Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Finally at University
My prayers have been answered! I did not share this story with everyone because I wanted to await the conclusion. I was told at first to just buy tickets and show up in Portugal. I could apply for school and take care of all business later, including bypassing a student visa. This is probably true, but I found out later that it is also illegal. Consequently, I came to have one month before I left the USA and have two months of paperwork to be done. I was very stressed about this, I did not want to wait yet another year for the course.
I was really tense also because I had already purchased airline tickets which I found out could not be changed or refunded unless I could certify my death officially. Not wanting to go that route, I had only to wait. I hate waiting. I was waiting right up to the time my flights departed. I decided that I could legally live as a foreigner for three months and study on my own, trying to do the paperwork in Portugal. This is what I have been doing for the last two months. It was a good thing that I could find plenty of language helpers.
But I had to keep waiting even longer. The embassy would call and ask for another document and the mail was always adding to the time. Finally, I was fully approved. I don't know exactly why it took from the end of August until the end of November. It should only take about three weeks. But finally I am in the right classes. Next semester, I will try to enter even higher classes.
I am really thankful that I have seen such an answer to prayer. It was mostly my fault in not preparing as much for this trip in advance as I should have, but God has graciously comforted me and brought me through this situation. He has given me good friends and I have successfully kept up with the course at the university. I am really a little ahead right now.
Today was a little of a test for me. I had to give an oral report in front of the whole class describing the rocky mountains, all in Portuguese. I wrote out every thing I needed to say, and brought my notes to class. Fortunately, for me, I was able to speak extemperaneously some too, but I had to cheat on some vocabulary words. After I was done, the teacher said that I had spoken well, and showed good vocabulary, but that the rest of the class should not bring something from which to read. Oops. I have to write out what I want to say in English when I speak, I can't imagine giving a speech in Portuguese without thorough notes. Oh, well. God is still good.
I do not want to make anyone jealous, but the northern parts of Europe are in a bad winter storm pattern. Last night some big soccer matches were held in very cold, wet weather. But here, it is sunny, clear, and warm. I opened my windows, and I rolled up my sweater sleeves. I could get away with only a t-shirt.
Hey, I felt pretty hopeless and devastated in the month of September because of my visa situation, but God has been so good to me through this situation. He even has given me some absolutely beautiful days in December. Now the only prayers remaining to be answered are to learn Portuguese, get the rest of my support raised, get to Mozambique, move into a tribe, learn the language, present the gospel, disciple the believers, and the list goes on. The point is that the need for prayer is never over. I really appreciate those of you who have been praying for me over this time. Ate a proxima vez (accentuation missing "until the next time").
I was really tense also because I had already purchased airline tickets which I found out could not be changed or refunded unless I could certify my death officially. Not wanting to go that route, I had only to wait. I hate waiting. I was waiting right up to the time my flights departed. I decided that I could legally live as a foreigner for three months and study on my own, trying to do the paperwork in Portugal. This is what I have been doing for the last two months. It was a good thing that I could find plenty of language helpers.
But I had to keep waiting even longer. The embassy would call and ask for another document and the mail was always adding to the time. Finally, I was fully approved. I don't know exactly why it took from the end of August until the end of November. It should only take about three weeks. But finally I am in the right classes. Next semester, I will try to enter even higher classes.
I am really thankful that I have seen such an answer to prayer. It was mostly my fault in not preparing as much for this trip in advance as I should have, but God has graciously comforted me and brought me through this situation. He has given me good friends and I have successfully kept up with the course at the university. I am really a little ahead right now.
Today was a little of a test for me. I had to give an oral report in front of the whole class describing the rocky mountains, all in Portuguese. I wrote out every thing I needed to say, and brought my notes to class. Fortunately, for me, I was able to speak extemperaneously some too, but I had to cheat on some vocabulary words. After I was done, the teacher said that I had spoken well, and showed good vocabulary, but that the rest of the class should not bring something from which to read. Oops. I have to write out what I want to say in English when I speak, I can't imagine giving a speech in Portuguese without thorough notes. Oh, well. God is still good.
I do not want to make anyone jealous, but the northern parts of Europe are in a bad winter storm pattern. Last night some big soccer matches were held in very cold, wet weather. But here, it is sunny, clear, and warm. I opened my windows, and I rolled up my sweater sleeves. I could get away with only a t-shirt.
Hey, I felt pretty hopeless and devastated in the month of September because of my visa situation, but God has been so good to me through this situation. He even has given me some absolutely beautiful days in December. Now the only prayers remaining to be answered are to learn Portuguese, get the rest of my support raised, get to Mozambique, move into a tribe, learn the language, present the gospel, disciple the believers, and the list goes on. The point is that the need for prayer is never over. I really appreciate those of you who have been praying for me over this time. Ate a proxima vez (accentuation missing "until the next time").
