Immigrant Faith Stories: Season 2, Episode 4
Episode 4 was one of my favorites! My conversation with Philip Buckley was light-hearted yet profound.
Philip is a British immigrant who has lived in the United States for over 26 years. He was born and raised in Enfield, North London, where he met his future wife, an American student in the U.K.
After getting married, they moved to Springfield, MO, in the U.S. where they continue to reside there with there three daughters.
Though Philip considered himself to be a Christian, he did not develop a personal relationship with Jesus until after he migrated to the U.S. and started attending church with his wife, Amber.
One of the biggest challenges Philip faced in the U.S. was the loss of independence because he is legally blind. He also encountered discrimination for being a foreigner. But God has been with him through it all, drawing Him nearer and maturing His faith.
My takeaways from this episode:
- Some immigrants/refugees may not face racism but they can be victims of xenophobia and/or stereotyping.
- Adjusting to a new place is stressful and most immigrants are unaware of the effects of this cumulative stress on their bodies and emotional well-being.
- God knows all the details of our lives and understands all our pain points. We can surrender our lives to Him, knowing that none of our tensions or tears escapes His notice. He will meet out needs according to His wisdom, love, and power.
Philip works at a Black River Imaging, a professional photographic lab as Volume Photography Specialist and Technical Support Representative. His family are also reptile enthusiasts and Philip regularly participates in community education events.
