Boarder Crossing

I know it's been a while, but here is what happened in detail at the boarder when I came back to Canada to finish SLI Year 2 after Christmas.

Before Christmas...

Prior to Leaving Canada in December a wise friend of mine suggested that I get a letter from the church to state what I am doing in Canada just incase I have any trouble at the boarder.  So I talked with the church and we sat down for a bit and together typed up a short letter stating what I'll be doing and all that.  I thought it was a great letter.

After Christmas...

As I was packing my stuff at my grandma's (Carol) house I was putting away the props I had gotten out of my stuff there for a little Christmas skit.  One of the props was Aragorn's crown from Lord of the Rings - collector's edition (in a case and frame and all. I wanted for some reason to take it with me to Canada.  However I debated it with myself because I couldn't find a use for it in Canada.   Normally by this point I feel the Holy Spirit telling me to leave it, however I didn't feel that this time.  Instead I felt a peace about taking it, so I packed it in my trunk.

On Saturday December 31st, I left my Grandma's house in Princeville IL and headed to Fort Wayne Indiana to spend a bit of time at the Stuckey's (more family).   I spent the night there, went to their church - it was a powerful time by the way - and then spent the afternoon with them.   I loved being with them, it was a very valuable time.   I had to be in Canada for SLI first thing in the morning on Tuesday, January 3rd, so I spent another night with the Stuckey's and left a bit before noon on that Monday.   Aunt Cindy was so kind as to pack me a lunch  (a good one too! Thanks Cindy) and I headed off on the two and a half hour trip to the boarder.  

Now it was interesting, I had spend a lot of time in prayer asking God for safe travels and no trouble at the boarder.   For the past few days I had felt that I wasn't going to make it thru, but I expected that I would make it through for I was confident that God had called me to be in SLI Year 2 in Canada.

I made it to the boarder in good time, I was able to make it there in between the noon and supper rush hours.   I payed the fee to cross the Bridge and crossed over into Canada.  At the Canadian Boarder they were a bit skeptical of my "story" and they wanted to search the car, so they had me pull over in their area and they searched the car.   I had to stand in front of my car while four men dug through most all of my stuff.  They got a good laugh our of the 15 bags of Kitchen Cooked Potato Chips that I had in my trunk (my mom had sent 10 bags up with me for Laura Baxter) and I brought 5 bags up for the SLI Class.  Though it probably wasn't too helpful for them to convince them that I was just here visiting.  Who knows.    Anyways they recorded some notes, after asking me some questions, on a slip of paper and then they sent me with my passport and the slip of paper into the Canada Customs & Immigration office.   The lady that helped me asked a lot of questions and I felt that I needed to be completely honest with them.  I told them I was going to be there until June (6 months is the max I can legally stay in Canada without a visa).  I told them I was going to be staying with family and volunteering at their church.   She went and did some work and then came back for more questions and then went and did some work and came back for more questions.   I don't know how long I was there for but I'd guess it was about a half an hour or so, maybe more.   Anyways the lady didn't seemed convinced.  She told me that she wasn't convinced that I would be returning to the States after June.   Why?  Because I didn't have a job, wasn't going to school, didn't have a mortgage or rent payments, or anything like that.  Basically I didn't have anything that was pulling me back to the US.

So she gave me a list of 10 things that I could show them to potentially prove that I was going to return to the US after my stay.   She told me that she could not let me into Canada today.  Then they gave me a document that I had to sign, saying that I would not try to re-enter Canada today.   And they sent me back to the US.

Well I thought as I was leaving Canada, "this should be a shock to me" but it wasn't.  I had felt that the Spirit was telling me I wasn't going to make it.  I had asked that God's will be done and that He give me peace for what ever happened.  I drove away from the Canadian Boarder filled with an unexplainable peace.   I didn't like what had happened, but I was okay with it, I knew that God had a plan and He was doing His will like I had asked Him to.

Well when I got to the US boarder I had to give them the document that the Canadian boarder gave me.  Almost always I find the boarder guards not too friendly.  Except for this time.  They guy in the booth that I was at was friendly and helped me out.  He asked some questions like why Canada turned me down and such and I felt I could talk freely with him.   He told me to wait and said, "well I have bad news for you.  If you get turned around at Canada you have to be searched in America."  He told me what was going to happen and told me it was really busy today and that the boarder guards should probably do a better job at keeping things flowing, but they don't.   I felt that he really sympathized with me that my trip back would be delayed because of kind of a silly rule, but that it had to happen.   So I had to wait a bit at the booth because there wasn't room in the area where you pull off.  Finally there was room and I pulled in.

