Regina Sears-Muschett
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Held Hostage in the Bahamas is about one woman's difficult struggle to obtain her permanent resident card, so that she could live as a legal resident in the United States. After having lived in the United States for 26 years of her life as an undocumented alien, she must now return to her country of birth to receive that sought after permanent resident green card.
Things take an unexpected turn for the worse when she arrived in the Bahamas. Her privileges to return to the United States were denied by Homeland Security, She was faced with the prospect of dealing with the red tape of our immigration system.
She struggled with the separation from a loving husband and three children. Disconnected from her life in New York and the financial loss of her Child Care Business, she also had to endure the shame of having to depend on her family in the Bahamas to support her for more than ten months.
She takes her anger, sadness, and misfortunes and turned them into rejoicing. She moved beyond her situation to get to know the family and home she had been running away from for so long.
She gained a deeper understanding of the verse in Hebrews 13:5b, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," making her more aware of how much God IS in control of her life.
Regina Sears-Muschett was born on the Island of New Providence (Nassau) in the commonwealth of the Bahamas. She is the sixth of twelve children, born to the late Winifred Delores Sears. As a girl growing up between nine brothers, she was a tomboy at heart. As a native Island girl, she loves fishing, writing poetry, and painting. Growing up on the Island of Grand Bahama, she was restricted from going to places and doing some of the things her brothers did. Therefore, she hates the word "cannot" with a passion.
Graduating from the class of 1977 from the Eight Mile Rock High School, her childhood dream was realized when she migrated to Miami, Florida in 1978 where she pursued a higher education in nursing. In 1983, she relocated to New York City. Having a desire for the care and welfare of children, she obtained a degree in Early Childhood Education from Hostos Community College. Ms. Sears-Muschett now owns and operates the BriBraCo Day Care Center, named after her three children Brian, Bradley and Corrine (Coco) as she is affectingly called. Ms. Sears-Muschett is also a collector of porcelain and other native dolls from around the world, as well as glass blown unicorns.
In 1997, she felt the call of God upon her life for the gospel ministry and therefore attended and graduated from the Manhattan Bible Institute. She is an ordained minister and currently serves on the ministerial staff of the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, in Harlem New York. She is married to her soul mate, the Rev. Cecil Muschett and has three children
I heard my name called from window one and my legs began to shake because it seemed that everyone who had gone to that window, were turned down. I said a silent prayer that God would be in control and not man. I went to window number one and (Mr. Paul), an interviewer, asked for the forms that (Mrs. Scott) had given me. I gave them to him and he began to question me. “When did you leave the Bahamas?” “July 2nd 1978.” “Why did you not return when your student visa was up? “I had a job.” “That’s twenty-six years right? " “You stayed illegally in the United States?" “Yes.” “You were working?” “Yes.”
He kept the questions coming. I felt that this interview was not going well. I began to sweat as he continued to question me and was on the verge of tears. “You had children while in the United States?” “Yes, I have three children born in the United States.” He kept punching information into the computer.
I said to myself "why is he so angry". He acts as if I had done an injustice to him by staying in the United States for twenty-six years as an undocumented alien.
“Wait a second.” I waited as he pulled a sheet of paper out of the printer and handed it to me. It read, “Reentry to the United States was denied.” and he stamped something in my passport.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE
OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
