The Four Challenges Before Me

Every morning when I wake up I am faced with four key challenges.
The first challenge is to obtain a visa to remain here in Scotland as a
minister with the Church of Scotland. At this point I do not know
whether or not I will be successful in that endeavour. The second
challenge is to continue the steady work on my thesis that has to be
resubmitted by the 2nd of July. I would like to finish it by late April
or early May. The third is to continue my familiarization placement
with the Cupar Old Parish Church. That means I assist in leading
Sunday worship, preach twice a month, do pastoral visitation, con-
duct funerals, and enter into the daily life and mission of the congre-
gation. I am constantly wrestling with how to complete my thesis
and carry out my church placement. I find myself doing a constant
juggling act.

Far more important than these three, however, is the fourth chal
lenge: how I face these challenges before the face of the Triune God.
So throughout each and every day I have to be reminded of the Fa-
ther's purposeful love for me, of Christ's atoning death on my behalf,
and of the Spirit's empowering presence to enable me to grow graci-
ously and gracefully in Jesus. The first three challenges are only for
varying seasons of my life. Some may be for a long duration and others
only for a week. The number of them can also vary. But as long as I
live, and even into eternity, it is the fourth challenge that gives every-
thing else perspective and leads to deep and abiding joy in the jour-
ney of my life.

Blessings to you and yours,

Visa Update

I spent last week, February 16-20, talking to people in St. Andrews
and Edinburgh who have knowledge of immigration issues. I was ad-
vised to seek the services of an immigration attorney. I contacted
the six legal services that had been referred to me with no success.
Late last Friday afternoon a legal clinic in Glasgow called me back
and arranged for me to come in on Tuesday, February 24. Yester-
day I met with Nicola, the legal counsel assigned to my case. I like
her because she is a thoroughly Irish lass, exhibits considerable
spunk, and is committed to working with me to get me a new
visa. She firmly believes that my plan to appeal my recent minis-
ters' visa refusal would fail. After hearing my situation she is ex-
ploring other options that have a greater possibility of success.
Nicola explained that the British Home Office that handles visas
is quite rigid and inflexible. She made it quite clear that there is
considerable likelihood that my case will not succeed. It just does
not make any sense to me. I can see why I am not a lawyer. I do
not think the way lawyers and judges think. Despite that, I com-
municated my desire to work as hard as I can to put together the
best case we can to present at an immigration hearing. So now
Nicola is studying different ways to handle my case and I am gather-
ing more documentation. We'll see what happens.

As always, I covet your prayers.

Blessings and all the best to you and yours,

Good News/Bad News

I cannot believe that it has been over a month since
I last wrote on my blog! I'll try to do better and post
blogs more frequently.

First the good news. I had been concerned that my
application for a visa for permission to remain as a
minister of religion had not been returned to me. I
had submitted it back in late August. In mid-January
I called the Immigration Bureau to enquire about
the status of my application. I was informed that it
had been mailed to my previous address way back
in November. They did acknowledge that my new
address had been received well before they sent
me the packet, but the packet had still been sent
to the old address. No one at the old address re-
membered seeing such a package for me and no
one had any idea what had happened to the pack-
age.

Finally, on the day before Valentine's Day, a good
friend whom I had asked to see what he could do,
found it. It was at a regional post office that served
my old address. He called to tell me he was send-
ing the parcel up to me. It was truly a Valentine's
gift! It is unsettling to be in a foreign country with-
out a passport. I expected my passport to have my
new visa in it as well. It had been over five months
that I was without personal legal documentation.
It was such a relief to have my passport!

But now the bad news: immigration authorities re-
fused to grant me a visa as a minister of religion in
the United Kingdom. I was not allowed to stay here.
Applicants for such a visa were required to have
served in a ministerial capacity for at least one year
in the last five years. I had last been in a ministerial
position six years ago, but not within the last five.
That was the only reason they gave for the refusal.

I have ten working days to appeal the decision. I
can remain in the UK while the appeal is being con-
sidered. I have decided to go ahead and submit an
appeal within the time alotted, ten working days.
If my appeal is refused, I will have to leave the coun-
try.

I have spent these last three days seeking ad-
vice and legal counsel. There have been a lot of
dead ends, but I'm still waiting on one last immi-
gration attorney. If I don't receive any help, I'll
present the appeal myself.

I'm doing ok. This is quite a challenge for me, but
one that I believe can be worked out to my advan-
tage.

If you pray for me, please remember this chal-
lenge to me in your prayers.

Blessings to you and yours,