Pastor Lawrence Nyarko of Alderwood Church which held a pot luck dinner to talk about their refugee sponsorship campaign. Staff photos.
Members of the Alderwood Church are trying to give a better life in Canada to a man who has been living in a refugee camp in Indonesia for a decade.
More than 100 members of the Delma Drive Church held a potluck dinner October 4 to heighten awareness of its refugee sponsorship program.
The church has filed papers with Immigratioin, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to sponsor an Afghanistan man who fled to Indonesia and has been living in a refugee camp there for about 10 years.
Ibrahim Nasiri, 34, who has been recognized by the United Nations as a refugee, will be the fourth refugee sponsored by the congregation, said Pastor Lawrence Nyarko.
The church has conducted all the paperwork to try and get refugee Ibrahim Nasiri to Canada.
“Ibrahim’s journey is a testament to his strength and perseverance in the face of adversity,” he said. “His story is one of resilience, adaptability and the enduring human spirit.”
On this day, members of the congregation brought in home-made foods which filled a long table that was billed as ‘a potluck culinary delight’ that was enjoyed by all.
Nyarko said the church had been waiting for almost three years for a decision by immigration officials to approve Nasiri’s asylum claim for Canada.
Church member Allan Petrie said Nasiri’s father and his brother were killed by Taliban linked groups in his homeland. He said he faces persecution in his native Afghanistan due to religion issues.
Pastor Lawrence Nyarko with church members working on the refugee file.
“We already have a place for him to stay when he arrives,” Petrie said. “We are looking forward to welcoming him.”
A church flyer said ‘Ibrahim is resilient and has navigated the challenging circumstances of being a refugee.’
He survives in the camp by performing construction work and repairing bicycles, which are a primary mode of transportation.
The church earlier held a food drive and pumpkin giveaway for members in the parking lot.