he Lotshaka family in their new Canadian home. Parents: Rachael and Steve. Boys: Ben, 16, and Daniel, 14. Girls: Henritto, 11, Bernice, 9, Shekinah, 7, and Nancy, 2.
Late in November 2015, two weeks before the rush of Syrian refugees to Canada, a refugee family quietly arrived in Toronto from Namibia and was whisked off to the Niagara area. Thus a long story ended and a new one began.
In 2002, Odimba Lotshaka was working as a nursing director at Uvira State Hospital in Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The eastern DRC had been in a brutal civil war. Odimba’s Christian faith led him to treat all patients alike. But the rebels did not like him treating the government soldiers so they threatened his life. He escaped via Lake Tanganyika, fled to Zambia and finally to a UN refugee camp in Namibia. A year later his wife and two sons were able to follow and joined him there.
In 2010, the evangelism and mission committee of the Niagara presbytery was considering sponsoring a refugee family. Rev. Martin Wehrmann suggested we sponsor the Lotshakas to come to Canada.
This was accepted, a committee was formed, money was raised (about $35,000 in a year from 10 churches), and we were ready. We were warned it might take a few years.
Odimba’s English name is Steve and he had access to a computer with which he used to write to us in Canada.
Steve’s first language is Swahili, the second is French, which he learned in the Belgian Congo schools, and his third is English, which he learned while living in the refugee camp.
By now three daughters had joined his family. Steve’s letters were filled with his deep and abiding Christian faith, which never failed in supporting his belief that God was hearing his and our prayers for their departure. Sentences like this were in every letter he wrote: “Life’s challenges are still here but God is always making a way.” Or, “We have to be patient and always trust unto the Lord on everything—he is the Master of Time and Circumstances.”
Over the years of waiting, Steve told us about living conditions in the camp: “It is like a prison with little freedom to vary the routine, our house is made of soil and sticks, the sanitary facilities are poor with flies and the water is of poor quality. We are allotted some cooking oil, beans, maize meal, salt and cooking charcoal but the quantities are small for a large family. Rachel, my wife, has to cook outside but in the rainy season the smoke hurts her eyes. We are thankful that my brother in Christ lets me use his computer to write these letters and that the children are able to go to school in English taught by skilled refugee teachers.”
Finally after three years we heard that the office in Pretoria was sending agents to interview the family. After that there was another year or two while all the information was being checked. Rob Shropshire, the Presbyterian Church in Canada’s refugee coordinator, wrote a very reassuring letter of our continuing support. After many other checks were completed we could not understand why there were more delays. Everything was prepared for their arrival. I almost believe that our committee was more impatient than Steve.
Finally, on November 19, 2015 the family arrived—11 years after Steve’s escape from the DR Congo. They are living in a house in St. Catharines. When asked what they like about schools and life in Canada, Eben, the oldest son said, “math;” and Daniel said, “games!” For the girls, “I like to play in the snow;” and, “I built a snow man.” Nancy, the two-year-old never stops moving and talking to everyone. Rachel, their mother, when asked what she found surprising about Canada said after a long pause, “everything!”
The biggest improvement to be sure is the cooking stove. Steve is working hard to find a place where his nursing skills can be upgraded and in the meantime he is hoping to work as a volunteer at a nursing home. He continues to mention how important our support has been, both over the years and now when they are finally in their new home.
