Jian and I had our visa appointment December 1st. We went into the immigration office hoping high to have an easy appointment. We arrived and noticed that when we applied online for our appointment that we had not received waiting numbers. So we went to the office for some but by the time I had gotten there and gotten the numbers I had missed my appointment time.
Jian was able to get in but they shut him down and denied him the visa. Our hopes were crushed but we were faithful to pray and pray more. We went back into the office to try for a number with me so they sent us to an office and to another one. Finally they asked for all of our paper work and said they would review it. So we sat down in the lobby. Pretty soon they called our names and started asking us questions about what we do and whatnot. We told her and she said we didnt have the right paperwork but we continued to pray. Finally she said, "I'll give you a year. You can print passport photos in the second floor, please hurry." We ran and came out with some wacky visa photos. God is soooo good! We left the building dancing and laughing at how funny our visa pictures looked. Prayer works! God has called us to Germany, that was proof.
We left for South Africa the 8th of December. We had to take a train 4 hours to Frankfurt, with one transfer in the middle. We arrived safe in the transfer city but then missed our train to the airport. We were all bummed and hopped the next train, this one however went to the city and not directly to the airport. We made it to the airport an hour and a half before our flight. We had no problems and then when we passed through security, they asked one of the staff, "Where are you coming from?" She replied, Berlin. They said "How? the train never made it to the airport and caught fire." We all rejoiced. If we would have made that train we would have missed our flights. God once again is faithful.
We were dreading having to spend 15 hours in the Ethiopian airport(I had a layover there in January, the DMV is more exciting then that airport). We went to the visa office and they said that the airline covers the cost for us to all be put up in a hotel with free food for that day. We arrived at the hotel at 8:30 in the morning and we had the opportunity to walk around the city. I got to show the students some African street food and we were able to play football with some street kids and talk to some locals about Jesus. It was all organic but God worked through it.We finally made it safe and sound to Muizenberg, South Africa, Thursday morning, the 10th. God paints His glory across this universe. It is so humbling to see so much the the beauty he has painted across this land. This is the view from a hill near our house here.
"It is the whole business of the whole church to preach the whole gospel to the whole world."
-Charles Spurgeon
