Global Grace Cafe
Global Grace Cafe
Global Grace Café is a gripping, true, 18-year story of undocumented Christians who fled persecution in their homeland only to be caught in systems of asylum, detention, and deportation in the United States.
With love, purpose, and determination, undocumented people joined with their U.S. citizen neighbors to beat the odds and keep families together. This effort required converting one American heart at a time—including author Elizabeth Estes’, who admits she wanted nothing to do with immigration at first. This book explains how U.S. immigration both works and doesn’t work for refugees.
Led by Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale and the Reformed Church of Highland Park, New Jersey, a small town becomes a refuge for people seeking asylum. In the process, a resilient and burgeoning interfaith coalition of determined defenders of immigrants gathers to provide sanctuary, resettle refugees, and share heartache and joy. To empower people, refugee chefs run a cafe redolent with the cuisines of the homelands to which they may never return
What People Are Saying
A story of how ordinary people became extraordinary
‘I was moved by ordinary people who performed extraordinary actions when faced with injustices being done to their community. The Reformed Church of Highland Park, along with neighboring multi faith communities, rallied together to help change lives.
This story reminded me how much power the people we vote for have to give asylum seekers protection from life threatening human rights violations. I knew immigration laws were difficult to navigate. I didn't know anybody personally facing these challenges. It doesn't take long after reading the story about the Pangemanan family seeking asylum to become engaged in their struggle.
This story has made me think about re-joining my religious community.”
— Amazon Reviewer
An amazing book about love, community, and a struggle for justice
“In 2003, many Indonesian Christians living in central New Jersey voluntarily registered with Homeland Security. They did this to show that they wanted to follow the rules, but this simple act put them on the ICE radar and led to twenty years of arrests, deportations, and court battles. Through these struggles, a church community learned more than they ever expected to know about immigration, and wrapped a web of sanctuary and support around the immigrants in their midst.
The book has the narrative momentum of a suspense novel. Through the twists and turns of arrests, releases, and lawsuits, and the church's work to support the immigrants and bring pressure on public officials, I encountered meditations on community, love, and what it means to be human. I'm better for having read it, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read!”
— Amazon Reviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars
“Just finished this book, what a wonderful read! So inspirational and at the same time truly disturbing. I have far more appreciation now about the undocumented people I work with and what they must go through.”