Year End Review

It has been awhile since I posted.  That is mostly because it has been an amazing and busy year.  Let me describe some of what we have been doing this past year as an immigration office.

This has been our first full year of operation at James Place Immigration Services.  I want to give God all the glory for allowing us the privilege and blessing of being able to participate in the following:

• Interact with 150+ clients from 25 different countries
• Officially take on 90 Immigration cases
• Have 3 volunteers become official BIA Accredited Representatives
• Log an average of 20 hours of work per application
• Meet with one Congressman and one Senator
• Have a site visit from the Congressman's chief case worker
• Participate when World Relief invited church representatives from all over the nation to an Immigration Training hosted by Elmbrook Church, which included a tour of James Place to see how our Immigration Services function
• Have successfully closed 35 cases
• See a number of new immigrant faces at Elmbrook Church
• Receive referrals from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Milwaukee
• Pray with each client at the close of our meetings
• Trust God on a daily basis for wisdom and discretion and watch him provide

What an amazing first year, and I cannot begin to imagine the blessings God has in store for our wonderful group of volunteer staff as we continue to display the love of Jesus to the nations in our own backyard.

Happy New Year!
Jason

Reason #3 - Responsibility

Why should we as Christians be concerned with the immigration debate and desire a change in the immigration law?
Reason #3:  Because it is our Christian responsibility.

"Well, so what?  The immigration laws don't affect me, so what is the big deal?  In fact, I think everyone should just go back to where they came from.  I'm not getting involved in that hot topic." 

It is sad, but this is the stance that many Christians take when asked about their position on immigration.  They become edgy, defensive, and accusatory.  Many think our nation would be better without those who are different.  How selfish.  We should care about the topic because the immigration law affects many of those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  And, "...when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer."

It is true, our current immigration laws and systems need a serious overhaul.  I have to work with what is there every day; and simply put, our system is full of injustice and complication, which leads to broken families, heartache, victimization, subclasses in our society, and a nation that can't seem to offer dignity to those who are different than themselves.

Why does this concern me as a Christian?  It should concern us because, as the hands and feet of Jesus, we have an obligation to aid the victims of injustice.  As those who love our neighbors as ourselves, we should consider the rights of others more than our own rights.  We should put the interests of others above the interests of ourselves (Philippians 2).  It should concern us because we should stand up for justice, fair laws, and righteousness.  We are to be the voice of those who have no voice.  Granted, there are many things about our nation which are not just, fair, or right, but we need to take a stand on something.  Why not take a stand on immigration, since it affects many of those who are sitting in the pews next to us at church on Sunday. 

I challenge those of you who have a heart for immigrants, to act on your convictions.  Contact your representative, inform your peers, speak the truth, assist those who are caught in impossible situations.  Do this in the name of Jesus.

Reason #1

Why should Christians be concerned with the immigration debate?
Reason #1: Because immigrants matter to God.

Open your mouth for the mute,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

– Proverbs 31:8-9

"We are called by God to aid the vulnerable. Therefore, we must see the alien and the stranger as individuals made in the image of God, the object of Christ’s love, and as people of intrinsic worth who are in need of our affirmation and support."   - A Resolution of the General Conference of the Evangelical Free Church of America, adopted in 1996.

Christians should care about the immigrant community in our own backyard, because God cares about them. Jesus commands his followers to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind”; and “to love your neighbor as yourself.” God has placed us, as his ambassadors, in this particular community and he asks us to share his love with that community, regardless of race, background, legal status, or country of origin. Immigrants should matter to us as Christians because Immigrants matter to God.

Personally, in the past, I was indifferent to the plight of the immigrant in my city.  I felt that if they got themselves into this mess, then they should get themselves out.  I still believe that everyone is responsible for the choices they make, but I have grown to understand that because people and their situations matter to God, their situation should matter to me.  I should be willing to lend a hand where a hand is needed. 

As our government is deliberating over a new immigration bill at this very moment, I believe that we as Christians, who are also citizens of this country, should make it our loving act of hospitality do what we can to welcome immigrants.  This could be done through advocacy: writing a letter or making a phone call to our representatives voicing our support of changes to the immigration system.  It could be pointing the immigrants we know toward those who can help them comply with the complex and confusing law.  Or, it could be as simple as listening to their story and sharing the love and forgiveness of Christ in a non-condemning way.

As followers of Jesus, we should be the most compassionate, forgiving, and accepting people because we are the recipients of the compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance of Jesus Christ.

