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The House That Love Built: Why I Opened My Door to Immigrants and How We Found Hope beyond a Broken System
2021 Christian Book Award Finalist "Jackson's visionary account is a beautiful model of sacrificial love." -- Publishers Weekly Starred Review The House That Love Built is the quintessential story of one woman's questioning what it means to be an American--and a Christian--in light of a broken immigration system. Through tender stories of opening her heart and home to immigrants, Sarah Jackson shines a holy light on loving our neighbor. Sarah Jackson once thought immigration justice was administered through higher walls and longer fences. Then she met an immigrant--a deported young father separated from his US-citizen family--and everything changed. As Sarah began to know fractured families ravaged by threats in their homeland and further traumatized in US detention, biblical justice took on a new meaning. As Sarah opened her heart--and her home--to immigrants, she experienced a surprising transformation and the gift of extraordinary community. The work she began through the ministry of Casa de Paz joined the centuries-old Christian tradition of hospitality, shining a holy light on what it means to love our neighbor. The dilemma of undocumented people continues to hover over America, and it raises urgent questions for every Sarah engages these questions through profound and tender stories, placing readers in the shoes of individuals on every side of the issue--asylum seekers torn from their families, the guards who oversee them, ordinary people with lapsed visas, the families left to survive on their own, the unheralded advocates for immigrants' rights, and the government officials who decide the fates of others. Ultimately, Sarah's journey illuminates how hope can be restored through simple yet radical acts of love.
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 14, 2020
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July 25, 2020
If you want to know why Sarah Jackson's story of building Casa de Paz as a bootstrapped yet critical resource for immigrants dealing with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), just ask The Guardian newspaper. Or David Byrne. Or the UN Human Rights Commission. If you want to find out how Jackson did it without following the typical nonprofit grant-and-justification dance, ask Sarah herself. She shares details of Casa de Paz's story with warmth and grace in this lively book.
Two caveats: The imprint of Zondervan Books should tell you that this is a book informed by Jackson's Christian faith, and if you don't find that overbearing, you may quickly realize it has a lot of value - especially when she can bring evangelical believers from megachurches around to her point of view. She uses quotes from Scripture freely, yet never as any kind of bludgeon. The other caveat is that I've known Jackson since Vanguard Church days, so the story of Casa de Paz means a lot - but I tried to examine the book without doing too much cheerleading.
The portion of the story prior to Casa's founding carries a lot of meaning for people within Colorado activist communities. Jackson came to her understanding of refugee issues through an early 2011 border trip organized by Catholic Charities, where she met Deb Walker (executive director of Citizens Project) and Clare Twomey (lead pastor of the Vista Grande United Church of Christ) and learned a lot about the harsh realities of those trying to reach the U.S. border from Mexico, Central America, and farther flung points along the migration route. Jackson also talks about the key role played by Pastor Vern Rempel of the Mennonite Church in Englewood (the book won't tell you that, in addition to his generous role in founding Casa, Rempel is an ace multi-instrumentalist and a lover of obscure jazz, blues and pop - which makes him an expert in everything, as far as I'm concerned).
Jackson knew that an ICE detention facility was opening in Aurora, Colo. and she wanted to create "something like a Ronald McDonald House" for families of immigrants being initially detained, or being released, from ICE. The only facility fitting her model was El Refugio in Georgia, so she visited the facility to get details. Then, rather than establish a nonprofit with mission statements and grant applications first, she simply rented an apartment near the ICE facility and began serving families.
The toughest challenge for Jackson in the early months was getting Christians to understand why immigrants were not "criminals." Prior to Sept. 11, 2001, George W. Bush had a relatively open opinion on immigration reform, but once the Department of Homeland Security was formed in the aftermath of the terror attacks, ICE became a force for repression and denial. While it is true that situations became exponentially worse under Trump, Jackson lays out a timeline of 16 years under Bush and Obama when conditions became untenable for both the undocumented worker in the U.S, and the refugee at the border seeking asylum. The best way to convince people, Jackson decided, was to mix stories of some of her first refugee guests with facts and figures showing how awful ICE detention was - particularly when DHS turned to the private prison industry to manage its detention facilities. Many Christian volunteers were surprised to meet refugees not just from places like Honduras and El Salvador, but from locations in other continents such as Cameroon and Bangladesh. The ICE border crisis is much more than a Latinx isue.
