Better Together
Our sister church pastor from El Salvador is visiting us in the US. As he describes it, we started with a group of five, and then it was a group of two, and in the end he is here on his own. The visa game that the US Department of State plays with applicants for tourist visas (well, any visas) is not new. The secret formula for success in securing visas for youth or adults, church leaders or lay-folk, is and has been frustratingly elusive. Our friend and pastor has been in the position of being the lone representative for visits and celebrations in the United States numerous times. He has a 10 year, multi-entry visa. It is important to note that one of our invitees had a 10-year visa also, but only good for one entry so invalid for the most recent invitation. (Check that fine print on those 10-year visas!) The motivation for this year's visit: we are celebrating 20 years together as sister churches. We are a triple team made up of a suburban and an urban church from the U