It is common for refugees to be found in major cities located in northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. However, the nations are making their way to Roanoke. In fact, residents from places like Benin, Burundi, Tanzania, Iran, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Syria visit a SBC of Virginia church weekly.

Aurelio Zabaleta is the teacher of English as a Second Language at New Century Community Church in Roanoke. He helps refugee families learn English so that they can communicate with others to find a job, obtain a driver’s license, enroll children into school, and shop at the grocery store.

And more valuable than teaching a new language, Aurelio finds opportunities to share the love of Jesus. Thanks to your prayers and gifts through Vision Virginia, people like Aurelio can be trained to provide an earthly resource and an eternal hope.

“Thank you so much for funding the teachers, for supporting our ministries,” Aurelio shared. “It gives you a sense of you are a part of a bigger structure. You are a part of something that is obviously working.”

To read more stories and learn how to pray for other ministries impacted by Vision Virginia, visit sbcv.org/visionvirginia. 

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