Fall of 2023 was full of challenges, hurdles and disappointments. I feel like every turn ended with a door slammed in my face. The tide began to turn in February when my student visa application was approved within two days. As I have written in my last few posts, returning to my host country, starting school, finding a house and applying for a residence permit were all filled with challenges.
I think my friend Hannah coming to visit was another turning point. The week before she came, I had a pity party wondering how I was going to get my house unpacked and desperately feeling like I needed someone to take care of me. She made the last minute decision to come and really took care of me in so many ways.
Finally after a long, hard, seemingly impossible climb, so many blessings began flowing my way. I want to chronicle the blessings since I have chronicled the hardships. Psalm 90:15 was my actual experience. He made me glad in proportion to my afflictions.
"Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us..."
So here I'm listing WHAT WENT RIGHT:
-Visa came in two days.
-No problems re-entering the country after an entry ban
-University money transfer arrived before I paid twice.
-An English proficiency exam the evening I came to the university allowed me to take it in time to register for classes.
-I registered for classes despite the email block.
-Welcoming classmates.
-I was able to get electricity in my name. Usually this can’t be done without a residence permit and yet I needed a utility in my name to get a residence permit. God provided this miracle.
-A quiet and peaceful home/complex and it makes me happy each time I return home.
-Getting everything on my moving wish list!
-My house is so close to the Suiters.
-My house is right across from a grocery store, pharmacy, tailor, hair salon.
-I walk two minutes and get on a bus that will take me to the university.
-I only had two items break from my stuff being moved twice.
-I had a healthy new nephew arrive.
-I have large built-in closets to store stuff.
-Tenth floor views.
-Three layers of security to get to my house.
-I couldn't get the gas turned on without a residence permit but I had hot water from the centralized building system.
-The dryer people hauled off my old dryer for me.
-A cute old man to put in new window screens for me.
-Residence permit approval!
-My sweet neighbor bringing me a cake to celebrate Easter.
-Class being much easier than I expected with high school level work in a graduate level class.
-Classmates encouraging me and affirming my research topic.
-Accidentally becoming a good anthropologist.
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| I put this sticker on my laptop as I arrived back in country. I needed the reminder to hope and believe good things were coming and they did. |
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| Tenth floor views |
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| My new bedroom |
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| My new nephew |
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| One of the layers of security. I can see who is at my building trying to get in. |
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Easter cake from my sweet neighbor. |
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