Fog

When we were living in the Tobo village in PNG, the only way to travel was by foot. The weather where we lived was tropical, cold, and it would rain… boy, it would rain. One year, we recorded over 3 meters of rain. But these were not just cloudy and rainy thunderstorms that were there and then gone… they were monstrous clouds which sat on our mountain tops causing it to rain down and sideways and sometimes even up. There were times during the year that we would not see the sun for weeks… just endless fog where visibility was less than half a mile. It was maddening.

Often, when I would hike those slippery mountain trails in the dense fog, not able to see more than a few hundred feet ahead of me, completely drenched, water dripping from every leaf and blade of grass, it would seem that the tortuous trail would never end. Up and down, up and down, puddles, ankle deep mud, slippery stones, thorn trees. Those endless hikes did teach me something about life though – I can never see very far ahead of me at any given time, but as long as I stay on the trail, relying on Jesus, be it tortuous or flat and easy, I will eventually arrive at my destination – and the destination is always worth the journey.  

He leads us on by paths we did not know; 
Upward He leads us, though our steps be slow, 
Though oft we faint and falter on the way, 
Though storms and darkness oft obscure the day; 
Yet when the clouds are gone, 
We know He leads us on. 

He leads us on through all the unquiet years; 
Past all our dreamland hopes, and doubts and fears, 
He guides our steps, through all the tangled maze 
Of losses, sorrows, and o’er clouded days; 
We know His will is done; 
And still He leads us on.
- Nicholaus Ludwig Zinzendorf

When we left PNG back 3 years ago, I could not see very far ahead of me… the trail ended in a dense and drenching fog… and the trail went up a steep mountain. Three years later, after arriving at a lookout thousands of feet higher, I have broken through the clouds, there is some sunshine above my head, and the trail I just hiked is slowly becoming visible as the fog is fading. Each turn and curve, log bridge and water crossing, had its purpose.

As I embark upon the first full year of Immigration counseling, and as Kellie continues through this year at the elementary school, I can see God’s hand guiding us all through the journey to this point. We can see the huge need in our city for immigration assistance and Christian teachers with compassion and faith.  We have been met by an even greater spiritual need permeating every nook and cranny of our city, be it among the immigrants or the young children on the streets. God has a very unique way of preparing people for the work he has planned for them, and yet, if we had not lived through those dark months in PNG, I am not sure we would have kept trudging along in the foggy past few years. But what a unique ministry He has put us in!  We are so grateful to be used by God; I have been able to demonstrate Jesus' compassion to over 30 immigrant families and Kellie has been able to demonstrate the love of Jesus to scores of school children.

“…pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ… that we may make it clear, which is how we ought to speak."

Prayer for Quick and Favorable Response

I want to encourage everyone to be in prayer this week specifically for God to give us (James Place/Elmbrook) a favorable response from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) regarding our application for James Place to be a recognized immigration counseling agency. And please pray that they would also grant me partial accreditation so that I can legally counsel clients. I received verification that the BIA is in the process of adjudicating the application THIS WEEK. Pray that there would be no hindrances, that all the information and documentation would be clear and understandable, that they would find no reason to deny the application, and that God would be honored in this process. In light of last weeks seminar at James Place, where 60+ immigrants came to receive information regarding an immigration benefit for their children, there is a huge need for this service in our community and an incredible opportunity for these people to experience the love of Christ (possibly for the first time) as they come to James Place. The main comment I heard last Monday was, "Thank you for giving us this information. It is so kind of you to care enough to help us in this way." With an approval from the BIA, we would be able to help each of these people with the next step: applying for and receiving this new benefit. Thank you all for you prayers regarding this matter. Dependent upon Him, Jason

Waiting

If you are like me, you sometimes wonder at God's time frame. I can get easily confused and frustrated when I try to make him fit into my schedule.
I haven't posted to this blog in a few months because I have been busy with establishing this Immigration Office at James Place. I had put in an application for accreditation to the Board of Immigration Appeals in January right before I wrote my last blog post. I have been patiently (or not so patiently) waiting since that time to receive their decision. I wanted to wait to post again until I had an acceptance letter in hand. In April, I found out that they had misplaced the file and they finally found it mysteriously under a pile on a desk. Then finally, I received their response on Monday. They denied our request.
So all that waiting and all that work believing that God wants us to open this immigration counseling office this spring, and we get a "no". (That is the second "no" by the way). I could say that I think it is all a conspiracy; and it would be correct - a giant conspiracy by Satan to thwart and destroy anything good and godly in this world. But I also know that God is sovereign, and I believe that with all my heart... he works through people who make bad decisions and use poor judgment. This process has shown me just how graciously patient God is with me, so I need to be patient with others and patient as I wait on Him. But it has also taught me to move beyond my culture and my personality. In America, we don't wait for anything... everything is instant gratification: from microwave ovens, to movies on demand, to credit card spending, to fast lane check out lines and fast food restaurants. It is hard to wait when our culture boasts "time is money" and every second that passes by we calculate just how much money or opportunity we just lost. To me, it is becoming a stressful way to live... and God doesn't always work within our "you can't buy back lost time" culture. He is so much bigger than that, so much wiser. I have been learning to understand his Kingdom culture more; which is comprised of a host of values and beliefs which are contrary to my birth culture.
So, I hope to have good news soon, but until then I will rest in the fact that God has it all under control and remember the truth that the best things in life come to those who wait... the best tasting food must be waited for - it can't be made in a microwave oven.
Will you pray with me that we can receive this accreditation in HIS timing? Thanks, Jason

