June 20th is designated World Refugee Day by the
United Nations. More than 45 million people were displaced last
year according to the latest UN High Commission on Refugees report. These
numbers are staggering; perhaps too daunting to motivate a response.
I have had several opportunities to visit refugee camps and listen
to peoples’ experiences of flight. The stories have common elements. Often at a moment’s notice, they grab the
most important items and take only what they can carry. Their testimonies usually
included loss of family members or threat of death or persecution. The refugee
camps do not guarantee safety; only a different set of security and health
risks. Desperation and hopelessness
prevail. The C&MA has and continues
to support several refugee relief programs in a variety of countries around the
world. BUT THERE IS MORE THAT WE CAN
DO! We can provide a home for those
that have had to flee theirs.
Many C&MA churches across Canada have been involved in
assisting refugees to resettle in Canadian communities over the years. The
result of assisting one family can have an impact for years to come not only on
those sponsored but on their future generations. We have our own story at the National Ministry
Centre:
April Pitman works in our communications department. Her
mother, Chhavy Jeffs was a refugee in the
1970’s. After fleeing Cambodia during
the atrocities of the Pol Pot Regime, she arrived at a refugee camp in Thailand. Relatives in Canada discovered that Chhavy’s
family had made it to the refugee camp. They came to Kingston Alliance Church and
asked if there was anyway the church would help. When people in the church became aware of this
need they were determined to reach out. They applied to sponsor the family. Chhavy’s mother, meanwhile, discovered that
twenty-three family members were in the refugee camp and resolved that they
shouldn’t be separated. Kingston Alliance
found other churches in the city, including Bayridge Alliance, to partner with
them. Soon all twenty-three family members arrived in Kingston and received
love and care from these congregations.
It is interesting to note that David Freeman (currently a C&MA
Vice President) was a pastor at Kingston Alliance during that time. It was
during a conversation at work one day that April and David connected the dots!
Watch this video to hear Chhavy's story of how refugee sponsorship
impacted her family:
Oh that we could replicate this story over and over! The C&MA Canada is a Sponsorship
Agreement Holder with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. This agreement allows our local churches to
apply to sponsor refugee families. For
more information please email: alliancecompassion@cmacan.org
Note: We are
currently funding three separate relief projects for Syrian refugees in
partnership with our Alliance World Fellowship churches in the Middle
East. 