Wow

We just had a faith building experience with our passports.

We sent them off to the Mozambique embassy in April, and they arrived there on April 30. We knew that because we had a delivery confirmation tracking number through the post service. They were supposed to be processed in a 10 day turnaround, and we had plenty of time.

But they didn't come...and didn't come. Finally, on Thursday, May 23 Debbie called the embassy. They said they would be mailed to us the next day, May 24. O.K. No problem. We waited. They didn't come Tuesday, but with Memorial Day, perhaps they'll come Wednesday or Thursday. They didn't. Nor did they come Friday.

By then, we succumbed to panic.There were three delivery days left until lit would be too late...and we had to make the arrangements to get new passports, and pay again for entry visas when we would enter the country. We figured it would cost us about 700$, which was better than the $1500 changing our ticked would cost us. If we missed the flight all together, we'd be out $4,000. As many times as I told myself "it's only money", we still all shed tears over the loss we were experiencing.

On Friday, May 30, Debbie called the embassy first thing, and left a message, and it wasn't returned. We spend the weekend in prayer, worry and wonderment. We also sent sent word out to friends and family. Pray for our mission trip that God will intervene and place these necessary documents in our hands in time. The church in Magalia, Lakeport, Shasta Lake and Redding was praying for this situation on Sabbath. May 31.

We also spent much time in thinking out "Plan B" and "Plan C". I tried to get an appointment for the San Francisco passport office, where we could get replacement passports done in one day, but the only appointment their automated system would give me was June 5, a day too late for us to catch our plane. Should we call our Congress man? Could he get us an appointment?

On Monday Morning I stopped by the Post Office and asked if a package had arrived for us. No, it's not there. I went home and called the National Passport Office, and was able to get an appointment for San Francisco for Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. That would require Rebekah to appear personally, which meant she needed to take tests earlier than planned at school, and miss all day of school. But we felt God had opened a crack in our problem.

Meanwhile, our phone system went out at home about 9:00 a.m. No dial-tone on any of the extensions! This meant no Internet and no phone calls as we negotiated the rest of the logistics. I went out to the phone box and took all the red and green wires off and put them back on...with no fixing of the problem. So I called a phone fix-it man and he came out at 1:00 p.m. While he was working...

The post man arrived...with a package for us to sign for.The passports had arrived !!! This gift of God saved us a trip to San Francisco and that extra $700. Praise the Lord. Debbie and I knelt on our knees in a prayer of thanks!

We spent the afternoon making phone calls (on our recently fixed line) and our cell phones telling people our good news.

Tomorrow...Wed, June 4. Rebekah and I leave for Africa.

Thank you for your prayers.
Thank You, Jesus!
Thank you for the personal reminder that worry doen't really help a thing!