Client Newsletter / Fall 2024
Hello RILA Family!
We hope you all enjoyed the summer! As we step into Fall and build new rhythms around the school schedule and work, we want to invite you to come celebrate all that God has done and continues to do in the RILA family.
We are hosting our 2nd Annual RILA Family Fiesta on Sunday, September 8, 2024, from 4:00-7:00 pm at Alcova Heights Picnic Shelter, 901 S George Mason Drive, Arlington, VA 22204.
We have a bounce house for the children, some soccer activities for the young people, and delicious food for everyone! RILA is providing tacos, and we invite all of you to bring a favorite dish to share with the group.
We had a wonderful time last year! We enjoyed delicious food from around the world and lots of laughter. We hope you’ll join us again this year! You can read more about it and let us know that you’re coming here: https://forms.gle/NFBsgkdv6MyQVzaW7 . Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Michelle Swearingen with any questions (614-406-4360).
Legal Update
We are working on an exciting project! We are so thankful for each of you in our RILA family and we want to create more avenues to connect with you. This fall we will be launching the Client Advisory Board. This Board will be composed of 6-7 RILA clients and former clients and will meet about every other month. The Board will start by receiving six months of training and equipping conducted by RILA staff and community leaders, followed by a year-long client-led project investing in the RILA family.
We are always so amazed by you, our RILA family - your courage and strength, your creativity and intelligence, your resilience and compassion. We want to create new ways to engage with you and to hear from you. We believe you are the key to making our RILA services better and to making our RILA family stronger.
This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to grow in professional skills, build their resume and invest in our community. If you are interested in learning more about this Board or if you have any thoughts you’d like to share, please reach out to Mirna at mirna@restorationimmigration.org or Michelle at michelle@restorationimmigration.org.
Prayer for Fall
Excerpted from Every Season Sacred by Kayla Craig
O God, Creator of all seasons,
We thank You for the gift of fall’s embrace.
Be near as our families embark on autumn’s adventures
And new ages and stages of life.
God, we breathe the crisp, fresh air
And ask You to guide us
In this ever-changing world.
Be our compass as winds change.
Direct us as we sit in the dusk and marvel at your mystery.
As twigs snap and leaves crunch
Under our weight,
We, too, give the weight
Of all we’ve been carrying to You.
For we know You care for us.
In the demands of domestic life,
Help us rest in You.
Soothe our discontent
And stoke the fires of our hearts
So we may be a soft place
For our children [and our families] to return to
When the day grows dark.
May our children [and our families] know now
And forevermore
That no matter what the day brings,
Our arms are always ready to embrace them
And welcome them home.
As the air around us grows cooler,
Help us to create dwelling places
That are warm and welcoming
So that our neighbors, as well as our families,
Will know that their presence is wanted.
As fall stretches out and blankets us in fields of gold,
Grow in us a sense of belonging in You, O Lord,
So that we might extend that warmth to others.
Helps us be quick to listen - really listen -
to the people in our lives.
Help us to be people that notice
The seemingly small
So we might be better attuned
To receive the big changes You have for us too.
O Christ who moved in empathy,
Move us in empathy too,
And clothe us in compassion
As the day grows darker earlier,
Help us get quiet
So that we might sit in the darkness
And dwell in the mystery
Of who You are.
Soothe our fears
And remind us that in every
Transitional moment
And time of change,
You are near.
As always, please let us know if you move or get a new phone number! You can do that by completing this online form: https://rb.gy/l6l6qs. It’s important that we stay connected as we walk through your immigration process together.
