Refugees

The U.S administration in 2023 introduced a new refugee resettlement program called Welcome Corps. Welcome Corps is a public-private sponsorship program that allows everyday Americans to resettle refugees. It offers refugees a chance to rebuild their lives in safety and helps us live out our biblical call to welcome the stranger as found in Matthew 25. This legal pathway operates alongside existing resettlement opportunities, expanding opportunities to welcome those fleeing war and persecution.

Recently I visited Joseph Bya and his wife Sana in their home in Cornwall, Ontario. Sitting in their bright, comfortable kitchen, we reminisced about the day, 8 years earlier, when we first met in person. We met at the Ottawa airport on May 26, 2016. I was there with my husband, George, and a group of people from our refugee committee. We were excited, but also a bit apprehensive. As we watched the escalator for signs of Joseph and his family, we wondered if they would be exhausted from their long journey.

In this episode we're joined by Bev Stephenson, a dedicated volunteer in refugee resettlement in the US. Bev shares her experiences co-sponsoring Afghan and Cuban refugee families alongside her church. Bev shares insightful stories highlighting the challenges, joys, and profound impact of building cross-cultural relationships and supporting families through their resettlement journeys.

In recent months, several headlines have pointed to the alarming number of refugee claimants struggling to secure housing in major Canadian cities, often leaving them relying on overburdened shelters and being forced to sleep in the streets. These headlines stand in stark contrast to Canada’s reputation as a country that is welcoming to newcomers.While there are many programs in place that provide a fulsome welcome to resettled refugees, there are significantly fewer resources, and more barriers for those submitting a refugee claim in-country. 

Perspective is everything.  It changes what we see.  You can't see what you're not looking for, and the vantage point from which you see something can determine your perspective.  When it comes to our experience of God, the eyes of faith are capable of seeing an entirely different world than the same et of eyes looking at the same thing.  - Syd Hielema and Aaron Baart

"O Great Father of the sky above and the earth below, of the great waters and all that is in them," they prayed.  "Hear our cry!  - Acts 4:24 (FNV) 

The waxing and waning reports of people crossing our southern border bring to mind the times I have cared for children in resiliency centers in Texas and Afghan children at Fort Bliss. Why did I do that? 

Lured by Catherine the Great’s promises of farmland in Russia and freedom from military service for 200 years, my ancestors emigrated from Germany. As is so often the case in world history, the promise of land was not upheld so they settled in German communities west of the Volga River.

“There is not one little blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make men rejoice.” - John Calvin

This year the U.S administration introduced a new refugee resettlement program called Welcome Corps. This program allows individuals and groups to sponsor and resettle refugees without the support or financial assistance of resettlement agencies. With resettlement numbers down after years of cuts to the resettlement budget, Welcome Corps is an opportunity to offer a pathway to safety to more refugees and live out our biblical call to welcome the stranger as found in Matthew 25. With this new program comes a few frequently asked questions—read on to learn more!

In my first blog piece written on Deacons and Justice, I wrote about the call for Deacons to offer holistic ministries that respect the dignity of all people found in their mandate. In today’s blog, we will look at the call to change exploitative structures.