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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