Amy in Brazil

About three hours ago, I got a call today from the Brazilian Consulate in Houston saying that my visa application had been rejected. When I inquired as to why, they said that the organization that invited me to Brazil did not qualify for a philanthropic designation and therefore did not qualify for the type of visa for which I applied. Now, this hardly makes sense as many people at the school are living and working in Brazil on that type of visa, but whatever…

I called the woman at the school who’s working with a contact in the Brazilian government on the visas (the woman who called me on Friday to tell me that my paperwork had been approved) and she sounded quite surprised. She’s going to make some calls and presumably call me back. I also sent emails to a woman at the NICS home office here in the states and to the principal and lead teacher at my school letting them know what had occurred.

So, I guess there are a couple of possible outcomes. The first would be a miraculous change of heart on the part of the Brazilian government which would result in my visa being approved and my being able to leave the country within the next few weeks. The second would be a slower, more gradual change of heart that would take a couple of months. If this occurs, I will need to find a place to live and work for those months. The third outcome could be that I don’t go and teach in Brazil. In which case, more permenant home and work ideas would need to be considered…

As I’ve said, it’s only been a few hours since I received official notification about my rejection. If you all would be willing to pray for my situation, it would be much appreciated. As you can imagine, this has not been the easiest of days. However, in whatever way this works out, I know that God is faithful. I’ll let you all know when I hear something else.

-Amy

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  Romans 8: 26 – 28

I’ve been waiting for my visa for over six weeks, and each week I experience a decidedly predictable cycle of emotions. Smiles and sunshine at the start of the week because there’s the possibility of being in Brazil before the week’s end. But, come Thursday, that possibility becomes more and more remote.  That’s when the gloom sets in… Then, when the end of the business day comes on Friday, I know that FedEx is closing up shop for the weekend, and that’s another school week down…

However, I’m experiencing so much for which to be thankful. My family and friends have been so supportive. I really do enjoy all the emails (and, if I don’t get back to you right away it’s mostly because I’m hoping/waiting for good news to share) . Thanks for the love!

Other good things…. I’m finding plenty of time to read, which is always a blessing. I’m getting plenty of rest: one of the benefits of spending most of my time with my niece and nephew is the opportunity for a daily nap! My laptop is filled with mp3s. I think that I figured out how to use Bit Torrent (legally, of course)… My niece and nephew love having me–their smiles and hugs are so sweet! Oh, and autumn is coming on in Minnesota, and it’s my favorite time of year (one that I will not really experience in Brazil).

Please continue to pray that the visas would come through and for my substitute teacher, Juliana. Maybe this week…

-Amy

O Israel, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don’t you know the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding .  Isaiah 40: 27 – 28

Waiting is so difficult. I am used to being active all of the time, and to not have a full schedule is very hard. I don’t really understand the delay of the visa which makes the situation even more frustrating to bear. And, other than sitting tight, there is nothing that I can do to speed it along….

Erik and Ruth are being terrific. They certainly didn’t expect me to still be their houseguest after a month, and I am so thankful for their graciousness and hospitality.

My substitute teacher’s name is Juliana. She is currently working two full time jobs, and, of course, is finding it difficult to balance the time demands of both. I feel so fortunate to have her working with my students in Brazil because she is doing such a tremendous job with them as her regular emails attest. However, I know that she is probably as anxious for my arrival there as I am. Please pray for her that she would continue to find adequate time to meet all of her responsibilities and still remain sane.

Please also pray for the five other teachers who, with me, are still waiting for their visas as well. I know my daily highs and lows must be felt by all of them, and I pray that they might find peace as I am searching for peace in this process. I also ask for prayers for the rest of the staff at the school who must continue to cover for the six of us who continue to be absent.

My boss is quite shocked that we’ve had as much difficulty as we’ve encountered. Apparently, this sort of mass teacher blockade hasn’t ever happened at a NICS school before. She chooses to see this as a sign that we will do amazing things this year… Perhaps… I hope so.

Thank you for your continued support. Many people have sent friendly, encouraging emails, and that means so much to me.

With my love and prayers,

Amy 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3: 5 – 6