Saturday, January 12, 2008

it's all overwhelming. and i feel alone.

i'd like to ask for your prayers...

you may (or may not) remember i am planning a six-month trip to ecuador for this year to work as a missionary with the iberoamerican christian church in el recreo, the same church i have gone to on short-term missions trips the last three summers.

for a trip longer than three months, a religious worker visa is ideal because it is good for up to a year and renewable. the problem is that in order to be approved for this visa, i need to have a) a letter from marcelo puentes, pastor of the church, requesting that i be admitted to ecuador. b) a copy of the decree issued by the ecuadorian government authorizing said church to operate in ecuador. c) a copy of the document authenticated by the ministry of foreign affairs that states that marcelo is the legal representative of the church. d) a copy of the bylaws of the church in ecuador. e) an affidavit from the church, assuming the responsibility for expenses incurred by me as result of abandoning the country or deportation. (awesome). f) a guarantee from the church to support me financially during my stay in Ecuador.....

and those are just the things i need to get from marcelo...there's a list just as long of things that i need to do here (doctors certificates, police certificates, affidavits...i don't even know what an affidavit is...)

the point is...the church has been working on achieving their legal status in ecuador for the last few years, and i am not even sure if they have it yet, and if they do have it, who knows if they actually have all the documents i need (or if they'd be able to get them to me in time to process the application for the visa)...so i have a phone appointment with the ecuador consulate on monday morning to find out if there is any way to be granted this visa without some of the required documents.

blah blah blah other boring, government words, blah blah...please pray that the issue of my visa will not be a problem. that if it doesn't work out to get a religious worker visa, i can find another (legal) option.

6 Comments:

Blogger Kevin Morrison said...

I think once you've done all that, you will also have qualified to adopt from China.

I feel your pain. It's stressful, but it is all doable. I can't imagine a reason why God would not want you to go. but if HE can imagine a reason, you pretty much have to smile and nod and accept the amount of cowbell you already have.

But I think you're going. We'll be praying.

5:02 PM  
Blogger The Lunaverse said...

Amy, my prayers are with you. Keep on it. You are gonna do amazing things over there, I just know it!

7:53 PM  
Blogger http://alberico.net said...

MAN! I'd have probably given up by now or just said I'd shorten the trip...

Though, I'm glad your will is MUCH stronger than mine...

It's obvious that's where your heart is leading you. I will pray for this process to move as swiftly and painlessly as possible!

10:13 PM  
Blogger Padfoot240 said...

Keep you in the prayers. Hope you can go with the easy visa.

1:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Go where life takes you, girlfriend. If it's meant to be, it will be. How in the world do you think I ended up in Missouri???

hugs -
auntie jules

5:38 PM  
Blogger Team Parks: Jason and Kristin said...

whatever you do,
get a headset for skype.

9:52 PM  

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