An asylum seeker says her faith has been lifted after attending the URC’s Holiday Forum.
In August, North Western Synod, the Discipleship Development Fund and local churches enabled 17 asylum seekers and refugees to attend the forum.
Their presence enriched the gathering, and for some, the experience was profoundly life changing.
One attendee, Mama Maria, wrote to the Synod to express her gratitude. The letter was especially poignant after Mama spent years feeling rejected within Christian communities. She arrived at the holiday forum spiritually exhausted and full of questions. But her experience there transformed her outlook.
“My faith had been tested very badly so that I was dripping away spiritually. I was feeling lost, confused and with no answers. I wondered if there was reality in Christianity. It became a real spiritual battle. Confused, I’d stay at home on a Sunday questioning why I was born different: was it due to my ethnic background or my former religion?
“It became a painful struggle, a cry of why, why, why? with no answer. But this all changed when I stepped into the Holiday Forum 2025.”
Quoting Psalms 27:14 (Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord’), Mama Maria continues: “Holiday Forum, you make a difference in people’s lives. I experienced a spirit of unconditional love, humbleness, support, friendliness and acceptance.
“When there, I forgot my being difference/ethnicity but felt accepted. Christianity became something different from my previous experiences and thoughts.
“The whole experience was very inspiring and a reflection of God’s love for mankind,” adds Mama Maria.
“My faith was lifted and immediately after coming back from the Holiday Forum, I started going to church. We give thanks for all who make Holiday Forum possible, and for the reminder that welcome, community, and shared joy continue to change lives.”
Learn more about the URC Holiday Forum.
*Due to Mama Maria’s conversion to Christianity, we are not using her real name.