The last time I had to pull off at the US boarder I parked and they immediately told me to get out and go into their office.  This time I knew that it was going to be a long wait when the guard told me to stay in my car because the office was full.   So I waited for about 10 minutes before the had me go inside.  The last time I was in this office I it wasn't completely full and I had to wait a half an hour.  I knew that I would have to wait a while this time since it was super full.   However, Praise God, I only had to wait about 5-10 minutes.  Though the room was full, I was the second or third person called up.  They asked me a question or two and let me go.   As soon as I was out of the boarder area I called a few people to tell them.  I called my Aunt Cindy in Indiana, my dad in Texas, the SLI Coordinator in Canada (though it went to his voice message), and a good friend in Canada.   I told them what happened and asked them for prayer.   Through talking with my dad and Cindy I concluded that I would head back to Indiana for the night until I can figure out what documents I can get to help me cross again.

On my way back to Indiana I was finishing the lunch Cindy had packed me.   I was thinking this trip to the boarder and back will cost me almost exactly $30 in fuel and $10 in boarder fees.  I was thinking, how am I going to pay for this, it is in no way in my budget.  As I was thinking this I reached into the my lunch and I pulled out the next thing my hand touched.  I pulled out $40????   God had put on Cindy's heart to pack $40 into my lunch.  She would of had no idea that I would need it for this, but God used her to provide for me.   Glory to God!

Well I spent the week in Indiana with the Stuckey's Praying and waiting.  I do not like waiting!   I am not a waiter.  I, I had probably one of the hardest weeks I have ever had - I would almost rather be really sick than having to wait.   It was a huge step in God's long process of teaching me patience.  It was so hard for me.  I just wanted to go drive or do something, something that would make it feel like I was doing something.   I didn't like it, though I think it was likely very beneficial training for me.

While I was "stuck" in the US at the Stuckey's house in Indiana I needed to get a number of documents.  And I wasn't sure what exactly I was going to be able to get or how I was going to get them.  However, isn't it amazing how God works, aunt Cindy has a friend who has worked in American immigration (kind of) for a decade.  And Cindy was able to set up a time to sit down and talk with her to see if she had any ideas or advice for me.   Boy was that helpful! Wow!   Cindy and I sat down with her for 20 minutes or so and the advice and information that we gained was so valuable.  She read the letter that the church in Canada had given me and told me based off the letter, it was almost proof that I wasn't coming back.   The two things I am not suppose to say when crossing the boarder are "family" & "volunteering", both of which I had said the first time.   Also she helped out on things that they want to hear about what I'll be doing and things they will freak out about if I say the wrong word.

Cindy used the new information we gained and wrote up a new letter (she's a good writer) and sent it on to the church.  The church made a few tweaks and then signed it and sent it to me.   That was one document that I needed, now what next?

I needed a bank statement, proving that I had a bank here and that I also had enough in my account to survive in Canada until June.  I had about $1,000 in my account.  Both the boarder guard who denied me entry to Canada and Cindy's friend told me that $1,000 isn't enough to survive for 6 months.  Cindy's friend recommended that I have at least $2,500 in my account if not $3,000.  So I borrowed $2,000 from my dad to put into my account.  Once I had it in my account I needed an official print-off of my statement, but I needed it soon so I could head back up to Canada.  The problem was, well a few problems:
1) My bank is in Illinois, I am in Indiana;
2) It wasn't time for a bank statements since it was only a week into the month;
3) through a huge hassle I got my bank to secure email me the December & up-to-date January statement of my account.  However I had forgot that my bank address was still down at my Texas house with my family, and not at my Illinois house with my grandma.   Why was this a problem?  Well because I got my car registration for another piece of documentation and I registered my car (and my license) in Illinois.   So when I got my emailed statement I had to call them to get my address changed to my Illinois address.   But that was a huge problem within itself since my bank said to do that I had to come in person and sign for it.  - After a long process (days) I was able to get it changed and I got the updated statement.

