Good news: Your donations helped save our Palestinian family’s lives!

All 14 members of the immediate Al Astal family (parents, siblings, nieces and nephews) left Rafah and arrived safely in Egypt in mid-April. With funds donated by church members, friends and the community we were able to help Mustafa and Mahmoud, whose families we supported when they came to Canada in 2018, pay for their evacuation. Mustafa and his brother Mahmood used all their savings and also borrowed money from friends in Canada and other countries to raise the money. For 192 days, their immediate family members lived without electricity, without clean drinking water, with limited food that was very expensive, and without proper shelter, enduring harsh weather conditions, malnutrition, and the risk of infectious diseases. Their family members’ homes had been destroyed so they had nothing to sell to help them escape. Arranging and paying for their family to Egypt was done thru an Egyptian organisation, now well publicized on the media, who transported them thru all the check points and the border crossing for a fee of $5000 US per adult and $2500 for children under 16. Our group is concerned that because the two brothers have used all their savings their children here (6 in total under 10) will not be able to access “normal” Canadian activities such as soccer and swimming.

Mustafa and Mahmoud are so relieved their family is now safe and in a stable situation However prospects in Egypt are not good as the family, despite their qualifications and work experience, has no legal status and Egypt does not really want Palestinians there. Their joy is tempered by the fact that over 200 members of their extended family have been killed or are missing and also that the genocide in Gaza continues.

It was wonderful to have Mustafa and Mahmoud come to our church service on April 28 to tell their story. It was a very moving experience for them and for our congregation members to meet and talk together. It continues to amaze us that, because we trusted Mustafa and Mahmoud with donations to help pay for their family to escape, we were able to make a difference for people halfway around the world.

More Good News but more work to do: Mahmoud said that 5 of the 8 members of his wife Rozan’s immediate family just received word that they have temporary foreign visas to come to Canada. They applied thru the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada program that will allow 1000 Palestinians to come to Canada for 3 years. They hope that the 3 remaining family members will get visas and arrive soon. Rozan had to sign a statutory declaration saying she will support them for 3 years. Mahmoud said that as soon as the men’s feet hit the ground he will get them working for a landscaping company!

Afghan Families Update

In the year end write-up for 2023 I told the story of one of the young Afghan women we support who was scammed for $4000. After much fact checking, working through a translator and correspondence on our part we were able to convince RBC that she was the victim of a scam and not the perpetrator. She received a call from an unknown person in February saying that she was no longer under investigation. A group member has written twice to RBC to confirm this in writing but has received no response.

More family members of Wali, the father in our first Afghan family, have arrived in Canada, here because Wali worked for the Canadian military and is allowed to bring family members to Canada as permanent residents. His wife’s brother and his family plus her mother and sister arrived in November. The brother speaks good English and was a courtroom prosecutor in Kabul. He realized he could not continue in his field and decided to train as an electrician. When that course was filled he switched to train as a carpenter. His flexibility is impressive and will be a big help in enabling him and his family to settle in Canada.

Interested in our Work?

Contact us at office@mcdunited.com or read more on the McDougall website. We are 11 members of McDougall United, and Christ Moravian churches and the community. Since 2016 we have helped 8 families settle in Canada. Typically we socialize, act as advocates, provide transportation, tutor in ESL, advise regarding various government services and provide some financial support for food and other basics. We are truly blessed to live in Canada. As Christians, we are reminded of Jesus’ teaching, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”