Last Friday I mailed a bunch of documents for Fabiola's visa and today I was able to submit the electronic application. It is supposed to take up to 30 days to process. Then the National Visa Center will let us know if they are requiring anything else. My guess is that there will be some other documents that will need to be submitted, but hopefully not. Once the visa application has been approved and all supporting documents have been satisfied, Fabiola will be scheduled for her interview at the embassy. She will need to go to an approved facility to get a full medical evaluation before her interview. That is probably going to be pretty expensive because she will most likely need some vaccinations to get up to US standards. We have already spent over a thousand dollars and it wouldn't surprise me if it's at least another thousand by the time the process is finished. If I had to make an estimate I think it will be at least 3 months until she has her interview.
It's been great visiting with my family and friends in Pennsylvania! I've enjoyed worshiping at my home church. I didn't realize how much I missed some things at home until I experienced them again for the first time in a year. Last week I had a medical checkup and some initial testing revealed I might have a problem with my heart. I wasn't feeling very well at the time so it seemed like a possibility. Since then I have had a blood test and an echo cardiogram today. Everything has looked good. I'm very thankful for that. I've also started to feel better since the weekend. I think I've gained close to 10 pounds and I can feel my strength returning.
Fabiola is still living with the girls from Christian Light School's children's home. Things are somewhat unstable at the moment because the landlord of the property decided that instead of charging $1,000 per month she now wants $1,200 per month and 2 years of rent paid upfront. This is unreasonable and something CLS can't afford to do. Now Fabiola and some other people from the school are looking for another place for the girls to move to. The landlord wants the girls out of the house by the beginning of September. Yesterday was the beginning of teacher orientation and school starts next week. Fabiola is looking forward to seeing her students!
I've been applying for countless jobs over the past 2 weeks. I haven't heard anything so far. It can get depressing when so much effort has gone into applying for jobs and there are no indications of even an interview at this point. I have to trust that God has something for me. The next month should be very interesting. I want to give Florida a solid chance but I know I can't go without work for much longer.
Please pray for Haiti as they continue to go through the election season. Pray for Fabiola's visa process. We would very much like to be whole again. Pray for Christian Light School and the children's home. Pray that they have a great start to the school year and that all of the students and staff are well taken care of. Lastly, pray that God will open and close doors as He guides me on the path He has for me. Thank you for your prayers and financial support for Fabiola!
