And They're OFF!

Three months, multiple agencies, and 32 pages later - we're FINALLY submitting our visa applications! They were dispatched not 20 minutes ago, to the Czech Embassy via Express Mail.

32 pages, 4 pictures, 2 passports and 2 payments

Here's an itemized list (per person) of everything that was just stuffed (and we do mean STUFFED) into the envelopes:

5 pages of visa application
4 pages of bank documents (+ translation into Czech)
2 pages of Russian background checks (+ translation into Czech)
1 letter of invitation from CISP (thankfully, already in Czech!)
1 letter verifying place of residence
1 notarized affidavit for the Czech Embassy
1 letter of employment verification from RCE
1 passport
1 copy of passport data page
2 visa pictures (thank you, Walgreens, for having the technology to format pictures according to European standards!)
1 money order for $127 dollars to cover the application fee
(not pictured, the return envelopes which also had to be sent with the documentation)

Please continue to pray for us as these documents go forward. The embassy claims that it can take anywhere from 90-120 days for them to process our applications. Pray that we might somehow gain favor and speedy processing time, allowing us to have our visas no later than the first of August.

One Step Forward, Three Steps Back...

Just when we think we're ready to submit our applications for long-term visas in the Czech Republic, we hit another speed bump.

First, we hit roadblock after roadblock in trying to obtain our background checks from Russia. When those finally arrived, we realized we had to get them translated. Additional delay of 7 days.

We needed four very important documents from the school in Prague, verifying our purpose of stay and our residency. When the envelope was delivered, we discovered we'd been sent another couple's papers. The other couple  had ours. We contacted each other & arranged a trade. Additional delay of 5 days.

Once we had the correct papers in our names, we were informed they had not been completed. The school had inadvertently omitted two key dates of some sort. The papers must be redone, and resent. Additional delays unknown.

Today we received an envelope from the Florida Secretary of State. We assumed it contained the much-awaited apostille on our marriage license. Nope. Even though we had called (TWICE) to verify the procedure, the office refused to apostille the papers because we were not married in the state of Florida. (Any WHY did it take them two full weeks to return our documents with this news???)
We must contact the Secretary of State of North Carolina. Additional delays of up to two weeks for the apostille, with a potential 7 additional days for translation.

We know we've been called to serve at CISP. We see God providing blessing after blessing, and we continue to receive confirmations that we are to arrive in Prague by August 15, the date the school requested us to be there. Please continue to pray with us as we press forward with our visa applications!

We Have Background Checks!

Our Russian background checks have finally arrived!! We received four pieces of paper - two in Russian, two in English - stating that the Russian Ministry of the Interior has no criminal record on either of us. (We weren't expecting they would, but it's nice to have it in writing.)

Now we have to send these documents to be translated into Czech. We would love it if it could be done overnight, but in all probability it could take a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, we're still waiting on several other documents which must be submitted along with our visa application. They are all in various stages (and locations) of completion.

We are so thankful to everyone who's been praying with us through this process. Please continue to stand with us as we track down the remaining paperwork!

On the Up Side

Today is April 15th. Everyone refers to it as "tax day", but for us, it was the target date to have all of our documents & visa applications on their way to the Czech embassy.

-We still haven't received our background checks from Russia.

-We don't have the apostilled copy of our marriage license.

-The letters from the bank don't have the words "ATM" or "wire transfer" anywhere in the documentation, so we must have them redone.

Obviously, we won't be putting our applications in the mail today. It's disappointing, but it doesn't deter us from pushing forward in our efforts to return to the field.

On the up side, our support is slowly but steadily increasing. We're blessed by every pledge, every donation. At last tally, we're now at 43%.

Only 57% still to go.

The Deal with the Documents

Most of you probably know that we've spent a good portion of the last 6 weeks trying to chase down some background checks from Russia. Many of you have no idea why we need them, but you've been praying for this process anyway, and we really appreciate that.

The good news is that we're one step closer to getting the documents we need from Russia! The bad news is that we've got about 15 more steps to go before we can even APPLY for our Czech visas. Please don't stop praying for us as we work through this process.

While we're used to dealing with foreign visas, registrations, permits, etc., we've never encountered anything quite like this, and it's going to take a bit more time and a great deal more money than what we anticipated. Since we will be in Prague for longer than 6 months, we're required to complete a longer, more detailed visa application. When we submit these applications with our passports, we must also produce:

• Background checks from every country in which we've lived for more than 6 months within the last three years (hence the Russian document dilemma) 
• Apostilled copies of our marriage license 
• A notarized letter from our bank, stating that we will be able to access our funds via ATM or wire transfer while living in Prague
• A recent bank statement, showing a minimum balance of $3,500 (This requires some creative budgeting & banking...)
• A copy of a major credit card accepted in the EU (numbers may be blacked out) proving that we have a line of credit
• A letter from our employer (RCE, in this case) stating that we have a legitimate purpose to serve in the Czech Republic
• Letters from the school in Prague, verifying that we have been asked to come and serve for the next term
• A rental agreement from a landlord in Prague, proving that we have a place to live

The fun doesn't end there. :) Any document that is not originally in Czech must be sent to a translator. Each translation must then be notarized. (The low estimate for these steps is $45 per page.)

