| It was October 1998 after 10 years of fierce civil war | | | | station and we tried to speak in English to him and he |
| in El Salvador the government and the guerrilla were | | | | replied in French and finally he talked to us in broken |
| giving their best shots to win, but in this scenario there | | | | Spanish. He was a Black fellow from Haiti. He took us |
| are no winners but pain, sorrow, hate you name it, all | | | | to the hotel in Montreal downtown and we paid in USD |
| kind of sour feeling but love. | | | | and he did not give us any exchange for the rate |
| The government forces were looking for me under | | | | difference. He went with us to the hotel and the same |
| the belief that I was cooperating with the guerrilla | | | | happens we paid with USD and years later, we found |
| force, if they catch me, most likely they would kill me, | | | | out that the invoice said Canadian dollars. |
| for that reason in a very quick move my father drove | | | | Anyway, the following day our friend met us at the |
| my wife and I to Honduras with the plan that from | | | | hotel and we rode the underground (metro) train to |
| there we will fly to Canada. Without my wife, and I | | | | North Montreal were he kindly prepared a place for us |
| having the opportunity to say goodbye to the rest of | | | | temporarily, with the agreement to pay him when we |
| the family and without knowing that even us would be | | | | star to work. It was winter time and my friend told me |
| able to make even to Honduras. | | | | to buy winter shoes and because of lack of money, I |
| I didn't mention the details of how we made it to | | | | bought the cheapest ones, then the first snow storm |
| Honduras but finally we did. Once there, my father | | | | fell. Because I didn't know how to walk on the snow |
| accompanied us to buy the tickets to Montreal city in | | | | when I went out for the first time to buy groceries I fell |
| Quebec, which at that time was not too much | | | | down and at least 10 times in a distance of a block I |
| problems to buy flights to Canada since it was known | | | | was ashamed because I tried to stand up and I end up |
| that Canada is accepting refugees from El Salvador | | | | on the ground again I think right there I damaged some |
| and all Central America where there were political | | | | ligaments of my right hip (in which still giving me |
| persecution. | | | | problems up to now). |
| Next day my father drove us to the international | | | | By Christmas time, I fell down so badly that I broke the |
| airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras capital and before | | | | small finger from my left hand and I hit my face on the |
| getting in the airplane we hugged our father knowing | | | | ground so bad that I almost lost my left eye. Finally by |
| that it might be the last hug, we cried and he said "Be | | | | the end of my first winter I managed to walk slowly |
| brave if God wants, we will see each other next time" | | | | not falling down when snow was on the ground. After |
| and we told him "Please give our regards to the rest | | | | winter time was over Immigration Office granted me |
| of the family. One chapter in our life has ended right | | | | permit to work, and I stared looking for work, I am an |
| there by leaving Central America we never thought | | | | accountant, my wife a technician in agriculture but we |
| that we're basically leaving behind the best years of | | | | did not speak English neither French, we ended up |
| our life. I was 36 years old then and my wife 26. | | | | taking any opportunity available. My wife found a job |
| October 28, 1998 after ten hours of flight, we arrived | | | | as a general laborer and I found job as carpenter |
| to the Dorval airport in Montreal city, my wife and I | | | | helper, even I didn't know much of carpentry. For 6 |
| thought we spoke enough English to get around being | | | | years I kept working as laborer on Montreal and |
| able to make the transition easy but that was not the | | | | attending school at night time to learn French, my wife |
| case. Our English skill was very poor and besides that, | | | | after one year, did not attend school any more |
| in Montreal, French is the main language. | | | | because especially on winter time, it is very hard after |
| We were interviewed for the immigration having to | | | | coming from work going out again to school. |
| answer all kinds of questions and filling in all the forms | | | | Then after six years we were accepted as landed |
| to be at least let in to Canada. Finally, they found | | | | immigrants. That's when we decided to move to |
| reasonable explanations and they let us come into | | | | Vancouver, British Columbia because we couldn't get |
| Montreal city by ourselves. When the new arrival | | | | used to those heavy winters in Montreal. Then we |
| brings some money, this money has to be spent | | | | have to start all over again the only difference this |
| before any kind of social assistance is given. It | | | | time is that we were not leaving any family behind. |
| was10:00 PM, we had a friend who was willing to host | | | | Finally after 17 years of a lot challenges, God bless us |
| us for some time but we did not know where he lived | | | | with a beautiful daughter that at the present is six |
| so we just had his phone #, we called him and he said | | | | years old and we have been able to buy our own first |
| it is too late to find a place to sleep in Montreal and in | | | | home and I am working in what I know to do |
| the morning he will pick us up. | | | | accounting, for that reason I don't stop praising Jesus |
| We decided to take a taxi from the airport to | | | | Christ the Son of God because without his holy spirit |
| Montreal; it was very cold we were wearing summer | | | | accompanying us we would not be able to accomplish |
| light clothing. Luckily, there was one taxi waiting at the | | | | any thing. |
