Skip to main content

Getting My Visa Renewed

Image
By

Dear friends,

I arrived at the border with Venezuela after a long six hour journey of climbing and crossing the magnificent Andes mountains, including being above the tree line and in the clouds at times.


I went to the Colombian Consulate and found it full of people waiting. I went to the desk and, without even allowing me to say my name or why I was there, the secretary said, "Just have a seat. She will call you". I waited for an hour and half while some 40 people came and went, and I wondered if I had been forgotten. Finally the secretary saw me and said for me to go into a side room.

By this time I was rather anxious. I hoped that all 25 pages or so of papers that I had brought for my visa would be OK. The Consulate, Ziada, said, "Didn't you hear me call for those who needed visas?" I hadn't heard her.

I nervously gave her the stack of papers. As she began to go through them, she read about the beginnings of CPT, and she asked, "Who are the Mennonites and Quakers? Are they Christians?"

I answered, "We, the Mennonites, Quakers, and Brethren, are Christians who believe that peace, justice and helping the poor are a central part of the teaching of Jesus. If you read the New Testament, you will learn that Jesus taught a lot about these things."

"It talks here about loving your enemies. Do you really think that is possible?" Ziada asked. " I know it seems impossible," I replied, but my experience has been that if we will ask God to help us do that, we will be surprised as to what will happen. He can do a miracle even with us."

I then gave her a brochure, "Who are the Mennonites?" She read over half of it on the spot. Then I gave her the CPT Colombia Brochure; after reading a bit she remarked, "You guys really believe in this stuff about about loving your enemies, huh?" I then ended by giving her Peace Pilgrim's pamphlet on "The Way of Peace," showing her Peace Pilgrim's photo on the inside cover and saying, "For 28 years she walked across United States talking about the way of peace to whomever would listen. If people gave her food she ate, and if not, she fasted. If someone gave her a bed she would sleep in it, and if not she would sleep along the road. This is something I give to people as a way of promoting the way of peace, and it has been a help for me to understand the way of peace. Perhaps it might be a help to you."

A couple of days later I called to see if my visa had come through and the first thing Ziada said was, " That Way of Peace pamphlet is really good." A few days later my visa came through so I can stay in Colombia until the 21st of November.

Peace,

Jim
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Incredible Prime Minister

By
           An Incredible Prime Minister     Dear Friends, a hopeful happening,                  Two years ago, Ethiopia was a basket case. The government seemed to be losing control The majority Oromo people were restive under a rule that seemed to rob them of their place. The traditionally powerful Amhara rioted. A state of emergency brought silence on the surface, but underneath the nation seethed. Civil war threatened. A foreigner was killed. Tourism waned. Finally, the prime minister resigned. The church prayed earnestly. Then, unexpectedly, eight months ago, the relatively unknown Abiy Ahmad was elected prime minister. What followed was equally unanticipated. In a bold, courageous acceptance speech; Ahmad announced a policy of peace, love and unity for the nation and its relationships with the rest of the world. He made sweeping promises and, to the surprise of a world cynical of political promises, kept them. “We need friction but not hatred, argument but not insult,”
Post a Comment
Read more

"The Repairman's Mother In-law"

By
Dear Friends, "My mother in-law Nellie read that Peace Pilgrim booklet you gave me. She was very moved by it, and she would like to read more by Peace Pilgrim. Do you have any thing else? And she would like to talk to you too," our repairman excitedly said to me. I responded, "I don't have any thing else by Peace Pilgrim, but you can give her this book Restorative Justice by Howard Zehr." Later I got to talk to Nellie. Nellie then shared, "Oh yes, that was really inspiring. We have to build peace person by person and house by house by the way that we relate to and treat each other. What Peace Pilgrim has to say is very important. And I really like the book Restorative Justice that I am now reading. I especially like to read stuff like that." I responded, "When you get that one finished, I can loan you another book!" The political saga continues in Barranca. A prominent Catholic priest, Padre Francisco, a close consultant to the Mayor, who is
Post a Comment
Read more

informe de salud

By
  Queridos amigos, Les escribo para informarles que hace unas semanas me diagnosticaron Parkinson vascular. Tenía problemas para mantener el equilibrio y caminar. Vi a un neurólogo y me hicieron una resonancia magnética de mi cerebro, y a partir de eso y de mi historial, me diagnosticaron Parkinson vascular. Me siento muy bien con mi doctora. Mi Parkinson Vascular es causado por mini accidentes cerebrovasculares que bloquean la sangre en la parte del cerebro que controla la marcha. El Parkinson vascular afecta principalmente a la parte inferior del cuerpo, y por lo tanto, afecta la marcha y el equilibrio y regularmente no suele provocar temblores. Es diferente del Parkinson clásico que es causado por la falta de dopamina. El tratamiento principal para el Parkinson vascular es tratar de detener los accidentes cerebrovasculares manteniendo bajo control factores como la presión arterial y el colesterol; esto puede evitar que la enfermedad progrese. Por lo tanto, no necesariamente empeorar
Post a Comment
Read more