Defining Neighbours
Eight years ago, St. John’s Vancouver embarked on a journey to welcome refugees. They started by sponsoring an Afghan family in India seeking refuge in Canada. After four long years, the family finally arrived. However, in December 2022, an unexpected event unfolded. Family members who had previously fled Afghanistan to Pakistan and then Brazil on a humanitarian visa showed up at their doorstep.
This courageous family had embarked on an arduous journey, walking from Brazil, through 14 countries in South America, Central America, and North America, to arrive in Vancouver, BC. Despite their resilience, these two families found themselves living in a cramped three-bedroom apartment with twelve individuals. These families were the church’s ‘neighbours’.
Since 2016, St. John’s Vancouver has been dedicated to walking alongside refugees. In 2021, they formed a partnership with Journey Home and welcomed their first family under Journey Home’s new Communities of Welcome initiative. A year later, Jonathan reconnected with Journey Home, and we welcomed a family into one of our newly acquired 5-bedroom homes, part of our Meanwhile Spaces initiative.
As a partner in the Communities of Welcome program, St. John’s Vancouver assumes the responsibility for settlement assistance and the fostering of relational connections. The church’s Community of Welcome sixteen compassionate volunteers, have formed profound friendships with the refugee families they support. Whenever the families require any assistance, the committee members readily offer their help. Moreover, they spend quality time with them, providing emotional support and companionship and learning from them. Through their efforts, one committee member, who happened to be a teacher, managed to promptly enroll the children in school and extracurricular activities.
We hear from our Communities of Welcome committee members as relationships deepen, so does their understanding of what it means to struggle and overcome, and of different ways of looking at the world. This transforms all involved.
Without the collective efforts of Journey Home Community and St. John’s Vancouver, these families would have faced isolation and desperation. However, through this partnership, they have been welcomed into community, expanded their network of connections and now enjoy personal relationships with numerous individuals who genuinely care for their well-being.
JHC: Jonathan, you and your church have had many years of experience walking alongside refugees. What is something that you can’t really prepare for, or that surprises you about these relationships?
Jonathan: You are dealing with folks who seem fine, but they are dealing with trauma and PTSD. Sometimes they say and do things that make you wonder why. Sometimes you are dealing with family dysfunctions. But that is what true friendship is, standing with them through these difficult times.
JHC: When the next generation of this family reflects on their time with you and the relationships they formed with members of St. Johns, what do you think or hope they will remember?
Jonathan: I hope that they will have experienced God’s love for them through the community of faith. That they would remember the gifts received when needed, like a bike to ride to school. I hope the 10-year-old will grow up to have a positive view of our faith.
JHC: If another church or community group asked you if they should become a Community of Welcome, what would you say to them?
Jonathan: They do ask me, and I say, “You should do it”. As a community of believers, if you know of a need, you stop to help. Like the Good Samaritan. But it is not just about helping refugee families, this is a discipleship and training ministry for your parish. When they build relationships with these families, they are maturing and growing in their faith journey.
We are thankful to Jonathan and St. John’s Vancouver for their work with refugees. Their experience exemplifies the transformative impact that communities can have on the lives of refugee claimants and those who help them settle. By extending a helping hand and fostering genuine connections, these families start to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.
There are more refugee claimants arriving in Metro Vancouver than Journey Home is able to assist. You can help address this gap through forming a Community of Welcome. Journey Home Community will train and equip your church or group to extend a welcoming hand and provide practical support to those who need it most. To welcome a family, please contact Vanessa@ journeyhomecommunity.ca
Together, we can help refugee claimants experience a warm welcome to Canada.
