Support the van der Wals in Lae, PNG

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Visas are sorted!

Last Monday, we received our passports back from Canberra Consulate:

5 of them had the visa labels printed, (Nikolas' had to be sent off to Brisbane to be sorted out, so we did that straight away).

After a phone call on Tuesday morning to ask for another form to be emailed (just one saying he was healthy and well and able to travel), we didn't hear anything further, until Friday, when we received another parcel in the post. Nikolas was allowed to open it:

After 9+ months of waiting (sometimes patiently, sometimes impatienly) we are thankful to announce that ALL of our passports and visas are now in our possession.

We booked our flights Saturday afternoon, Lord Willing, we leave Perth at 12:15 afternoon on Tuesday the 27th September 2016. We will arrive in Brisbane at 6:30pm, and spend the night in Brisbane, before leaving Australia at 10:30 am, arriving Port Moresby at 1:30pm, then arriving Lae at 4:45pm on the 28th September.

Thank you for your support and prayers, and we ask that you please keep us in your prayers, as we finalise our packing, and start our see-ya-laters!

Take care!

the van der Wals xx




A few people have asked for the link to support us financially: click on the 'Support Us' tab at the top of this blog page and it will take you to the form.

Thankyou!

August Update. In Short...still waiting!

August 24::

They say the night is darkest, just before the dawn, and without going into a whole heap of details, the last week has not been a particularly easy one.

At breakfast, our oldest asked when we would be going, so we prayed for patience, for trust, and for His Blessing.

Soon after, first light broke the horizon. A ray of sunshine pierced the sky, and began to chase the dark away. A call to say that our visas are approved (again), and to contact a consulate to ask when we could expect to have them in our sweaty little hands.

Could this be it?

We called. No answer.

Called again. No answer.

A third phone call, one part of my mind already resigning itself to the fact that we would not get through today. An answer.

The sun is up! Morning is here!

We have a good, gracious God, who hears our prayers.

We have been told to expect our passports back in our possession next week.

Praise the Lord!

-------  

AUGUST 26::

Earlier this week, we had news that our visas were all approved, and that we would have them in our hands soon.

After all this time circling the runway, we were finally cleared to land. We cheered, as the plane began its descent.

Then, a phone call, as if the pilot were announcing we had been told to resume a holding pattern: one of the kid's visas had not been transmitted, and (much to his relief) we are not flying anywhere without him.

Phone calls and emails were made, to try and get this kink ironed out. As it stands, we have no clear answer. For all we know, it could have been transmitted today, but we have been unable to contact the people we need to speak with.

And so, for now, we circle, at 40,000 feet and holding, until such time as the last piece falls into place.

After the week we've had, this is a disappointment, but we are at peace with it (although we still appreciate your prayers). We know we are not doing this alone. We can only keep bringing it to Father.

I love the Lord, because he has heard

my voice and my pleas for mercy.

Because he inclined his ear to me,

therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

~ Psalm 116:1,2




We have since heard that Nikolas' visa is still in for processing in PNG immigration.  We have not been told how long it will take to process.