A Refugee Update

When the boat people came to Australia from the year 2000 some of them were just teenagers who had escaped great trauma and were without any family support. Our St Matthew's Refugee Support Group has been involved in caring for many of these and I would like to tell you good news stories of some of these resilient young people who have battled to make good.

There is Nasreen an Afghan teenage girl who came with little schooling. Her family was welcomed by us to Barnacle House. After 6 years she is now doing TEE at Mercedes and is vice-chairman of her debating team. She's got a part time job as a check-out chick and her family are now all citizens, and buying their own home

One of our young people we cared for at Lakeside and who had had to flee from Iran as a university student, is now doing his Masters in Graphic Art and Design.

One of our first Lakeside boys was only 16. He has now set up home in Clarkson, having brought out his orphan cousin and sister and his wife betrothed from the age of 11, and he provides for them working as a tiler.

A specially heartening story concerns a Columbian couple Gustavo and Claudia who received their citizenship last month. They were on bridging visas for six years while their case went right up to the full bench of the Federal Court. After yet another year, they received their permanent visa. They both had been petroleum engineers and they are now both working back in their own field. Their little daughter Valentina is at school and facing a bright future.

Another young man, Arif, was also at Lakeside in our first group. He finally decided to leave Islam and became a Catholic Christian. He was able to bring his family out to join him. They are doing well at school and his wife is in her second year of nursing.

We have heard some good stories. There are also the sad ones of singles and families still on bridging visas with no work rights, no medicare, and who have to be totally supported financially and emotionally by CARAD. This costs CARAD about $10,000 per month and until their cases are finalised they cannot move forward in their lives. These families and singles are highly stressed and need a lot of patient care and love. Michelle Fleay in our congregation is now treasurer of CARAD. You can ask her how she worries over our finances stretching to help these vulnerable people.

Pray for all those who work tirelessly in CARAD to care for such as these..

Gwenyth Graham