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Give Glory to God

Hello Wai-Lam,


We’ve featured Cornerstone Oromo Christian Missions Centre a few times in past World Refugee Week campaigns. We again want to bring attention to their sacrificial commitment to sponsoring refugees. This church has submitted 45 sponsorship applications over seven years! Many from the church have lived the life of a refugee at one time, while others have relatives and friends seeking asylum in countries with little prospect of building a secure future. So this is personal to some of them.


Members in the congregation have committed to opening their home up to refugees, living in community together and helping the newcomer get acquainted with Canadian culture while building relationship and a support network. Some refugees who come are family. Others are hardly known to them. And, amazingly, each cosponsor is financially invested, having set aside savings of their own to provide for the sponsorship cost. What a beautiful model of sacrificial giving – it truly is all encompassing.

 

In my interviews this week, I learned that not long ago, Cornerstone baptized 11 people. The team lived out their faith before these newcomers – shining their light – resulting in transformed lives.

 

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” — Matt. 5:16 ESV

 

May God be honoured by the people of Cornerstone who live out the gospel as they interact and serve in His name.

for the World Partners Team

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Sacrificial Living

Badane came to Canada in November 2021. He came on his own, having left his wife and three kids back in the country he fled from. A cosponsor shared his home with Badane and the church rallied around him to help get him established. He was able to find a job within two months of arriving, with help from church members. “Church helped with writing a resume, just helping me by everything. Even I’m not at the church, but they just advising me, teaching me about this culture. Everything. They’re supporting me very well.” And this was during Covid, so there were some hurdles to cross.

 

Badane says, “I’m very happy because they take care of me very well. For this country, I’m new. Because of that I brought even my family here.… Even now, I have plan to help. If I get the chance, I can sponsor, I can help that people. Because I’m on good condition. I’m helping myself. I’m supporting my family. You know, before when I’m in Uganda, sometimes I can sleep without eating. You know, Africa-life is very difficult.… I have plan to help another person. Which one, I don’t know. There’s many people I see in Uganda.... I have plan to help that people if I get the chance.”


Solomon arrived in Canada a week before the pandemic shut down the country in March 2020. He and his wife were welcomed into his auntie’s home. Church members immediately helped with setting up a bank account, visiting a settlement services office and looking for job opportunities. But the following week, the country shut down.


Of his auntie, Solomon says, “It’s not just a blood relationship with us. It is her heart to help us. … She’s treating us well, even my wife. My wife was pregnant when we [stayed] with her. [In the first] year, we are still not much here in Canada to know everything but we started work. [My wife and I] we started the same day [at Amazon]. We came in March, we started in May. After two months we became permanent workers, both of us. That [first] year, we need driving and a lot of things, right? So she supported us in financial things, even transporting us. She’s the one transporting us, taking us to the work, for months. She’s driving us, then going to her work, then she come in evening time… So we [drove together] for four months. After four months, we tried to work hard, me and my wife. We tried to understand money. Then we bought a car.”


Solomon speaks highly of the church family and has grown in His relationship with God through these disciple-like relationships. “Still today they are encouraging us.”

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