Archive for the Category »Visa «

The Perfect Present
Thursday, August 28th, 2008 / Karifern

Today is my birthday, and many of you have wished me special happiness on it.  Thank you.  It’s nice to be remembered by friends, and today, a special friend remembered me with a wonderful birthday present.  Actually, it arrived yesterday, but what great lead in to a special day.

WE GOT OUR VISAS!!!  Yay! Yahoo!! Whoopee! and Praise the Lord!!  Ready or not, here we come…or rather there we’ll go!  Next Tuesday, my parents and I will fly out from Des Moines with our ultimate destination as Fortaleza.  So with much joy in my heart and praise to my God, I plan to run around like madwoman-albeit a cheerful one-during this next week (only a week!), trying to get everything done that needs to be done.

There has been a small snag in our wedding plans (and marriage process) in Brazil, which I’ll blog about later; but the Lord has already made provision for it with His abundant grace.  Great is His faithfulness!  Won’t you rejoice and praise God with us?

“You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him,
and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you
these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.”
Deuteronomy 10:20, 21

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Category: Special Events, Visa  Tags: , , ,  2 Comments
More Than A Passport
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 / Karifern

Although both passports and visas are used for international for travel, they are two different things.

A PASSPORT IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT OF IDENTIFICATION ISSUED BY THE PERSON’S NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.  It is in the form of a little booklet that has a photo I.D. along with standard identification information (name, DOB, sex, place of birth, etc.).

While having a passport entitles a person to freely enter and leave the issuing country, it does not necessarily guarantee entrance into another.  That depends on the country one wishes to visit.  Most people visiting the US are required to have a passport and a visa.  Only those from a select 27 countries under the Visa Waiver Program do not.

A VISA IS A STAMP OR SEAL attached to a person’s passport THAT ALLOWS THAT PERSON ENTRY INTO THE COUNTRY BY WHOM IT IS ISSUED FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE AND A DEFINED AMOUNT OF TIME.  Visas indicate permission to enter a country; thus, permission must be requested of the country that a person desires to visit.  That’s what I mean when I say that my parents and I have applied for visas to Brazil.  NOTE: Technically, a visa only entitles a person to apply for entry into that country at a port of entry (i.e. international airport); but usually, if you get the visa, you’re allowed into the country.

What is surprising to most people is how requirements can differ depending on which country a person leaves and which one he enters.  The U.S. and Cananda’s agreement about I.D. requirements even varies based on how a person enters the other country (car, plane, etc.).  For example, Canada does not necessarily require a passport for US citizens who arrive by plan; however, the US does require a passport for those flying in.

Some countries, in response to the U.S.’s position and the difficulty of obtaining a U.S. visa, make it intentionally difficult to for U.S. Citizens to enter their country.  Tit for tat…and that, at the moment, is where I and Fred are at.

I think it’s important to clarify that our difficulties are coming from both countries.  Brazil denied my visa in March.  The U.S. denied Fred’s last month.

Right now, my parents and I are waiting for word on our tourist visas (permission from Brazil).  A phone call yesterday afternoon assured us that our applications are at the Brazil Consulate in Chicago, but at this point, nothing more can be known (about their approval, expected delivery date, etc.).  I can call every day after 4:00 PM for updates.

Obviously the visas will only be mailed on business days.  In mentally thinking ahead, I had failed until yesterday to consider the effect of the upcoming holdiay weekend on the mail.  My parents and I have tickets to fly out Wednesday, but if the visas do not arrive on or before Tuesday (that leaves us four days!)…well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. 

Until then, friends, do keep praying.  God knows.

The other day I “came to the end of my rope.”  That was literally the phrase that popped into my head; but in that same moment, the Holy Spirit reminded me that “God is faithful, who will not allow [me] to be tempted beyond what [I am] able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that [I] may be able to bear it” (James 1:13).  So with that thought now in mind, I prayed, “Lord, throw me an extension cord!  My rope’s about to run out!!”  And, truthfully, that’s where God wants me to be, depending solely on Him; and that truly is the only place any of us will true peace.

