The first thing that struck Elisha, 18, when she first arrived in the Cowichan Valley on Nov. 9 was its natural beauty B次元官网网址� and how cold it is here at this time of year.

Elisha is part of the five-member Azhar family from Pakistan that was finally allowed to emigrate to Canada after more than four years of hard bureaucratic work and fundraising by the Mill Bay Baptist Fellowship Church, which spearheaded the long campaign to bring them here.

The Azhar family was forced to flee their native Pakistan and headed to Thailand where they became refugees a number of years ago due to threats from Muslim militants in their home country.

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B次元官网网址淚t was really crowded in Thailand so we found the Cowichan Valley to be much less populated and more open,B次元官网网址� Elisha said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e also finding the people here are very friendly, and weB次元官网网址檝e had a lot of help getting settled. ItB次元官网网址檚 really beautiful here in many ways.B次元官网网址�

The Azhar family, who attended PakistanB次元官网网址檚 Lighthouse Pentecostal Church, was forced to flee the country because they hid their pastor, Sarfraz Sagar, in their home due to fear for SagarB次元官网网址檚 life from Muslim militants.

The pastor was able to flee to Thailand before being captured by the group, but when Azhar Javed (the father) became aware that he and his family had also been targeted by the militant group for hiding Sagar, the family fled to Thailand as well before they were captured.

But their visitorsB次元官网网址� visa eventually expired and Azhar had been detained by Thai authorities for more than three years in BangkokB次元官网网址檚 decrepit and overcrowded immigration detention centres before finally being freed after the Mill Bay church and another church in Pakistan raised money for bail.

Immigration Canada turned down the familyB次元官网网址檚 application to emigrate here last year after the government agency determined that a proper risk assessment of the case was not made.

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But the Mill Bay church and its supporters hired a lawyer to appeal Immigration CanadaB次元官网网址檚 decision, and the lawyer was successful, so the family finally received the green light to come to the Cowichan Valley last month.

Most of the family already speak English well, particularly the kids B次元官网网址� Elisha, Eshaan and Arish B次元官网网址� which they largely attribute to watching Western cartoons and playing online games.

Elisha said knowing English will be a big help when she and her siblings finally begin attending school regularly again.

They are in the process of completing assessment testing at Duncan Christian School, which they hope to attend in January.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e already made some friends in the (Mill Bay Baptist Fellowship) church community, and hope we make more when school starts,B次元官网网址� Elisha said.

The family has been staying with a member of the church in Cobble Hill since they arrived, and will soon move into a three-bedroom townhouse in Duncan that is being prepared for them.

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Azhar Javed has an MBA in business administration, and his wife Asyia is a nurse, so itB次元官网网址檚 expected they will soon get jobs once the family is more settled.

In the meantime, Azhar said he is looking forward to celebrating Christmas with church members, including the annual Christmas candlelight service that will be held this Sunday (Dec. 17).

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e very appreciative of what everyone here has done for us,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚 was in a detention centre for 39 months and the Mill Bay Baptist Fellowship Church bailed me out, and they also helped pay the medical bills when I had a stroke last March, on top of all the work and fundraising they did to bring us here. It was really great of them. IB次元官网网址檝e never seen such a giving attitude anywhere else before.B次元官网网址�

Azhar said the greatest thing about Canada and the Cowichan Valley is the amount of freedom we have.

He said there is no religious freedom in Pakistan and there was no freedom for the family in Thailand without the proper documentation.

B次元官网网址淣ow we have all the legal documents and weB次元官网网址檙e surrounded by good people,B次元官网网址� Azhar said.

B次元官网网址淚 really love that.B次元官网网址�

Pastor Jon Emanuel, from Mill Bay Baptist Fellowship Church, said more than $30,000 was raised through fundraisers and donations to bring the Azhar family to the Cowichan Valley, with a significant amount of that going to legal and medical bills.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e still trying to raise up to $13,000 more, so weB次元官网网址檒l be holding more fundraisers,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚 hope we never stop helping families like this. Our church is known for sponsoring refugees. ItB次元官网网址檚 part of our culture and DNA.B次元官网网址