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Update St Thomas Refugees

Al Saadis were a Syrian family who were sponsored 2016.  Maymouna Jr. travelled with her brother Mouhamed to Turkey, where she became engaged to a Syrian man. She is now researching how to bring him to Canada. 

Most of the family are in school. This includes the father Ayman. Covid was challenging on some of their studies, but all seems well. 

Lamis and Mohieddin were also sponsored in 2016.  They are still studying. Lamis will write her first set of medical exams, in January. Mohieddin is improving his English. They were both doctors in Syria. Mohieddin currently works as an assistant in a pharmacy. Marie, Nazeer and Layan are doing well. 

We applied for Lamis’s parents to come to Canada. It was to have been submitted over a year ago, but there have been challenges on the diocesan level. It took Lamis some work to redo forms and get pictures and signatures redone. Fortunately, Bishop London and his assistant Sarah Kemp have worked very hard to correct these problems. It has been an unexpected burden on their workload. 

Brigitte and myself helped Good Shepherd with an application and I met with Sarah to discuss some concerns at the diocesan level. It has been a busy summer. 

Fatma injured her arms on a window that broke and have resulted in pain and nerve damage.  This means she cannot presently work. She is still doing physiotherapy and attending school while her arms heal. Zahra is now Canadian. Zahra was sponsored by Fatma and came with other family members to Canada in 2018. Fatma is now her guardian. Fatma is a single parent with three kids ages seven to fourteen, including Zahra.   Trish continues to be of assistance to this family.  (We sponsored Fatma and her grandmother about 20 years ago.)

Yohannes is co-sponsoring his cousin Eyob, his cousin’s wife and their three children, with us.  They have been approved to come to Canada and have had their medicals in Israel. We expect them to Canada within the next eight months. 

Shemsije Korca was sponsored by St Thomas in 1999. Canada air lifted 8000 Kosovo refugees to Canada after a war in Kosovo in 1999. They lived a year here. Then when Kosovo was safe, they returned home. Several people on the refugee committee that assisted, have remained in contact with the family. There were six who came to Canada. This picture marks Shemsije's retirement after 47 years from the Urban transport department.

I have had some contact with several other refugees we have sponsored over the years.  Many are doing remarkably well, however some are facing challenges. Several families have members who are working in Prince Rupert on the liquid gas port. 

Canada each year makes sponsorship of refugees more difficult. They now require the full financial commitment, for sponsored refugees, to be filed with the diocese before the refugees arrive. Meaning Yohannes, who is co-sponsoring his cousin and family, has $41,000 held in trust at the diocese. This money will be released monthly to Eyob, for their financial support. 

The committee again thanks you for your support and concern about refugees. This has been a ministry of over thirty years for this church. 

I believe this is one of our Holy endeavors. Please contact me if you have any additional concerns or questions. 

Marion Bulmer

Chair, Refugee Committee