"No, no we aren't going to be giving you our credit card balance, that's another kind of VISA. We just wanted to let you know how things are going with our visa to stay and work in Angola. As some of you know this seems to be a never ending process and therefore prayer request. At this point in time our present work visa expired on the 8th of December. We have been working on getting a residency visa since the beginning of June, and have just received news that the process has been cleared through the Angolan embassy in Ottawa and is en route back to Angola for approval by immigration in Luanda. This is fantastic news..."
That is how the last update that I started at the end of November ended without me having sent it out to all of you. Since that day we indeed had to leave Angola for Namibia where we have been "patiently" waiting for an "Ordinary Visa" to re enter Angola. Due to the complications of the Christmas season and the hosting of the African football (soccer) championships in Angola in January,our visa renewals have been somewhat delayed. Although it is difficult not to feel that our time in Namibia has not been a complete waste, we know that God can use whatever situation we are in for His honour and glory. We have had lots of time to think about the amazing ways that God has blessed us through family, friends, supporters and even complete strangers. We have been reminded in many ways that our time here on this earth isn't about ourselves, but it is about glorifying our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
It looks like we should be seeing our passports with visas in the next couple weeks. At this point our passports are back in Canada and we are just waiting for one more document for Matt's visa, which we hope to have in the next couple days. Once that one is issued our passports will go into the Angolan Embassy in Ottawa for a few days and then, Lord willing, they will be sent back to us in Namibia, with and Angolan visa. Hopefully we will have them in our hands somewhere around the 15th of February. This by no means is a done deal, please continue to pray for the process and all the people that are involved in it and in the end that God will be glorified no matter what the outcome.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
News
You have no idea how many times I have started this update and then deleted it because it wasn't up to the journalistic standards that you have all come to expect. In fact the other day I had finally written a little blogging masterpiece only to have it disappear into the blogasphere never to return. It was truly a triumph of humour, emotion and information all packed into one easily readable paragraph and it was gone, snatched away in it's prime. Can you tell I'm still a little bitter?
Anyways, what we really want to share is not about us or my petty little blogging problems. It is something much more important and miraculous! Something that is beyond the pale, something that will stupefy and amaze you! Something that is making you say, "Get on with it man, spit it out, enough with the monumental amounts of hyperbole!" Fine I say, I will succumb to your pestering and bullying and announce that we have an announcement! We, being Tammy and myself, are entering a new phase of life. We are going to be grandparents. There, I said it! Our daughter Kait and her husband Richard have informed us that we will be entering the world of grandparenthood next year, sometime around the end of April. Is that amazing or what!? Sometimes I think this is even nuttier then when we had our own kids. I mean, I didn't have a clue at all about what I was getting into then and now I'm sure I have absolutely no idea! Although we have been able to spend a significant amount of time amusing ourselves with what the little gaffer is going to call Tammy. I mean there are some really great possibilities, none of which I am allowed to share.
Tammy and Matthew will be heading back to Canada in mid-April to welcome this little bundle into the world. At this point we are not sure when I will return, but we are hoping no later then the beginning of June. We are excited about this new addition and look forward to making sure it gets properly enculturated into all things Goertzen!
Anyways, what we really want to share is not about us or my petty little blogging problems. It is something much more important and miraculous! Something that is beyond the pale, something that will stupefy and amaze you! Something that is making you say, "Get on with it man, spit it out, enough with the monumental amounts of hyperbole!" Fine I say, I will succumb to your pestering and bullying and announce that we have an announcement! We, being Tammy and myself, are entering a new phase of life. We are going to be grandparents. There, I said it! Our daughter Kait and her husband Richard have informed us that we will be entering the world of grandparenthood next year, sometime around the end of April. Is that amazing or what!? Sometimes I think this is even nuttier then when we had our own kids. I mean, I didn't have a clue at all about what I was getting into then and now I'm sure I have absolutely no idea! Although we have been able to spend a significant amount of time amusing ourselves with what the little gaffer is going to call Tammy. I mean there are some really great possibilities, none of which I am allowed to share.
Tammy and Matthew will be heading back to Canada in mid-April to welcome this little bundle into the world. At this point we are not sure when I will return, but we are hoping no later then the beginning of June. We are excited about this new addition and look forward to making sure it gets properly enculturated into all things Goertzen!
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