We love South Africa. We adore this county and these people. It is HOME to us and we plan to stay FOREVER. I tell people that they can buy me a gravesite in Ocean View cemetery because I will be buried here (weird I know, sorry).
It seems, however, that South Africa might not love us as intensely as we love them.
We are having some 'visa issues.' And by visa issues I mean we are about two weeks away from being illegal immigrants instead of helpful missionaries. We have been on volunteer/visitor visas but have hit a brick wall in government this past year when trying to renew them. Our long-term plan is to stay in South Africa indefinitely because we feel called here and it is our home, and we plan to get permanent residency and have a plan of how to do it. We are working with our lawyers on this plan and it looks like many steps but should be easy.
But in the meantime South Africa is not granting us another term of visitor visa, AKA meaning we would need to leave the country to work on this process of permanent residency. We are not in agreement with the South African government as WE think we should stay HERE while we work out this little 'issue.'
I wish it was a little issue.
So we have a new immigration expert (first one wasn't as pumped as we needed him to be about us staying in the country) and we have a new plan. But we need some serious PRAYER and movement of God.
Over the past few months we have prayed and wrestled and talked endlessly about this situation and really sought God about our future here in South Africa. We truly feel like this is where God wants us. This will only happen with some serious favor and miraculous work of God.
Luckily we have a community of friends and family who love prayer and a HUGE GOD who loves to do miracles in our life.
So we ask you, would you pray for us?
Pray that God would lead us to make the right steps in our process. Pray that our lawyers would fight for us, believe in us, communicate with us, and truly believe that this country is where we need to be? Pray that we would have DEEP PEACE and TRUST in God as this process works its way out (it will likely take 1-2 years). Pray that we will see the miraculous hand of God all over this journey. Pray that God would be GLORIFIED in this struggle and strain?
We are so thankful for our incredible community all over the world that loves us and prays for us. It is beyond humbling. We need you now so join us in bringing this need to the throne of God!
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