by Jeremy Reynalds
Executive Director

The Face of a Terrorist?

With blonde hair and lingering traces of an English accent, I would hardly consider myself to be someone who might be of interest to United States immigration officials in El Paso.

But that’s exactly what happened earlier this week when I was attempting to return to the United States after spending the night in Juarez.

Let me explain.

Arriving at the border behind a handful of cars, I expected a few cursory questions and then anticipated being waved on through.

My turn came and I was greeted by a pleasant immigration official. I handed him my passport which he leafed through. The officer then asked me what I had been doing in Mexico, and how long I had been there. I told him that I had gone down to Mexico the night before just for a quick break and was on my way back to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I run a homeless shelter.

The official then asked me about all the stamps in my passport, which include Uganda, Egypt, Jordan and Guatemala. I explained that in addition to running the shelter I also do some freelance writing, and had visited most of those countries in conjunction with that secondary occupation.

After hearing my explanation I expected the official to say, “OK. Thank you, Mr. Reynalds. Drive safely,” and hand me back my passport. Instead he said, “I need you to come with me.”

I asked him what I should do with my car. He told me to lock it up and come with him. I turned the car off, and followed the officer over to a long building close by. While walking over there I asked the official, “So what was responsible for raising the red flags?” He smiled and said nothing.

A couple of minutes later we entered a long room occupied by uniformed immigration officials. There were no civilians there. My adrenalin was now starting to pump a little. I was having images of being interrogated in a small cell, having to call Joy Junction (the homeless shelter which I direct), “This is Jeremy. I’m at the Mexican border at El Paso where I’m being detained for some unknown reason. Just thought you’d like to know!”

In the middle of that momentary thought, I was handed over to a female officer who asked me what I had been doing in Mexico. I repeated my story. This individual told me that she had lived and worked in Albuquerque a few years before and was familiar with Joy Junction. She had, she said, even donated some items.

She asked me again what I did. I told her that I run a homeless shelter. The officer then said, “But you said you write or something?” I told her that was correct and also told her about my work investigating terrorist sites on the Internet, which earned me a death threat in early 2005 (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&…=Google+Search).

That seemed to satisfy the officer and she said, “Alright. Let me ask my boss.” A minute or so later her boss came over and introduced himself. I asked him the same question that I had asked the officer outside, “So what caused all the red flags?”

He looked at me and said politely, “You’re an educated man, Mr. Reynalds. You know we can’t tell you that.”

We shook hands and passport now in hand I was escorted out of the building. I was free to go. What happened? I may never know, but I hardly think that I fit the profile of any FBI list … or do I?

ALBUQUERQUE TO JUAREZ AND BACK

So what was I doing in Juarez anyway?

After a long, difficult few days in the office last week, I wanted to get away from everything and have some time to think and pray. So after church last Sunday I gassed up the car and started driving south. I alternated between praying and listening to “Adventures in Odyssey” (www.whitsend.org), the wonderfully timeless and always encouraging kids audio drama series from Focus on the Family.

Driving usually helps me relax and focus, and this time was no exception. While driving, I just relaxed in the Lord’s presence and felt some of the week’s pressures melting away.

I kept driving. I didn’t have any set destination. I just planned to drive until I grew tired. It didn’t seem very long until I was approaching Las Cruces, New Mexico, where I momentarily toyed with spending the night but decided instead to continue driving and spend the night in Juarez, where I had never before visited.

I approached the border, passport in hand, expecting to be asked what I planned to do in Mexico. But that didn’t happen, and along with multitudes of other cars, I drove right through. Knowing it would soon get dark, and it being my first time in Mexico, I didn’t feel confident enough to venture beyond the first hotel I found, which was a Holiday Inn.

I checked in, and went to my room. I tried to pray, but it was as if my prayers were bouncing back at me before they even hit the ceiling. After more unsuccessful praying, I decided to explore some of the area close to the hotel. I had no set schedule, no deadlines to meet and just wanted to hear from the Lord. I wandered around a mall abuzz with a flurry of activity, which also contained a skating rink full of excited youngsters. I then made my way to a bustling local supermarket and browsed many of the aisles.

By now it was beginning to get late, so I went back to the almost deserted hotel. I ambled back to my room, prayed and read, and went to bed. I didn’t set the alarm. I figured that I would get up and start the long drive back to Albuquerque when the Lord woke me up.

I got up at about seven o’clock, and was getting ready for the drive back to Albuquerque when I felt the presence of the Lord come into the hotel room. I wasn’t praying, and hadn’t expected the Lord to speak to me that morning. But in His goodness and mercy He did anyway, and answered some questions which had been troubling me for some time. I again realized that issues and problems which bother us can so quickly take on a different perspective when we take the time to allow the Lord’s involvement.

Jeremy Reynalds
P O Box 27693
Alb., NM 87125-7693
Tel: (505) 400-7145
www.joyjunction.org

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