By Rick Sample, CBF field personnel
Palm Sunday in Fremont, California, was a beautiful day to be in the city’s largest park. In partnership with our Afghan church, we held our fourth annual Easter picnic. Registration of our Afghan community topped out at 475 attendees along with 57 volunteers from local churches. This popular event hosted by the only Afghan church in the San Francisco Bay Area draws Afghan families from throughout the East Bay.
They come for food, fun and Easter eggs! What they received also includes fellowship in beloved community as Christians and Muslims celebrate Easter together. Children love playing all the games and doing all the activities including several craft projects. There are prizes and Easter eggs at every station as the kids go through the rotation of activities.
The highlight, of course, is the Easter egg hunt! We have several hunts for various age groups beginning with babes in arms all the way through teenagers, and ultimately anyone who wants to participate. Children get to decorate their Easter bags then fill them to overflowing during the Easter egg hunt.
In addition to traditional picnic foods like watermelon, sodas, chips, cookies and fruit, the highlight for most adults is the grilled meat. The Afghan pastor grilled 100 pounds of halal beef and chicken. As he and his grilling volunteers sweated over large park grills, people waited patiently for the succulent meats to be cooked to perfection. We had to ration out the meat servings so that there was enough for everyone! Each person also got a delicious round piece of naan bread in which to wrap their meat. As I walked through the dining pavilion, I asked folks how they like the food. Every response was one of gracious appreciation as they attest that it is delicious.
Easter is the perfect time to bear witness to Jesus Christ as we share about the true meaning of Easter and his resurrection. Each Afghan family must register for our event as they arrive at the park, and this makes it possible for us and our Afghan church to follow up with the new people that we meet for the first time at the picnic.
I don’t know of any other church in the United States that has 475 Muslims come to its Easter celebration. Easter is a time of joy for everyone and for showing our Afghan refugee community that the family of Christ is welcoming them into our fellowship. He is risen!