We had hoped to be able to submit all of our paperwork to the Czech Embassy by the 15th of April (because Czech visas can take up to 4 months to process, and we need to be in Prague by the 15th of August.) As of today, we have ZERO documents completed and ready to send. They are all in various stages of readiness.

If you're looking at all of this, shaking your head and asking yourself, "Why do they bother?", well, we feel called to serve at the Christian International School of Prague. We believe this is the direction in which God is leading us to go. No one every said it would be easy. This is just a part of "counting the cost" and preparing to go.

Musings over our Mailings

We've been working on an honest-to-goodness, ink-on-paper support letter this week. We've stuffed 150 envelopes so far, and we have about 70 more to do. I've been reflecting on how different it is this time from years past...peel-n-stick advancements in stationary...sending out this letter as a couple...needing to raise more than five times the amount I did when I left for Russia in 2002...

The first batch went out on Wednesday; we're dropping another stack in the mail today. As each envelope disappears down the blue throat of the mail box, I'm praying that those who receive our letters will respond favorably - through prayer, through financial support, or through sharing this information with their churches.

As it often happens, we did some random calculations, such as "if every person gave a minimum of $10, that bring our total support almost up to 80%..." or "If there were 50 people who could pledge $50 a month, we'd be closer to 90%!" It's encouraging and frustrating all at the same time. Encouraging, because we believe we will see an increase in our support levels; frustrating, because it tempts us to think only on dollar signs.

I've thought about the many fellow missionaries I've met who, upon entering this season known as "deputation", "itinerating" or "support raising", have been counseled to make a list of every person they can think of, and then write a dollar amount next to that person's name. I've never done this. Why? What benefit is there in trying to guestimate who will support you at which dollar amount? Why should that matter? My experience has been that people who choose to support missionaries do so out of the fullness of their hearts, not the fullness of their wallets.

The people whose names are on our mailing list are people we greatly admire, appreciate or love deeply. They are individuals & families who have known us since we were children. They are people who served with us in ministry. They are are our friends, our mentors, our counselors, our voices of wisdom. They represent multitudes of encouraging words & prayers prayed for us.  Those people who are on the receiving end of our support letters are people who've made an impact on our lives. If they are able to be a part of our financial support team, that's wonderful, but we need them as our prayer partners first & foremost.

Regardless of how many mailings, e-mails, blog posts, or speaking engagements, at the end of the day, God alone is capable of supplying for all of our needs. How or who He chooses to use to accomplish this will only be a blessing on top of a blessing.

Prayer Needed!

For all of you who have been praying for us in this lengthy process of getting to Prague, we say "Thank You!!!"  Almost every day it seems that something else comes up that is frustrating or discouraging.  And now, another obstacle seems to have been placed in the way.

In order to get a long term (more than 6 month) Czech visa, the Czech government requires a criminal background check from any country in which we have lived more than 6 months within the past three years.  For us, that means getting  background checks from Russia.
We have called the Russian embassy and the Czech consulate, both of which have essentially said, "Call someone else."  We contacted the American embassy in Moscow, and we were told to have someone there in Russia try to obtain the background checks on our behalf.

We prepared and notarized no fewer than 6 documents and sent them to Moscow, in hopes that someone there could help us.  The word we have at this point is, as our documents were not notarized by a Russian notary, they were not acceptable for use.

What is the next step?

We will have a new set of documents prepared, then have them sent to the Secretary of State in Florida to be apostilled (given a raised notary seal) and then send them back to Russia again.  In the mean time, Christiana is going to call the Russian embassy in Washington D.C. once more to see if we can set up an appointment to meet with a consular officer, and present our case.

We need you to pray! Pray for favor with the Russian embassy, for speedy processing of papers by the Secretary of State's office, and for the miraculous arrival of these necessary background checks before we miss our deadline to apply for our Czech visas.

Psalm 146 tell us not to put our trust in powerful men, but to seek help in the God of Jacob, who is the maker of heaven and earth.  "He remains faithful forever.  He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.  He sets prisoners free and gives sight to the blind.  He lifts up those who are bowed down and He loves the righteous."

Please pray for us, that we would not be so discouraged in this process.  Pray that we would be faithful to put our trust in Christ and not in man.