With just over two day’s notice, Westwood Church learned Prince George would be welcoming its first Syrian family Thursday evening.
“Are we ready?” said Pastor Mark Wessner with a laugh.
“We think we are, we’ve been waiting for it and it’s one of those, ‘Okay it’s coming right now,’ and with very little notice.”
On Tuesday evening, they learned the five refugees – including two parents with their two sons and a daughter between the ages of 18 and 23 – would arrive Thursday just after midnight.
It will be a long day for the family, who have sought refuge in Lebanon since 2013, and will be flying into Toronto, then Vancouver before the final stop in Prince George.
Wessner will be there, alongside the church’s six-person organizing committee and any church members willing to wake up or stay up.
When the family steps off the plane, Wessner wants the overwhelming experience to be as easy as possible.
“We’ll welcome them, I’m sure (we’ll) give them hugs,” he said.
“We want it to be as comfortable as it can be for that first impression because we’re committed to this for the long haul.”
“Even though we don’t really know each other, we want to recognize we can still be family… We’re not here to save the day They’re coming to Canada to be a part of our family and we want to be a part of their family.”
There will even be some familiar faces for the newcomers since one organizer has had several Skype sessions with the family as they waited in Lebanon.
The family can speak English, with various levels of fluency and is from a town near the Mediterranean coast of Syria.
The church learned in December that the family had been approved and could come any day.
“(The family) didn’t have much to do other than wait,” after that, Wessner said.
“But what we’ve done is really turned it into high gear in terms of getting a place ready for them.
An apartment has been prepared full of furniture and food for their imminent arrival.
“Suddenly we’re buying groceries and the things that really need to be here as soon as they arrive,” said Wessner, adding the committee has tried to be sensitive to different diets.
“What we in Prince George may think are the staples may not be the same thing that someone from Syria (would want).”
When they arrive, the family will find fava beans, flatbread and different spices, said Ryan Beer, who works at the church and has been helping with the organizing committee.
“When you’re coming into a culture and a country that’s completely unfamiliar with you, it’s nice to have some things that makes you feel like you’re at home,” said Beer, adding the website syriancooking.com was a great resource.
The last few weeks have been a rush of activity, but Wessner said the project has been something the whole church embraced regardless of age.
“Our heads are spinning here just trying to get all this ready, but it’s exciting.”
