Let’s start with the Not-So-Good News…
Some of you may have heard us talk about returning to Indonesia soon. Unfortunately, we will not be able to return until April. Why the delay, you may be asking yourself. A few weeks ago we sent in our payment for our visas. For a Social/Cultural visa the turn around from there is 10-14 days. So we were actively preparing to leave soon. We were giving away the things that we had acquired over the year, putting books in storage and seeing family for the last time.
Instead of receiving an email last week with our visas in it, we received an email informing us that our work visas won’t be ready until April. Our sponsoring Indonesian organization applied for a work visa for us straightaway instead of having us enter Indonesia with a Social/Cultural visa and switching over to a work visa while in country. In the end, this is a smart call on their part. It will cost less, and it guarantees us that we can stay and work there for a full year with the ability to renew it each year while we stay in country.
Please continue to pray for us as we readjust our mindset and prepare to stay in the US for another 2 months.
Now onto the Good News…
Good News #1:
Matt began PhD classes at Concordia Seminary- St. Louis this month. While we are living on the Seminary campus right now, he is enrolled in the distance program. He will have two week long intensive classes in June and January for the next 18 months here on campus, but do most of the work for his classes on-line leading up to each in-person session. Once we return to Indonesia it will take a bit of traveling back and forth for Matt but it will be well worth it.
Please pray for Matt as he begins his studies again.
Good News #2…
For Christmas this year we found out that I am pregnant! While it wasn’t quite what we were expecting and the timing isn’t perfect, we’ve learned to just roll with things in the last 2 years. And a baby is the best blessing, no matter the timing. Baby is due early August and we won’t find out the gender until baby arrives. (But we’re guessing it’s a girl).
Good News #3….
The Nelson family has arrived in Medan after spending 5 days in quarantine in Jakarta. We are so thankful to have teammates join us on the field (even though we aren’t on our field right now). The are settling into their apartment and dove right into language classes. If you want to find out more about the Nelson family, check out their page:
Please pray for their adjustment to the new culture and for their success in ministry.