Becoming Canadian Refugee Sunday 2010

Klo Moo is becoming Canadian.

So is Moo Tha.

Like thousands of other Karen families, they were forced to flee their homes in Myanmar/Burma UNHCR/J.Redfern

And spent more than 10 years in crowded refugee camps in Thailand. UNHCR/J.Redfern

“Myanmar soldiers came to our village. They destroyed everything. We fled to the camp and lived there for ten years. There was no chance to do anything, we just stayed in the camp.” UNHCR/J.Redfern

After years of waiting, the UNHCR referred them to Canada for settlement. Picasaweb.google/lyndie

The Tha family arrived in Canada in May 2008.

Klo Moo and his family came soon after, joining his daughter who had come to Canada the year before.

After living in the tropics of Thailand, adjusting to the winters and cities of Canada was not easy… …But they had help.

Members of local Christian Reformed Churches welcomed them and assisted with their transition to lives as Canadians.

This included essentials such as an apartment, furniture, and clothing.

It also included a relationship and a growing understanding of each other’s cultures.

“When we get papers in the mail that we don’t understand, we give it to our host family and they explain it to us. When we first got here, they showed us how to get to places, how to ride the bus or walk to the store. They also brought us to the zoo, Niagara Falls, and to visit family in another city.”

The church and individual members helped the families find jobs so that they could take pride in supporting themselves.

They invited the families to church, where the children felt welcomed at GEMS and Cadets.

And they spent time helping children and adults adjust to their new home and new culture.

“This has been a very rewarding experience. The Tha family has been blessed by coming to Canada, and they have been a blessing to us, our family, and our whole congregation.”

Hundreds of thousands of refugees worldwide are in need of settlement. UNHCR/M.Frechon

Several thousand come to Canada each year. UNHCR/B. Heger

They long to become part of a country that is “glorious and free.” UNHCR/M. Maguire

Please prayerfully consider hosting one of them individually, or as a congregation...

…and touch the lives of a few people in a big way.

For more information, call Or visit us online: Photo by Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance