I just received the above picture of Sajjad, his wife Farzana, elder daughter Angel and Amelia, along with a Christmas card. The family is from Pakistan, persecuted because of their faith, taking refuge in Thailand and awaiting their interview. Life is very difficult for them as they do not have refugee status and are by no means assured of having their application to Canada approved. They risk being deported at any time. Please keep them in your prayers.

At its October 16 2018 meeting the Board of Mission approved the sponsorship of Elias Tawfik Fassiha, his wife and 3 young children who are shown in the picture above (taken at Easter).They are a Syrian family, currently taking refuge in Lebanon. They are originally from Maaloula, one of the oldest Christian villages in the world, located fifty-six kilometers from Damascus,  at an altitude of 1500 meters. It is  believed to have been constructed in the first millennium BC by Aramaeans and the people there still speak the Aramaic language spoken by Jesus.

You can read more about Maaloula here 

On Sunday, December 2 immediately following the morning service at YPBC, there will be a brief presentation in the Friendship Room on Syrian and Islamic culture organized by the Refugee Program of the Board of Mission . Some Syrian snacks will be provided. The purpose of the presentation is to help prepare us for the two Syrian refugee families who we hope will arrive in the next few weeks. There will also be an update on the refugee sponsorship program.

Further to my July 18 post, Mohamed yesterday had an interview at the Canadian Embassy in Beirut (just him, not his family) at which the questions were about his personal history. The interview seemed to go well and he was told to await a call from the Embassy. Hayan previously had a similar interview.  Both families have had medicals so it appears that they have met all the requirements. Surely it can't be long now?!

W have today been informed by the Government (IRCC) that a file number has been assigned to the family of 5 refugees from the Central African Republic, currently living in Krisan Refugee Camp in Ghana. This is the family related to the two sisters who we sponsored almost 3 years ago. The fact that a file number has been assigned suggests that the paperwork that we submitted has been assessed as complete and is a positive sign. The next step would be for them to be invited for an interview by a visa officer in Ghana but all indications are that the waiting time for this is about 4 years.

This sponsorship is currently unfunded: we need about $30,000 to pay for the first year of support, Please keep this need in your prayers as we try to re-unite this family.

We have recently submitted all the documentation required to sponsor a family of 5 from the Central African Republic, relatives of two refugees we sponsored 2 years ago. ORAT, the Sponsorship Agreement Holder, now requires the payment upfront of the 12-month support costs (approx $30,000) but is willing to consider a 4-year "instalment" plan of $7,500 per annum. The 4 years represents the likely time that will elapse before the family might arrive (if all goes well).

Currently we have no funds available. Please keep this need in your prayers as we try to reunite this family.

It seems that today's interview with the visa officer in Beirut went well and indications are that we should expect to see Hayan & Abir, and Mohamed & Fatima and their families in about 4 months. I am still trying to clarify exactly what happened but everything is positive so far.

This morning I have received from World Renew copies of invitations to Hayan and Mohamed for them and their families to attend an interview with the Canadian Visa Officer in Beirut at 12:30 on July 18. I have forwarded these invitations to the families and hope to receive back from them confirmation that they will be able to attend. This is great news - it is a daunting prospect for Hayan and Mohamed as now they have to gather a lot of documentation, make sure that they are familiar with all the detailed forms submitted and be ready to answer questions about their histories and their readiness for life in Canada. Please keep the families in your prayers.

It seems that the invitation to our two Syrian families to have their medical exam was sent in error. After the invitation they received this note: "Kindly inform the applicants to disregard the emails they received regarding the medical examination. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will contact them to book an appointment for the examination in due time." 
This error is most unfortunate as it has raised hopes with the families in Lebanon and Toronto. I hope that a proper invitation will be issued soon.

Hayan and Mohamed have both received invitations (dated January 12) to have a medical exam in support of their sponsorship application. I had expected them to be invited for interview first, but with this request for a medical it would seem possible that we could expect to see both families in the next few months. I don't want to raise hopes but this does look like good news.