Pastor Kassa Lemma

"A few more months and my family will be back in my arms", Pastor Kassa of Rehoboth Evangelical Church joyously exclaims in September 2009.

Five years ago Kassa Lemma was deported from the US into Canada and separated from his loving wife and family.  Kassa arrived in the U.S. in 2000; his wife and children joined him two years later. Their reunion was short lived as Kassa was deported to Canada and his wife back home along with their children to Ethiopia in 2004. Kassa arrived in Toronto, Canada on July 8, 2004 with refugee status and stayed in a refugee shelter for three months upon arrival.

Kassa helped plant Rehoboth Evangelical Church with the help of his colleague Ezra Mulu, a dream that came to fruition in 2005. His vision was to help refugees like himself find a place to worship together. He and Ezra grew their congregation, appealing to people on the streets and subways. In the spring of 2008 Rehoboth Evangelical Church was accepted as an "emerging congregation" in MCEC. Brian Bauman, MCEC Mission Minister, continues to help this church to build relationships with the Mennonite world.

Today, Kassa is lead pastor at Rehoboth Evangelical Church where he continues to serve the Lord while awaiting the final approval on his family's visa. Kassa is hoping it will be merely months and that this Christmas he will be able to embrace his wife, and two children, now 15 and 9 years of age, for the first time in five years.

May God be with Pastor Kassa as he awaits his family's long awaited reunification.