Making progress

It has been a long month waiting for new information on our visa applications and I wish I could tell you that we got them, but we didn’t. The Embassy would like papers proving that I am qualified to do the job I have been invited to do. The papers all have to be stamped by a notary, the county clerk and by the state of Ohio. It will take a few days to generate the paperwork and have it processed by the county and state. We then will have to mail it off to Washington D.C. and the process will continue.

In the beginning every delay seemed to be an inconvenience but I have seen God bless us with each delay. Whether it was an opportunity to present at a new church, build relationships with new and old friends or have God provide for our needs through generous gifts. One story of such an event began with an invitation to lunch that we never would have been able to make if it had not been for a delay with our visa. A this lunch we were visiting with our friends and during the conversation we began to discuss the type of work I would be doing in the hanger and the different type of tools I would be using. During the conversation we talked about the need for a variety of “shop tools” for the hanger. This friend went out and told his friends of our need and collected for us a large air compressor, a metal lathe and wood smith. What a blessing these will be, the hours that we will be able to save and the additional parts that we will be able to make will equal a great saving of time and money.

If we had moved when we were hoping to in October, this gift would not have been made available to us. This is just one story. So, as another delay looms on the horizon, I do not hang my head frustration, instead I eagerly anticipate seeing the reason God has allowed us to be delayed again. Josh