I can simply say that this is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. In terms of encouragement, I can simply say that this is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I am confident God has worked everything together to bring this family here to this place at this time. Seeing them blossom is breathtaking to witness.
In December 2015, a group from Grace Toronto Church gathered together to help global refugees. Like the rest of the world, they had been horrified by the image of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, who had washed up on Turkish shores as his family tried reaching Canada. The small group researched the process of sponsoring a Syrian refugee family in Canada. On June 7, 2016, after months of waiting (and raising the legally required $30,000 for settlement), they received an email that a Syrian mother and father, along with their three children, would be arriving on June 20.
I talked about the experience with Jennifer McNaughton, one of the lead members of the team. (The notes from our phone interview have been condensed and lightly edited.)
How much did you know about the family before arrival?
We knew the children’s ages (8, 7, 4) and had a brief work history for the parents. The father had been an upholsterer; the mother, a housecleaner. We knew they were coming from Beirut, where they’d been living for a few years after having fled Syria. But apart from this—and knowing they spoke no English—we knew little.
What are some things you did to prepare for their arrival?
It wasn’t easy to plan since we didn’t know exactly when the family would be arriving. But after April 1, when our sponsorship request for this particular family was officially approved, our team divided up some of the most important and immediate tasks. Some worked to secure affordable housing in Toronto. Others acted as liaisons with World Renew, the organization that facilitated the process of settlement in coordination with Immigration Canada. Still others researched cell phone and internet plans as well as medical and dental care. We had point-people for budget and finance, and the entire church—and our broader community of friends, family, and colleagues—contributed money as well as donations for furnishing their apartment.
One thing I’ve tangibly learned from this experience is that God provides for every detail. So many times, logistically speaking, we were at the end of our resources. And then someone would unexpectedly help. They donated items. They donated time. They lent vehicles. They gave money. They used connections. The Lord was so faithful.
Describe the day of the family’s arrival to Canada.
The family arrived on June 20—World Refugee Day, incidentally. Three team members and a translator (an Arabic speaker from our church) went to the airport with snacks, bottles of water, stuffed animals, and a printed sign in Arabic that read, “Welcome, K. Family.”
I was surprised because I expected them to be in traditional Islamic clothing, but they were dressed like Westerners. We asked, through the translator, if they were fasting (since it was Ramadan), and we learned that while their cultural background is Islam, they aren’t practicing Muslims. With only one translator, it was impossible to say everything we wanted to say, so we made a lot of eye contact and did a lot of smiling!
If there was a “honeymoon” in the settlement process, how long did it last? What was that period like?
On their second day in Canada, I took the family on a bus to a park overlooking Lake Ontario. We set up a blanket, and the kids were playing soccer with a little inflatable ball I’d brought along. Suddenly, the ball got kicked into the lake, and the wind carried it away faster than any of us could chase it. Their 8-year-old son, who knew a dozen words in French and a couple of words in English, started to wave at the ball and call after it, “Bye-bye, ballon (French for ball).” Without any kind of rehearsal, we all just stood at the beach, dramatically pretending as if we were crying, each of us calling out, “Bye-bye ballon.” It was comical and an immediate kind of bonding beyond language.
Our team definitely felt a bit euphoric after the family’s arrival. They were here. They were safe and in good health. They were opening bank accounts and getting registered for ESL classes. We taught them the words and motions to “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” Those little victories were energizing. And the family was (and is) so hospitable. Each time we visited, there was delicious food and coffee. For a period of weeks, it seemed we avoided major challenges, and life was relatively smooth.
