Permanent Residency Process

Our residency process this year is different than past years.  After five consecutive years of residency, the process changes from a one-year residency to a two-year residency.  In addition to the usual support letter from our sending church in the states and a letter from the church here, we have to submit a police report and a medical clearance.  Abundant Life provided our support letter when we were in Kansas City at the end of April, so we were able to start the translation process as soon as we returned to El Salvador the first week of May.  

As always, church friends help us out.  Last week, William Flores took us to the police department to request the police report.  After taking our mug shot and our fingerprints we were told to return in five business days to pick up the official report.  He took us back this morning and they were ready.  Dr. Colato did the medical clearance letter and brought it to church with her last Thursday.  The office administrator at Vida Nueva had our documents ready for me to pick up this morning.

I picked up the translated documents from Dr. Kleinhenn, a government-approved translator, last week.   

So, today I am making copies and putting everything in the order it appears on the government document.  We will be taking everything to the immigration office tomorrow morning.  Submitting the paperwork and having it accepted as complete (meaning nothing is missing) is the first step in the process, which includes an interview and possibly a home visit.  

Please pray that our paperwork will be complete and accepted tomorrow.  We feel it is important to have the process well underway before we leave for Bogota in just under three weeks.  

Residency Process . . . . De Nuevo (Again)

One of the results of time flying is that almost a year has passed since we renewed our residency.  Staying ahead of the process is essential . . . . I requested our support letter from Abundant Life at the beginning of April so it could be sent to the team in North Carolina that came to Nicaragua for the Holy Week mission trip.  I knew if I waited for the trip in May, it would really run us short on time.  The letter was translated last week, so it's ready to go.  We're supposed to pick up the documents from Vida Nueva tomorrow and then make a stop at the attorney's office to have them notarized.  I've made the passport copies already and only have to make a copy of the translated support letter and whatever we get tomorrow before we head to Immigration on Thursday morning with, hopefully, everything we need.

In reality, our residency cards don't expire until June 29; normally, Immigration will not let you begin the renewal process until you are within 30 days of expiration, but . . . . we're going early and are praying that they will let us get things rolling.  Between now and the end of June, we have two campaigns in El Salvador, will spend two weeks in the states to celebrate our 40th anniversary and have a campaign in Guatemala.  We're concerned that if we don't get our paperwork in before we leave the country, that we might not be able to have our temporary cards before we go to Guatemala on June 22.  

Please pray that we find someone in the immigration office who will be sensitive to our situation and allow us to begin the renewal process early.  Pray that all of our paperwork is complete and correct and that they do not "find" anything they want us to change.  

Half way through the week

We've had a great week so far, averaging almost 100 professions of faith per day.  As usual, when we start seeing great fruit, we start having problems to solve.  On Monday evening, Pastor Felix's truck was broken into (in front of the restaurant where the Salvadorans were eating) and a couple of the girls had their documents taken.  One went to the Salvadoran consulate today to get a document which will allow her to go back to El Salvador without her official government ID.  Yesterday, after the morning door-to-door campaign, one of the buses broke down--some type of problem with the air brake system.  This morning several people start feeling bad and at least 5 of them stayed at the hotel.  Tonight we are starting the campaign early because the Catholic church in neighborhood where we are going is having a Holy Week procession and we don't want to be in conflict with them.  On a positive note, there haven't been any additional tremors since Monday.

Please pray for the earth to remain stable (no tremors), for the health of the team members and for the evangelistic work to continue.