Two years in, Casa de Paz was getting its first Christian volunteers (as well as plenty of agnostic ones), but Jackson had to decide how to make finances self-sustaining. Rather than go the stultifying route of seeking foundation money, Jackson turned to her favorite sport, volleyball, and founded volleyball leagues, which rapidly grew into dozens of Denver-area leagues, with registration fees making Casa self-sustaining. The refuge facility eventually was able to grow from apartment to full-sized house.
The last chapters of the book are the most heartbreaking, as we learn the real costs of the Trump Administration's Zero Tolerance program, which separated children from parents at the border. The bad publicity generated by this program was such a blowback at DHS and other agencies, the White House backed away from draconian ICE enforcement, yet hundreds of immigrant children were still left in legal limbo in ICE detention facilities (usually in Texas), where Casa volunteers and the children's own parents could not find information out about the children for weeks, or even months, on end.
Jackson frankly guides us through the times of self-doubt in her faith, and also offers the observation that what allowed continued expansion of Casa de Paz after the Zero Tolerance program was a focus on love, from the I Corinthians quote on faith, hope and love. The activist appendix at the end of the book gives those interested some ideas on how to get involved. I was a little surprised that there was no mention of Jesus' quote from the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:37, to "Go then, and do likewise," since we would all benefit from being more like Sarah Jackson, though her story gives a strong indication of why most of us will only be able to emulate her in the most meager of ways.
Two caveats: The imprint of Zondervan Books should tell you that this is a book informed by Jackson's Christian faith, and if you don't find that overbearing, you may quickly realize it has a lot of value - especially when she can bring evangelical believers from megachurches around to her point of view. She uses quotes from Scripture freely, yet never as any kind of bludgeon. The other caveat is that I've known Jackson since Vanguard Church days, so the story of Casa de Paz means a lot - but I tried to examine the book without doing too much cheerleading.
The portion of the story prior to Casa's founding carries a lot of meaning for people within Colorado activist communities. Jackson came to her understanding of refugee issues through an early 2011 border trip organized by Catholic Charities, where she met Deb Walker (executive director of Citizens Project) and Clare Twomey (lead pastor of the Vista Grande United Church of Christ) and learned a lot about the harsh realities of those trying to reach the U.S. border from Mexico, Central America, and farther flung points along the migration route. Jackson also talks about the key role played by Pastor Vern Rempel of the Mennonite Church in Englewood (the book won't tell you that, in addition to his generous role in founding Casa, Rempel is an ace multi-instrumentalist and a lover of obscure jazz, blues and pop - which makes him an expert in everything, as far as I'm concerned).
Jackson knew that an ICE detention facility was opening in Aurora, Colo. and she wanted to create "something like a Ronald McDonald House" for families of immigrants being initially detained, or being released, from ICE. The only facility fitting her model was El Refugio in Georgia, so she visited the facility to get details. Then, rather than establish a nonprofit with mission statements and grant applications first, she simply rented an apartment near the ICE facility and began serving families.
The toughest challenge for Jackson in the early months was getting Christians to understand why immigrants were not "criminals." Prior to Sept. 11, 2001, George W. Bush had a relatively open opinion on immigration reform, but once the Department of Homeland Security was formed in the aftermath of the terror attacks, ICE became a force for repression and denial. While it is true that situations became exponentially worse under Trump, Jackson lays out a timeline of 16 years under Bush and Obama when conditions became untenable for both the undocumented worker in the U.S, and the refugee at the border seeking asylum. The best way to convince people, Jackson decided, was to mix stories of some of her first refugee guests with facts and figures showing how awful ICE detention was - particularly when DHS turned to the private prison industry to manage its detention facilities. Many Christian volunteers were surprised to meet refugees not just from places like Honduras and El Salvador, but from locations in other continents such as Cameroon and Bangladesh. The ICE border crisis is much more than a Latinx isue.
Two years in, Casa de Paz was getting its first Christian volunteers (as well as plenty of agnostic ones), but Jackson had to decide how to make finances self-sustaining. Rather than go the stultifying route of seeking foundation money, Jackson turned to her favorite sport, volleyball, and founded volleyball leagues, which rapidly grew into dozens of Denver-area leagues, with registration fees making Casa self-sustaining. The refuge facility eventually was able to grow from apartment to full-sized house.
The last chapters of the book are the most heartbreaking, as we learn the real costs of the Trump Administration's Zero Tolerance program, which separated children from parents at the border. The bad publicity generated by this program was such a blowback at DHS and other agencies, the White House backed away from draconian ICE enforcement, yet hundreds of immigrant children were still left in legal limbo in ICE detention facilities (usually in Texas), where Casa volunteers and the children's own parents could not find information out about the children for weeks, or even months, on end.
