The Nations Next Door

Chuy, Jan, Bonnie, and another faithful friend worship at Circle of Peace Church in Peoria. Their story begins with a question: What does following Jesus look like?

Oftentimes, if we’re listening, God redirects us in ways we never imagined. Following Him means staying humble, curious, and willing to go wherever He chooses to send us. Sometimes, the things He has already deposited in us –our gifts, passions, and experiences– can be repurposed for assignments that were never on our radar.

That’s exactly what happened with this one Welcome Team. Chuy and Jan spent years serving globally, faithfully supporting pastors and ministries across borders. But when the Lord opened their eyes to a mission field in neighborhoods and households in Phoenix, they saw that the nations were already here.

Their new assignment was revealed to be very close to home. It was local, and all it asked of them was one small yes that led to many more.

How It All Began

Before the pandemic, Chuy and Jan served all around the world. But when COVID shut down international travel, they found themselves asking, “What now? How do we keep serving?”

Their pastor introduced them to someone serving refugees in Phoenix. Soon after, they signed up for a Refugee Ministry 101 Workshop with PRC. At the end of the training, they were introduced to the idea of visiting a newly arrived family to “just to be friends,” as Jan remembers.

“It was amazing,” she said. “We fell in love with the family, and we’re still very good friends today. That’s where it all started.”

But they wouldn’t be in this ministry alone. God was also preparing two other servants, Bonnie and another teammate, through different paths of their own.

How God Brought Bonnie Into the Story

Bonnie’s journey into refugee ministry began years earlier, through grief, generosity, and a surprising inheritance. After caring for a close friend in Washington during her final season of life, Bonnie was unexpectedly left with money entrusted to her.

Wanting to honor her friend’s life of travel, Bonnie used the financial gift to donate a well in Uganda through a non-profit. She traveled there for the dedication, which then stirred something inside of her. When her caregiving responsibilities ended, she eventually moved to Arizona, sensing that God was opening a new chapter.

One Sunday in Phoenix, she walked into church and saw an announcement for a refugee training day. She went, learned, and something in her spirit said, “This is it.”  

She has now been serving refugee families for ten years.

A Welcome Team God Knit Together

As Chuy and Jan met refugee families, their understanding of welcome was stretched. The nations were already at their doorstep, and the hospitality they encountered left them humbled and grateful. Chuy had spent years in the hospitality industry and thought he understood what welcome looked like until he stepped into the homes of his refugee friends. “I realized I had so much more to learn,” he said. “Their generosity, their welcome…It humbled me.”

In time, their love and consistency drew others into the work. Bonnie joined them and jumped right in: weekly drives to English class, patient hours in the car helping parents learn to navigate Phoenix streets, and a grandmotherly presence that made children feel safe enough to call her “Jaja.”

The other member of the team visited the family every week, teaching them American dishes while learning Afghan recipes in return. She took them to their first movie, their first play, and even their first trip to California.

Their individual acts of kindness became a shared ministry–four people, each bringing their own gifts and offering what they had.

Meeting Their First Newcomer Family

Their Welcome Team eventually met Seb and his family.

Seb had arrived in Arizona after the fall of Kabul, part of the wave of Afghan allies evacuated when US troops withdrew in 2021. Back home, he had been a Blackhawk pilot with a computer science degree and dreams of pursuing further education in the US. However, like many others without access to academic records from their home country, he had to start from scratch.

He worked multiple jobs: driving for Amazon and Uber, serving as a case manager for a resettlement agency, working in healthcare, slowly rebuilding a life for his family. Eventually, he started his own tax business serving Afghans, other refugees, and Americans across several states.

When their Welcome Team met Seb’s family, the connection was immediate. Their friendship and trust only grew as they shared experiences and meals. For Seb’s family, the Welcome Team’s consistent presence made a real difference. Their friendship helped make Phoenix feel a little less isolating and a little more like home.

But Chuy, Jan and their other teammates will tell you the blessing goes both ways.

Knowing Seb’s family, as well as the many families they’ve walked alongside, has expanded their understanding of God, deepened their compassion, and filled their lives with joy.

“We’ve learned so much,” Jan said. We’ve received so much. These friendships have changed us.”

What They’ve Learned From Being Invited In

“These neighbors are coming from war, persecution, human violence,” Jan said. “They’ve experienced extreme loss and trauma, and they’re starting over here in the US. It’s an honor to be trusted with their stories.”

Bonnie often found herself pondering, “Why was I so fortunate to be born in this country?” The generosity of her refugee friends encouraged her to share more freely with others.

As they shared grief, laughter, and everyday life, their welcome team found themselves invited into richer and deeper relationships they hadn’t experienced before. Each of these newfound friendships revealed something unique about God’s creativity and the beauty of cultures they had never encountered so closely.

“Getting to know families in such a meaningful way has opened my eyes to the beauty of God’s creation,” Chuy said. “So many cultures, so much richness.”

How This Ministry Has Shaped Them

One of Bonnie’s most cherished memories came from a woman from Eritrea/Ethiopia whom she helped in English class. The woman invited her to her church for her grandchild’s infant baptism.

Bonnie arrived at noon, which was the stated start time. However, only two musicians were there practicing. Eventually, the room filled, and every single person greeted her. She was the only white person present, yet she felt completely welcomed.

After the service, she was invited to a full Ethiopian meal celebrating the baptism. She described it as one of the most honoring experiences of her life.

For Chuy and Jan, one of the surprising gifts has been what this ministry has done for them as a couple.

“It’s been one of the best things that’s ever happened in our lives,” Jan said. “Top ten, easily. Doing this together has enriched our marriage. Knowing these families, loving them, appreciating their cultures has been marvelous.”

A Growing Community of Belonging

Today, these faithful servants walk alongside families from Afghanistan, Myanmar, and the DRC. Each friendship stretches their hearts in new ways. As they listen, learn, and show up, they’ve drawn others in from their church with their contagious love. 

Along the way, they’ve discovered attributes of God they hadn’t known before: His nearness in seasons of affliction, His creativity in cross‑cultural friendship, and His joy in bringing neighbors together. 

Their Welcome Team didn’t set out to build a ministry. They just kept showing up, week after week, household after household. In the process, God knit their lives together with families from multiple nations, forming a community more beautiful than they ever imagined.