Back in the USA!!!

Well, after quite a long and stressful month of June, I am now safely back home in Indiana (for at least the next 3 weeks)...

For those of you who didn't hear yet, I was awarded a scholarship from IWU to go on a 10-day tour of Israel with Dr. Wilbur Williams. It was an absolutely AMAZING trip!!! (You can see a sampling of the 650 (+) pictures that I took below - you may need to click on the "July 2005" archive in order to view them all...) However, on the way home, I was "detained" in Italy due to the fact that my Green Card for the USA had expired... This was (and still is) a BIG DEAL!

Basically, I was not allowed to board the flight from Milan, Italy to Chicago and was told instead that I needed to report to the US Embassy in Rome... So, after making my way to Rome, checking into a cheap hotel and trying to get some sleep I was first in line at the Embassy the very next morning - only to find out that there was "nothing" that they could do... They told me that I would just have to wait for Jamie to file some papers, go to interview/s, and petition to allow me re-entry... a process that could likely have taken up to 6 months. Needless to say, this was NOT what we'd hoped or prayed for...

Jamie went to "battle" immediately, and it wasn't long before her parents (Dennis & Gwen Jackson) traveled down to be with her here in Indianapolis. To cut a long story short, God answered the prayers of so many of you who were praying and interceding on our behalf in nothing short of MIRACULOUS ways... He provided us with advocates from both Senator Lugar's office and Indiana State Representative Dan Burton's office who called the US Embassy in Rome to support my case... So, I was stuck in Rome for a total of 3 days before being able to return back to the US - much better than 6 months!

We really believe that God allowed us to experience the pain, frustration and uncertainty of this situation in order to once again affirm that HE IS SOVEREIGN, HE IS IN CONTROL, and that WE CAN TRUST HIM TO CONTROL AND LEAD OUR LIVES... All this to say - it was a long, expensive, significant and UNFORGETTABLE lesson in Submission and Surrender to God!

Thanks to all of you who were praying with us during this time - it really means so much to both Jamie & I and we don't know how to possibly thank you enough! We felt totally surrounded by your love and prayers and were entirely blessed to see the Body of Christ in action on our behalf... So, from the bottom of our hearts - THANK YOU!

We will be making sure that this BLOG stays updated from here on out... so, please check back often and feel free to drop a note in the comment section - which reminds me: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A "USER" OR "REGISTERED" TO LEAVE A COMMENT... you can just leave it blank (however, just be sure to leave your name at the end of your comment so we know who you are...)