Local couple rescued 3 Afghan refugees, and how one of them is adapting to life in eastern Idaho
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IDAHO FALLS – Joe and Kim Mitchell watched the news footage in horror as multiple Afghans, clinging to an American military jet, fell to their death in August 2021. Thousands had rushed onto the tarmac of Kabul’s international airport desperate to escape the Taliban capture of their country.
Many were left behind and 13 service members were killed in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops.
The Idaho Falls couple describes what happened during the abrupt 15-day departure as a “fiasco.” At the time, the Christian duo had recently returned from a 7-year mission in Yunnan, a province in southwestern China, and they wanted to help.
A Biblical passage — 1 John 4:11-12 — which teaches those who love God to love others, guided their response.
“Part of it was God loved us and that love flows out to other people,” Joe tells EastIdahoNews.com. “With the Afghans, these are our military allies and I feel like we have an obligation to support our allies.”
This led to the formation of Idaho Falls Bridge Builders, a nondenominational, nonpartisan 501(c)3 that assists “legal refugees who choose to relocate to Idaho Falls, and to assist the community in welcoming them.”
Since the organization was formed in December 2021 (it didn’t officially become a nonprofit until July 2022), the Mitchells, with the help of many local donors, were able to raise enough funds to rescue three Afghan military pilots.
One of the men, whom we are calling Amani because of ongoing security concerns in Afghanistan (it’s not his real name), spoke with us about his experience as a foreigner in Idaho Falls.
The 25-year-old man hails from north-central Afghanistan near Kabul and is a member of the Hazara people, one of the largest ethnic and religious minority groups in the middle eastern country.
Amani is grateful to be in America because the Hazara are a primary target for the Taliban.
“We believe in Shia Islam. For the extremists (like the Taliban), we are traitors. In their opinion, we are not Muslims and they are allowed to kill those who are not Muslims. That’s the reason they attack us, (which has) been happening for centuries,” Amani explains.
Amani and his friends faced additional risks because they were members of the Afghanistan military. They left their country at their family’s insistence so they would be safe. Each of them are hoping their wives and families will one day be able to join them in Idaho.
Meanwhile, Amani is enrolled in the electrical engineering program at the College of Eastern Idaho.
‘It feels just like home to me’
Since last April, the Mitchells and other members of the community have helped Amani and his friends find housing, employment and obtain a driver’s license. Amani couldn’t be happier with the community’s response to their arrival.
“It feels just like home to me. I don’t feel like a foreigner. The people have been so welcoming and supportive since I came here, especially Kim and Joe,” Amani says.
It’s not just the people who have made it so pleasant. The climate in Idaho is something he is very familiar with.
“The area I grew up in central Afghanistan is very cold, similar to Idaho. It snows a lot and the winter is almost the same, maybe a little warmer,” says Amani. “It’s also famous for potatoes.”
Amani grew up in the 2000s when American troops occupied the place where he lived. There was a lot of American influence as a result. He obtained a public education and grew up watching American movies and TV shows, which was helpful in his efforts to learn English.
The United States, in his view, was a land of opportunity where everyone had equal rights and he dreamed of living there one day.
At the time of his arrival in the U.S., he’d been flying transport aircraft for the Afghan Air Force.
Amani didn’t share many details about how he crossed paths with the Mitchells because of the Taliban threat, but he explains that he spent several months in a neighboring country after fleeing his homeland. He was eventually sent to the United Arab Emirates.
“After five months in a refugee camp, we finally got to the U.S.,” Amani says.
They landed in Virginia and had several options for where they could go. Amani and his group had a friend in Pocatello and they chose to come to Idaho Falls after learning of the similarities to their hometown.
Almost since his arrival, Amani has supported himself as a machine operator at Yellowstone Plastics, a sister company of Volm Bag Company by Dad’s Truck Stop south of Idaho Falls.
Amani’s childhood dream was to be a pilot and he was able to achieve that in Afghanistan. His job in eastern Idaho is a far cry from what he was doing there. He describes it as “falling from the sky,” but he’s grateful for the work.
“I like it a lot. My supervisor’s company has been very supportive,” he says.
Company President & CEO Daniel Mueller says Amani is very polite and he’s pleased with his work ethic.
“(Amani and his two friends) are always quick with a smile and to shake your hand. Even though they worry about their families back home, they never seem to wear it out on the floor. I have nothing but good to say about them and our team has really appreciated having them with us,” says Mueller.
‘What a great place Idaho Falls is’
Gaining the friendship of Amani and his friends has been a rewarding experience for Kim and her husband. Kim says she’s learned a lot about Afghanistan, their families, and their culture. Her life is “all the richer” for it, she says.
In the process of helping Amani, they’ve gotten to know other people in the community they otherwise wouldn’t have ever met, including members of Idaho’s Congressional delegation.
“People have sought us out. We have not once asked for anything and people have called to ask how they can help. It’s been so amazing,” says Kim.
Kim recalls talking to a lady at a local pharmacy about stocking a medicine cabinet for Amani and his friends. The woman paid out of her own pocket because she appreciated what the Mitchells were doing.
“It’s given us a new appreciation for what a great place Idaho Falls is,” says Joe.
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The Mitchells are now in the final stages of bringing a Ukrainian family to Idaho Falls. They are anticipating their arrival sometime in February.
Awaiting reunification
As for Amani, he’s heavily involved in school and he’s happy to call Idaho Falls home. He’ll graduate from CEI in the spring of 2024.
“I’m grateful … to go to school, make a career for myself and be (a contributor) to society and my community,” he says.
Since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Amani says the country is in bad shape. Personal freedom is gone, which has created a general sense of fear and many have gone into hiding.
Additionally, many people are starving because the economy has taken a nosedive.
His family’s safety is Amani’s utmost concern. He doesn’t know when they’ll see each other again, but he eagerly awaits the day when they can be together and raise their children in eastern Idaho.
“The U.S. State Department is launching a website for reunification. We’re waiting for that, but there’s not much progress (so far),” Amani says. “I’m happy to be here where it’s safe and that I can at least support my family financially.”