In the fall of 2022, a man named Simon visited our church for our Sunday morning service.
Visiting a church can be a daunting experience, especially for Simon, who speaks very little English. However, over the next few months we learned a lot about Simon through different ways of communicating, which included speaking some French with our pastor, and translating sermons and resources for him.
Simon is originally from the Republic of the Congo in Central Africa, and he eventually made it to the United States with refugee status. The United States has been home to him for several years, but learning more about his story opened our eyes to the difficult things that people go through all around the world.
Several months after Simon first visited our church, he became a member of our church, which was a very special moment for him and our church.
A couple of months ago, we received a message from Simon and a case worker from an agency which helps refugees make their way to the United States. The case worker informed us that Simon’s daughter, and his three grandsons were still refugees in Africa. That was sad to hear, especially since Simon hasn’t seen them in about a decade. The good news, however, was that they were eligible to begin the process of immigrating to the United States as refugees. The only thing that kept that process from beginning was the cost, which was going to be about $10,000.
We immediately started to plan a fundraising dinner for Simon and his family. Simon’s son, who also lives close to our church, organized a traditional African meal.
The fundraising event was amazing. Great food, an awesome time of fellowship, and a very special presentation outlining Simon and his family’s story.
Before the night was over, the entire cost, and then some, was covered through offerings.
It was an incredible moment for Simon, his family, and our church community.
It also showed our church what can happen when you open your understanding of what it means to care for people, and welcome them into the family.
We can’t wait to see Simon and his family reunited, and continue to care for them.
Rev. Wayne Otten currently serves as the Senior Pastor at Unity Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, but has lived in the United States for almost 10 years. His own experience with immigration has made him passionate about immigration and refugee care for others.