Now during this time my great aunt Jane had died and though I wanted to go to here funeral I had decided not to due to the fear of hassle at the boarder and just the cost to drive back and forth.  (she died before I attempted to cross into Canada the first time, I think).   However I felt peace about going back to Illinois to go to the funeral and to get some more documents while I was there.   So I left the Stuckey household Friday, January 6th at about 4am (EST).   I like driving in the morning.  I am less sleepy in the wee dark hours than the evening dark hours, and I fall asleep easier driving in the afternoon.   Cindy was kind enough to offer to pack me a breakfast/lunch again and left it in the fridge for when I left in the morning.   I drove the trip to Illinois (about 4 hours to Tremont).  I went to Tremont (where I went to middle/high school for 8+ years) for several reasons.  I figured that I could stop at my bank and get a in-person statement on a letterhead, I could stop at the dentist office and set up an appointment for when I come back as proof I'm coming back, and if I have a bit of time, stop in and talk with some of my teachers/friends at the high school.   Well when I arrived in Tremont my clock said 8:45.   I thought well I don't have time to go to the high school (which was really disappointing) since school stated at 8am.   Except it then dawned on me, I'm no longer in Eastern Time, I'm in Central Time, so it's only 7:45.  Cool! I have a bit of time to talk with some of my teachers before school starts.   Well as I was talking with them, one of my special ed teachers said, Oh, you need letters/documents with your Illinois address on it, I'll write you one right now.  So she wrote me a letter and put it in an envelope with my Illinois address on it.   Another one of my special ed teachers suggested I go to the guidance counselor and have her print off a letter on the school letter head with my transcript in it.  Genius! The guidance counselor was more than helpful and happy to help.  She printed it off and printed a stamp on it and put the school seal on the transcript just in case.   She was very helpful, praise God!   My time at the school was so much fun and full of lots of good memories.  I got to catch up with a lot of teachers and staff there and it was comforting to just be there with friends I knew and loved.   God is good.   I also had a bit more time (which I used) than I had thought, an hour more to be exact, since I realized that neither the bank or the dentist office opened until 9am.

After leaving the school I went to the dentist office only to find that they are closed Fri-Sun.  Well that idea flew out the window.   The bank wasn't too helpful either, they weren't able to print it on a good letter head for some reason.  So be it.  I have what I have.  As I was driving back to Princeville (about an hour) I made a few stops.  I stopped and set up a chiropractic appointment on June 28th (SLI ends on June 25th).  Then I went to my allergy doctor to set up my next allergy shot on June 28th as well.  However they were unable to do that because, again Praise God, June 28th just happened to be my yearly checkup.  When she printed off the details of my last checkup it said I came on June 28th 2016 and I had scheduled to come on June 28th 2017!  Wow God!

I then headed back to Princeville.  Over the course of the weekend I, along with the rest of the family, went through aunt Jane's house and stuff cleaning it out a bit.   Also being in Illinois I got to spend time with my mom, who wasn't able to make it up to Illinois over Christmas with my dad and sister.   That right there was another blessing.

Friday night was the Visitation and Saturday morning was the funeral.  My original plan was to leave right after the funeral and see if I can cross the boarder before dark.   But God told me not to, He told me to stop half way in Indiana again and drive up on Sunday.  I asked Him why and He replied with a question, "why do you want to cross today?"  I said, "because it's a backup.  If they deny me again I will have to sign a paper saying that I can't try to re-enter today.  But Sunday will be a different day, so I'll be able to try again."  But God said, "I don't want you to trust that as your backup.  I want you to trust me completely.  Go on Sunday and trust that I will get you through"   (That coming Monday was the day the school started at the church that I help at and I help a lot in the school, so it was important to me to be in Canada before that Monday).   I thought to myself that I should probably listen to God, and Thank God, He made my decision a lot easier.

On Friday I had stopped at the Princeville post office to see if I could get the two letters I had gotten in Tremont stamped with a letter stamp thingy.   They said sure and stamped them.  But they wouldn't let me take them then.  I said, I need them for tomorrow to help me get into Canada to finish this program.   But they said the stamp they put on the letter says they will process the letter.  If they don't really process the letter that would be cheating the system and they were not going to do that.   After a bit of talking we came to an agreement.  I left thinking that I heard the lady say that I'd have the letter in my mail box in the morning.  However I later found out she didn't get the "morning" part and just made sure it would be in my mail box on Saturday.  So 1:00 rolled around and still there was no mail - I was quite worried, since I had heard the post office closed at noon on Saturdays.  2:00 rolled around and still nothing.  So I drove into the post office and banged on their closed and locked door.   Only by God the Post Master just happened to be there even though they had closed at 10:30 am!!!   She wasn't to happy, but I explained the situation and all and she was willing to help me out.   She searched the place and didn't find the letters.  She figured that the letter must be with the carrier out on his rout right now.   She called the lady that I had talked with the day before and got her story and put all the pieces together.  Then she looked up on her computer where the carrier with my mail should be at, but soon realized it was the wrong carrier.  So she called the carrier and found out where he was.  She also found out from him that he'll be at least an hour or two before he makes it to my house (my grandma's house).   So she blessed me so much.  She set up a road intersection that the carrier should be at in 15 minutes and set up with the carrier to meet me there to get my mail.  She then drew me a little map on how to get there, and gave me her cell number and name incase I got lost or something.  So I drove out to the spot and sure enough the carrier met me there and gave me my two letters.  Only by the grace of God did that work out - that is not something that normally can happen.   Praise God!

