WINNIPEG, June 21, 2021 – National office is pleased to welcome Belinda Limqueko-Mag-uyon (b.limqueko@cwl.ca) to the staff of The Catholic Women’s League of Canada. Belinda joins Executive Director Kim Scammell (executivedirector@cwl.ca), Senior Accounting Clerk Valroy Anderson (accounting@cwl.ca), Executive Secretary Amanda McCormick (communications@cwl.ca), Membership Coordinator Katherine Choi (membership@cwl.ca), Project Coordinator Kerri Sylvester (projects@cwl.ca), Office Clerk Deborah Woodbeck (casual@cwl.ca), Office Assistant Marion Wong (officeassistant@cwl.ca) and Data Entry Clerk Katrina Stratton (clerk@cwl.ca). Belinda takes on the role of acting membership coordinator.
Belinda Limqueko-Mag-uyon is a newcomer and came to Canada at the height of winter during the COVID-19 pandemic. She had to immigrate before her visa expired to not lose her chance of becoming a permanent resident. Together with her husband and youngest daughter, Belinda was sponsored by her oldest daughter, a Canadian citizen and nurse in Winnipeg.
For Belinda, immigrating to Canada was a leap of faith as she had a good and stable job in her home country and served God in a charismatic Catholic community. Her decision to come to Canada was not made lightly. She would be leaving her comfort zone, be in an entirely new environment, have to look for a new job, find her way around and familiarize herself with a new culture. The most challenging and emotional aspect of immigrating would be leaving behind her two sons. Despite all odds, she believed that everything has a purpose, and God would not allow everything to happen if it was not according to His will.
Belinda’s journey to Canada was not easy, given the situation surrounding the pandemic. Her original flight was delayed a week because of a new requirement required for her youngest daughter. After being denied boarding, Belinda’s flight was rescheduled. When finally permitted to board, she felt an initial feeling of relief. She had an overnight stay in Hong Kong before boarding a flight to Vancouver the following day. Upon arriving at Vancouver, a long line-up at immigration resulted in a missed connection to Winnipeg. After receiving a Confirmation of Permanent Residence, Belinda felt relieved and joyful. The struggle was finally over and has ended. Unfortunately, the next flight available to Winnipeg was the following day and was fully booked. Belinda can still feel the hand of the Lord working as the airline attendant managed to secure Belinda’s family on a flight to Toronto, then a connecting flight to Winnipeg. Though it was a long trip, Belinda saw it as a blessing as it saved her family from being stuck at Vancouver’s airport. After spending four days at different airports, she and her family finally arrived in Winnipeg.
She joined Manitoba Start as suggested by a friend to become familiar with how things are done in her new community. With the pandemic and its imposed restrictions, Belinda had heard stories about businesses closing, people losing their jobs and very few opportunities. However, she held on to God’s promise in which states that “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided” (Genesis 22:14). Belinda kept faith that God had long prepared the opportunities, the break and the right people—all she must do was wait for the perfect time He had set. Belinda’s youngest daughter told her the right job would present itself once the school term was finished. True enough, one week following the end of her daughter’s school term, Belinda came across a job posting for the League. She applied and was taken in by the team. God is truly faithful to His promises. Belinda is incredibly grateful, as aside from being able to work, she feels she can continue her service to the Lord.