Jackson frankly guides us through the times of self-doubt in her faith, and also offers the observation that what allowed continued expansion of Casa de Paz after the Zero Tolerance program was a focus on love, from the I Corinthians quote on faith, hope and love. The activist appendix at the end of the book gives those interested some ideas on how to get involved. I was a little surprised that there was no mention of Jesus' quote from the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:37, to "Go then, and do likewise," since we would all benefit from being more like Sarah Jackson, though her story gives a strong indication of why most of us will only be able to emulate her in the most meager of ways.
April 12, 2024
I’d say 3.5 stars.
I read this for a book club at my church and we had great conversation about how to support our community members who may be undocumented, so the book was a very worthwhile read for that reason alone.
I think this book is good for people who fixate on the common misconception that people applying for asylum are “breaking the law” when they enter the US—and for people who think that upholding the law is more important than having empathy for your fellow man.
I listened to it on audiobook and the narrator did really cringey accents instead of just speaking in her normal voice. Also the beginning leans towards being “look at me I am a nice white lady” but if you can get past that there are a lot of great stories told and a lot of persuasive and theologically sound arguments about how the Bible requires Xtians to “welcome the stranger.”
I read this for a book club at my church and we had great conversation about how to support our community members who may be undocumented, so the book was a very worthwhile read for that reason alone.
I think this book is good for people who fixate on the common misconception that people applying for asylum are “breaking the law” when they enter the US—and for people who think that upholding the law is more important than having empathy for your fellow man.
I listened to it on audiobook and the narrator did really cringey accents instead of just speaking in her normal voice. Also the beginning leans towards being “look at me I am a nice white lady” but if you can get past that there are a lot of great stories told and a lot of persuasive and theologically sound arguments about how the Bible requires Xtians to “welcome the stranger.”
November 19, 2021
Sort of surprised that this book is under "Christian" books at my local bookseller; I would have filed it under current events. The author, Sarah Jackson, literally started opening her door (to her apartment) in Aurora, Colorado, to immigrants who were in detention at the ICE facility there.
If you have read "The Leavers", you will remember that when immigrants are arrested, they disappear for years, often ending in deportation. Immigrants are also,often, set free in the middle of the night. Ms. Jackson, started picking up these immigrants and bringing them back to a home-stay. She also facilitated ways for their families to visit them and provided tickets to their families. She organized volunteers to visit immigrants, in their cells (cages). Remarkable woman and a wonderful program.
If you have read "The Leavers", you will remember that when immigrants are arrested, they disappear for years, often ending in deportation. Immigrants are also,often, set free in the middle of the night. Ms. Jackson, started picking up these immigrants and bringing them back to a home-stay. She also facilitated ways for their families to visit them and provided tickets to their families. She organized volunteers to visit immigrants, in their cells (cages). Remarkable woman and a wonderful program.
January 2, 2021
Wow. Wow. Wow. Everyone needs to read this book, but especially Christians. This book is powerful, hard to read and so incredibly worth it. Read it in a few hours and this one has forever changed the way I think about immigration in our country and what our response as Christians and Americans should be.
READ THIS BOOK!
READ THIS BOOK!
September 14, 2020
Did you know that ALL asylum seekers, including those who enter our country legally, are detained in windowless, cold, crowded detention centers, where they are never allowed to see the outside world for weeks, months, and sometimes years? Or that most of these for-profit detention centers scattered throughout the United States (including the GEO Center in Aurora CO) operate under a Congressional mandate to imprison—nationally—at least 35,000 people every day? Sarah Jackson’s THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT: Why I Opened My Door to Immigrants and How We Found Hope Beyond a Broken System (Zondervan Books, 2011) sheds a searing light on the horror of current US Immigration policy, and what one woman has done to counteract the mistreatment of detainees through action, service, devotion to her Christian faith, and dedication to serve some of the most vulnerable among us.
During a life-changing church trip in 2011 to the US/Mexico border, Jackson felt a powerful spiritual calling to help people seeking asylum in the US. She established the nonprofit Casa de Paz (“House of Peace”) in her two-bedroom apartment, offering many services (meals, clothing, a few days lodging, and more) to released detainees, and regular visits in GEO to those still being held. Led by her deep faith and the scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), Jackson explains, “God makes it simple for us: Want to fulfill the law? Put yourself in the shoes of someone…do for them what you would want someone to do for you.”
