please pray.

here is an email i received from one of the pastors of our church this past week...

Brothers and Sisters,
Many of you know our sister, who is here from Niger. She has gone through quite a bit, and I am not sure where to begin with her story. But she is in need, and we as a community have an opportunity to support her in significant ways. I can't go into all the details, but the basic details--which I have permission to share--are as follows:

She came to our church through the influence of Jason and Mandy. Jason is our worship leader, and both he and Mandy are the house directors of Joy House in downtown Denver, a transitional home for battered women (and their families). After attending Advent for a while, she decided to be baptized. She grew up in a Muslim family, but felt Christ calling her to himself. She shared her powerful testimony through an interpreter and we were and are blessed by her faith.

She also decided to divorce her abusive husband. The problem is that she and her two daughters are listed as dependents on her husbands US Visa, so once the divorce goes through her husband will report her to immigration and she will almost certainly be sent back to Niger. This is terrible for (primarily) two reasons. First, she will likely be separated from her daughters. Second, she could face an honor killing in Niger as she is now a divorced woman, and a Christian.

Her situation could have been much better if they were able to prove in court that she was abused by her husband. Unfortunately, the tangible evidence was lacking, so the case was dropped. The only hope for her to stay (from what we can tell) is for her to apply for political asylum, given that she could face an honor killing if she is deported to Niger. However, the legal fees are exorbitant, and the process is very convoluted and time consuming.

So what can we do?
1) Pray: Her situation will require nothing short of a miracle for her to stay in the States w/ her daughters. Please pray for her and her daughters.

2) Pass on her story: Perhaps you know of someone who is an immigration lawyer. The legal process is a HUGE hurdle. If you know of anyone that can help in any way, please pass on their info to us.

3) Give: If the Holy Spirit lays on your heart to give, please talk to Rob, Cindy or myself. We will let you know how to move forward.

This is a moment where we can BE the Church. To read Scripture is to see that women and children are dear to Jesus' heart. Let us walk in his way and love her and her daughters well.

as i sat in church yesterday and watched her with her two daughters i had to fight to hold back the tears. 

there she was, on mother's day, holding her girls and praying that God would do the impossible. 

please join with me in believing for a miracle.