After 3 years of praying for peace in Syria, the Saturday night congregation at Varsity Bible Church wondered what else they might be able to do. By the winter of 2014, pastor Rinus Janson and some others in the congregation began conversations through a connection they had with the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada. By Spring of 2015, the Saturday night congregation chose to pursue refugee sponsorship.
On February 11, 2016 they welcomed Walid and Kefayat along with their 3 children at Calgary International Airport. The family, originally from Aleppo, fled to Beirut in August of 2014.
We have had probably the best experience I could have imagined.
The Sijarzi's (Walid, Kefaya and three kids) are a delightful family that have worked hard at settling into a new land and culture.