A Dissappointing Answer - With an Exciting Result

After almost a year of contact with the school in Aquk, we were told yesterday that we would not be able to move.  Opening a new city where foreigner have never legally lived before is very hard.  Both the enemy and the powers to be in this country are working hard to make sure it doesn’t happen.

Over this past year we have all seen personal attacks in our own lives to try to stop us from moving into this unreached place.  First, my team leader’s dad got very sick last summer and she had to go back to the States for an unknown amount of time to take care of him.  Four months later, she was back and excited to keep trying.  My other teammate faced huge doubts about her ability to handle the strain and struggles we would face.  She even called off the move for a little while; but, two weeks later she admitted it was fear and recommitted to have faith in His plan for us.  As for mentioned in February, my knee was immovable and it looked like the plan would be off due to my health.  In light of, and despite all of this he held fast in prayer to the dream God had given us to serve Him in the unreached corners of this place.

 As of last week the school still seemed very optimistic about our move.  They faxed us an updated version of our contract, complete with all of the most recent changes.  They told us how the hunt for our apartments was going.  We had no reason to doubt them.  But the truth was they did not have permission to have foreigner live there on a work visa (which we were insisting for the sake of integrity).  Starting this week, the school stopped answering our phone calls in order to save face and not have to tell us the truth.  The truth is we cannot move to Aquk; the city remains closed for now.

I am presently on a tourist visa which expires the first of April.  I wanted to stay in country, I would have to apply to a new school, find a new home, and obtain a new visa in less than two weeks.  My team leader and I agreed that was too much; so, plan B for me is to move up my home leave from August to April which means I will see you all very soon.  Please remember to pray for my teammates who are still trying to figure out what plan B is for them.  All we know at this time is that god is faithful and He has not brought us through the past year for naught.