It's been a two-year process, but Grunthal was able to welcome one of their two refugee families to Manitoba Tuesday.

It was an emotional reception as Tiegsti, Yared, and Sirak landed at Winnipeg's airport on Tuesday.

"There was a lot of tears, there was a lot of hugging," said Heather Neufeld, a member of the Grunthal Refugee Sponsorship Group (GRSP) "They were excited to be there."

GRSP has been hosting events and fundraisers over the past two years and were finally able to bring their first refugee family over. The family arrived from Ethiopia and while the group doesn't know much about their story yet, they know they are very grateful for this chance.

"Canada was one of their dream countries," Neufeld said. The crisp Manitoba air did take the youngest by surprise. Neufeld said, "it literally took his breath away."

Bringing this family over has been a full community effort, according to Neufeld. Not only did they raise money through events like 24 Hours in a Refugee Camp, the rice and beans challenge, plus Grunthal Goes Gospel, but they also raised awareness in the surrounding area. That work led to raising money for both the family and for a fully outfitted house.

"It has been amazing to see our community rally around," Neufeld said.

Tiegsti and her family still have a long road ahead. Neufeld says the next step is to enroll the mom in English classes and the kids in school. She also mentioned that most forms that Canadians have filled out since birth have to all be filled out at once.

Still, Neufeld is incredibly excited for the opportunity to help this family.

"We need to help people around the world," Neufeld said. "A refugee is just a person in need of safety and rest."

Grunthal and the GRSP are hoping a second family is able to arrive in the summer.