A Message from our ED
Living with the now and not yet…
My dwelling place is now with you.
I will wipe every tear from your eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.
Adapted from Revelation 21:3-4 (NIVUK)
As we live in this interim time, the Kingdom of God to come is our future hope. It is a day when the Scriptures tell us that “all things will be made new”.
But much of our life is spent in the in-between time, between our current reality and anticipated future. For some, it is wondering if they will find a job, or if poor health or a difficult living situation will be resolved. For the 100 million forcibly displaced in our world today, it is living far from home with little control over an uncertain future. Many people call refugee camps “home” for decades, and then there are the hundreds of thousands of children born in the camps – born right into that in-between place. The world has not offered any durable solutions to these people. Less than 1% are resettled into countries such as Canada, the US or Europe.
Opportunities to settle and integrate within the host country are few, mainly because the overwhelming majority, over 80%, are hosted in developing nations with fragile economies. And so, people are stuck.
And the places where they are stuck are often arid, remote and undesirable tracts of land, where there is a shortage of food, water and firewood. Camps swell as people raise their families there, and as conflict zones continue to drive new people out of their homelands. Schools are overcrowded -think 100+ students in a classroom- and diseases such as malaria and cholera plague camp residents who live in constant toxic stress and uncertainty.
It is little wonder that there is a crisis of hope among the people there.
And that is why IAFR is partnering with refugee churches. These faith communities play an absolutely critical role in keeping hope alive. But it isn't easy. And yet.
Into these forlorn places we have seen hope in action. We’ve witnessed individuals and families restored through good trauma counseling, or the healthy way community fosters belonging. We’ve seen very practical ways the refugee church is helping people recover from forced displacement in very tenuous now-and-not-yet places of exile.
And so, together with these churches, we trust, we hope and we pray in the way that Jesus taught us to pray:
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. (Matt. 6:10)
Laura Dobrowolski, Executive Director, IAFR Canada
My dwelling place is now with you.
I will wipe every tear from your eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.
Adapted from Revelation 21:3-4 (NIVUK)
As we live in this interim time, the Kingdom of God to come is our future hope. It is a day when the Scriptures tell us that “all things will be made new”.
But much of our life is spent in the in-between time, between our current reality and anticipated future. For some, it is wondering if they will find a job, or if poor health or a difficult living situation will be resolved. For the 100 million forcibly displaced in our world today, it is living far from home with little control over an uncertain future. Many people call refugee camps “home” for decades, and then there are the hundreds of thousands of children born in the camps – born right into that in-between place. The world has not offered any durable solutions to these people. Less than 1% are resettled into countries such as Canada, the US or Europe.
Opportunities to settle and integrate within the host country are few, mainly because the overwhelming majority, over 80%, are hosted in developing nations with fragile economies. And so, people are stuck.
And the places where they are stuck are often arid, remote and undesirable tracts of land, where there is a shortage of food, water and firewood. Camps swell as people raise their families there, and as conflict zones continue to drive new people out of their homelands. Schools are overcrowded -think 100+ students in a classroom- and diseases such as malaria and cholera plague camp residents who live in constant toxic stress and uncertainty.
It is little wonder that there is a crisis of hope among the people there.
And that is why IAFR is partnering with refugee churches. These faith communities play an absolutely critical role in keeping hope alive. But it isn't easy. And yet.
Into these forlorn places we have seen hope in action. We’ve witnessed individuals and families restored through good trauma counseling, or the healthy way community fosters belonging. We’ve seen very practical ways the refugee church is helping people recover from forced displacement in very tenuous now-and-not-yet places of exile.
And so, together with these churches, we trust, we hope and we pray in the way that Jesus taught us to pray:
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. (Matt. 6:10)
Laura Dobrowolski, Executive Director, IAFR Canada
IAFR Canada has team members serving in Winnipeg, Kitchener, Hamilton, Caledon, Saint-Georges and Toronto.
Our global work through partnerships and personnel includes Uganda, Malawi, Lebanon, Greece and Iraq.
Today we’re taking you to Uganda and Peterborough, Ontario
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Uganda: The Potter's House
We are thrilled with the progress of the development of I Live Again Uganda’s (ILA) very first facilities at The Potter’s House! This 30-acre property is in northern Uganda. IAFR Canada is partnering with ILA on this new retreat centre, where leaders and caregivers from around the world will be trained in ILA’s innovative and highly impactful approach to trauma training. Forcibly Displaced People will spend time here, participating in healing and a wide range of therapies. Everyone who comes will experience a place of rest. In 2022, the site was cleared, and road networks have been developed. So far, in 2023, the football/soccer field, a security house and a meeting structure are all nearing completion. Programs will begin with the surrounding community as soon as possible, while further development continues in other parts of the site. Here is their Executive Director, Benson, sharing some of the progress being made on developing this site! |
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CANADA: A Refugee-Friendly Landlord
From Brian Jose, IAFR Canada Board Member
“It’s done, Brian. The funding is there. When will it be available?”
