Hope for the Heavy Heart
Some of you have probably wondered where I’ve been and why I haven’t been writing. It’s quite a long story, so let me sum it up the best I can. In the past three weeks, our entire ministry team has been sick with the flu. Tennille and I finished preparing for and hosted the annual ladies’ retreat with nearly 60 ladies in attendance for the week. Jason celebrated his birthday. And we’ve been finding and setting up a new sponsorship in Wales after finding out that the church hosting us was told they no longer qualified. Yes, due to some weird changes in the wording of the laws regarding sponsorship, our sponsorship was revoked, making our visas invalid.
What does this mean for us? Our existing sponsor has placed an appeal and is fighting the ruling. There is no word on how long this process will take and whether it will succeed. We have been advised by a solicitor to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. We are in the process of helping our coworkers file for the ability to become sponsors. As you can imagine, this involves a lot of paperwork and money, especially since the solicitor advised us to expedite each step so our new sponsorship can be in place before our current sponsorship is canceled. If they are approved, Jason will have to file for his visa again, this time under the new sponsorship, which means more paperwork and fees. If the appeal goes through, we shouldn’t have to change anything and should be able to resume work under our current visas. If it does not, we should receive a letter from immigration stating we have two months to get a new sponsor and visa or leave the country.
Many thoughts have rolled through my mind throughout the past few weeks. I’ve prayed. I’ve sung songs of comfort and encouragement. And I’ve quoted Scripture to myself and others who are facing the same situation we are facing. (They are 17 families currently sponsored by the same church.). One verse kept coming to mind as I tried to gather my thoughts to write today’s devotion.
A man's heart deviseth his way: But the LORD directeth his steps. - Proverbs 16:9
We did not plan to be sick the week before (and during) our biggest event of the year, but it happened.
We planned to be here for three years before we ever had to deal with all the headaches and fees of the visa process again, but God had a different plan.
We planned to stay with our current sponsor until we reached our five-year mark in the country, at which point we could apply for indefinite leave to remain (meaning no more visas!). But God didn’t see fit to allow things to work out that way.
I had big plans for the summer months. Starting the week after the ladies’ retreat, I was going to buckle down and focus on my writing until the autumn. But instead, our next several weeks will likely be filled with tedious paperwork, confusing law terminology, and a lot of prayers that everything will go through quickly enough that we won’t have to leave the country.
We had plans, but God is directing us differently. I wish I could say I understand it, but I don’t. I wish I could say I’m happy about it, but I’m not. I wish I could say I’m trusting God fully through this situation, but that would be stretching the truth. But I can tell you this: amidst all the chaos and uncertainty of this situation, there is hope for my heavy heart. In remembering who God is and what He’s done before, I know that somehow, He will work this all out for good. It may not be how I wish or plan, but it will be best.
In the meantime, I’m grateful that I can encourage myself in the Lord. I have His promises to keep me calm and songs of His goodness to help me focus on what is good and right. I may not have all the answers right now, but I know Who does. I only need to trust in Him with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. When I acknowledge Him, He will direct my path. And let me tell you, that’s great news for someone who gets lost as quickly as I do!