Misson
Statement
"We build bridges of trust and seek to present the Gospel by teaching English to the refugees in Minneapolis."
History
The work with the refugees was born out of a burden to reach out to the Afghan refugees that fled Afghanistan when the U.S. Army left in 2021. It started in an army base in Wisconsin, where several thousand refugees were being temporarily housed. We sent volunteers into the fort to help with the basic needs of the refugees. After receiving a call to come to Minneapolis to teach English to the refugees, ARC Minneapolis was born.
Overview
The ARC Minneapolis team usually consists of seven teachers, a houseparent couple, and the administrator family. Single staff and houseparents live at the base, called the Hive. Our primary activity is teaching English, but we are available for our students in other ways such as reading mail, filling out paperwork, taking them shopping or to appointments. Houseparents cook for the team, do maintenance for the Hive or ARC vehicles, and keep things going in daily Hive life.
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A Day in the life of ARC
What does an average day look like as an ARC staff member? Although we have a weekly schedule, each day has new adventures as we babysit energetic children, navigate heavy traffic in the city, and converse with our students in limited English.
Each teacher has two or three one-hour classes a day. The men teach group classes in the morning at the rented house called the Teahouse, then have one-on-one classes in students’ homes in the afternoon. The women teachers only have classes in homes; two teachers go to each class—one to teach and one to babysit.
Saturdays are open for both personal and team activities. On Sundays the team usually has church at the Teahouse with a few other people from various supporting churches nearby.
Our Students
Currently our students are mostly adult Aghan people who came to the U.S. within the last 4 or 5 years. We are open to students from other backgrounds as opportunities arise. Students range from beginner English speakers to those who are fairly fluent and want a higher level of instruction. We also have some evening classes with young folks and children. These classes are not as much about teaching English as they are to forge connections and show Jesus’ love to these hurting and curious young people.
Our Afghan friends are friendly, generous people. They don’t live in the same neighborhood as the Hive—our students are scattered across Minneapolis and St. Paul, mostly within a 15- or 20-minute drive. It often doesn’t take long for these folks to become our friends, and we soon find ourselves sitting on their floors laughing and sipping tea together. Family and culture are important pieces of their identity. All our students are devoted Muslims, and we pray that their hearts will open to the love of Jesus.