I went silent. I had called Sandra Ryan, Global Mission Pastor at The Peoples Church, to ask advice on raising money for asylum claimant housing. In less than 10 seconds, I had marching orders.
The Peoples Church had been given a grant and had been asking God for a “refugee-friendly landlord” — often the biggest barrier to getting started — and a suitable house outside the expensive Toronto urban concentration. Sandra had done this before. She didn’t need to wonder if this was an answer to the prayers of many.
From Brian Jose, IAFR Canada Board Member
“It’s done, Brian. The funding is there. When will it be available?”
I went silent. I had called Sandra Ryan, Global Mission Pastor at The Peoples Church, to ask advice on raising money for asylum claimant housing. In less than 10 seconds, I had marching orders.
The Peoples Church had been given a grant and had been asking God for a “refugee-friendly landlord” — often the biggest barrier to getting started — and a suitable house outside the expensive Toronto urban concentration. Sandra had done this before. She didn’t need to wonder if this was an answer to the prayers of many.
Four of us — two couples ‘of a certain age’ — had been kicking around ideas about converting our retirement fund (a rough and ready rental property for students in Peterborough) into a safe and comfortable first-stop housing space for refugee claimants. Between us we had experience, passion and a Biblical conviction that God’s people ought to be an active and intentional blessing to “the stranger in the land.” (Leviticus 19:33-34 and, well, all over the Bible)
So, when God suddenly dropped the means in our laps, we kicked into action. This house had never been a palace and three years of renting to students had left its mark. Every room needed work.
Between our personal relationships, and volunteers drummed up by IAFR and The Peoples Church - some of them with lived refugee experience themselves - we gave the house a makeover: dozens of litres of filler and paint, refurbishing the kitchen, fitting out a new laundry area (which now doubles as the office), flooring, lighting, replastering a collapsed ceiling, landscaping and much, much more. My knees haven’t recovered 11 months later. Just at the point where it all seemed completely overwhelming, a church sent a financial gift so we could hire some expertise. We did three months’ work in about 3 weeks.
So, when God suddenly dropped the means in our laps, we kicked into action. This house had never been a palace and three years of renting to students had left its mark. Every room needed work.
Between our personal relationships, and volunteers drummed up by IAFR and The Peoples Church - some of them with lived refugee experience themselves - we gave the house a makeover: dozens of litres of filler and paint, refurbishing the kitchen, fitting out a new laundry area (which now doubles as the office), flooring, lighting, replastering a collapsed ceiling, landscaping and much, much more. My knees haven’t recovered 11 months later. Just at the point where it all seemed completely overwhelming, a church sent a financial gift so we could hire some expertise. We did three months’ work in about 3 weeks.
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Then came the first guests — 11 people (including two families) from three countries, in four bedrooms, with a shared kitchen.
Helen Reader, the Settlement Coordinator, eases the adjustments and helps residents navigate what can be bewildering hurdles. As one recent guest shared, “Selah House helps in so many ways, not only with the shelter, but with information and support on everything we need to do- from making an appointment for the New Canadians Centre, to making a doctor appointment for my son, as well as being safe in a home and everything supportive, including supplies for the house. It makes me feel at peace while I wait for my refugee application to be approved. You make this difficult process easier for all of us." |
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Selah House is no longer the project of two couples and one church, though. Local churches provide hospitality, advice, friendship, furnishings, and housewares for those moving out and setting up their own homes, Bible studies and language help. Because of the dynamics of home-based accommodation and the ethos of caring, Selah House gives stronger community and high-touch care for far less than half of the cost of refugee claimants housed in government-funded institutional settings.
Everybody wins.
"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land... you shall love him as yourself."
Everybody wins.
"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land... you shall love him as yourself."
Why Wouldn’t I?
Colleen Howat is a Friend of Refugees who has heard these stories firsthand from new friends at The Peoples House.
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So many people are being forced to leave their homes, their families, their language, their foods, their schools, their familiar faces, their hopes and dreams. This could be due to war, persecution and more.
When I heard about this, my heart broke. What next? Where do they go? How will they live? Well, I have seen firsthand the way IAFR answers those questions. Why wouldn’t I want to donate to a place like IAFR where they demonstrate the love of God so practically and personally! It’s what I’d want if I had to leave my precious home! |
You can help people survive and recover
from forced displacement
in the tumultuous days, months and years ahead
by becoming a Friend of Refugees today.
Financial Report
Statements, revenue and expenses are for fiscal year 2021:
Jan 1, 2022- Dec 31, 2022
Financial report audited by James Herzog, CPA, CA, LPA
For a more detailed statement, please email us.
Jan 1, 2022- Dec 31, 2022
Financial report audited by James Herzog, CPA, CA, LPA
For a more detailed statement, please email us.
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