A man facing deportation says all that's left to do now is to trust God. 

Luiz Bonito, along with his wife and daughter, has been living in Winnipeg since 2015.

He says that before arriving he had started an immigration application process after visiting his brother in Winnipeg who has lived here since the 1970s.

However, after a home invasion in which gunmen tied the family up and threatened them, Bonito and his family decided to leave Venezuela and enter Canada on a tourist visa.

Since then they've been renewing the visa, and have become involved with Oasis Community Church in Winnipeg.

They've also been trying to get permanent residence through the Provincial Sponsorship Program. They have since been denied and told they must leave Canada by January 21, 2019.

They have tried several options, programs, and paid thousands of dollars in legal fees trying to stay. Now they feel their options have run out.

"Winnipeg, they say, is Winterpeg; the city more cold for Canada. For me, it's the most warm because the people are so warm, so good, so kind." 

"Just pray that we can stay in Canada," Bonito says. He's especially worried about his 11-year-old daughter. "Just pray for her. She survived the kidnapping and doesn't remember much of it, thank God. Now she's happy here."

Bonito says he doesn't want to uproot the young girl who has family and friends here. 

"I will always trust in God," Bonito says. "If he doesn't want me to stay in Canada I won't stay."

His sister Christine says that she also wonders if this might be part of God's plan.

"That's what I've been telling him," she says. "Maybe we're just being stubborn,"

Bonito says that as hard as the process has been, his family has also experienced many good things through the situation. He's also looking forward to serving at Oasis' Christmas Eve services.

"I'll have a very good Christmas despite this. You know, everyone at this church, this community, is so, so good. The people are so kind, so good. I'll go all day there for the Christmas Eve services and I'll be very happy. Everyone has been coming up to me and praying for me.

"Winnipeg, they say, is Winterpeg; the city more cold for Canada (sic). For me, it's the most warm because the people are so warm, so good, so kind. I love this city, for sure." 

Bonito asked that people would pray that someone in the government would decide to take another look at their case and grant his family residency.