Spain Said, "Yes"!
I FINALLY RECEIVED MY VISA IN THE MAIL!!!!
And no, passport/visa pictures are not meant to be flattering because you usually have to show it to the officials when you are weary and travel-worn.
As you may have guessed, the waiting period turned out to be God's perfect timing.
A couple of weeks ago my sister-in-law Ashley had a heart attack and ended up in the hospital for a week to make sure her stent held. Now, she and my dad are stent buddies. Turns out she has a rare condition called SCAD which is super scary, so keep her in your prayers. I am so grateful that I got to be here and help out with the kids. The youngest, Ellie, is two and she is used to napping in my room. So it was easiest for her to stay the nights with me while the big kids kept their school routine at home. My brother, Matt, stayed at the hospital with Ashley a couple of nights till she sent him home to sleep in his bed and relieve my mom who had stayed with the big kids.
God answered our prayers. The kids were really understanding and helpful. The community reached out with help and concern. And Ashley go to go home last Friday, with a bunch of meds, a stent card, several flower arrangements and a list of follow-up appointments to schedule!
My visa arrived on Monday. And I bought a ticket Wednesday (shout out to Makenzi Markham who helped me find a good deal!). I leave on Sunday, November 19, on a jet plane from Springfield, MO all the way to Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Europe, the World. (Shout out to Cabin Pressure's brilliant Arthur Shappey! He got me into checking all airports for Toblerone bars. I don't buy them, but it's a joy to see those triangles stacked neatly.)
Now, the packing begins. Well, as soon as I've finished proofing the Romans commentary. Only 50 pages left to go! And I'm also proofing a children's Bible story activity book for my cousins, Michael and Chrisi, in Guatemala.
Please pray that God would give me wisdom as there are so many things to decide! What stays, what goes, what needs to be let go of, finding a place to live, etc.
And more importantly, please pray that in this time of transition, farewells, and busyness, that I would draw ever closer to God. Dad preached a sermon this morning from 2 John and a phrase from verse 9 stuck in my head "anyone who runs ahead" and he gave the example of how my sister, when we were little, would run ahead as we would walk to church. She'd wait for the rest of us and hold hands as we crossed a street and then she would run ahead, again. I know that I'm not doing a proper exegisis by looking up the greek and comparing the use in this verse with other uses of the same words in other verses found in the New Testament, (See? I've learned a lot from proof-reading an 800 page Romans commentary!) but the thought I was struck with was the following: I've finally received such a concrete answer to my prayers, that my temptation is to say, "Thanks, God. I've got this from here." And try to run ahead until I have to "cross another street". I don't want to do that! I want to enjoy every step -- the easy ones and, obviously, the hard ones -- holding my Father's hand, seeing things through his eyes, learning how he views and loves those around me. I want to know my Savior and react to people like he does, loving them and speaking freeing truth to them.
Another blessing is that the airline allows me to check up to 9 pieces of luggage for an additional fee, but it'll be cheaper than sending it air freight and it'll arrive with me. No, I probably won't be taking 9 pieces of luggage. There's only me, not a family of 5. But, you never know how much you have to pack until you're done...
Steve and Priscilla are as excited as I am to finally have a date for me to arrive! I'll actually arrive 15 minutes into Tuesday, November 21, that'll be 6:15 pm CST. And I'll be there in time for their Thanksgiving banquet! You wouldn't think people in Tenerife, Spain would know anything about Thanksgiving, but a few years ago Steve and Priscilla invited neighbors into their home to learn about and celebrate this "American" holiday and the event has grown to become an outreach opportunity to invite unchurched friends and neighbors. Last year they had three days of dinners to accommodate all the people in their small church space! There's a thought: Thanksgiving for three days and no black Friday creeping into the celebration.
Again. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For your prayers and your words of encouragement over the past couple of years. It was two years ago today, on October 22, 2021 that I first set eyes on Tenerife and wondered what God was going to do through that trip.
And here we are.
I'm so excited to see what is next.
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