Still Waiting on Visas

Lot's of people are asking us how we are doing with waiting on our visas. We never thought we would still be in Saskatchewan in February, but we are. When we were told January 3rd that the paper work had been approved we were so excited.We moved into that final countdown mindset of "last's" before we leave for the long-term again. So we were disappointed when we found out that someone in the Ecuadorian government did not finalize the paperwork due to a technicality that has nothing to do with us. Having lived for many years in South America I have come to realize that this is common, even though it can be frustrating.
There is nothing that we want more than to make the move to our new hometown and to get busy doing the work God has called us to. This last statement reminds us that what we are doing is for God, and therefore will be done on His terms. This includes the timing of our final departure. This week we contacted the consulate one more time to see if there was anything we could or they could do to expedite the visa process. They responded in less than an hour to tell us to be patient, that these process can take some setbacks, but that the process was still continuing. This reminds me of how 7 years ago when we were preparing to go to Brasil it took us over 6 months to get our paperwork and that we ended up arriving 2 weeks after our teammates. Even so we were still the first ones to get keys to a new apartment in Salvador. So God was definitely at work, having gone before us and preparing the perfect arrival.
This is the trust and faith that we are counting on again as we prepare for this next move. We have seen firsthand how many times we have been blessed because we waited on God's timing rather than trying to make it happen ourselves. So we continue to do what Scripture calls us to do so often, and that is wait upon the Lord, knowing that He is our Father and is looking out for our best.
In the meantime we have so many details to take care of. We have been blessed to work with Russell Elford about our long-term finances. He has a heart for helping people like us, working in full-time ministry, to try and have some sort of financial plan for the end of our lives. Alicia and the kids continue to learn Spanish, and as I teach, my Spanish continues to improve as it comes back from that long-term memory bank. Alicia and I study at least 1 hour a day and I read with the kids which is the best way for them to learn. The Regina public library has an impressive amount of books in Spanish, which has been helpful. We continue to be strengthened spiritually and emotionally. Leaving our church family that we had an intrigal part in creating in Salvador Brazil was a harder adjustment than we could have imagined. This on top of reverse culture shock and other adjustments has left our heads spinning at times, and having only the hand of God to lean on, as really He is the only one who truly knows all that we have experienced in the last 7 years of our lives.

Please continue to be in prayer for our visas. We know that God can do whatever is needed to make our departure possible. In the meantime we will continue to prepare and work on all the minute details and planning that is necessary to move our family across the world once again. Thanks again for your prayers and support. Travis