Immigrant

It makes me really sad when I hear people of faith condemning immigrants. I have this reaction because for the last several years I have lived as an immigrant.

The border crossings, the paperwork, the language difficulties: these are all part of dealing with immigration issues. The laws are changed constantly and applied indiscriminately or not at all. You hear rumors and have to decide whether to believe them and risk becoming illegal or whether you will take the extra precaution and possibly lose hundreds of dollars.

I'm one lucky immigrant. I hold a blue passport. It's one of Wonka's Golden Tickets, and with it I am allowed into almost any country. My options are nearly limitless. Most immigrants aren't nearly so lucky. Most have to deal with tremendous burdens of paperwork and legalese to get into any country other than the country of their birth.

We are all on a journey, and God calls us to share the road with everyone.

I have been in Ukraine on a 90-day tourist visa. My 90 days are up. Now, it's possible that I could cross the border and cross back without any problem. Or I could end up getting a huge fine for breaking the law. The law isn't clear.

After three rounds of appeals, it appears that I have been granted an invitation to receive a visa for a whole year. If this is true, I should be able to come back to Ukraine in a few days and have legal status here for a long time. This is the hope.

Please keep me in your prayers while I wander around Europe for a bit and wait for my paperwork to come through.