A newcomer to Canada shares how one congregation’s enthusiastic welcome helped his family integrate into their new community

I was born in Kosovo (formerly Yugoslavia) and was raised as a Muslim. Due to the war in that country, my wife and I and our three children were forced to flee to Bosnia in 1998 with my two brothers and their families.
We ended up living in Bosnia for three years. During this time, we met a missionary from England who established a Christian church. We were invited to attend and, in due time, realized that we needed Christ as our Saviour. As a result, the Bible and prayer took on much more of a focus in our lives.

On December 5, 2001, my wife, Zenebina, and I, along with our three children, and my two brothers, Ruzdi and Enver, and their families, all immigrated to Canada. Given the choice of living in Toronto or Prince Albert, Sask., we chose the smaller city, thinking it would be much better for our children.

A Helping Hand
On arrival at the airport in Saskatoon, we immediately found the weather to be very cold with lots of snow on the ground. In Prince Albert, we were housed in a hotel for two weeks. Not being able to speak English, we found it difficult to order our meals, often using hand signals to determine our needs. Despite the challenges, we were happy to be in our new country and quickly discovered the friendliness of the Canadian people.

We were soon placed in a rented home and before long were able to secure furniture and other necessary items. Thankfully, we met David and Carolyn Hobden, The Salvation Army’s family services workers, as well as Captains Mike and Lee Anne Hoeft, who were then the corps officers at Prince Albert. These people were an answer to prayer and gave us much needed help and encouragement. They provided clothing, helped us buy groceries and made arrangements for visits to doctors and dentists.

Shortly afterwards, we began attending The Salvation Army Community Church in Prince Albert. The congregation there had been praying for new people to come, especially children. When the 20 of us arrived on their doorstep, they were overjoyed! I remember it well. It was a Christmas Eve service and, though we didn’t understand the language, the lighting of the candles and the singing of the beautiful carols struck a happy note in our hearts. Somehow at that moment we knew that The Salvation Army would become our church home.

Later that night, David Hobden, dressed as Santa Claus, secretly delivered parcels to our doors. He disappeared quickly, but we knew who had been responsible for this kind gesture and were most grateful.

First Canadian Christmas
Our first Christmas in Canada was quite different from what we had expected and unlike anything we had observed in Bosnia. Santa Claus, for instance, was a new feature, along with the hanging of stockings and the singing of new carols we had not heard before. It was evident that Jesus Christ was central in this Christmas celebration.

We were fascinated by the bright outdoor lights that adorned many homes, this not being a custom in our former land. We were also overjoyed to be invited to a Christmas dinner at the corps, which was another wonderful event. The children of all our families chose to wear their new clothes without coats. Somehow, despite the cold and the snow, we readily adapted to the Canadian climate.

With the passage of time and the help of local Salvationists, my brothers and I were eventually able to obtain our driver’s licences. The following Christmas we enjoyed ringing the bells on the Army kettles and, in a new language, saying a happy “God bless you” to those who made donations. In a wonderful way, the Lord provided for us many new Christian friends and helpers and, before long, each of our families welcomed new Canadian-born babies into our homes. I secured employment as a truck driver and caretaker at the Army’s centre, and both my brothers got jobs in different trades. All of us, including our children, have now become Canadian citizens, and last year, Habitat for Humanity built a beautiful new residence for our family, for which we are most grateful.

Canada has become our homeland, and we thank God for placing us here. This is a peaceful country and we enjoy Saskatchewan’s “big sky” and our wonderful surroundings. For me, the Gospel of John has become a source of great help and Peter is my favourite Bible character. We look forward to celebrating Christmas 2007.

Photo: Members of the Morava family enjoy a Canadian Christmas

by Vinet Morava, Prince Albert, Sask.

Reprinted from Salvationist, December 2007