When Yohana Piter Suleman stepped off the airplane in Winnipeg on Nov. 20, 2024, she was met with an unexpected welcome – her first Canadian snowstorm. The biting cold and the endless expanse of white were nothing like the home she had left behind.
She was also surprised by the community she would now call home.
“I expected a big, big city – and Carman is very little,” she said. “It is very different from what I expected. Snow was a big surprise, and it is cold. Back home, they know only ice. They have no idea what snow would even look like. If there was a word in Kunama, it would be ‘White Ice.’”
At 30 years old, Yohana is now building a new life in Canada, far from her hometown of Barentu, Eritrea, where she was raised in a large family with three brothers and five sisters. Her father, a driver for the Red Cross, passed away when she was 15, leaving her mother to provide for the family through small-scale farming. Their home was simple, with three bedrooms, a living space, and a kitchen with only two small windows covered with fabric.
“We always cooked soup outside over a fire, and we made enjera (bread) inside on another fire,” Yohana recalled.
Despite hardships, she remembers a happy childhood surrounded by family and friends. However, life changed dramatically after high school when she was required to complete a year of military service.
“I did not enjoy that,” she admitted. “I just wanted a safe life. A free life, to make a living, to help my family.”
Her search for safety led her on a perilous journey. Yohana fled Eritrea for Ethiopia, where she lived in a refugee camp. But even there, danger was never far away. War broke out, claiming the lives of friends and forcing her to flee once again. With the survival skills she had learned in military training, she and others walked for hours to reach safety. Eventually, she made it to Addis Ababa, where she lived in an apartment for four years while waiting for her sponsorship to be approved.
That sponsorship came from Friends Community Church in Carman, a small but dedicated group that had been working for years to help refugee families start anew in Canada. Their sponsorship ministry, known as Dream Ministry, had already helped Yohana’s sister, Rahel Piter Suleman, along with Rahel’s husband, Simon Nelson Agar, and their daughter, Amelia, come to Canada in 2017. Later, they helped bring Simon’s brother, Salama, in 2019. Now, in 2024, Yohana was finally joining them.
A Mission of Compassion
Marge Warkentin, a key member of the sponsorship team, still remembers the moment Dream Ministry was born. In 2016, moved by the global refugee crisis, a small group at Friends Community Church felt compelled to act.
“We were deeply moved by the plight of refugees, especially those from Syria,” said Warkentin. “We decided that we could do something. We could assist a family in beginning a new life in Canada.”
With guidance from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), they learned about the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) program, which allows the government to assist with finances. They applied to sponsor a family of three, raising $17,100 through church efforts and local supporters.
In July 2017, their first sponsored family – Simon, Rahel, and Amelia – arrived. It was a moment of joy, but also of responsibility.
“That was the end of one chapter of our ministry,” Warkentin reflected, “and the beginning of a new chapter of involvement.”
Recognizing the ongoing needs of the family, the church continued to support them. In 2018, they helped Simon and Rahel apply for Simon’s brother, Salama, and even hosted a fundraiser called “A Taste of Eritrea,” which raised over $10,000 in a single night to cover his sponsorship costs. By 2019, Salama had arrived.
When it came time to sponsor Yohana, the process proved much longer. “We submitted our application in January 2022, and for years, our church prayed for Yohana’s safety and for the approval of her sponsorship,” said Warkentin.
Finally, in November 2024, the moment they had all been waiting for arrived – Yohana landed in Canada.
A New Beginning
Now settling into her new life, Yohana is experiencing many firsts. Even simple activities like grocery shopping feel unfamiliar.
“Back home, when we went shopping, we would stand outside a window and tell the person selling things what we wanted. In a larger community, we would stand inside but behind a table to tell the person what we wanted. The shopper does not walk around and pick the items to buy,” she explained.
Technology and transportation have also been major adjustments.
“We did have a cell phone back home, but no computer or iPad. We did not have a car. We walked, rode bicycles, or used camels and donkeys.”
She is now working at True North and attending English classes at Regional Connections in Winkler. She is saving for a car, hoping to gain more independence. Most importantly, she feels safe.
“I feel safe here. I am happy to be with my family, to be in school, and to make money,” she said.
Still, there are things she misses about home – especially the warmth of family gatherings and Eritrean celebrations.
“Christmas is very different here. There, we visit more, we celebrate informally with friends and our church community.”
A Community of Support
While Friends Community Church is not currently sponsoring any new families, they remain committed to welcoming newcomers.
“Many have come through work permits and are now working toward permanent residency and reuniting with their families. Their presence in our congregation is a special gift from God,” Warkentin said.
Organizations like Regional Connections have been instrumental in helping newcomers settle. Each Tuesday, a Settlement Worker has an office at the Boyne Regional Library in Carman, helping with paperwork, answering questions, and running a Conversation Circle. Language classes in Winkler have also provided valuable support.
Warkentin is deeply grateful for the volunteers and donors who have helped make this ministry possible.
“We are grateful for everyone who has contributed to this ministry. At this time, we are not in need of further support.”
Getting to know Yohana and her family has been a profound blessing. “When Simon and Rahel arrived, they spoke some English and shared our faith, which made integration easier. They lived with us for their first month, and we got to know each other on many levels.”
Yohana, too, is adjusting well.
“She speaks English quite well and is gaining confidence through work, church, and language classes.”
Through these friendships, the church community has been enriched in unexpected ways.
“We’ve tasted new foods, learned about Eritrean culture, heard stories of life in refugee camps, and even picked up a few words and songs in Kunama. Most importantly, we’ve been encouraged by their faith and the way they live it out here in Canada. We are so blessed to call them friends,” said Warketin.
For Yohana, the journey to Canada was long and uncertain, but now, surrounded by family and a welcoming community, she is embracing her new beginning. And for Warkentin and the members of Friends Community Church, the joy of seeing Yohana thrive is a reminder of why they began this journey in the first place – to open their hearts, to help, and to welcome a stranger as a friend.