Written from a Christian perspective, Jackson includes bible verses that have inspired her to act, doing so in a refreshingly open, non-proselytizing manner. She's the real deal, continuing over the months and years to find new and ever-expanding ways to welcome and serve asylum seekers in the spirit that America--itself a nation of immigrants from its earliest days--expresses on its very own Statue of Liberty, "Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."
The book is full of heartwrenching stories of detainees from South and Central America, Eastern Europe, and the African continent, each told with dignity and compassion. Jackson also details the many changes in US Immigration policy since 2011 under President Bush, in particular the move towards for-profit detention centers, mandates by Congress to maintain quotas of detainees, the separation of families at the border under President Trump, and hers and others' passionate efforts to end this policy and reunite families.
Currently, detainees in Colorado are released from GEO (either granted asylum, or with pending court cases) with little or no notice to family, friends, or their attorneys. They’re literally sent outside, in all kinds of weather, with no more than the clothes on their back. During detention, many have been transferred from one center to another across the US, and upon release may be hundreds of miles from anyone they know. Outside the GEO building, there is no bus stop or other access to transportation, no business save a small gas station, no way for these people to get to anyone who can help them. Jackson and her small army of volunteers pick them up, bring them to the Casa, help them contact their families and buy plane or bus tickets, drop them off at DIA or the Greyhound bus station, and connect them to local services including medical care and access to legal advice and representation. Recently, several Casa volunteers even established the Colorado Immigrant Legal Justice Fund, to supplement pro bono legal assistance provided by local attorneys, to help people with their asylum claims.
To this day, Casa De Paz has served thousands of asylum seekers from 77 countries around the world.
In recent years, Jackson has appeared before Congress to protest the separation of children from parents at the border, and to argue for more just and compassionate treatment for asylum seekers. Along the way, she’s received numerous death threats, endured financial stress and major illnesses within her own family, but she and her volunteers remain fiercely dedicated to serving detainees in Colorado. Sadly, during COVID all volunteer visits inside GEO have been suspended indefinitely, increasing the suffering of these asylum seekers, who have little human contact and virtually no access to resources outside. THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT provides a call to action, and the hope that more people will join Jackson and the Casa de Paz community to welcome immigrants with kindness and support as they move their way through our legal system.
For more info, visit https://www.casadepazcolorado.org
During a life-changing church trip in 2011 to the US/Mexico border, Jackson felt a powerful spiritual calling to help people seeking asylum in the US. She established the nonprofit Casa de Paz (“House of Peace”) in her two-bedroom apartment, offering many services (meals, clothing, a few days lodging, and more) to released detainees, and regular visits in GEO to those still being held. Led by her deep faith and the scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), Jackson explains, “God makes it simple for us: Want to fulfill the law? Put yourself in the shoes of someone…do for them what you would want someone to do for you.”
Written from a Christian perspective, Jackson includes bible verses that have inspired her to act, doing so in a refreshingly open, non-proselytizing manner. She's the real deal, continuing over the months and years to find new and ever-expanding ways to welcome and serve asylum seekers in the spirit that America--itself a nation of immigrants from its earliest days--expresses on its very own Statue of Liberty, "Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."
The book is full of heartwrenching stories of detainees from South and Central America, Eastern Europe, and the African continent, each told with dignity and compassion. Jackson also details the many changes in US Immigration policy since 2011 under President Bush, in particular the move towards for-profit detention centers, mandates by Congress to maintain quotas of detainees, the separation of families at the border under President Trump, and hers and others' passionate efforts to end this policy and reunite families.
Currently, detainees in Colorado are released from GEO (either granted asylum, or with pending court cases) with little or no notice to family, friends, or their attorneys. They’re literally sent outside, in all kinds of weather, with no more than the clothes on their back. During detention, many have been transferred from one center to another across the US, and upon release may be hundreds of miles from anyone they know. Outside the GEO building, there is no bus stop or other access to transportation, no business save a small gas station, no way for these people to get to anyone who can help them. Jackson and her small army of volunteers pick them up, bring them to the Casa, help them contact their families and buy plane or bus tickets, drop them off at DIA or the Greyhound bus station, and connect them to local services including medical care and access to legal advice and representation. Recently, several Casa volunteers even established the Colorado Immigrant Legal Justice Fund, to supplement pro bono legal assistance provided by local attorneys, to help people with their asylum claims.
To this day, Casa De Paz has served thousands of asylum seekers from 77 countries around the world.