Sounds backwards, doesn’t it?  But it is only when we recognize and acknowledge our weakness and frailty that we find true strength, power, and fulfillment in the One who created us to fully depend on and delight in Him.

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’
Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches,
in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9,10

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The Perfect Answer
Monday, July 28th, 2008 / Karifern

I’m not going to bother with build up.  Fred’s visa was denied.

The last question on Fred’s application (which we filled out months ago when we first made the appointment) asked if Fred was related to or engaged to anyone living in the U.S.  We paused in our progress, recognizing what such an answer could cost us; and indeed, it did. 

Fred’s engagment was the key issue – the only issue – during his interview. Very likely, if we had lied on his application, Fred would have recieved his visa; however, that is not really a plausible scenario, for as Fred said to me today, “There was no other choice; that was the answer.”

Thank you for your prayers.  Please do not be disappointed with the result or think them unaswered.  They were!!  And in the very best way possible – through God’s tremendous work of grace in our hearts. 

I am disappointed, and yes, I’ve cried (Fred has, too.); but we are not devestated or disillusioned by the consulate’s response.  God is still sovereign, and God is still good.  That has not changed.  Although we may have trouble seeing the answer through our earthly eyes, this answer is the best answer for Fred and my good; and we praise Him for His marvelous work of grace in our lives.

 

O Father, You are Sovereign
(to the tune of “The Church’s One Foundation”)

O Father, You are Sovereign
In all the worlds you made;
Your mighty word has spoken,
And light and life obeyed.
Your voice commands the seasons
And bound the ocean shore,
Sets stars within their courses
And still the tempest’s roar.

O Father, You are Sovereign
In all affairs of man;
No powers of death and darkness
Can thwart Your perfect plan.
All chance and change transcending,’
Supreme in time and space,
You hold your trusting children
Secure in Your embrace.

O Father, You are Sovereign,
Lord of human pain,
Transmuting earthly sorrows
To gold of heavenly gain.
All evil overruling
And none by Conqueror could,
Your love pursues its purpose -
Our soul’s eternal good.

O Father, You are Sovereign;
We see you dimly now,
But soon before Your triumph
Earth’s every knee shall bow.
With this glad hope before us
Our faith springs forth anew;
Our sovereign Lord and Savior,
We trust and worship You.

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A Bowl Of Cereal
Thursday, July 24th, 2008 / Karifern

For breakfast, I poured myself a bowl of frosted mini-wheats.  Well, no, actually I PICKED myself a bowl, meaning I juggled and sorted through the box to pick out the frostiest ones available.  Why?  Because I wanted the sweetness to cover the dry, nutritional part of the cereal.  This morning, however, there weren’t very many well-frosted pieces readily available, so I dug deeper, hoping to find some on the bottom (the frostier pieces weigh more, you know).

At that moment with my hand deep in the box, I suffered an attack of the conscience.  What was I doing?!?  After all, wasn’t I eating this cereal for its nutritional value (rather than, say, Frosted Flakes or Captain Crunch)??  And yet, here I was selfishly searching for the ”good stuff!”  Oh, the shame.  (I know you’ve never done anything like that before, but for those of us who have, it is humbling moment when we succumb to such low behavior.)

Okay, okay.  So maybe it wasn’t quite like that, but a random thought did cross my mind: How often do I dig for the frostier pieces in life?  And how do I respond when I don’t find them?  Am I disappointed?  Mad?  Do I frantically dig deeper in the box?

I’m old enough now to realize the need for a nutritional, well-balanced diet, just like I’m far enough along in my Christian walk to recognize that life cannot be perfect in a sin-cursed world.  Even so, that doesn’t keep me from wanting a sugar-coating to help me swallow other harsher realities of life.  And when I can’t find or don’t get well-frosted pieces, I accuse God of being unfair.

