Tag: immigrants

Mexico, Switzerland, Vietnam, and Ukraine in 1 Day

~ jesusluvsall ~ 9 Comments

Yesterday was a normal kind of day for me that involved spending time with people from four different countries. It was just my kind of day. 🙂

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It started with teaching three moms from Mexico. The moms from Afghanistan could not be in class. Since only the moms from Mexico could be in class, I used Spanish to help them understand some things about English.

Then it was on to a coffee shop to meet with a student from Switzerland to help her practice conversational English. She shared pictures of her family with me. She is here doing an internship with a man who works with clocks and watches. He is originally from Switzerland, so we have a few young people come here each year to do an internship with him.

Next it was a friend from Vietnam who had been my student. We met at a different coffee shop. It was great catching up on what is happening with my friend’s family. My friend wanted to give me a box of books for studying English to share with Ukrainian students.

My day concluded with teaching Ukrainian refugees English at a Ukrainian church and having dinner at the home of one family. The father/husband of the family was a pastor in Ukraine. We used Google Translate to share. He shared with me how much he enjoys meeting people from other countries in other classes here. I shared with him that having students from many countries gives me an appreciation for what Jesus said in John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

The world has come to my city. If I walk through some of the supermarkets here it is like walking through an international airport. I am grateful Jesus has allowed me to share his love with the world.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Reflections from Teaching A Citizenship Class

~ jesusluvsall ~ 23 Comments

I started teaching a U.S. Citizenship class a few weeks ago. My students come from various countries and hope to become U.S. Citizens. It intrigues me that I could go live in another country, say France for example, live there, learn the language and culture. maybe even take a citizenship test to become a citizen, but I would never really be considered French. Yet people come from other countries and become Americans, and many experience the “American Dream”.

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Whenever I go to a Citizenship ceremony, I am grateful for my friends becoming a citizen because I know what it means to them and for their lives such as being finished with immigration services, being able to register to vote, and being able to get a U.S. passport.

It also makes me think about something else. There is an eternal citizenship that is not based on knowing a language, a person’s ethnicity or race or any other consideration other than coming to know a person.

Philippians 3:20 says:

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ”

When we come to know Jesus, we are automatically granted citizenship in heaven. It is one of the numerous blessings Jesus pours out on those who come to know him as their Savior. At that moment, even though we are still in this life, we become aliens or strangers in this world looking forward to realizing our eternal home as we see in Hebrews 11:

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

We also become representatives of our eternal home hoping to bring others with us as we see in 2 Corinthians 5:

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God”.

I am genuinely interested in seeing the lives of my refugee and immigrant friends improve here in America. I rejoice with them at important occasions such as when they become citizens. My hope is that by helping them achieve their dream, I also show the love of Jesus in the process and it leads to them receiving citizenship in heaven too.

Thank you for reading. God Bless. 🙂