the good news email.

Yesterday we all had a strange feeling that we would receive some g o o d  n e w s. . .  and WE DID!

Around 11 am Eric got an email from the Italian consulate that said our visas had been approved by the Italian government!! He added that we needed to go ahead and buy our tickets so that he could complete the processing of our visas and send them our way. You better believe we were on the phone with our friend Sharon, who books our flights, faster than you could blink ;) we have been a little nervous that the tickets would be outrageous, but it was just the opposite! they were significantly cheaper! so the double good news it that, including the cancellation fees of the first flight, we only had to pay $50!

Our visas will arrive via fed-ex sometime tomorrow, and we are now scheduled for take off next Saturday, September 20th! We are overjoyed at the thought of finally serving with our team at the Bible School! Please keep us and the team in your prayers!

In the days to come we will be busy tying up our loose ends again. The dogs must be re-examined and re-certified to fly with us on board, lots of packing to do, and goodbyes to say! During this time in limbo, we also have been helping my parents with a mini house renovation, and will be wrapping it up within the next week. We may have missed the work month at the Bible School, but we have certainly been put to good use here!!;)  

I wont go into detail, but the last 3 weeks of this waiting period certainly haven't been for nothing. God has a way with timing and bringing lives together. We are amazed at His compassion and His will to bring us all to Him! "But YOU O Lord are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." Psalm 86:15

Thank you so much for all of your prayers! Our next update will be from across the pond!! Love you all!
xoxoxo

More updates.

Last week David got involved with the visa situation.

After calling and speaking with the consulate here in the USA, it became evident that they would not accept the validity of the Bible School in Scandicci. This is hard to understand bc we sent specific letters from the Italian government that recognize the churches of Christ and their sponsorship of the Bible School in Italy. The consulate further explained that they would no longer issue any more visas for American workers of the Bible School. This obviously impacted Miles and Meredith Thompson, who are the first workers to be declined. After discussing what they should do, we all decided that it would be best for them to keep their flight and travel over to Italy on their passports as tourists. They will need to return within 89 days. However, this time will allow them to go ahead and complete their Italian language school, while we figure out how to better communicate the validity of the Bible School to the Italian consulate here in the states. Prayerfully, by the time the Thompsons return to the states after the 89 days, this will all be ironed out and they will finally be able to apply for and receive their visas!

After calling the consulate, David was also gracious enough to call and speak with the Minister of Internal Affairs in Rome on our behalf. This man was very kind and seemed very concerned with the whole situation. He also seemed shocked that we as American citizens were having trouble obtaining our visas. ( In general, Italians have the same fascination with us as we do with them! :) ) He also confirmed the that the Bible School is in fact on record, and confirmed that has been running in operation for several years. The man seemed very confident that we would receive our visas (YAY!), but that we should expect to wait at least another month. He continued to explain that the office in Italy received our request for our visa on the day before their holidays started, and that under the best circumstances, a work visa should take about 2 months to process.

So, for now, we are still here in the states. We are so grateful for all of your prayers and support during this time! It is such a comfort knowing that you are with us on this journey! We know that God's timing is perfect, so we are thanking Him and praying for His guidance. Please also continue to keep the workers in your prayers! Miles and Meredith arrived at the Bible School yesterday, and the team begins language school today! We will continue to keep you updated as everything unfolds. xoxox