YYZ Arrivals
Our three Iraqi families are almost here! Their incredible journey to make Canada their new home is almost complete. Our preparations for their arrival in Toronto (YYZ) are ramping up.
A committee has been formed to help us organize accommodations and all the specific practical things that each family will need for everyday life. The committee will help provide our church family with direction on each family’s basic needs.
Our volunteers will be putting out a call for furniture (couches, chairs, tables, beds), household goods (pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, lights), linens and so many more things that these special families will need to start their new lives in Canada. Please drop by this page often as we will post lists and more information as things progress.
Please keep your eyes open for possible resources that these families can use to begin living here. If you want to help our refugees settle in smoothly, please connect with
Randy in the church office or email him at
randy.dejesus@citycentrebaptist.ca.
Update:
We are grateful to report that all three Iraqi families completed their medical examinations on March 27th, and everything went very well. And now as their last step in their journey to come to Canada, our families are waiting for their visas.
Praise God for his protection and provision for each of these families.
Family #1
Pastor A accepted the Lord in 1990.
Prior to coming to faith, he was a singer.
He joined the choir of a Presbyterian church in Bagdad which was the only evangelical church in the city. He ended up feeling a call to ministry and served 6 years in Youth Ministry there.
In 2007, he began serving in church plant ministry in Duhok, with a passion for helping churches to have vibrant and skillful worship. Pastor A assembled and trained worship teams, teaching both spiritual and technical components. He also taught leadership and was a trainer in the Evangelism Explosion curriculum.
After fleeing to Beirut under persecution for his faith, He resumed church planting work with a focus on evangelism and discipleship. In his first church God grew the congregation from 15 people to over 100. He started a Monday night ministry to Muslims which saw more than 100 put their faith is Jesus.
He also teaches in multiple other classes and programs geared toward Muslims. His goal for the past 2 years was to see 1,000 Muslims come to Christ through his work – and God has done it!
A’s wife Z is currently studying theology at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) in Beirut. Their son S is a teenager who loves sports, especially soccer and basketball.
Our two other Iraqi families came to Christ 11 years ago under the ministry of Pastor A; he baptized both couples.
Family #2
D works for an organization called “Heart for Lebanon” which is a home visitation ministry and support for refugees. His wife is a kindergarten teacher in the church supporting refugees who come to Lebanon and must catch up to academic standards. Both are enrolled in theology training at ABTS. Their daughter is a teenager.
Family #3
N is D’s sister and is also studying at ABTS. She is the treasurer of her local church and serves in women’s ministry as well as a Christian library. Her husband works in packing and distribution.
Family #4
Our Pakistani refugee family has been living in Malaysia since 2012 as a result of religious persecution. The father had worked as a maintenance manager for a fleet of rental cars back in India. His wife, was a stay at home mom. They have 3 children; one is already married and living in Pakistan with their own family. The remaining two sons are with their parents in Malaysia and all four applications are being processed. We hope to have a further update soon!
Please pray for protection and provision for
all our families as they continue their journey home.
Please note:
We have not used the names of our refugee families on our website
in order to protect the identities of these families;
and the friends and family that they had to leave behind.
