Immigration: In a new land

Immigrants and refugees from around the world come to Canada and the United States to begin their lives in a new land. Yiriam Moyano, a refugee from Colombia, and her two children Lina (foreground) and David visit the home of Alice Unrau and her husband Erwin. The family was sponsored by Foothills Mennonite Church in Calgary, Alberta.   MCC Alberta works with refugee asistance and sponsorship.

Orlando Vasquez, left, MCC Alberta refugee sponsorship coordinator in Edmonton, Alberta talks with Sergio Diaz , middle, and Raphael Nino, right, at the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers. Read more [5] about refugees in Canada.

Colombian refugees Amalia and Roberto Gomez, with their daughter Loren and son Robert, found a new life and ministry in Saskatchewan where they dedicate themselves to serving the growing population of refugees from Colombia. They came to Canada through MCC's refugee assistance program in 2006. Their story is highlighted in the January/February 2009 issue of A Common Place [8] magazine.

Pedro Gonzalez, an MCC Central States worker in Houston, Texas, immigrated from Mexico to the United States. In May of 2007 he participated in the Migrant Trail, a 75-mile walk that retraces the steps many immigrants take through the desert near Tuscon, Ariz.

On a portion of the Migrant Trail, Pedro Gonzalez wore the shoes he had on when he crossed the border into the United States from Mexico years earlier. Read [13] his first person account.

Migrant Trail participants begin their day at 4 a.m. The walk covered 75 miles from Mexico to Arizona and lasted for 6 days. Many participants carried crosses to remember those who have died trying to walk through this dangerous terrain. MCC is a sponsor of the Migrant Trail Walk.

Migrant Trail participants lay their crosses down at the end of the walk in Arizona. Read more [18] about the walk and MCC efforts to advocate for immigrants.

Charity Ayiam prays during a Wednesday night Bible study at Los Angeles Faith Chapel, a Mennonite congregation in Los Angeles. Pastor Robert Okereke is in white. Many people in the church have immigrated to the United States from countries in Africa. MCC church community worker Mukarabe Makinto-Inandava attends the church with her family.

From left, Doris Itodo, Grace Pam and Gabriela Eluwa sing during praise and worship at Los Angeles Faith Chapel, a Mennonite congretation in Los Angeles. MCC church community worker Mukarabe Makinto-Inandava attends the church with her family.

Grace Eluwa, left, and Ebere Anakwemze greet one another at Los Angeles (Calif.) Faith Chapel. The church reaches out to immigrants by providing food and sometimes temporary housing. MCC church community worker Mukarabe Makinto-Inandava attends the church with her family.

Miriam Cardenas, West Coast MCC immigration program coordinator, leads an immigration training at Family Mennonite Church in Los Angeles. Read more [27] about her work.

Wie Ien, right, who fled from Indonesia to the United States, was welcomed by Gereja Kristus Injili, a Mennonite church in Ponoma, Calif. Ien has found support and healing in the congregation and also met her husband, Andreas Thio, there. Ien's story is highlighted in the January/February 2009 issue of A Common Place magazine.