After three days at a hotel in Guatemala City, we finally received Olga’s visa without any further complications. In fact, the staff at the U.S. Embassy was so kind and helpful that I can honestly say that the final steps to get the visa were the easiest part of this legal process. We arrived in Miami around noon last Thursday where the whole process concluded with a smiling “congratulations” from the immigrations officer who processed Olga into the United States. Yes, our little Chapina is now a U.S. citizen and our new life in the US has finally begun.

Ryan and Ashley were both able to come down to meet us and then spend the night before returning to UCA for their morning classes. The weekend brought two different services at two different churches and that was so nice. (I even caught myself singing along to one of the praise sons in Spanish.) We have since spent our time reconnecting with friends and shopping. Shopping for food, for gringo-size clothes, for a bike for Olga and even for a home. We are blessed to be living in a mission house that our church owns until the end of March, but after that we will need permanent housing and so the search has begun.

This week we have been also busy looking into enrolling Olga in school. She has been fine without 400 kids around her, but I am sure that won’t last for long. We also need to get on with our professional lives. For those of you that haven’t heard, Carolyn will be resuming her work/ministry as an oncology nurse while I will be serving as the executive director of Fellowship Guatemala. This new ministry was established to provide leadership development and church planting resources to pastors in Guatemala. My good friend Daniel Bran will be working on the ground in Guatemala as I provide stateside support. If you would like to learn more about our work, just write to me at info@fellowshipguatemala.net and I will be happy to fill you in. I am blessed to not only have a position that fits my gifting and talents, but I will also get to return to the land I have come to love at least 3-4 times a year.

Carolyn and I are both fairly active on Facebook, but I don’t know if or when we might journal again on this site, so for now let me just thank you for all the love, prayers and support that you showered upon me and my family these past five years. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to serve with you. And make no mistake, we do consider you our partners and our friends. Thanks for all YOU did for the Kingdom these past 5 years.

Yours in Christ,

Jack