One down, three to go!

The community of James Bay has been, and continues to be powerfully generous in financially supporting our prayers for Ahmad’s arrival.  We are almost there financially, and with another couple of thousand dollars, we will be able to breathe at least one sigh of relief. That piece will be over.

In the meantime, the waiting for Ahmad is becoming increasingly painful for all of us, and very particularly for Leyla and Ahmad.   We were originally told it would be likely two years from the date of our application to sponsor Ahmad before he would arrive in Canada, making it March 2021 before we would make that heart thumping drive to the airport to welcome him to Victoria.   

Ahmad was interviewed three months after our application was submitted and approved on the spot ("your wife will need a bigger bed! were the parting words of the interviewer), and that led us all to believe his arrival would be expedited as well. That could still be true, but it is also possible it will indeed be two years before we see him in person. There are at least three, perhaps four more hurdles to cross before that happens – security check, criminal check, medical check and an exit visa that would allow him to leave Iraq.  Ahmad has had his medical check, and one out of four may not sound like much, but it is a step on the way, and we are encouraged.

I know many of you are praying for Ahmad and Leyla.  Please don’t stop.

Aleksa and Judy
For the James Bay  Refugee Initiative