Winter 2006Roger Capron, Co-Director of the Family Support Center
“For just as the body has many members, and all the members are one body, so it is with Christ.”
At Tierra Nueva, we seek to incarnate this truth as we minister to wounded and threatened families.
Ramón’s wife came to the FSC asking for help to get her husband out of jail and back to his home and children. Ramón was being held on serious felony charges. He would likely end up in deportation proceedings and eventually be sent back to Mexico.
Rocío, Co-Director of the FSC, insisted that we help. While Ramón may have made a bad decision, deep down he was a loving and responsible father. If Ramón were deported, the family would be forced to the streets.
The FSC staff collected letters of reference for Ramón and arranged for trusted legal help. Nick, a long-term volunteer, set-up anger management classes. Chris, assistant jail chaplain, made regular contact with Ramón to give spiritual and emotional support.
The situation looked hopeful. The prosecutor agreed to a plea to non-deportable charges. But then the Border Patrol discovered an earlier conviction. They took Ramón to their Tacoma detention facility. Another flurry of phone calls and letters were sent, this time to the judge. Finally, Ramón walked free on bail. Because of ineffective representation four years ago, he should have never been charged. The faith communities at Tierra Nueva continued to pray for Ramón’s liberation out of the hands of the city attorney and the border patrol.
The verdict came: “Not Guilty plea will be accepted.” Eventually, Ramón’s attorney convinced the city attorney to drop the case without re-charging Ramón. Ramón’s green card and
legal immigration status were reinstated. Ramón was a free man!
All told, twelve members of the body of Christ labored in the unity of the Spirit to help our brother, Ramón, regain his freedom, his dignity, his family and his community.
