Want to find out more about the YWAM site where I will be staying for the next 5 months, if all goes well? Here is a free ebooklet they created to tell you a little about An Cuan.
22 February 2014
Visa Mailed
My visa is finally mailed. And what an interesting process that was.
Initially I thought that by filling out the online application, I was filling out the application. Turns out I was wrong; it's a 3-part process. The first part is filling out an application online, the last couple steps of which involve booking an in-person appointment and printing off a copy of the online application. The two closest sites for the in-person part of the application process were Sacramento and Modesto. I chose Modesto, thinking it might be less busy, although it seemed weird to me that the office would be in a shopping center. Because the U.K. is 8 hours ahead of where I live, I was unable to sign up for an appointment for next day (because in U.K. time it was already the next day when I was looking at appointments), so I had to book my appointment for after the 4-day weekend. The only time available was 1pm--right in the middle of my workday, meaning I had to take the day off of work.
The site U.K. application site sent me three confirmation emails. I printed them all, and brought my entire folder of YWAM and visa application documentation with me, just in case, along with my passport. But when I got there, the man at the front desk informed me that none of the emails were the right proof of confirmation. I asked him if there were any internet cafes nearby, and he sent us to this random wannabe-FedEx mailing shop around the corner that had a couple copy machines. My mom and I thought for sure that we were in the wrong place. But when asked, the shopkeepers indicated a computer just behind the counter that we could pay to use, and pay to print from. Trying to navigate my way around Windows 8 for the first time was interesting, but I managed to print my one page without any significant complications. I am so glad that we got to the in-person visa site early, because I finished printing in time for my appointment.
The appointment itself was uneventful. The new paper (which I had to retrieve in a roundabout way from the U.K. visa application site) was the right one. The electronic fingerprinting and picture-taking only took about 10 minutes total. After that my mom and I had time to relax and try out a nearby cafe. But I was uneasy, because I had not been given a copy of my photo, and the printed copy of my visa application required a photo...which meant I still needed a passport photo to submit with it. I already had a passport photo, but it did not meet the U.K. visa guidelines, so I needed another one. We found AAA, and I got my photos.
But two things went wrong. The first was that I forgot that although I had cancelled one job for that day, I had not cancelled the other. Once I realized that, I was in a mad rush to get back to Lodi. I was half an hour late.
The other problem was that I did not discriminate enough between my passport photo and the U.K. site-provided examples. My passport photo was potentially not zoomed in enough, and it was not cut to the right size. I had to use a paper cutter at my work, hoping that the consulate will accept it. And then I realized that the photo would not be the same one I had sent to YWAM for their part of the visa. I enclosed a copy of both photos when I mailed in my visa application. Hopefully this will not cause a problem.
Mailing my passport in with my application is nerve-wracking. I had to enclose a prepaid envelope for them to mail it back to me. Please pray that my visa will arrive safely, be picked up by the right person, will process quickly, be approved, and mailed back to me safely (and in time for me to make arrangements with YWAM).
Initially I thought that by filling out the online application, I was filling out the application. Turns out I was wrong; it's a 3-part process. The first part is filling out an application online, the last couple steps of which involve booking an in-person appointment and printing off a copy of the online application. The two closest sites for the in-person part of the application process were Sacramento and Modesto. I chose Modesto, thinking it might be less busy, although it seemed weird to me that the office would be in a shopping center. Because the U.K. is 8 hours ahead of where I live, I was unable to sign up for an appointment for next day (because in U.K. time it was already the next day when I was looking at appointments), so I had to book my appointment for after the 4-day weekend. The only time available was 1pm--right in the middle of my workday, meaning I had to take the day off of work.
The site U.K. application site sent me three confirmation emails. I printed them all, and brought my entire folder of YWAM and visa application documentation with me, just in case, along with my passport. But when I got there, the man at the front desk informed me that none of the emails were the right proof of confirmation. I asked him if there were any internet cafes nearby, and he sent us to this random wannabe-FedEx mailing shop around the corner that had a couple copy machines. My mom and I thought for sure that we were in the wrong place. But when asked, the shopkeepers indicated a computer just behind the counter that we could pay to use, and pay to print from. Trying to navigate my way around Windows 8 for the first time was interesting, but I managed to print my one page without any significant complications. I am so glad that we got to the in-person visa site early, because I finished printing in time for my appointment.
The appointment itself was uneventful. The new paper (which I had to retrieve in a roundabout way from the U.K. visa application site) was the right one. The electronic fingerprinting and picture-taking only took about 10 minutes total. After that my mom and I had time to relax and try out a nearby cafe. But I was uneasy, because I had not been given a copy of my photo, and the printed copy of my visa application required a photo...which meant I still needed a passport photo to submit with it. I already had a passport photo, but it did not meet the U.K. visa guidelines, so I needed another one. We found AAA, and I got my photos.
