Meet Jessie, Marling, and Aylled! - OLL Parish Refugee Welcome Circle

On May 27, 2024, Marling, Jessiell, and Aylled (a grandmother, mother, and 9-year-old daughter) arrived in Seattle as refugees from Nicaragua, where a humanitarian crisis has evolved so that families can no longer live safely.   Since that time, with the support of the NE Seattle Catholic Community, and especially Our Lady of the Lake Parish, this family has moved into rent-supported Mercy Magnuson Place, on Sandpoint Way.  Their 2-bedroom apartment is fully furnished, thanks to your material and monetary contributions.
 
Over the summer, Aylled was able to attend several camps for kids, growing in her ability to understand English and find social interaction with her peers.  Marling’s and Jessiell’s concentration has been improving their English skills and getting oriented to Seattle.  Jessiell is now an experienced public transit commuter, and Marling has been able to use her tailoring skills to accept some jobs that require clothing adjustment for friends and parishioners.  Considerable time last summer was spent accessing social programs for which they are eligible and getting connected to medical services.
 
In August, Juan Carlos Rivera, priest-son/brother/uncle, was able to visit the family, travelling from Spain, where he has lived since being exiled from Nicaragua four years ago. Keyla, daughter/son/aunt, and her son were able to come too, from Wisconsin, where they settled in 2023 with a short-term Humanitarian Parole visa. Keyla’s daughter, still in college in Nicaragua, came too. Aylled received her First Communion at a Mass celebrated by her uncle. 
 
(l-r: Marling, Keyla, Jessiell, Aylled, Juan Carlos, 
Juan Luis, Dayanara)
 
In January, 2025, Jessiell started work with a grocery store, working towards the goal of eventually becoming completely self-supporting.  What’s next?  Because their (Humanitarian Parole) visa is time-limited and US policy is trending towards non-renewal for Nicaraguans, the search for an immigration lawyer to explore longer-term residency has begun and is becoming urgent.   Conditions in Nicaragua are becoming more repressive, not less, especially for Catholics.   Before they left, the family experienced considerable trauma, and these wounds will be with them for a long time.  Returning to Nicaragua is a scary option.   See these articles on US policy change, and oppression in Nicaragua.
 
How can you help?  (See the bar at the bottom of this communication to reach us.)

• We are looking for drivers to assist with daytime appointments and evening sessions.
• If you know of more stable employment opportunities, please pass them on.
• As you know, living in Seattle is expensive, and legal help for immigration applications is too.  Further monetary support is needed.

 
If you are interested in financially supporting this effort, you can:

1. Bring or mail a check to the OLL parish office (3517 NE 89th St. Seattle, WA,
98115), payable to OLL Parish and "Welcome Circle" in the memo line.
2. Donate through the church website http://ollparishseattle.org.   Choose “Give” from the menu. (Choose NE Catholic Welcome Circle from the drop-down menu).
3. Donate through our GoFundMe page.  Go to:  https://gofund.me/e0fea8bf .   We are listed as NE Catholic Welcome Circle.

"I was a stranger and you welcomed me."
 

NE Catholic Welcome Circle For more information, please contact Janet Bester-Meredith ([email protected])