In recent years, Jackson has appeared before Congress to protest the separation of children from parents at the border, and to argue for more just and compassionate treatment for asylum seekers. Along the way, she’s received numerous death threats, endured financial stress and major illnesses within her own family, but she and her volunteers remain fiercely dedicated to serving detainees in Colorado. Sadly, during COVID all volunteer visits inside GEO have been suspended indefinitely, increasing the suffering of these asylum seekers, who have little human contact and virtually no access to resources outside. THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT provides a call to action, and the hope that more people will join Jackson and the Casa de Paz community to welcome immigrants with kindness and support as they move their way through our legal system.
For more info, visit https://www.casadepazcolorado.org
August 4, 2020
Couldn't put this book down! Between the heart-wrenching stories that bring tears to the surprising outreach from detention guards and a warden, this well-written book keeps you wanting more. More stories of how ordinary people volunteer to keep released asylum seekers safe and off the streets, stories of government officials that actually get involved, and stories of family reunions you desire for all. Intertwined throughout the book is historical information on asylum laws and policies. Though Christianity is obviously a foundation for the heart of this book, it is not so overwhelming where you feel a judgmental tone. A heart of love in action is the focus. Highly recommended!
October 22, 2020
My first interaction with the refugee crisis came in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where our local jail was being used as an ICE detention facility. Over a dozen asylees were released near midnight with only their clothes and papers. Some needed a place to stay for the night. Others needed a ride to the airport. All of them needed food and a kind face. So with a 2 year old and an infant in tow, my wife and I drove out to the jail to see how we could help.
I spoke with Carlos (names have been changed) as he chowed down on a protein bar. I lost fifty pounds in there. This is the first sweet thing I’ve had to eat in three months. I ended up giving him my belt. I helped Yi call her immigration lawyer and was rewarded with a handmade origami chain she had made while in detention. It’s still one of my most treasured possessions. We drove Jose and Martine to the airport, showed them how to check in to their flight, and wrote a note in English explaining their situation for them to give an attendant should they need other assistance. It was an exhausting and rewarding night. Soon after, the jail changed its policy on allowing ICE to use its facilities.
The House That Love Built convinced me of what I already knew: that the people I met that evening did not deserve this type of treatment, that they were people to be loved and not feared, that they had much to offer this nation. My experience pales in comparison to Sarah Jackson’s, but every experience she tells is exactly like mine. Where are the scary dudes? The drug dealers? The “not their best people” that we’d been warned about? Not here in Tulsa. And not in Denver, either.
Sarah Jackson’s journey toward immigration justice began when she met an immigrant—a young father separated from his US citizen family for the crime of not being born in the US. (And this was in 2010, long before the cries of “family separation” had been heard in the mainstream media.) Sarah’s journey took her life in a new direction—not just a complete 180 in how she thought of immigration justice, but in how she would respond to it. The result was Casa de Paz, a hospitality home right outside Colorado’s largest detention center.
When the detained are set free, they go to Casa de Paz—the house of peace. Using her personal story and the intertwined stories of immigrants from every continent, Jackson shares a side of immigration that evangelical Christians too often ignore. She calls us to do more, to show love and empathy, to change unjust laws, and—above all—to restore hope through radical acts of love. The House That Love Built is a story of loving the stranger and everything it entails. The messiness and the joy. The heartache and the happiness. It is a call for Christians to sit up and take notice of the “other” and truly follow Jesus’s path of radical hospitality.
Unfortunately, in this era, such an assertion—that the “undocumented” should be welcomed and loved—is seen as inherently partisan. The House That Love Built is clear that the problems with immigration transcend political party and that both Republicans and Democrats are to blame. But she does this with a grace that simply states the facts and allows the reader to make their own conclusion.
The House That Love Built is engaging and conversational. Other books that I’ve read on this issue have focused on the theology or the ethics or just the simple facts. And this book has all of those. But it’s the stories—Jackson’s personal stories and the stories she runs across—that make this book so incredible. The House That Love Built humanizes the immigrant in a way that should be obvious but it is often obscured. It’s no longer just a problem to solve or criminals or a danger to be dealt with, they’re people to love. This book gives me hope. Not hope that the system will change—though I pray for that—but hope that we can work from beyond the system to bring about change and show the love of Jesus.
I spoke with Carlos (names have been changed) as he chowed down on a protein bar. I lost fifty pounds in there. This is the first sweet thing I’ve had to eat in three months. I ended up giving him my belt. I helped Yi call her immigration lawyer and was rewarded with a handmade origami chain she had made while in detention. It’s still one of my most treasured possessions. We drove Jose and Martine to the airport, showed them how to check in to their flight, and wrote a note in English explaining their situation for them to give an attendant should they need other assistance. It was an exhausting and rewarding night. Soon after, the jail changed its policy on allowing ICE to use its facilities.
