URGENT UPDATE — Asking for Prayer & Support

We never imagined we would be sharing this update.

After years of preparation, countless hours of paperwork, and providing extensive proof of their 12-year marriage, Luis’s visa has been denied, and he has not been allowed to return home to his wife, my sister, April.

April did everything that was asked of her. She submitted their marriage license, shared documentation of their life together, and provided years of photos that reflect a genuine, loving marriage. Despite this, they are now being asked for additional proof, and Luis remains separated from his wife in El Salvador.

This separation has been devastating for them both. April is heartbroken and still in shock, and Luis feels helpless being so far from the woman he loves and vowed to protect. To make this season even heavier, April has a heart condition, and the emotional toll of this uncertainty has been overwhelming.

Because of this unexpected denial, they have had to hire a new immigration attorney immediately to continue fighting for their family. The legal costs are significant, and time is of the essence. The attorney alone is 11,000 and that doesn't include what it will take for Luis to be able to live there in El Salvador. When Apri last spoke to Luis , he was so emotional and he's scared beyond belief. While in El Salvador, Luis is staying with extended family who have welcomed him with generosity and love, and we are deeply grateful for their kindness during this time. That said, the living conditions are extremely limited and difficult.

Many people are sharing a space of roughly 300 square feet, with dirt floors and no running water. On top of this, Luis must travel nearly three hours each way, daily, to comply with ongoing requirements,appointments, interviews, medical visits, and repeated questioning.

This situation is physically exhausting, emotionally draining, and simply not sustainable long-term. We are grateful for the shelter he has, but this is not a safe or stable environment for an extended stay. Every passing day adds strain, uncertainty, and hardship. Luis has never complained one time about the conditions he's living in, but his desire is to be able to come home to be with April.

We are urgently praying, and actively working, for Luis to be reunited with his wife and to return home as soon as possible. April is still in shock! In spite of them doing and providing everything they have asked for, the news that his Visa had been denied was something none of us ever expected...

We are asking, humbly and prayerfully, for help. If you feel led to give financially, we are deeply grateful. If you are unable to give, we ask just as earnestly for your prayers. Please pray for wisdom for their legal team, favor in the eyes of those reviewing this case, peace that surpasses understanding, and for God to make a way where there seems to be no way.

We believe marriage is sacred. We believe families belong together. And we believe God is still working, even in the waiting.

Thank you for standing with April and Luis, for your prayers, your love, and your continued support.

Help Luis and April Through This Difficult Journey.

For more than two decades, Luis Bonilla has called the United States home. Originally from El Salvador, Luis came here 24 years ago with the same dream so many share — to work hard, build an honest life, and make a difference in his community.

For the last 12 years, he and his wife, April, have been working tirelessly to secure his legal residency. After more than $20,000 spent on legal fees and paperwork, they’ve finally reached the last and most difficult step — Luis must return to El Salvador for at least 30 days to appear before the U.S. Embassy and complete the process.

This trip comes with heavy costs — travel, lodging, food, medical exams, transportation to and from appointments, and additional legal fees once he’s there. They are also facing the very real possibility that Luis will lose his job during his absence, leaving April without income as she continues to recover from a massive heart attack earlier this year.

Anyone who knows Luis and April knows they are the kind of people who quietly show up wherever there’s a need — never asking for anything in return. Over the years, they have cooked and provided for the sick, the lonely, and the struggling. They’ve paid bills for those who couldn’t, bought groceries for families in need, and offered help behind the scenes more times than anyone could count.

Luis works full time, serves as an assistant pastor at a Hispanic church, and translates for English-speaking churches across Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Together, they run a small landscaping business on weekends, faithfully caring for their clients — many of whom are elderly widows in their community — often refusing to accept payment.

Their generosity has extended to countless young people in the Hispanic community who are here without family. They have helped pay for college, housing, quinceañeras, food, and clothing, and they treat every one of those young people as if they were their own. Though they were never able to have children, Luis and April have poured their hearts into loving and serving others.

Their marriage, built on faith and devotion, has been a testament to love that gives freely and endures through every trial. Luis’s quiet strength, humility, and unwavering moral character have been a blessing to everyone who knows him — and to our entire family.

Now, it’s our turn to be there for them.

We are asking for $10,000 to help cover the expenses of this journey and provide for April’s living costs while Luis is away. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a difference — and every prayer is deeply appreciated.

Luis has lived a life of integrity, compassion, and service. He’s never broken the law, never wavered in his faith, and has spent his life helping others. Please help us ensure that this final step in his journey home — to the life he’s already built here — is one he doesn’t have to take alone.

Thank you for your generosity, prayers, and love.