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Yesterday’s trial was very hard for me. It did not go as I was hoping. First of all, thank you all for praying for us. Some of you got an email with specific things to pray. All of those specific prayers were answered. Looking back, I should have asked you to pray that I would actually get the Green Card/Residency Visa.  I have another hearing to endure, this time I have to wait until June 2nd. The Judge and the opposing attorney seemed to really want to help us, but their hands are tied by the law. I took the stand and was asked various questions by my lawyer that was very emotional for me. I didn’t understand everything that was going on, the legalities and different laws that were talked about by the judge and two lawyers. I thought that my first conviction for marijuana, committed when I was 17 years of age, had been thrown out, but it was brought up again and seemed to be a sticking point for the government’s lawyer. He wanted to know whether or not I was tried as an adult. If I was tried as an adult then that was it, case closed, I would have no other legal leg to stand on. The judge wanted to know when the offense was actually committed, how many months previous to the conviction. I could not remember and did not have those facts. The trial carried on and I was asked questions by the opposing attorney as to my being able to get a job back in England. I told him that my skills were to help large churches pastor their people through Small Groups and that there were few big churches in England. I was forced to admit that I probably could find a job as a pastor in England. It was evident that they were seeking to find out how difficult it would be for us to be separated as a family. I had to prove extreme hardship if I wanted to stay with my family, the emphasis on extreme. This was very difficult for me, I could not hold back tears as they were talking about our separation as a family. My lawyer brought up various medical records concerning my son, that he has been on medicine for depression and diagnosed with ADHD and that he has been seeing a counsellor/doctor for the last year or so. The trial ended with the court needing more information from the doctor about my son’s health. The re-trial is set for June 2 at 1pm.

 

Thank you so much for praying for us. We are left emotionally drained but believing that there still is a way through this legal quagmire.

 

I am teaching as a volunteer on the topic of Jesus the Messiah, looking in depth on various passages in the Book of John for four consecutive weeks, starting on January 27 in the Great Rooms at the Cincinnati Vineyard at 7pm if you can make it. You can sign up to attend on the Vineyard Community Church website at: http://www.vineyardcincinnati.net/ click on Events, then Vineyard University, and then Jesus the Messiah, if you would like to attend. It is free. Bring your bibles. If you don’t have one, I can loan you one. Our purpose is to get to know Him better, allowing His life and character to shape us to be like Him. Bring your friends!

 

Please feel free to pass on this email to others that have prayed or will pray.

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