Yesterday, I was in the airport in Georgia.
Just a few days ago, I was in Poland at my brother's wedding.
Just a few weeks ago, I was in Cambodia with my girls and wife.
Currently, I am sitting in Carthage, Missouri on my brother's couch, while my niece plays Toy Story on the Wii.
It doesn't feel real. So familiar yet foreign at the same time.
I start the school year soon (August 11th), and will be heading to Ballard, after what seems like too short of a visit with the Bergen family, to visit with the Loyd/Teagarden family there and start getting my classroom ready.
I told my mom that this year has been full of transitions, and I am ready for some consistency and routine. With my first year of teaching about to begin, it can all be very overwhelming, but I keep coming back to the basics--God will sustain and provide me with all that I need to accomplish the work He has given me to do.
This next season is a short one (it will probably feel longer), but full of challenges. I am going to try to begin at a new school, while also transitioning back into life in the US, and all of it while my wife and daughters remain in Cambodia to finish up visa things and sell all our belongings.
Some decisions in life are easy and you can see that it was the best choice, and some you go over in your head and keep asking God, "Are you sure this is the best way?" I am sure there are many who have opinions about how we could have done it, but in the end, Kelsi and I prayed and agreed on two things. 1) I needed to be at my brother's wedding, even if I went alone and 2) It would be best for our family if I had a teaching job this year.
It worked out that the best way to do both of these things was for me to go to his wedding in Poland and then keep going on to the States, while my mom went to the wedding and then continued on to Cambodia to help Kelsi.
So for this next season, I am in Missouri and my wife and daughters are in Cambodia. I know that families (especially military families) spend time apart all the time, so I am not going to complain, but definitely keep Kelsi in you prayers, as she remains in Cambodia.
As I mentioned, she is not alone. For this season, my mom has actually flown in for back-up, and will stay with Kelsi until they all come home. Some might wonder when that will be, and definitive dates are difficult when visas are involved, but in past posts I explained how it all worked. Even so, I'll go ahead and give a run down one more time.
There are three things that you need for the visas we are applying for: 1) Proof of adoption from the government 2) Proof of legal custody for at least 2 years 3) Proof of residential custody for at least 2 years.
We have all the right paper work, but our proof of legal custody began on September 2014, so we don't meet the requirements for two years of legal custody until September 2016 (which if you remember is the date Kelsi thought last year we would be going home--only she thought it was September 16th, 2015).
I have already been in contact with the US Embassy and they said that they will handle the paper work (as long as the USCIS gives them permission, which we have no reason to believe they won't) and that the whole process tends to take about two weeks to finalize and then another week or two to be travel ready.
Kelsi is hoping to be home at the end of September or early October, but we will just have to see how the visas all work out. We don't have any doubts that they will be approved, because I showed the US Embassy our paper work in January and they said it all looked good--Kelsi and I are not in the business of coming up with a hundred scenarios in which it could get denied or they get stuck in Cambodia or a meteor hits the planet or air suddenly gets sucked from the atmosphere... Worry is defined as expending energy thinking of every possible thing that could go wrong instead of just trusting that God will take care of us whatever happens.
My job is easy, I just have to do what I went to University to do: teach Mathematics. Honestly, if I am being honest, there are moments I freak out a little, but then I remember the basics (see above).
Some of you may be wondering what this means as far as financial support, since I am starting a job and will have a paycheck now, but Kelsi is still in Cambodia and needs to continue paying rent and buying groceries and such.
I spoke with our Mission Agent about it and they have agreed to handle our finances through the end of the year, so up until December 31st 2016 we will continue to accept donations through our mission agent. This does not mean you have to continue supporting us through that date. Like always, we hope that you will pray about it and be obedient to whatever God wants you to do. We will be in transition and need to equip a house (after we find one). Our plan is to stay with Kelsi's parents for a while, until we get back on our feet.
Kelsi and I didn't really know how long we should accept support after we returned, especially since I will be working and our family will have a source of income, but the end of the year seemed like a good point at which to end it.
At this point, we still have some savings left from last year's fund raiser (after I went to the hospital, we had overwhelming support). Although the savings covers some of it, we still need to cover the girls' visas and tickets for their return to the States, and I'm sure there are a ton of "hidden expenses" that will pop up during these next couple of months. Just like everything else, we ask that you pray about what God might like for you to do, and we will just continue to trust that He will provide.
Prayer needs would be what you would expect.
Pray that Kelsi will have patience and strength as she remains in Cambodia.
Pray that the visas will work out smoothly and without too much hassle.
Pray that during this time of separation God would give our family strength and perseverance.
And finally pray that I will have the wisdom to teach in the classroom with humility and grace.
Thank you everyone for your support and I can't wait to visit with all of you!
It's good to be back.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