I’ve been listening to a message series “Responding Right When You Feel Like Reacting Wrong” (preached MANY years ago) by John Sauser.  He often repeats the phrase, ‘God does not promise to make all the crooked ways straight!”  In other words, God doesn’t promise an abundance of frosting with each box of mini-wheats; in fact, He doesn’t promise any frosting at all!  But He does promise the grace to help me eat them, and most importantly, He promises to use them to help me grow through the nourishment they provide.”

It may surprise you, but I was not the easiest child to raise.  No, I required much discipline, which my father readily and amply supplied.  There were times I accepted Dad’s discipline and then…well, there were other times.  (Guess which occurred more often?)  Inevitably, when I resisted Dad’s discipline, I received more!  Was this because my dad didn’t love me?  Of course not.  It was because of his great love for me that he persisted!  (And praise God that he did!)  If he had not cared, he wouldn’t have bothered; it wouldn’t have been worth the effort!

Likewise, my Heavenly Father corrects me (and I need plenty of it!).  God knows my sinful tendencies, but He strives in love to change and transform me into His likeness for my good; and He does this through His discipline.  That’s why God sent Christ, who not only acts as my Savior, but through His earthly example, serves as my encouragement!

“Consider [Jesus Christ] who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself,
so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.’

“It is for discipline that you have to endure.  God is treating you as sons.
For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated,
then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this,
we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them.
Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them,
but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant,
but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:3-11

While on this earth, Christ, too, suffered at the hands of sinners; He endured wrong treatment by others, and He did so without sin.  Why?  Because God forgot about Him?  Because God failed to protect and take care of Him?  No.  God allowed it for my good because when I follow the example of Christ and allow myself to be trained by life’s difficulties — that is when I am patient and look to see what God wants to teach me through them rather than reacting and fighting against them — then I am transformed into His image and share in God’s holiness.  And there is nothing greater!

I say all of this for my benefit.  Monday and Fred’s interview at the consulate are quickly approaching, and I know I will be served a bowl of cereal.  Regardless of how much frosting covers my mini-wheats that day, may I praise and thank God for His perfectly measured portion and His sufficient grace faithfully supplied along with it.

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be,
you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuiness of your faith,
being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire
may be found to [result in] praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:6,7

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A Misunderstanding and a Miss Understanding
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 / Karifern

Aren’t you glad God never makes mistakes.  He never misspeaks.  He never misunderstands.  So while we humans struggle with such fallacies from time to time, He doesn’t.  At the same time, in His marvelous sovereignty, God uses the fallacies of man to teach and train his children along their journey of progressive sanctification.  Such is the case today.  There was a misunderstanding regarding Fred’s interview date, and it is actually scheduled for July 28.

That’s significant for several reasons.  First and most obvious, it adds to the wait time for Fred’s visa.  The Lord knows how much I need to learn to depend and wait on Him, and He has graciously given me more time to do so. 

Second, this affects many – okay, nearly all of the planning aspects for the wedding.  While the end-of-June interview date put pressure on our tentative wedding schedule, it still left time to arrange and take care of various details.  The corrected end-of-July date, a mere few weeks before the wedding, does not. 

On one hand, all this makes me want to laugh.  After all, I’ve always been a haphazard last-minute girl who somehow manages to perform (relatively) well under pressure…um, you all don’t need to agree so readily on that point…anyway, it’s only fitting then that my wedding should be so, too.

On the other hand, I have to laugh, too, when I think of my mother.  (Poor dear.)  You see, thus far in the wedding planning process, I have been told, “No,” several times.  (The key word seems to be liability.)  Flexibility has already taken on new meaning for me and my family this year, but we will, no doubt, plumb its depths in the month to come; and now I have all the more reason to be creative!  Things are going to get interesting around here.  (There’s a reason this blog is entitled, “The Adventures of Fred and Fern”!)