But two things went wrong. The first was that I forgot that although I had cancelled one job for that day, I had not cancelled the other. Once I realized that, I was in a mad rush to get back to Lodi. I was half an hour late.
The other problem was that I did not discriminate enough between my passport photo and the U.K. site-provided examples. My passport photo was potentially not zoomed in enough, and it was not cut to the right size. I had to use a paper cutter at my work, hoping that the consulate will accept it. And then I realized that the photo would not be the same one I had sent to YWAM for their part of the visa. I enclosed a copy of both photos when I mailed in my visa application. Hopefully this will not cause a problem.
Mailing my passport in with my application is nerve-wracking. I had to enclose a prepaid envelope for them to mail it back to me. Please pray that my visa will arrive safely, be picked up by the right person, will process quickly, be approved, and mailed back to me safely (and in time for me to make arrangements with YWAM).
18 February 2014
"Build Your Kingdom Here": A Prayer for Ireland
When I first heard this song on the radio, and heard the heart behind writing it, I think I cried in my car. Never before had I head someone else express such a heart for Ireland. I cannot find an online link to the "Behind the Music" interview that Air1 aired, but I can share the song. :)
14 February 2014
Visa Progress
Okay, so I got my visa questions answered, filled out and submitted my online application, and made an in-person appointment. Yay!
The next step is getting my support letters out. I know some of you have been waiting on those! The letter itself is finished, it's just a matter of printing it and gathering addresses. Please be sure to give me your address if you want one! They will be sent soon! I think I might also post a copy here.
The next step is getting my support letters out. I know some of you have been waiting on those! The letter itself is finished, it's just a matter of printing it and gathering addresses. Please be sure to give me your address if you want one! They will be sent soon! I think I might also post a copy here.
12 February 2014
Irish Green-hilled Future
I imagine you are probably wondering about my choice of background for this page, and my choice of web address for my blog. "Irish green-hilled future" doesn't sound very mission-y. But it holds a special significance to me. I had a dream where Jesus pointed to rolling green hills and said, "This is your future." The words came at a time when I was not so receptive to them. There was more to the dream, of course. But in the dream, I knew He was referring to the Irish isle, and so the bottom line was a sort of promise: This is where you are going. Those rolling green hills were empty, meaning anything could be there; I have no idea what to expect as far as God's plan for me. But I am confident that he wants me to go.
Ever before me in my mind's eye are those rolling green hills--not as a tourist destination, but as a place toward which to set my face as flint, knowing that I go to die to myself, and lose everything with the possibility of gaining everything.
Ever before me in my mind's eye are those rolling green hills--not as a tourist destination, but as a place toward which to set my face as flint, knowing that I go to die to myself, and lose everything with the possibility of gaining everything.
11 February 2014
Applying for a Charity Visa
I began my application for my visa tonight. It's a point-based charity visa--which I find ironic, because there are only two documents to submit, and if I do not score the total amount of points possible, the visa request will be denied. The step-by-step instructions I was emailed were extremely helpful, but I think they were meant for filling out a paper application rather than filling out the application online. Either that, or the minor discrepancies are due to the beta application platform that the U.K. site is testing. The helpful little descriptions on the side were cut off by the window, which made me very sad.
I filled out the entirety of the application tonight, but I'm waiting to submit it until I hear back from the person I emailed some questions to. I want to make sure it's perfect, so I don't get turned down on account of a minor detail. I only have so many weeks before I go, so I only have one shot at this. I should have everything I need already; it's just a matter of wording. The U.K. is about 8 hours ahead of here time zone-wise, so they should hopefully receive my email tomorrow morning. Hopefully that means I'll have my answers by tomorrow.
I checked the time tables for visa processing. Theoretically, 94% of people applying for the same type of visa as I am have it processed in 10 days, 96% are processed in 15 days...and then the time scale jumps to 100% in 40 days. There is no statistic given for any time slot between 15 and 40 days. They do say to give them 3 weeks before asking. Let's pray for 15 days--and that my contact will get back to me swiftly with the answers to my questions so I can submit it!
I filled out the entirety of the application tonight, but I'm waiting to submit it until I hear back from the person I emailed some questions to. I want to make sure it's perfect, so I don't get turned down on account of a minor detail. I only have so many weeks before I go, so I only have one shot at this. I should have everything I need already; it's just a matter of wording. The U.K. is about 8 hours ahead of here time zone-wise, so they should hopefully receive my email tomorrow morning. Hopefully that means I'll have my answers by tomorrow.
