As of today, we no longer hold valid visas for our stay in the Philippines. Does that makes us illegal immigrants? Illegal immigration is a matter of great argument in my home country. I will skirt around all of that for now and just say that our situation is a matter of prayer and not contention.
Technically, we are not illegal. We have submitted our applications for extension and are awaiting a response from the Bureau of Immigration. This makes us legal, on a technicality.
So what do you call someone in a foreign country that does not have a current visa? Invalid immigrants? Overdue immigrants? Naughty nomads? I don't know.
For now, I will refer to our situation as interim immigrants. By God's grace, we have never had any problems having our visas approved or extended, aside from the joys of bureaucracy and the confusion that it mandates. But as we wait, we pray, and ask you to pray with us, that we will soon hear that our visas are approved so that we can continue to minister in the Philippines.
Grace,
Tom
Monday, November 12, 2012
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