Beyond Borders and Belief.

Here's a story of people from many countries and how God crossed their paths for his kingdom and his glory.

Many years ago, in Bolivia, Marge met a man, Franco, and his wife, Lila. Franco worked as a soccer coach for a team of former street kids. As they faithfully served in South America, they had a baby boy and dreamed of going to unreached places where Coca-cola was more popular than Jesus. Franco and Lila* would invite Marge over for visits and the three became good friends.

Eventually, Marge returned to Canada while Franco and Lila made a big move to India, Lila's home and native land. Who moved first is not important, but the friends went their separate ways. Franco and Lila were faithful to follow the updates of Marge as she moved on to work with refugees and their settlement into Canada. Marge was not as diligent to keep tabs on the little family of three in India.

India has become a country of loose borders with little legislation to assist the constant stream of refugees that cross her frontier. Franco and Lila found themselves befriending those fleeing religious persecution in Iran. One woman, Puna*, immersed in Muslim culture, met Jesus through gospel truth transmitted to her by satellite. She fell in love with the music, the message, and the Man. After taking out a Bible from the library, she was attacked and threatened in the street. Muslims are prohibited from reading the Bible but they are available for those identified as Christians. She quickly fled her home and landed in India until her case was approved and she was sponsored to Canada.

In the meantime, her brother, who once chastised her for watching the Christian programming, became a Christ follower too. While residing in India, Puna's youngest sister, Farah*, came to visit. During her visit, she went to church and decided to embrace Jesus as well. Upon her return to Iran, she was summoned to police headquarters, detained for 28 days, threatened, and upon her release, lost her documents for ten months. Unbeknown to Farah, the Iranian officials in India were watching her every move. As soon as her passport and IDs were back in her possession, Farah took off for India. For awhile, she studied, but her VISA was running out and the expiry date on her passport was creeping closer and closer.

One day, at 4 AM, Marge's mom received a phone call from India. With laughter and little surprise, she asked Marge, "Now, who in the world do you know in India?" Franco, knowing that Marge was working with refugees, was trying to track her down to see if she could help Farah's situation. A couple phone calls later, Marge and Puna connected and met each other for the first time. Their friendship came easily and in short time, they had recruited a Group of Five to apply for private sponsorship of Farah to Canada, where her brother now lived as well. Through various meetings, Skype phone calls, and the priceless help of the Group, every detail came together and the application was submitted to Citizenship and Immigration Canada...with a florescent yellow cover and the word 'URGENT' emblazed in red on the page.

Meanwhile, in India, Farah struggled to keep her spirits up and her hopes high. During some difficult days, a Bolivian missionary serving in Afghanistan came up to India to rest and spent several days with Farah. Her presence refreshed Farah's soul and renewed her faith. Although her name escaped Marge, this single lady was sent by the Spanish Church that she attended in Santa Cruz and Marge had met her a couple times.

From Bolivia to India, from Iran to India, from India to Canada, and from Afghanistan to India, the paths of many have crossed in such a way that they could only be designed by God. And because of this, with great expectation and rejoicing, Farah's application for refugee status was approved and she should be in Canada within the year. To God be the glory!

*names have been changed.