We have not left the country yet. We were supposed to fly to Peru on Saturday morning (Jan 5), but the government agency that approves visas for missionaries in Peru was not able to approve ours in time for our flight. We could have gone ahead and entered the country as tourists, but it would have meant flying out of the country again to receive the proper visas. As such, we were advised to post-pone our flight so we can have our passports stamped in Chicago. We hope to have that done on Wednesday. We found out about the delay this past Thursday night, leaving us 1 day to change our plans. I was heartbroken. I wondered if it was the enemy keeping us from our calling, if it was God teaching me patience or if it was just circumstance. I prayed about it, asking the Lord if we should just go and start the visa process over in Peru. The Lord reminded me of a time when I was a kid and my uncle gave me a fishing tackle box. He offered to take me out to see “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang,” on that night, then we’d go fishing the next night. I was too anxious to go fishing with my new tackle box, so I pushed for us to go fishing on the first night. It was a frustrating experience for my uncle, because we only had 30 minutes to go fishing. Of course, 30 minutes of fishing with my new gear was insufficient for me also. Afterward, I realized that I had pushed for the wrong choice. My uncle tried to warn me, but I was too enamored by my new tackle box to listen. As I prayed about our visas for Peru, the Lord brought this memory to my mind. I took it as the Lord’s advice to sit tight and get the proper approval. So, we’re visiting my in-laws in Cleveland and plan to drive to Chicago on Tuesday. After we get the visas, we’ll drive back to Cincinnati. I’ve changed our airline tickets to next Saturday (Jan 12). We’ll be arriving in Lima at 10:50 PM.Please keep us in prayer for the successful completion of the visa process. Also, please pray with us that all that God has planned with be accomplished for his glory during these “bonus” days we have with family and friends.
Mucho Agape,
Bill
1 comment:
We know the frustration of waiting for a late visa oh-so-well. Saya waited an extra 10 days for me to go back to get her because the kaz government kept losing mine. We'll be praying!
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