Our trip back to Vienna and Visa office "camp-out" went quite well. THANK YOU for your prayers!
We had an exciting start to 2014! On December 31st about 3 pm, we were finishing up a time of prayer with the Vienna team, when Tim Ford received a text saying there were people already in line at the MA-35!! Yes, 38 hours before the Immigration office opened, the line to turn in paperwork had already started forming on the sidewalk. Matt Eck and Russ Clowdus (our teammates) rushed to the Immigration office while Tim Ford and Jim retrieved our heavy coats from storage! So as New Year's celebrations and fireworks turned the city into what sounded like a war zone, our Visa application adventure began.....
We were numbers 20 and 21 on the list and needed to be among the first 60.
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| The List! |
However, the infamous lawyer, who is there every year, was first in line, holding an "undisclosed" number of applications. We are praying that even with his questionable practice, our applications will be among the sixty that Vienna accepts. Among the applicants were other missionaries, Middle Easterners and others, seeking to live in Vienna for various reasons.
The temperatures were
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Some of the applicants waiting in line outside the immigration office
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mild for Vienna (upper 30's, low 40's) which was a blessing. It was a good time of fellowship with the other missionaries plus opportunity to shine the light of Christ
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Lori Ford and Kasey Krominga - there to help
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to the unbelievers in the group.
In the final hour, there was a little excitement when an additional lawyer suddenly showed up and demanded to be first in line. There was some shouting and police involvement which worried us for a little bit. Then Russ, who was there with us, said
"Let's pray real quick!" We three bowed our heads and Russ prayed for God's intervention. It was a matter of minutes before the new lawyer simply walked away.
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Finally Inside
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Tim Ford - took night shifts and cleaned up outside after they let us inside the building.
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All in all, it was a good experience! It was a great reminder of the power of prayer and the blessing of being part of a supportive team!
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Russ Clowdus, Matt Eck
With us on the final stretch
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As you stood with us in prayer, they stood with us on the street. God provided for us in all things, even those things we didn't even know we needed. What an amazing illustration of God's people working together, both near and far!
In the picture below, we are with the infamous "first in line" lawyer. We pray that we represented our Lord well to him. The two men in the background are both missionaries. They are seeking, along with us, to bring the light of Jesus Christ into this country.
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| The Lawyer |
Please continue to pray for us, as we settle in and seek God's direction in all things. It generally takes 2-3 months to hear the results of a Visa application. We are praying for quick resolution, in God's perfect timing. In the meantime, there's work to be done! Pray for us as we seek to find our brothers and sisters who are yet to hear the gospel!