I checked the time tables for visa processing. Theoretically, 94% of people applying for the same type of visa as I am have it processed in 10 days, 96% are processed in 15 days...and then the time scale jumps to 100% in 40 days. There is no statistic given for any time slot between 15 and 40 days. They do say to give them 3 weeks before asking. Let's pray for 15 days--and that my contact will get back to me swiftly with the answers to my questions so I can submit it!
09 February 2014
Background
Why Northern Ireland? Why YWAM? Why now?
Northern Ireland has been in my heart since junior high, ever since I first laid eyes on the national dividing line between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on a political map. Back then, nobody really wanted to explain why that line was there. Perhaps they did not understand enough about it themselves, or thought the history and the present reality too complex for a middle schooler to understand. But the conflict plagued me. Why would this island be so nongeographically divided? And then when I found out the conflict involved Christians killing Christians, I was greatly disturbed. In between those realizations, I became obsessed with everything Irish, trying to teach myself Irish dancing and forcing my parents to watch many a long movie set in Ireland.
Over the years, as my exposure to other states and other countries expanded, Ireland took a backseat. But Ireland had nestled its way into my heart, and I never quite forgot it. Eventually, when I traveled to England during Bible college, I anticipated the opportunity to fly across the Irish Sea for a weekend, or to go on a week-long mission trip to somewhere in Ireland. But when I got there, I found that our mission trip options did not include Ireland. It had been on the list of possibilities, but the staff had decided against it for whatever reason. Some of the other students suggested that if I really wanted to go, I could push the subject, and they would probably be willing to make arrangements for me. But I felt strangely being the one person to go against their decision, and so I prayed hard about it. And after a day or two of praying, the answer I received was, "You could go, but it would be better if you wait."
And so I waited, and waited. I came back to the States and graduated from Bible college, and began my life in the Central Valley, feeling certain that I was meant to stay here for a time but not forever. Everyone around me started putting down roots, but I found myself unable to. I had seen a huge wide world out there, had learned how to live moment by moment, to adapt. I had met thousands of different people. I had un-learned and re-learned what it meant to be American, and what it meant to be a citizen of the kingdom of Christ. I loved the people around me, but for me to embrace a normal life was to die inside; it was okay for other people, but it was simply not what I was meant to do. I did not have the same desires to settle down and start a family. I had to run the race until the day I died, or else get swallowed up in apathy. I longed for someone with the same heart, but found few, and none were like-minded toward Northern Ireland.
I searched for ways that I might be able to travel to Northern Ireland, including study abroad and Christian organizations, and even emailed a few missionaries already in Ireland. But all of these were geared toward the Republic of Ireland, not toward Northern Ireland. I pursued these paths anyway, figuring that if these were the only routes to Ireland, then God would work out a path somehow from the Republic to Northern Ireland while I was there. But God closed the doors on each opportunity, leaving me stranded with my love for Ireland—a country I had never even been to. Unsure how else to continue on with no route to Northern Ireland in sight, I buried Ireland deep in my heart and put my head down, trying to focus on the present.
Then, last Fall, God directed me toward YWAM. It was an organization I had looked into a couple years before, but had deemed the cost too high. Disheartened and torn, I was reluctant to look into it after all the doors God had already closed. But the Lord would not leave me alone about it, so I asked for the application, and eventually applied. I had a strange confidence after I sent in that application that I would get in, but it was still nerve-wracking waiting for an answer. What if I had heard God wrong? What if this was just me trying to make something happen again? I was not sure I could bear it if this was going to turn out to be yet another closed door... But on January 27th, I received an email telling me I had been accepted!
I am excited to see God finally opening the doors for me to go to Northern Ireland. I have waited half of my life for this moment. But the window of time for me to get my affairs in order is short. YWAM Rostrevor's Discipleship Training School (DTS) begins on Saint Patrick's Day—March 17th—and because of the currency exchange rate with pounds sterling, the cost of the five-month trip appears even steeper than usual. I have only one month to apply for a visa and raise about $11,000! The cost looks enormous to me, but I have to believe that if God is truly calling me to go now, then He will provide.
One way that God often provides is through the body of Christ—His church. If you would like to help financially to send me to Northern Ireland, you can give online here, or you can mail a check made out to "Remedy Church," with "Ireland missions" specified in the memo line, and mail the check to the address below:
Funds will be handled through my local church called Remedy Lodi, so all donations will be tax deductible.
Whether or not you decide to help me financially, I ask that you please keep me in your prayers. This month is already proving quite difficult for me, trying to balance work with preparations for Northern Ireland. Other things to pray for include the money I need to raise in order to go on this trip, as well as the speedy processing of my U.K. charity visa. While I am in Northern Ireland itself, I will be looking for confirmation that that is where I am to stay permanently, so that is another thing to pray for, as well as adjusting through any culture shock. Please pray that God will prepare my heart for this, yet still keep me focused on what I need to do up until departure. Please also pray for the understanding of people around me, as most people tend to think of Ireland as a vacation spot rather than a mission field in desperate need of the reconciliatory power of God.
