“Their little parish, although it’s so tiny, has done such wonderful work.”

Elizabeth Mabie
Spur Ottawa Correspondent

For over a year and a half Canadians have been working to bring Syrian refugees into Canada and to help them begin a new life. Efforts in the big cities receive most of the media attention, but small towns are doing their part, as well.

The congregation of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, in Kemptville, was eager to support Syrian refugees partially because of their deep love for their pastor, Samer Kandalaft, a native of Homs, Syria.

“We came to Canada 10 years ago,” says Kandalaft. “When this problem happened in Syria, people started thinking about how we could help people who are losing their homes or going to other countries and becoming refugees.”

Soon after the church discussed this, the government announced their refugee initiative. Although St. Paul’s was already sending funds to help refugees in the Middle East, they wanted to do more.

“When the door opened to bring families here, we said that we would bring one or two families to settle in Canada,” explains Kandalaft.

Because the congregation is small, they partnered with St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, in Ottawa, and brought over a refugee family a year and a half ago.

Through their combined efforts, these churches were able to sponsor two families.

While Kandalaft and his Persian wife did not come to Canada as refugees, they understand the struggles new arrivals face.

Aside from their church’s refugee efforts, the Kandalafts are involved with the Presbytery of Seaway-Glengarry’s refugee endeavors and other refugee-support work in Kemptville.

The Presbytery consists of 23 churches. Through their combined efforts, these churches were able to sponsor two families. One family arrived this past July, settling in Kemptville. The other family has yet to arrive.

Waiting for a sponsored family’s arrival is difficult and sometimes expensive. It is a familiar frustration for many sponsoring congregations, including Kemptville Christian Reformed Church. They have already settled one family, but are still waiting for their next family to get permission to come to Canada. They are told it may take over a year before the family arrives.

Pastor Ken Gehrels says their first family is almost ready to support themselves.

“It’s out of our Christian faith to help people in need.”

“They’re going to fledge from the nest, so to speak. Things have gone well.” Speaking of the second family they hope to bring over, he says, “For the next while we’re in a holding pattern.”

Despite the struggle, Gehrels and the rest of the congregation know that God will provide. They have seen it through the work at Kandalaft’s church.

“Their little parish, although it’s so tiny, has done such wonderful work,” says Gehrels.

“It’s out of our Christian faith to help people in need—people who are seeking shelter—because we know of the situation in Syria,” explains Kandalaft. “They lost everything. So when they come here they need someone to be around them, to let them feel that we love them and that they can start again.”

“Jesus said, ‘Welcome the stranger and take care of the outcast,’” explains Gehrels. “That’s been the driving motive for us.”