So I left shortly after.  I realized that there was no way to make it to the boarder before dark now, another way of God saying wait.  So I went to Indiana and spend the night.   The next morning I left around 4am again.   On the way God told me to make a few stops.  I didn't want to stop for several reasons, 1) I wanted to get there as quick as possible, 2) I wanted to be the Detroit rush hour and 3) I had a goal to try to make it to church Sunday morning.   I really (especially) wanted to make it for worship, since I see God so much in the worship at Koinonia.  Anyways God told me to stop and go to the bathroom here and stop for fuel here, both shortly before hitting Detroit.  So I did and was non to thrilled about it.   However it was a way of God lining me up with the perfect timing for the perfect guy to help me at the boarder.  I crossed the bridge at the boarder at about 6:30 am.   They sent me into Canadian Customs and Immigration but they didn't search me (oh and I had emptied my crown out at my grandma's house - I think God wanted me to take the crown the first time so I'd be turned around.  The guards had told me that it looked like that I was taking all my personal belongings with me like I might be moving to Canada or something).  Anyways they didn't search me and the guy I handed my passport to wasn't the guy who helped me.  There was a shift change right as I got there.  They guy who I gave my passport to took it and gave it to the guy who was just coming in.   God lined it up with perfect timing.

The guard asked me a lot of questions.   I gave him all my documents which included:
- my Passport
- my car registration
- my chiropractic appointment slip
- my bank statements (totaling $3,000 in my account now)
- a bunch of things from Koinonia to show they are who they say they are.  (eg. 5 or 6 of the past weekly news cards, a volunteer program, a Christmas in Concert card and volunteer program, a life group sign up sheet and such)
- The new letter from the church
- SLI Year 1 & SLI Year 2 Application booklets (containing all the information on both)
So yeah, I gave him a folder with all that information in it and he asked a lot of questions.  I was the only one there, and for a while he was the only one there.   He poured over ever word of all the documents and all that.   He was very skeptical and I was in constant prayer.  Again I had that feeling form the Holy Spirit, except this time I felt that I would make it thru and I expected as much.   I was quite nervous, though praise God it didn't show much.  At one point the boarder guard said while looking through the SLI Year 1 application, "This says "class" and "student".  Do you have a student visa?"  I said, "no".  He ask why and I told him that I didn't need on.  After a lot of talking he told me he cannot let me in without a student visa.   I told him again I don't need one.  He said yes you do.  I said, "I respectfully disagree."  Where he then said, "I respectfully disagree with you.  You do need one."

Now normally they would stop you right there and nothing more I would of said would of helped.   However he, by the grace of God, let me explain my side and he took some time to look into it.

He didn't like that the first time I had tried crossing I had said nothing about SLI being a two year program, and this time I did.

After a long time, though to me it only seemed like 30 minutes or so, he came back with some news.  God did something, I don't know what, I am just grateful and thankful.  He asked a handful more specific questions about where I'll be staying and what I'll be doing and when I'll be leaving.  Then he stapled a piece of paper to my passport and gave me my passport.  He told me all the details on the paper and explained them to me.  He gave me a visitor's permit where I can be in Canada until June 27th.   I cannot work or go to school or anything like that.   Then he let me go and told me how to get back on to the main road.

WOW GOD!!!!

I made it out on the road at around 8:30am.  So I had been in there at the boarder for 2 hours and yet God let it only feel like a little bit, not saying that I want to do it again.   I was right on time to make it back for the 11:00 service at Koinonia.  However the main road back, the 401, had spots of bad weather mixed with bad roads and little to no visibility mixed with lots of traffic.  At one point my speed was reduced by nearly 100 k/hr.   I was still able to make it to Koinonia by the service, though i missed the worship. I arrived at the church right as the worship was ending.   I'm still happy to be here.

I had a lot of people praying for me and I felt every prayer.  Over the week of waiting I was able to sleep in better ways than I have ever been able to do for that long of time.  God's hand was on me.  There is Power in Prayer!!!!!

Also, some other cool things God did....

1. When I left to go back to the US for Christmas I knew that my budget didn't have room for the cost of fuel to get me back, but God blessed me.  He told me to go ahead and go, and while I was back two different people came up to me and gave me $60 each to cover the cost of my fuel.

2. When I decided to come back to Illinois for the funeral and to get more documents for the boarder I had another two people approach me and give me $70 each to cover the cost of my traveling.   God is Good.  All my expenses that I couldn't afford were paid for!  Praise God!

I feel so blessed.  As I was waiting in Indiana, I was about to pull my hair out since I didn't like waiting so much and I had the thought/feeling, "I am sitting here, denied entry to the country I feel God has called me to and I have to wait with nothing I can really do, and I feel so overwhelmingly blessed?!?!?! WOW!  God you are sooo Good!"