Coming to America

I’m excited for my good friend Mzo Bayeni. In November he’s going to be making his first trip to the U.S., thanks to an invitation from Nashville’s Rolling Hills Community Church. RHCC is one of two American church partners in the Red Hill community where Mzo and I work; the other is my home church, LowCountry Community in Bluffton, South Carolina. Mzo will be visiting both congregations during his travels and is looking forward to seeing some of this country that he’s heard so much about.

It will certainly be a culture shock. Actually, he’s already experienced a bit of that simply by applying for a visa. Having helped him with the process, I can confirm that the U.S. is thorough in its post-9/11 screening policy. The online application asks, for example, “Do you intend to engage in a terrorist act while in the United States?” I wonder if anyone has ever checked yes to that one? It also asks if the applicant intends to engage in drug trafficking, prostitution and a host of other illegal activities. The questionnaire took about 30 minutes to complete online – far longer than the paper one I had to fill out for a South African visa.

We had heard that there was a strong possibility Mzo’s application could be denied because he’s young, single and theoretically doesn’t have much to make him want to return to South Africa. It’s not true, of course – he’s completely committed to his job and his country. With the prayer support of a lot of people here and in the U.S., Mzo went to the U.S. Consulate last Wednesday for an in-person interview. The good news arrived yesterday when his passport was delivered with the visa attached. The trip is a great opportunity for Mzo and I know both he and the people he visits are going to be blessed by it.