Page 29 - Presbyterian Connection, Spring 2020

The Church is on Fire:
Connection
REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP
From Being Stateless to Helping the Stateless
presbyterian.ca
SPRING 2020
PRESBYTERIAN
29
By Farrukh Mushtaq, member of Grace (West Hill) Presbyterian Church in Scarborough, Ont.
To live without home and identity is one of the worst curses that can be- fall a person. This was my reality as I fled my home country, Pakistan, in 2012.
My name is Farrukh Mushtaq, and I am a proud citizen of the beauti- ful country of Canada. But before I stepped foot on this land, I was one of the thousands of refugees who es- caped persecution and harassment and had to leave their home countries to save their lives.
My family and I spent eight months hiding in Pakistan (my home coun- try), and three years in Vietnam and Sri Lanka as stateless people. We had absolutely nothing to our name. Things were extremely dire, and we were worried about the future.
But then God showed his love and generosity and sent us aid in the form of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Grace Presbyterian Church in Scar- borough sponsored my family. We arrived in Canada in February 2015.
Grace Church is one of the most benevolent, kind, open-hearted and loving congregations. My family was the first refugee family sponsored by them. Since then, they have spon- sored two more families, and have one refugee sponsorship application in process.
I still remember the night we land- ed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. It’s hard to find words
Refugees 4 Refugees Canada team members, along with members of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Markham, Ont., welcome a new family to Canada.
to explain our feelings. After spend- ing years being stateless, finally, we could call Canada our home.
All of the comforts that we enjoy today, along with God’s kindness, have made us realize how important the Canadian Private Refugee Spon- sorship program is to the world.
After my arrival, I helped other ref- ugee families prepare their sponsor- ship applications and the necessary documentation regarding their cases. The joy of helping other families get a chance at a new life was indescrib- able. I wanted to do more to help.
So, in 2017, with the help of some like-minded friends, we started the not-for-profit organization Refugees 4 Refugees Canada (R4R). All of the people involved with R4R have refu-
gee backgrounds and are volunteers. Most of us in R4R are people who were once stateless and persecuted but have now made our homes in Canada. We offer support to refugee families across the world.
R4R Canada provides a bridge be- tween potential sponsored refugees and sponsors. We introduce refu- gees to sponsors, help prepare appli- cations, develop resettlement plans, work in partnership with churches to sponsor refugees and help churches develop their capacity to effectively implement resettlement plans when the families arrive in Canada.
In 2017, R4R Canada organized our first joint venture with St. An- drew’s (Markham) and Unionville Presbyterian churches to sponsor a
NEWS
Farrukh Mushtaq and family on their second day in Canada.
refugee family. The family, originally from Pakistan, fled to Sri Lanka in 2014 due to religious persecution. In December 2018, R4R Canada sponsored another Pakistani Refugee family with the help of Grace Presby- terian Church. This family is currently in Malaysia, waiting for their refugee status determination interview.
In September 2019, we had the privilege of welcoming a family to Canada. The joy of seeing their smiles was the greatest gift God could have given us. We were immensely happy that we were able to help an innocent family find their way out of a danger-
ous life. It reminded us of when we first came to Canada as helpless refu- gees. We see how far we’ve come— from refugees seeking asylum to re- spected citizens of Canada who are privileged to help others and save lives. I feel God has given us a second chance. For that, we are truly grateful.
All of this was possible only be- cause someone in a faraway coun- try took a chance on us. Now, it’s our time to give back and take that chance.
To learn more about the work we are doing, please reach out to Refu- gees 4 Refugees Canada.
Supporting Indigenous Communities in B.C.
The Indigenous Studies Program at the Vancouver School of Theol- ogy (VST) has received a signifi- cant grant from The United Church Health Services Society Program Grant Fund at The United Church of Canada Foundation.
This grant will be used over the next three years to help with the delivery of Teaching House That Moves Around programs for Indig- enous Peoples in the nor thwest B.C. communities of Bella Bella, Bella Coola and Hazelton.
The Teaching House involves a team of primarily Indigenous in- structors and counsellors who trav- el to Indigenous communities where suppor t, encouragement and theo- logical education are offered. This has been an integral way in which
the Indigenous Studies Program at VST is able to deliver courses and expedite completion of degrees for its Indigenous students.
The Indigenous Studies Program is unique in North America. It was initiated by and for Indigenous communities over 30 years before the Truth and Reconciliation Com- mission did its important work in Canada. The ISP delivers theological education remotely to communities where Indigenous students live. Us- ing a combination of online lectures and onsite mentors, Indigenous stu- dents are prepared for leadership in their communities, including minis- try that suits their context.
To learn more about this grant and the Indigenous Studies Program, visit vst.edu.