Update

The past seven days have been a bit of a whirlwind around here. On Wednesday we received a message that immigration would like to see us on Thursday. So in addition to trying to coordinate a Thanksgiving gettogether we had the stress of the unknown hanging over our heads.

Thursday’s meeting was…curious. In addition to refilling our an immigration form we’d already filled out nine months ago, we were asked a series of questions ranging from our educational background, to our past travels, to our known associates, to our financial status.

Since then we have been looking at ways of downsizing our lives. We’re selling off major pieces of furniture. We’re giving back things we’d been storing for other people. We’re looking at ways of possibly getting things home. Basically, we’re gleaning our lives downs to what we need.

It seems more than coincidental that at the same we’re coming to terms with getting rid of stuff, John is talking about having a greater dependence on God and Jake is talking about existentialism and an old episode of “Ed” (remember the bowling alley lawyer?) is talking about Walden and the need to simplify. Songs like Remember Surrender by Sarah Groves and references to “Be still and know that I am God” keep running through my head. My conclusion – we are not in control but know who is. We can attempt to focus our dependence on Him but we still need to realize that no earthly methodology or formula can prepare us for the unpredictable and absolutely abundant blessings He will be giving us

Yesterday afternoon, a week after we were first called to the Immigration office, we again received a message that we needed to come in. This time it is to follow up on the questionnaire we initially filled out. Apparently it is because they had problems reading my handwriting.
The “B” I got for handwriting in the third grade may finally be coming back to haunt me.