Clay Pots ~ Busy months

You haven't heard from me for awhile. That is because I have been flat out busy. The month of September found me traveling twice a week down to Illinois for further training and "on the job experience" in immigration law. It was a great experience to sit down face to face with people, hear their stories, understand their situation, and help them to apply for an immigration benefit.

September and October are also are busy months in the chimney business, so I have been come home black with soot or concrete dust four days a week. I am thankful to God that he, in his grace, has chosen to humble me... in the village of Lengbati, people put me on a pedestal, hung on my every word, and never let me sit in the smoke or get myself dirty with mud or ashes. Ironically, now I have been exalted to lonely rooftops, hanging on ladder rungs, and filling my lungs and eyes with ashes every day. I am grateful to God for the experience.

The month of October was full of gathering documents and information in the compilation of the application package to be sent to the Board of Immigration Appeals for the recognition of James Place as an Immigration Legal Services site and my own partial accreditation. November will be a month of waiting for the BIA's approval of the application, creating handouts and documents to be used in the office, writing down procedures, learning new computer programs, physically moving into the office space, and getting the word out to the public. I am praying that God would allow us to officially launch early in 2012.

Immigration is a touchy subject in our country today. It seems to be a topic which surfaces frequently in the Presidential campaign, and there are strong and legitimate opinions on both sides of the issue. When I was living in the village of Lengbati, I found myself in the midst of situations where both sides had legitimate arguments which always made the situation 'touchy' and potentially volatile. I find myself in much the same situation with immigration; but I have learned that in such situations, the best thing to do is to fall at the feet of Jesus and beg for wisdom and discretion, and ask for him to give me his heart of love for all people.

Please pray with me that God would do just that... that he would impart wisdom, discretion, patience, compassion, and love to myself and those who are working along side me in this ministry. And pray that God would use us to introduce these needy people to Jesus Christ and the citizenship which awaits them in heaven if they believe.

His Clay Pot,

Jason

Fellow Citizens

In the Bible, Jesus tells us to: “Love your neighbor as yourself”. In a challenging response, a man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” In his classic way, Jesus answered a question by telling a story. In response to the question of who is my neighbor, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan in which we learn that our neighbor is anyone who is in need, regardless of race or ethnicity. But this wasn’t a new revelation that started with Jesus; from the beginning, God's heart has always been for all people, and he vividly displayed it when he told Israel: “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”(Lev. 19:33-34) God wanted Israel to remember their past and how he saved them, so that it would shape how they lived in the present. God’s heart of love has always been for all sinners from all nations, races, and ethnicities and he wanted Israel to be his avenue of grace to the world. All of us, regardless of our race or national origin, are by nature lost and separated from God just as Israel was in Egypt; but instead of leaving us in our helpless, vulnerable condition as outcasts, in the same way that God redeemed Israel, He had compassion on those of us who believed in his Son and made us “… a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles…” (1 Peter 2:9-11). Peter calls those of us who are Christians sojourners or immigrants in this world, and we are immigrants because although we live in this world, God by his grace has given us amnesty into his kingdom and our citizenship is in heaven: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…”(Eph. 2:19) Just like Israel, we, of all people, as Christians should should remember our past so it will shape how we live in the present.

In light of this, I am excited to be studying and working my way towards being an accredited immigration representative, which is an avenue by which I can demonstrate love to my "neighbors" by showing compassion to the vulnerable and assisting the ‘aliens’ in becoming not only citizens of our physical country, but more importantly, citizens of the household of God. In the coming months and years, I hope to inform and challenge others to see the white harvest of the nations right outside our front doors.

The garden project has been a success. I am always amazed at the fruitfulness God causes from one small plot of ground. It has been exciting to see the families tend their gardens and reap the benefits of their labor. Many are excited to try again next year and are already talking about what they would do differently. It has been such a blessing to get to know these immigrant families and help them to feel more welcome in our city.