It's Monday

The guys arrived one or two at a time throughout the weekend, slowly expanding our house until we more than doubled. The dog, who isn't too keen on strangers, has had a bit of adjustment with strange men walking around the house all day and night, but seems to doing better each day. Just when she gets used to everyone, someone new shows up. :)

In their suitcases, specifically of the two guys that came directly from our home church, were packed precious goodies. Starbucks coffee and other treats were the most savored, but the many notes from friends and family and special little thinking-of-you gifts were the most appreciated. So often I've been the one on the delivering side of such an event - packing the corners of my suitcase with little American things and notes and mail and things they can't get in the country they live. This time I was on the receiving end, and it made me just sit back in thankfulness for my wonderful church family. The entire surface of our large dining room table was covered with things unpacked from their suitcases - things we had to leave behind, mail and paperwork, gifts and notes.

We received news that the container with the rest of our things is to arrive this week in South Africa. That is the good news, but the bad news is that without our residence visa issue resolved, we cannot bring that much stuff into Botswana, so we will have to arrange for storage in SA until everything is worked out. If you've been reading my dad's blog, you have been kept abreast of the visa situation, but don't worry if you don't understand it all. We don't even understand it all. :) We do know that our 90-day tourist visa expires next week, so we will be making another trip to Gabs, where we have been assured we can get a sort of extension until our other paperwork is decided on. Everything, and I mean everything, is up in the air at this point, although we are trusting that the Lord will work it all out. He brought us this far. It's all in the Lord's timing, obviously, because our timing would have been to have this settled seven months ago when we applied. ;o) I was reading in Nehemiah this morning, and I was just struck by the perfect timing of Nehemiah's ministry. The Lord had everything worked out just perfectly, from his job as cupbearer, to his brother's tidings from Jerusalem, to the willingness of the king to send him. Everything was lined up just right for Nehemiah doing the will of God - he just had to be willing, ready, and fervent in prayer.

But now it is even more exciting for us to get the situation resolved and be on a proper visa - just think of all our things, just waiting for us to come pick them up! I scanned through our packing list and my eyes greedily read things like "Pyrex baking dishes" and "metal mixing bowls" - things that we've been holding off on purchasing because we knew they were 'coming in the container', things that we could really use now that there are 10 of us living here.

So please, don't stop praying now. With everything else going on while the guys are here (my dad has a very packed schedule for them), we will be making trips to immigration, and possibly even to help unload the container and move it to storage. But again, everything is up in the air... it's just one day at a time. And for today, I know that we are having beef enchiladas for lunch (assembled last night and already simmering in the crockpot), I need to print some more Bible studies and work on formatting a new tract, and we need to go grocery shopping (again). I think I'll kick things off by a second cup of coffee.

Happy Monday! ;o)