The House That Love Built convinced me of what I already knew: that the people I met that evening did not deserve this type of treatment, that they were people to be loved and not feared, that they had much to offer this nation. My experience pales in comparison to Sarah Jackson’s, but every experience she tells is exactly like mine. Where are the scary dudes? The drug dealers? The “not their best people” that we’d been warned about? Not here in Tulsa. And not in Denver, either.
Sarah Jackson’s journey toward immigration justice began when she met an immigrant—a young father separated from his US citizen family for the crime of not being born in the US. (And this was in 2010, long before the cries of “family separation” had been heard in the mainstream media.) Sarah’s journey took her life in a new direction—not just a complete 180 in how she thought of immigration justice, but in how she would respond to it. The result was Casa de Paz, a hospitality home right outside Colorado’s largest detention center.
When the detained are set free, they go to Casa de Paz—the house of peace. Using her personal story and the intertwined stories of immigrants from every continent, Jackson shares a side of immigration that evangelical Christians too often ignore. She calls us to do more, to show love and empathy, to change unjust laws, and—above all—to restore hope through radical acts of love. The House That Love Built is a story of loving the stranger and everything it entails. The messiness and the joy. The heartache and the happiness. It is a call for Christians to sit up and take notice of the “other” and truly follow Jesus’s path of radical hospitality.
Unfortunately, in this era, such an assertion—that the “undocumented” should be welcomed and loved—is seen as inherently partisan. The House That Love Built is clear that the problems with immigration transcend political party and that both Republicans and Democrats are to blame. But she does this with a grace that simply states the facts and allows the reader to make their own conclusion.
The House That Love Built is engaging and conversational. Other books that I’ve read on this issue have focused on the theology or the ethics or just the simple facts. And this book has all of those. But it’s the stories—Jackson’s personal stories and the stories she runs across—that make this book so incredible. The House That Love Built humanizes the immigrant in a way that should be obvious but it is often obscured. It’s no longer just a problem to solve or criminals or a danger to be dealt with, they’re people to love. This book gives me hope. Not hope that the system will change—though I pray for that—but hope that we can work from beyond the system to bring about change and show the love of Jesus.
September 6, 2020
Sarah Jackson and Casa de Paz are the real deal and known to me in my community. I preordered the book because Sarah is really unbelievably amazing and I think I would do anything to support her due to her integrity and sense of rightness. But I have not been a Casa de Paz volunteer, at least not yet. If I wanted more from the book it would be more stories, but that might be too much heartbreak— or more about the role volleyball played in keeping things alive.
The book would be especially great for Christian evangelical community members who still don’t understand what it means to be an immigrant, especially in a contentious election year filled with racist stereotypes of immigrants— I’d give it 5 stars for that. Also for the personal journey of losing and finding faith— and finding life itself in that exercise.
Gonna sign up to volunteer. Did not fully realize how active CdP is at the GEO (prison for profit) in prison visitation with people desperately in need of human connection.
The book would be especially great for Christian evangelical community members who still don’t understand what it means to be an immigrant, especially in a contentious election year filled with racist stereotypes of immigrants— I’d give it 5 stars for that. Also for the personal journey of losing and finding faith— and finding life itself in that exercise.
Gonna sign up to volunteer. Did not fully realize how active CdP is at the GEO (prison for profit) in prison visitation with people desperately in need of human connection.
October 7, 2020
This book tells an incredible story! Casa de Paz is a home in Denver where newly released immigrants and families of detained immigrants are welcomed and given food, a loving place to stay and help going to their next destination. I am so heartened to read that this wonderful place exists and that so many folks are volunteering to help their "neighbors". I know Sarah's parents and have known of her for several years. If I were her parent I would be bursting with pride and telling everyone about what she is doing because I feel that it is so worthwhile. A totally different viewpoint of immigrants is offered here, and one that is totally pleasing. I am so grateful for what Sarah (with help from above) has done!
I completely recommend this book to all!
I completely recommend this book to all!
February 23, 2021
This book was truly eye opening and made me think about the US views on immigration in a different way through one woman's personal life story and testament. The Bible teaches us to love others as ourselves and welcome the stranger and many Christians today (including myself) really miss the mark when it comes to following Jesus's example. These are REAL people with real families. They are deserving of our love and compassion.
January 16, 2021
Casa de Paz is the real deal! I’ve been able to volunteer with them and see the work they do inside and outside the walls of GEO’s Aurora detention center. This is a beautiful and more importantly, TRUE and ongoing, story about loving our neighbors and loving the stranger!