Northern Ireland has been in my heart since junior high, ever since I first laid eyes on the national dividing line between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on a political map. Back then, nobody really wanted to explain why that line was there. Perhaps they did not understand enough about it themselves, or thought the history and the present reality too complex for a middle schooler to understand. But the conflict plagued me. Why would this island be so nongeographically divided? And then when I found out the conflict involved Christians killing Christians, I was greatly disturbed. In between those realizations, I became obsessed with everything Irish, trying to teach myself Irish dancing and forcing my parents to watch many a long movie set in Ireland.
Over the years, as my exposure to other states and other countries expanded, Ireland took a backseat. But Ireland had nestled its way into my heart, and I never quite forgot it. Eventually, when I traveled to England during Bible college, I anticipated the opportunity to fly across the Irish Sea for a weekend, or to go on a week-long mission trip to somewhere in Ireland. But when I got there, I found that our mission trip options did not include Ireland. It had been on the list of possibilities, but the staff had decided against it for whatever reason. Some of the other students suggested that if I really wanted to go, I could push the subject, and they would probably be willing to make arrangements for me. But I felt strangely being the one person to go against their decision, and so I prayed hard about it. And after a day or two of praying, the answer I received was, "You could go, but it would be better if you wait."
And so I waited, and waited. I came back to the States and graduated from Bible college, and began my life in the Central Valley, feeling certain that I was meant to stay here for a time but not forever. Everyone around me started putting down roots, but I found myself unable to. I had seen a huge wide world out there, had learned how to live moment by moment, to adapt. I had met thousands of different people. I had un-learned and re-learned what it meant to be American, and what it meant to be a citizen of the kingdom of Christ. I loved the people around me, but for me to embrace a normal life was to die inside; it was okay for other people, but it was simply not what I was meant to do. I did not have the same desires to settle down and start a family. I had to run the race until the day I died, or else get swallowed up in apathy. I longed for someone with the same heart, but found few, and none were like-minded toward Northern Ireland.
I searched for ways that I might be able to travel to Northern Ireland, including study abroad and Christian organizations, and even emailed a few missionaries already in Ireland. But all of these were geared toward the Republic of Ireland, not toward Northern Ireland. I pursued these paths anyway, figuring that if these were the only routes to Ireland, then God would work out a path somehow from the Republic to Northern Ireland while I was there. But God closed the doors on each opportunity, leaving me stranded with my love for Ireland—a country I had never even been to. Unsure how else to continue on with no route to Northern Ireland in sight, I buried Ireland deep in my heart and put my head down, trying to focus on the present.
Then, last Fall, God directed me toward YWAM. It was an organization I had looked into a couple years before, but had deemed the cost too high. Disheartened and torn, I was reluctant to look into it after all the doors God had already closed. But the Lord would not leave me alone about it, so I asked for the application, and eventually applied. I had a strange confidence after I sent in that application that I would get in, but it was still nerve-wracking waiting for an answer. What if I had heard God wrong? What if this was just me trying to make something happen again? I was not sure I could bear it if this was going to turn out to be yet another closed door... But on January 27th, I received an email telling me I had been accepted!
I am excited to see God finally opening the doors for me to go to Northern Ireland. I have waited half of my life for this moment. But the window of time for me to get my affairs in order is short. YWAM Rostrevor's Discipleship Training School (DTS) begins on Saint Patrick's Day—March 17th—and because of the currency exchange rate with pounds sterling, the cost of the five-month trip appears even steeper than usual. I have only one month to apply for a visa and raise about $11,000! The cost looks enormous to me, but I have to believe that if God is truly calling me to go now, then He will provide.
One way that God often provides is through the body of Christ—His church. If you would like to help financially to send me to Northern Ireland, you can give online here, or you can mail a check made out to "Remedy Church," with "Ireland missions" specified in the memo line, and mail the check to the address below:
Remedy Church
320 S. Crescent Ave.
Lodi, CA 95240
Funds will be handled through my local church called Remedy Lodi, so all donations will be tax deductible.
Whether or not you decide to help me financially, I ask that you please keep me in your prayers. This month is already proving quite difficult for me, trying to balance work with preparations for Northern Ireland. Other things to pray for include the money I need to raise in order to go on this trip, as well as the speedy processing of my U.K. charity visa. While I am in Northern Ireland itself, I will be looking for confirmation that that is where I am to stay permanently, so that is another thing to pray for, as well as adjusting through any culture shock. Please pray that God will prepare my heart for this, yet still keep me focused on what I need to do up until departure. Please also pray for the understanding of people around me, as most people tend to think of Ireland as a vacation spot rather than a mission field in desperate need of the reconciliatory power of God.
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