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The Greener Pasteur: Migration, Perception, and the Pursuit of “Better”

  • Writer: francisvitomendiola
    francisvitomendiola
  • Apr 6
  • 2 min read

Today at church, I heard something that surprised me. A man from Massachusetts shared his testimony—he had moved from the United States to London in pursuit of peace, of all things. Not a job. Not status. Just peace.

It struck me because, in my head, the flow was always the other way around. People leave the UK for the US. That’s the narrative. That’s where people go for a “better life,” right?

As a migrant myself, living here in the UK, I often wonder if I’ve made the best choice. Should I move to the US? Would life be better there? But the truth is—my life here is already good. I’m stable. I’m thriving in ways I never imagined when I first arrived. And yet, that lingering thought: maybe there’s more somewhere else.

It’s not just me. Many migrants wrestle with the same question: Is this the best place for me? Or is the grass greener elsewhere? It’s a valid question, but one worth examining deeply.



Is There Really a “Better” Country?

We often think people move because one country is inherently better than another. Sometimes that’s true—war, persecution, extreme poverty, and instability drive people to safety. But outside of survival, many of us move not because of how a place is, but because of how we feel we’ll become there.

We project hopes onto cities. “If I lived in New York, I’d be more ambitious.” “If I moved to Canada, I’d be calmer.” “If I moved back home, maybe I’d be happier.” But are these places magical—or are we just hoping they’ll unlock something already inside us?

Migration data shows that people move in all directions. Yes, some are leaving the UK. But others are coming in. And just as there are British expats in California and Florida, there are Americans settling in Brixton, Edinburgh, and Liverpool. The flow isn’t one-way. It’s a dance—fluid, unpredictable, deeply personal.



Beyond Data: The Inner Migration

What if the real migration isn’t about borders, but about identity? What if we’re not just seeking new countries, but new versions of ourselves?

That question humbles me. It makes me rethink what I’m really searching for. Is it opportunity—or clarity? Escape—or expansion? More money—or more meaning?

In Scripture, Abraham was called to a place he did not know. But he moved because God called, not because he ran out of options. That’s a crucial difference. The impulse to move isn’t wrong—but the motive matters.




Maybe the Greener Pasteur Isn’t Over There

There’s a French pun I can’t shake from my head: “the greener Pasteur.” Not pasture as in grass—but Pasteur, as in someone who shepherds. Maybe what I’ve been looking for isn’t a new land, but a deeper trust in the Shepherd who guides me.

Maybe it’s not about crossing borders, but about surrendering outcomes.

I still have those thoughts about the US. But now I’m asking different questions. What season am I in? What is God doing here? What can grow in this soil if I stay planted?

 
 
 

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