October 18, 2020
A must read!! Sarah Jackson is an extraordinary person. She opened her 600 square foot apartment to individuals being released from ICE in Aurora, CO. After 6 years, her non-profit organization, Casa de Paz has hosted more than 3,000 immigrants and is now in a two story home.
The human stories of despair, heartbreak, violence, and family separation are unimaginable. Sarah and her powerful team of volunteers share human connection with home-cooked meals, heartfelt conversations, and most importantly love and hope.
Sarah's journey illustrates radical acts of love.
Highly, highly recommend!!
The human stories of despair, heartbreak, violence, and family separation are unimaginable. Sarah and her powerful team of volunteers share human connection with home-cooked meals, heartfelt conversations, and most importantly love and hope.
Sarah's journey illustrates radical acts of love.
Highly, highly recommend!!
July 19, 2025
Excellent book. If I were ever asked to describe a Christian, I would point to this book as a picture of one.
July 26, 2020
Sarah's story puts a human face on the consequences of our immigration system. With vivid detail, she describes the path that motivated her enormous sacrifices to do the joyful and painful work of welcoming and walking alongside our immigrant neighbors. As she welcomed families of detained immigrants into her tiny apartment, and later hosted immigrants newly released from detention there, her faith in God was tested. Her faith drew her into this work, but after daily hearing stories of brutalities these people were fleeing, the dehumanizing conditions in the profit-motivated immigrant detention system, and witnessing the trauma of parents separated from their children at the border, she questioned if there was a God at all.
The book is hopeful, showing the enormous impact one person, even one with limited resources, can make. Sarah's determination to show human kindness to the most vulnerable among us, and her creativity and resourcefulness to create a volleyball league to make enough money to support her immigrant-support efforts, drew people and resources to the cause of human decency and brotherly love.
The book ends with a helpful list of ways readers can get involved or start similar efforts in their communities.
The book is hopeful, showing the enormous impact one person, even one with limited resources, can make. Sarah's determination to show human kindness to the most vulnerable among us, and her creativity and resourcefulness to create a volleyball league to make enough money to support her immigrant-support efforts, drew people and resources to the cause of human decency and brotherly love.
The book ends with a helpful list of ways readers can get involved or start similar efforts in their communities.
July 24, 2020
I received this book from Good-reads and want to say thank you very much.
The House That Love Built was very informative and well written. I learned a lot about Immigration that I had not known. I agree that we all need to accept these people into out country because, no only does the Bible tell us so, but the fact that this country was formed and settled by immigrants. I know my Grandfather and Grandmother came here from Germany and settled in the Midwest where they raised 10 productive children. It was a close family and I cannot imagine what it would have been like were they not allowed to settle.
I don't think anyone should be deterred from improving their life or the life of their family. This system is indeed broken and needs fixed.
The House That Love Built was very informative and well written. I learned a lot about Immigration that I had not known. I agree that we all need to accept these people into out country because, no only does the Bible tell us so, but the fact that this country was formed and settled by immigrants. I know my Grandfather and Grandmother came here from Germany and settled in the Midwest where they raised 10 productive children. It was a close family and I cannot imagine what it would have been like were they not allowed to settle.
I don't think anyone should be deterred from improving their life or the life of their family. This system is indeed broken and needs fixed.
May 4, 2021
I appreciated reading more about this from a different perspective than normally taken in the church. It did open my eyes to the complexity and challenge of the situation. The author expresses her struggle to sort through upholding justice and yet loving the undocumented. I’m still not sure the answers are clear-cut, but I appreciated the encouragement to love as Christ loves others.
Note: The author also clearly stated she struggled with her long-held faith. And several side comments make me uncertain of where she is spiritually today, but her comments of Christ’s heart for others is nonetheless thought-provoking and a call to action at some level.
Note: The author also clearly stated she struggled with her long-held faith. And several side comments make me uncertain of where she is spiritually today, but her comments of Christ’s heart for others is nonetheless thought-provoking and a call to action at some level.
July 22, 2020
Spoiler alert: I am a Casa de Paz volunteer and supporter. Reading this book even expanded my understanding of what went into making Casa de Paz a reality--imagination, commitment, curiosity, tenacity, hope, love and humor! The story is true and an inspiration for what is possible when a need is identified and acted upon. It's a beautiful read and welcome at a time when a positive story is most needed.
September 21, 2020
I am one of those evangelical Christians that thought I understood issues regarding immigration. In fact at one point, I invested in GEO in my IRA. Not any more. This book has opened my eyes and I now realize that I don’t know 1/10th of the issues with respect to immigration.
