Can things be hard and good?
I am finding this next season to already be both. I am excited to go and be a part of the work in the Middle East but I am feeling some of the cost of leaving my family and community. I am also aware of (some of) the challenges adapting to culture brings.
Yet He promises to be WITH US.
I think He knows the challenges and hard things we can’t anticipate and still calls us to step out of the boat, because the treasure of knowing him, of being WITH HIM is greater! While I know this next season will come with degrees of excitement and challenge, I look forward to deeply discovering the treasure of Him WITH US.
A big thank you to you, my friends, for your support and prayers that have launched me here. I have truly experienced His grace in landing and adjusting.
I thought arriving here would be hard, but while it’s come with a lot of unfamiliar parts, I’ve experienced a lot of peace. He truly provides in every way. He is the faithful one I am finding, again and again, I hope you are too this season!
I’ve been received by a lovely team here and a couple who have helped me settle in.
My prairie legs are wearing off as I climb hills, ride buses, ferries, trains, and wade through the occasional mob of schoolchildren. I’m getting used to the sounds of the language and gaining some phrases, and plans are coming together for language learning in the new year.
Getting a visa to stay is another thing I’m preparing for. I have 3 months to get a long-term visa. With that comes finding a place to live and an application process. There seems to be a back-and-forth of times it is easier and harder to get a visa. Right now, first-time applicants are having a hard time being accepted. As I prepare, I’m trusting He will make a way, as He has done for centuries in very impossible situations.
Prayer Points:
- Hearts be drawn to Him—for the Spirit at work drawing hearts to Him in this city and for opportunities to share His love.
- Permission to stay—prayers for a long-term visa would be appreciated—as it’s a time when first-time applicants seem to be rejected more frequently. I’m trusting He will make a way!
- Language and culture—continued grace to learn the language and adapt to the culture, so these barriers are removed to bring the Good News (1 Cor. 9:19-23).
I’m so thankful for your support, this is not something I can do on my own. I look forward to the fruit we will reap together friends!
