A Refugee Fund Update

Over the last eighteen months our Refugee Sponsorship Team have been working hard to help to new families to Canada. We hope you have met our two couples or have heard them speak at Pacific. The two couples arrived last August and after getting somewhat settled they are now beginning to find work and to make things happen. It has been a privilege for us as a church to participate in this new lives. 

To make this all happen, required the generous support you provided--just over $33,000 with a goal to raise $40,000. Although we planned to support one family, two was the result.  That our team, led by Teun Schouten, has been able to keep within a tight budget, shows how hard our team worked. Each family has recieved a car, a home, and enough financial resources, in cooperation with the Federal Government, to sustain the first months of settlement for four adult people-and a puppy!

The Missional Team is encouraging you to see what you can do to top up our goal of $40,000 by raising $7000 over the next number of months. You can give directly to the Refugee Fund or you can give to the Missional Fund which provides funds for a number of key initiatives, including the refugee sponsorship. You can find out more information about both funds here.

BTW, we are making giving easier at Pacific. There are a number of ways you can give -- smartphone, online, offering plate, mail. Learn more.

The picture: The picture describes the process nicely, except that it is not totally private. We partner with the Government of Canada and we end up shariing about half the costs. It is a great program called the Blended Visa Office-Referred program (BVOR).