Most of Aitifa's family was left behind in Eritrea, including her youngest sister, who has been in jail for five years, incarcerated due to her faith. Aitifa's husband arrived at Welcome Home at the beginning of December, reunited with his wife just in time for the arrival of their first child.
Sharon Schmidt, Program Director at Welcome Home, says the baby's birth will require some extra adjustment for the couple, beyond what most new parents experience. "Because they have been separated for almost all of Aitifa's pregnancy, he hasn't seen her grow, he hasn't seen or felt the baby kick, and all of a sudden he will be here and there will be a baby!"
Added to the challenge of their geographical separation is a difference in living arrangements between Eritrean custom, where the husband doesn't stay in the same room as the mother for the first three months after the baby is born, and Welcome Home, where the entire family will be sharing one small room. Please pray for all those involved as their African traditions collide with their Western reality.
The arrival of Aitifa's husband and baby will allow them to celebrate their first Canadian Christmas as a family, participating in the various Welcome Home activities designed to provide opportunities to share Jesus with each refugee. Sharon says:
"One of the biggest events is our annual Christmas dinner, where we invite every refugee who has lived at Welcome Home since it opened seven years ago. It introduces refugees who arrived 6-7 years ago to refugees who arrived 6-7 months ago, giving them the opportunity to see that there can be progress and that life can get better after the initial shock and trauma of arriving in Canada. We also host a Breakfast with Santa, where we share some Canadian Christmas traditions, and then we talk about the real meaning of Christmas and tell the Jesus story. We have gifts for each refugee, donated by one of our church partners, and then we do family photos with Santa that our friends can send to family back home."
Your gift this Christmas can share Jesus' love with refugees like Aitifa and her family by helping them to successfully transition to life in Canada. Please consider purchasing one of the unique items in support of Welcome Home from the 2011 International Teams Christmas Catalogue.
*Name changed to protect her family
