When Joy Hamlin visited a family of refugees from war-torn Myanmar living in Albany’s Arbor Hill, “She found them huddled in the middle of a room, freezing to death,” said her husband, Shawn.

It was the family’s first winter not in a tropical climate. “My wife realized they had no concept of what a thermostat was or how to operate it,” said Mr. Hamlin.

Shawn and Joy Hamlin are Jehovah’s Witnesses and, more than seven years ago, they became involved with helping the S’gaw Karen-speaking people from Myanmar who have moved to the Capital Region.

“It’s something we do out of love,” said Mr. Hamlin, an architect who grew up in the Capital Region.

“The United States government brought in nearly 100,000 from United Nations camps in Thailand, refugees from the civil war in Myanmar. New York State has accepted about 11,000 Karen-speaking people,” he said.

At the upcoming annual convention, held July 13 to 15 at the Times Union Center in Albany, about 7,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses are expected — from New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

Utica has a congregation of Karen-speaking Jehovah’s Witnesses and there is a group meeting in Rochester, said Mark McLaughlin, a Jehovah’s Witness for his “entire life,” he said, and this year’s convention spokesman. He explained that, when a group meeting draws 75 members and has enough elders to lead it, the group becomes a congregation.

Texas has the most Karen-speaking refugees in the country, McLaughlin said, and New York is second. There are about 300 in the Capital Region, he said.

The theme of this year’s convention is: “Be Courageous.” While the theme was not chosen because of the refugees attending, McLaughlin called it “timely.”

“They are both ethnic and religious refugees because of the persecution in their country,” he said. “From kids being bullied in school to harassment on the job, all of us need to learn how to live our lives with respect and self-dignity,” McLaughlin said.

About 80 percent of the convention program, which includes Bible-based talks and videos, will be given in the S’Gaw Karen language — a first, McLaughlin said.

Mr. Hamlin, who is learning the difficult language native to parts of Thailand and Myanmar, says his wife has learned both to speak and write S’Gaw Karen. He notes she has an affinity for language and was an American Sign Language interpreter.

“When you’re communicating something complex or weighty, like Bible truths, Jehovah’s Witnesses speak in the mother tongue,” Mr. Hamlin said. “It reaches someone’s heart and they can reason upon it and accept it or not accept it.”

He notes that the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ monthly magazine “The Watchtower,” is translated into 900 languages. McLaughlin adds that the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ website, jw.org, is also in 900 languages. “You just push a button to read in your own language,” he said.

Mr. Hamlin says of his and his wife’s work helping the refugees, “That’s just what we do as Jehovah’s Witnesses. We want to share what’s in the Bible … It’s fascinating. One thing about our preaching and teaching, you learn to have a love and connection with people. We have the opportunity to share the good news, God’s kingdom.”

He concluded of the Karen-speaking people he’s worked with, “Like all people, as you get to know them, one on one, you see that they are just wonderful, beautiful.”