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The Ceda’s Long Journey to Reunification and New Beginnings.
On October 2023, after months of tumult in their home country of Colombia, the Cedas family arrived at the Seattle airport, stepping into a new life in the United States. There they met Ireland, their new case worker from World Relief’s Thurston County office. Ireland was new on the resettlement team, and this was her very first case.
The Cedas family had left behind everything familiar: their home, their community, and the life they had built. As their lives were in danger, they had had to act fast. Like many refugees before them, this forced a heart-wrenching choice: leaving behind the family’s eldest daughter, who with their son-in-law had a one-year-old child and another on the way.
Beginning Again—While Missing a Piece
As they settled into their new surroundings, they carried two burdens, the challenge of starting over and the ache of separation. The mother, the Cedas family matriarch, took on the mantle of reunifying the family. Once again, now-veteran World Relief caseworker, Ireland, was there to listen and walk alongside the family.
Ireland had the know-how to navigate the complexities of family reunification. She helped the Cedas family fill out the necessary paperwork and follow-through toward resolution. It took time, and the months dragged on. The Cedas family stayed resolute, and so did Ireland.
A Joyful Reunion and a New Beginning
Nearly a year passed, and then good news arrived: Their daughter and her children had earned approval to immigrate to the United States via the Refugee Resettlement Program and would be resettled near the rest of the Cedas family in Olympia, WA.
The family’s prayers had been answered. When the long-awaited arrival day came, the Cedas family made sure the moment was one of celebration.
The mother brought a flag, one that symbolized two countries uniting, a tribute to both the home they left behind and the future they were embracing. As the doors opened at the airport, her daughter ran into her arms, and the embrace was warm and hopeful.
Their story is a reminder that refugee resettlement is not just about paperwork and policies, it’s about love, persistence, and the unwavering belief that families belong together, and that is what we believe here at World Relief.
For Ireland, it was a moment she would never forget. From her first-ever airport pickup to the twists and turns of the family reunification approval process, the Cedas family’s journey had very much mirrored her own as a new World Relief caseworker.
Under the current administration, these kinds of happy endings are now in doubt. There are no more airport pickups.
If we want that to change, we will have to advocate for it, showing the same persistence and resolve as Ireland and the Cedas family.
Advocate for More Refugee Family Reunification Success Stories
To see more reunions like the Cedas’, we need to act—with the same persistence they showed. You can help restore hope for families still waiting.
We invite you to learn more about our Thurston County Office, how you can advocate for refugee and immigrant families, and donate to continue the mission.
Click here to read more stories like the Ceda’s in our 2024 Year in Review.