fromtheretohere2015

So, I am really not a great blogger. Clearly it has been a while since I’ve written an update. My excuse? Nothing was happening … and now everything is! When I last wrote, we had been advised that the arrival of “our” family was imminent. They’d been cleared to travel and were, for some reason … Continue reading They’re Here!

We have a family on its way! (OK they’re not actually on a plane but soon, soon!) Just a few short days after being advised by our MP and our sponsorship agreement holder that the best case scenario would now see privately sponsored Syrian refugee families arriving in late 2016, early 2017, something, somehow happened … Continue reading Hello Family!

With the news that Canada has now welcomed the 25,000th government-sponsored Syrian refugee, we understand that the focus may shift to privately sponsored refugees, so we’re moving into a slightly higher gear of preparation. Chief among that is securing affordable housing. This is a delicate balance of considerations. We don’t know how big the family … Continue reading Hurry up and wait

I enjoyed a fun little undertaking this past week. I reached out to the owner of a Syrian cooking website: Ghinwa lives in the U.S. I can’t imagine what must be going through her mind as she considers the discourse, oh, who are we kidding here — fascist rantings — south of our border by … Continue reading Apples are تفاح

It’s been just over a week since the horror of the Paris attacks. My heart aches for the people of that beautiful, bright, vibrant city. May the people of Paris (and Mali and Brussels) rise to overcome this terrible wound with brave hearts. In the immediate aftermath of the Paris attacks, I began to read … Continue reading Paris

This September, I joined a neighbourhood group that plans to privately sponsor a Syrian refugee family. Our group is one of many across this country, intent on coming together to do our small part to give a desperate family a new life, new hope, new beginnings, in a new country. I’m feeling pretty fortunate to … Continue reading Leaving home to find it anew