I give it 4 instead of 5 star because the book drags on a bit in the middle. Also, I would have liked to have learned more about those that are being held who are truly illegal immigrants.
This is a MUST read book.
I give it 4 instead of 5 star because the book drags on a bit in the middle. Also, I would have liked to have learned more about those that are being held who are truly illegal immigrants.
This is a MUST read book.
December 12, 2021
This is a member about how love changes the world, and while it is changing the world in changes us for the better too. I have worked with refugees, and the stories in this book put words to my own experiences and allow someone who has not entered into this international need to see what it is like. It might even inspire you to take some simple steps in your own life to love others so that you might change yourself.
July 22, 2020
Sarah’s story is inspiring and detailed. It’s a great preview into America’s broken immigration system. While the themes and topics are heavy, the book is an easy length to read quickly. It is very well written and easy to follow the timeline of this amazing organization. I would recommend to anyone looking to learn or feel inspired!
August 25, 2020
Compelling, heart wrenching and uplifting!
Our world has only seemed to get more dysfunctional and hateful. Sarah Jackson has shown by her commitment, love and empathy that it only takes one person to make a difference and to make this world a better, more loving, caring, compassionate place. We should all learn from Sarah and make a difference.
Our world has only seemed to get more dysfunctional and hateful. Sarah Jackson has shown by her commitment, love and empathy that it only takes one person to make a difference and to make this world a better, more loving, caring, compassionate place. We should all learn from Sarah and make a difference.
October 4, 2020
Moving story of one woman's dedication to making the lives of asylum seekers and immigrants, many who have been imprisoned illegally and treated horribly, (I know from my experience from visiting an asylum seeker who entered the country legally.) safer and more humane. A must read if you want to open your hearts and minds to understanding the immigration system and how broken it is.
July 1, 2021
A timely and important book. Christians are called to welcome the strangers in our midst and this author decided to take the lesson literally. Sarah Jackson provides a roadmap for doing the right thing, in the present moment, as she documents her own journey. The resources provided are outstanding. Read this book!
February 12, 2022
I have seen the difference that Casa de Paz makes and am in awe of the group of people that show up every week to help ease the suffering of those trying to find a better life. I love reading about how it all started.❤️
September 19, 2020
This is an easy read but is very thoughtful and inspiring. It challenges some basic assumptions about activision. It is motivating.
December 29, 2020
This would be on my top ten list of required reading for all Americans. It is both shocking and hope-affirming.
January 1, 2021
Sarah Jackson should hands-down win the Nobel Peace Prize. Amazing.
January 18, 2021
Very inspiring story of Casa de Paz here in Denver, Colorado and of the lady who founded it.
March 28, 2024
Author Sarah Jackson is honest and vulnerable in her account of the founding of Casa de Paz, a hospitality house in Aurora, Colorado. Its original intent was to provide a space for visiting family members of detained immigrants and grew into so much more. Begun as a perceived call from God, Sarah chronicles how people--friends and strangers--showed up with what was needed at the time, whether money, donated clothing, transportation, or even an app to organize volunteers. She also writes about her crisis of faith and the phenomenon of reciprocity between helper and those being helped. Information about US immigration policy history and the reasons people seek asylum are mentioned where appropriate, and it is clear that the US immigration system needs an overhaul, but the book is not political. I admire Jackson, and my main takeaway is the power of one person. It's inspiring to see what she, as one naive person, has done to improve people's lives with faith and perseverance.
October 4, 2025
Near the end of this book, Sarah Jackson shares stories of parents separated from their children, the trauma to the parent, and the difficult process of reuniting families in a chaotic system. The for-profit prison systems and ICE human rights violations have only gotten worse. It is heartbreaking to read about the plight of those in ICE detention and know it has gotten much worse since. But it is heartwarming to know that citizens living the truth of Christ are working as advocates for our maligned immigration population.
Remember: This isn't about politics or law. This is about right or wrong, just or evil. When this long national nightmare is behind us, I'm afraid of the atrocities that will come to light. But I'm hopeful that substantive reform will ensue. In the meantime, the volunteers of Casa de Paz and other people of conscious will do everything they can to help.
Remember: This isn't about politics or law. This is about right or wrong, just or evil. When this long national nightmare is behind us, I'm afraid of the atrocities that will come to light. But I'm hopeful that substantive reform will ensue. In the meantime, the volunteers of Casa de Paz and other people of conscious will do everything they can to help.
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