With that said, let the festivities commence!

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The “Chicago” Consulate of Brazil
Monday, May 19th, 2008 / Karifern

In His ever faithful way, God continues to remind Fred and I to trust in Him and to show us why we can.

Now that he has a definite interview date, Fred is busy arranging all of the logistics that accompany it, such as transportation, lodging, etc.  He began first by inquiring about bus passages.  It is about a 12-hour trip to Recife, but as the cheapest, we thought it was the best choice.  That is until God, through divinely orchestrated events, provided some flight tickets at a price even lower than the bus passage.  It may seem a small thing, but a short flight is much more agreeable than a bus ride.  It was also confirmation of how God continues to go before us, even in the details; and it proved to be a very timely reminder. 

The person selling the ticket asked Fred about the purpose of his trip, so Fred told him about his scheduled interview at the U.S. Consulate in Recife.  The vendor’s reply was something to the effect of, “Recife?  You don’t want to go there.  They always say no.”  (Hmm, that sounds familiar.)

The news struck fear into Fred, and for a moment, he considered trying to cancel his appointment in Recife and reschedule in Brasilia.  His reaction, however, was only momentary before the Holy Spirit reminded him of God’s soveriengn power.  “The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord” (Pr. 21:1).  From God’s perspective, it doesn’t matter which side of the bed Fred’s interviewers wake up on June 28: the outcome has already been determined.

Recently, a friend recently reminded me about God’s command to Joshua to march around Jericho in Joshua 6: ”And the LORD said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.’”  Have: that’s in present tense.  Given: that’s past.  Together they form the present past tense.  In other words, it was a done deal, a completed action.  The victory was already won, but God in His grace provides a way for Israel to participate with Him: ”You shall march.”  And that was it.

Thnk about how often this mentality is woven throughout Scripture.  Ephesians 2:8, 9 is a familiar passage to many of us, but verse ten is sometimes overlooked: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  These works were prepared for us and woven into the fabric of our lives while we were yet being formed: “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them“ (Ps. 139:15, 16).

Elisabeth Elliot often refers to God’s soveriegn plan for our lives as ”marching orders.”  The people of Israel recieved literal ones, to which Joshua later added, ”You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout” (v. 10).  Can you imagine what it must have been like to march around Jericho for seven days and not say a word?  Not one word of complaint or question; not one word spoken in defense to the mocking jeers of the Canaanites upon the wall.  Nothing.  Silent, strict obedience.  No doubt, it was a good thing.  First, it kept them from verbally incriminating themselves even if some doubt God’s power or His methods.  Two, it kept them from proud, arrogant responses to their enemy.

Fred and I have been given our marching orders.  As before with the Israelites, God has graciously provided a way for us to particpate with Him in His work; it’s called prayer.  What an effective tool that focuses the power of God on specific situations and frees His hand to move.  While tempted to speculate and/or manipulate the situation, we know that simple, quite, persistant obedience is what is necessary for victory; thus, we march.

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40 (More) Days of Prayer
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 / Karifern

Yesterday was an important day for us.

It began a month ago when Fred was unexpectedly offered a temporary position with Mongeral Seguros e Providências.  Impressed with his work and attitude, the company created a new position for him to keep him on staff, and yesterday Fred was contracted as an administrative assistant.  This is a tremendous blessing as it will provide much needed income for us as a married couple.  Although Fred serves as the youth pastor for Igreja Batista Bíblica Maranata, it is a small church that cannot even afford to pay its the senior pastor.  The financial poverty of this economically depressed neighborhood mirrors the spiritual poverty present, which is why Fred and I are committed to serving in Edson Queiroz; and just as God proved Himself faithful to provide for us through this job offer, we believe He will continue to do so in the future.

