Updates on Geshe-la's Immigration Status
03-06-2009
We are overjoyed to announce that IBC’s spiritual director and precious teacher, Geshe Jinpa Sonam-la, is back from India. Thanks to the hard work of our board of directors and our attorney, the immigration process went very smoothly. Geshe-la is very happy to be home and is expecting his green card to arrive in the next few weeks.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all who helped with this process. You showed your support in so many ways - by reciting prayers, working at the center, or donating money to the legal fund - just to name a few. We wouldn’t have been able to help Geshe-la return to the U.S. without our wonderful members!
After paying for Geshe-la’s travel expenses and the initial legal fees, we still have approximately $3,000 to pay our lawyer. If you have the ability and compassion, we would greatly appreciate your further assistance with this. You can donate online by clicking the “donate” tab above, by mail to our center, or in person at any IBC event. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support. Geshe-la's wisdom, integrity, dedication and selflessness are beyond compare and of immeasurable benefit. We are so blessed to have him home!
10/21/2008
Letter from Geshe-la:
Hope you all must be doing very well at there. I reached my home town in Zanskar safely and I feel really happy to meet with everyone after a long time. It has changed a lot since from my departure. The glaciers have melted down and many new shops and hotels have been built. My villagers were very excited to see me again after a long time. Anyhow, I will contact you from Delhi. Till then have a nice time.
With Love,
Geshe Jinpa Sonam
10/08/2008
Good news! Our petition to have Geshe-la's visa application moved to Delhi has been approved. The case is in the process of being forwarded to the National Visa Center for further processing. In addition, we received another bit of good news, that the provision of the law which makes non-ministerial religious workers eligible to apply for immigrant status (the program Geshe-la is applying for), which was set to expire on October 1st was reauthorized by both houses on Saturday October 4th and is expected to be signed by the President. This is extremely good news and would appear to give the case a green light. We are deeply grateful to Senator Lugar's office for their assistance with this matter and for keeping us informed.
9/24/2008
Geshe-la called this morning. He arrived in Zangskar a few days ago. The weather there is really cold and really rainy. The one phone available hasn't been working well because of the cold (the connection was very poor - there was a noticeable delay and I could hear the echo of my voice). He asked about the city sewer project and I told him that Bonar Avenue alongside the center was all torn up. He said his situation was good and his family was good and not to worry. He will try to call again. He wanted to tell everyone "hi". He is thinking of us all.
9/05/2008
Geshe-la just called to say that he has arrived in Delhi. He got there ok, is feeling very good and is very happy. He said "Don't worry". He did not have many minutes on his phone so he couldn't make many calls or talk much, but he is thinking of everyone and wanted to let everyone know.
Dear IBC Supporter,
We are deeply saddened to have to bring you unfortunate news. On June 26, 2008, our application for adjustment of the residency status of our beloved teacher, Geshe Jinpa Sonam, was denied on the basis of several mistakes made by our former attorney. After consulting with three immigration attorneys, as well as representatives from our legislators' offices, we now understand that there is no alternative left to us other than to have Geshe-la return to India. He must apply again from there for a Special Immigrant Religious Worker (Permanent Track) Visa.
Geshe-la has told us not to worry or panic; that he will not abandon us. He is determined to come back to the United States and will do everything in his power so that he can legally return. Our new attorney is transferring the case to India, and he does not anticipate any problems in getting the application approved. We, the board of the Indiana Buddhist Center, are committed to bringing him back and to doing whatever we can to expedite the process. In him lies all our hopes for the future; we have no doubt that our organization will fail without him.
All of you who know Geshe Jinpa-la know how selflessly he has served us, never accepting a salary, never profiting personally from our center, only depending upon our kindness for little more than room and board. Again and again he has demonstrated his dedication to serving Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike through his teachings, visits to those in prisons and hospitals, and participation in local interfaith events. There is no way we can ever repay him.
We face many challenges over the coming months, and here is one way you can help. Geshe-la's attorney fees alone are expected to be $5,000. Budgeting for travel, application fees, and miscellaneous costs, we feel we need to raise $10,000 to ensure we can cover all expenses. Would you consider making a donation to Geshe-la's legal fund to help us bring him back so that he can continue to provide spiritual nourishment for us here in the United States? Any donation at all will be gratefully accepted and put to good use. You can mail your donation to:
Indiana Buddhist Center
9260 East 10th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46229
If you would prefer to pay by credit card, please click on the button below and follow the instructions. You can also make a donation in person at any IBC event; just let us know you would like your donation to go to Geshe-la's legal fund.
If you have questions, please feel free to email us at ibcinfo@hotmail.com.
Your prayers and support are very much appreciated, and we thank you in advance for your generosity.
Sincerely,
The Board of the Indiana Buddhist Center
Rebecca Russell, President
Gary DeFries, Vice-President
Ani Lobsang Drolma, Treasurer
Renea Lanter, Secretary