or shipping anything from the US. Your financial assistance allows our people serving in the area to purchase food and essentials locally.
Is there an opportunity to serve physically?
At this time, we are working through people and agencies already in place in the region. Covid restrictions and the various political situations currently make it impractical to take volunteer teams.
How can the Gospel be shared inside of Afghanistan in a safe way?
Believers in Afghanistan share the Gospel one on one. They are reaching out to friends, neighbors, and refugees with the love of Jesus and are always ready to give an answer for the hope that they have.
Are you meeting the needs for just those in Afghanistan, or to refugees in other areas as well?
As we develop a network of partners, we will expand our work to meet needs among refugees throughout the region. We are already helping some who have fled across the border into neighboring countries, and we are planning to train Afghan believers in at least 4 countries to be disciple makers.
What's to keep this project from being discovered/destroyed by the Taliban? What would happen to donations if that happened?
Our team in Afghanistan is working under a different agency that is totally unconnected to Team Expansion on the surface. This agency is all Afghan. The Taliban are not only aware of this agency, but they have also approved it because of the positive impact this agency makes. For example, the Taliban asked them to resume job training, simply with the request that classes separate men and women.
Because they do not know about Team Expansion’s connection, even if this agency was discovered, the work would not be lost. We would simply work to start a new agency.