From the moment we first learned of Fred’s job possibility a week ago, it affected our progress towards his visa.  In fact, it halted the visa process altogther since there was no point in requesting a visitor visa for Fred if he was not going to be able to take time off from work to travel to the U.S.  (And who gets a month of vacation after only four months of employment?)  Our calculated resolutions to the situation were bittersweet with both blessings and disappointments to be had regardless of the outcome; but we found God’s grace sufficient as we committed the situation, the participants and the result to the Lord. 

Even so, I was eager to learn the outcome as it would be a defining moment, one that influenced whether Fred or I started packing.  In a wonderful “abundantly more” answer to prayer, God proved that “the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord,” and Fred’s new employer agreed to an extended time off for his trip; but it wasn’t until we were filling out his visa application that Fred and I recognized the amazing providence of the Lord’s timing.  Thus far, the visa process has seemed needlessly slow; however, Fred’s new position is a great advantage as it provides a “pull” that ensures his return to Brazil, a significant concern for all visa requests to the U.S.

So it was with hearts full of blessing that Fred and I sat down together last night (via webcam) to fill out his application for a visitor visa; but our excitement was soon challenged by static, cut-off sentences and dropped telephone lines.  This was particularly frustrating as clear communication was essential to carefully answer each of the questions. 

Just one “wrong” answer on an application can have a detrimental effect on a visa request, including future ones!  (Believe it or not, one of the greatest counts against Fred and me is our engagment.)  Thus, in preparation, Fred and I sought much counsel from missionaries, friends, acquaintances – even a senator!  Based on their advice and our own experience, we carefully mapped out who would request Fred’s visa, who would provide surety for him, etc.  When we finally reached the last page of the application, I thought we were home free.  (Thought is the operative word in that sentence.)

Sometimes the Lord’s ways are mysterious and sometimes they’re not.  Nope, sometimes they’re like a punch in the nose, very obvious.  Last night was one of those times.  After agonizing over each question to provide truthful yet non-incriminating answer about the details concerning Fred’s trip, we reached Question #37 which asked directly and very specifically which, if any, of Fred’s family (including his fiancée) lived in or was a citizen of the United States.  There’s no subtle or diplomatic answer around that!

The Lord, of course, did this intentionally, not by changing the application right before our eyes, but through our ignorance that the question even existed on the application!  Our truthful answer to this question sends Fred into his interview with one strike - one very big strike – already against him.  As such, God has forced me to keep my expectation in Him. 

It’s hard to understand but visas are often times granted or denied on whims.  One’s visa experience depends almost entirely on the person handling it.  (For example, I have a definite preference when I go to the Federal Police in Fortaleza; the younger man who walks with a slight limp is much more friendly and helpful than the older, balding man with glasses and a mustache.)  The outcome of Fred’s visa request depends heavily upon those conducting his interview.  If they wake up on the wrong side of the bed that day, there’s little he can do, but that’s exactly where God’s power and sovereignty come into play.  As I mentioned earlier, “the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord.”  Although a man might verbalize the outcome, it is ultimately God who will decide whether or not Fred receives his visa.

And ultimately, regardless of the outcome, God will be glorified, which is His primary purpose.  Should God continue to open doors, it will be an amazing testimony to His power and control.  Should He shoose to close this one, He will still prove Himself mighty through His provision of grace and by His power to use this process as a tool of change and growth in our lives.  Perhaps some of you have grown with us.

With all that said, please continue praying with us for Fred’s visa.  His visa interview is scheduled for 10:00 AM on June 28 (45 days from today) in Recife.  We are asking God for a favorable outcome but ultimately we desire His will.  Please pray also for Fred’s protection on the way and during his stay.  Recife is located in Pernambuco, another state, and Fred will travel there by bus for his interview.  It will be a long trip, and safety is always an issue in Brazil. 

We decided that by the end of all of this process, we’re going to have so many significant dates and anniversaries to commemorate (How many times are we going to get married?) that we’ll end up celebrating the whole year round!  Maybe that’s not such a bad deal, after all!

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