VISA update

"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.