This July, we celebrate freedom in both our country and in Christ. We learned more about the financial freedom experienced by a veteran who came through our Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic and received assistance with his taxes. In Episode 3, Part 1 of our podcast, Courting Justice, we explore the freedom from civil wars and extreme danger experienced by refugees who are resettled in the United States. In the episode, two experts on immigration answer questions and address common misconceptions regarding refugees. Tweet us your legal questions now @NCLegalClinic #CourtingJustice for a chance to have it answered in our next episode!

What exactly is a refugee? What kinds of screening processes do refugees undergo before entering the United States? What barriers do they typically face and what kinds of services are available to help them integrate into our community? Join host Ashley Caveda for Part 1 of our special two-part series on Immigration and Refugees. She discusses common questions and misconceptions regarding refugees with Director of Outreach & Immigration Services at Exodus Refugee Megan Hochbein and Immigrant Justice Program Staff Attorney Rachel VanTyle.

Rachel says that although this kind of complex immigration process is often taxing on both her and on the clients she assists, outcomes like this are great learning experiences and serve as important reminders. “It taught me that we always have to be patient and sometimes the answer isn’t revealed to us right away, but as long as we endure, we’ll be okay.” Now, Ko Mya Aye and his family have finally been reunited here in the U.S. He told Rachel, “My family is complete again.”

For Americans, the month of November brings with it the reminder to take notice of the blessings in our lives and to be grateful for them. This November was no different. At the Clinic, we took stock of things like amazing partnerships with organizations like Shepherd Community Center, a group that is fighting to end generational poverty on the near Eastside of Indianapolis every single day. We also reflected on current events happening in our world and in our country, and our Executive Director Chris Purnell shared his thoughts on what it means to respond to them in a way that brings glory to Christ.

As governors continue to erect legally questionable verbal barriers to their borders in the wake of the Paris terror tragedy, Christians need to remember their roots. In the midst of a rational fear, at best, and good old-fashioned xenophobia, at worst, Christians need to be constantly reminded of what Scripture tells us about vulnerable people and what the call of the Christian is. Here are five things I’ve been reminding myself of lately from my vantage point as the Executive Director of the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, as a husband and father, and as an elder of a church.

Rachel VanTyle, the lead staff attorney for RAD, adds that mass volunteer events like this are important for the community and for efficiency’s sake. She says, “What it would take me 4 months to do, we can do in 8 hours with this many volunteers.” Such days also give the Clinic the opportunity to provide services for which we might lack funding. Rachel explains that each application, if completed by a paid attorney, would cost roughly $500 per client. Therefore, by relying on volunteers to help so many people at once, the Clinic is able to provide more than $25,000 worth of services that might otherwise be impossible.