Switching schools means that I have to transfer my current working visa/residency to my new school. The problem that we’re faced with is that my new employer doesn’t currently have any visas. Therefore, no transferring can occur.
My current residency expires on June 2.
That’s a month away.
Last Wednesday, I had the Executive Secretary from my new school come to visit my current school…and she spoke to our visa organizer regarding an extension. It was all in Arabic.
As per our visa organizer’s suggestion, I wrote a letter to our director asking for an extension. The next day, I received her response: We can extend it for 2 months.
Which lands on August 2. Directly in the middle of vacation…both mine and that of the administration from BOTH schools. Which just wouldn’t work. We’d might as well cancel it.
Cancelling the visa means issues returning to the country, getting a car next year (necessary for working at my new school…), keeping my bank account and driver’s license….
So I made an appointment to meet with the director herself, a woman to whom I have never actually spoken in nearly three years. She’s intimidating, to say the least.
And this is where prayer comes in powerfully.
A lot of thoughts go through your mind when you have to wait extra long for something. Even if it’s just a weekend!
My student Hanan’s painting kept coming to mind whenever I thought of the entire situation. Look at the shadow on the grass behind the boy.
“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” G.K. Chesterton
The dragon can be killed.
Our director isn’t the dragon in this situation. The dragon is bigger…scarier…and a whole lot sneakier. He hits thoughts and emotions and whispers lies to us.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)
So my prayer went from an anxious “please please please let her say yes to extending my visa” to a comforting “I know that whatever happens, You’re in control and You will always provide in every situation and nothing can take that away”. God is bigger than the dragon.
God provides.
On Sunday morning, in a short, 10-minute meeting, she agreed to extend my visa (for one year) as long as I promise to return in September to either cancel it or transfer it. This is awesome, because it means that I can wait on getting a car until I return, and it won’t be a problem getting back into the country. I can keep my bank account. I can keep using my driver’s license.
YAY!
Now just wait until I post about my new home. I’ll take pictures. I have no clue where yet, but moving date is June 12, so I will let you know around then! But I am certainly not scared :)
No dragon is strong enough!
1 comment:
Hip Hip, Hooray!
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