Modern Day Pilgrims

An update to this post can be found at the end of this blog post.  No spoilers...but let's just say it's some pretty incredible news.

When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.- Leviticus 19:33-34

Read the words Plymouth Rock and Ellis Island…what thoughts come to mind?  When I see those two words next to each other, I immediately think of immigrants leaving their home country in search of a better and freer life for themselves and their family.  They gave up everything in order to make a fresh start in America – the land of the free. 

When I especially stop and think about the Pilgrims, I think about how determined they were to escape their home land in order to escape religious persecution in England.  They didn’t agree with the practices of the Church of England and sought to separate themselves from it – an act that was illegal at that time.  Knowing they couldn’t have the freedom to worship the way they wanted to, they fled to the Netherlands…and eventually to America.  Why were they called Pilgrims?  Because a pilgrim is defined as “a person who goes on a long journey often with a religious or moral purpose, and especially to a foreign land.”

Did you know that there are modern-day Pilgrims living in America today?  I am blessed to know one family – Uwe and Hannelore Romeike and their sweet, six children.  The Romeike’s fled their homeland of Germany for America in order to have the freedom to homeschool their children because of their Christian beliefs.  You see, German public schools teach non-Christian material (that we don’t expose our children to in our public school system) to children as young as kindergarten.  Also, it is illegal to homeschool in Germany…an order that Hitler made waaaay back in the WW2 era.  Just recently has it been harshly enforced.  You can hear the story from the Romeike’s themselves by clicking on the video below.  If you already know the story, please continue reading below.

The Romeike family came to America during the Bush administration and asked the country for asylum.  They were granted it.  Victory, right?  Not so fast.  After President Obama was elected and formed his administration, Attorney General Eric Holder decided to rescind their grant of asylum.   The family sought legal counsel and for a while now, their case has been bounced around in the court system…eventually making its way to the Supreme Court.  Today, it was announced that the Supreme Court would not hear the case meaning the last ruling stands…deportation.

In Leviticus 19:33-34, God tells Moses to give this instruction to the Hebrew people, “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.”  As believers, we know that His rules and commands transcend time and should be followed still today.  America, we were founded on Christian ideals and principles.  People fought and died to uphold them.  It’s who we are.  It’s part of our heritage.  It’s something we cannot erase.  The sweet Romeike family sojourned to our land because of their religious beliefs like those Plymouth Rock Pilgrims who came before them and up until now, we have upheld this command from God.  But ever since their freedom in America has been taken away, as it has bounced from judge to judge, and after today’s announcement from the Supreme Court, a grave injustice was dealt them.  America, we’ve done these sojourners wrong.  We are not treating them as the native among us.  And we most definitely are not loving them like we love ourselves. 

For the past few years, I have watched the Romeike family become a part of our community and church.  The first time I met Uwe, he played piano for a play at the local community college.  As he and his family began coming to our church, they began to get further involved.  Today Uwe is a deacon and is our church pianist.  Hannelore and her children are a part of our homeschool co-op.  I've gotten to know their oldest daughter as she has become involved in our media ministry (a ministry of few girls, that's for sure).  Their other children have been a part of the children’s ministry.  I’ve even gotten to develop a friendship with one of their youngest as we call each other “Peanut” after bonding over a container of peanuts not too long ago.  If there’s ever a family that embodies Joshua 24:15, it is the Romeike family.  The truly have the hearts of servants.

What can you do?  Pray.  God hears his people when they call to him.  Also, contact your Congressmen/women…it doesn’t matter where you live.  This is a national issue, not just a Tennessee one. 

The Plymouth Rock Pilgrims were given the freedom they sought 200+ years ago, let’s pray that history can repeat itself in 2014.


***UPDATE 3/4/14 - And just like that God answers prayers.  History did repeat itself in 2014.  Today the Home School Legal Defense Association received word from the US Department of Homeland Security that they would grant the Romeike family indefinite deferred action status meaning they will be able to stay permanently in the United States.  For more information see link #1 below.  "The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help" - Psalm 24:17.  If this miracle doesn't prove this verse, I don't know what does.  I am so excited to see how God uses this family here in the United States, specifically here at my church First Baptist Morristown.  This miracle shows us that God has a great plan for the Romeikes because He has given them a future and an amazing hope (Jeremiah 29:11).  God is good ALL the time and ALL the time God. Is. Good. 


1) March 4, 2014 HSLDA Update concerning DHS Decision on Romeikes: http://www.hslda.org/legal/cases/romeike.asp?src=slide&slide=Romeike_They_can_stay_Mar_4_2014&pos=1

2) History of Plymouth Rock Pilgrims: http://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids/homework-help/who-were-pilgrims

3) For more information on March 3rd's Supreme Court ruling: http://www.christianpost.com/news/supreme-court-declines-to-review-asylum-case-of-german-homeschoolers-115506/