Mrs. Mo is headed to Mexico!

If you are one of my friends on facebook, you are probably more than aware that I booked my ticket to Puerto Vallarta for October 26! Only one month away! I was originally going to wait until November to visit my hubby, but since my passport came early and I was already itching to hop on a plane, all signs pointed to "Just Book It!" I have emailed our contact in Puerto Vallarta and he is going to see if he can find us an affordable deal on a hotel, so the vacation plans are well under way. While we're in Puerto Vallarta, we hope to scope out the scene to see if it's an option for Raul to live and work.

Other than that exciting news, there is not really much new to report. Raul continues to check in on his grandmother and Lupita daily. He has also had the opportunity to meet most of his aunts, uncles, and cousins there. Raul has been enjoying the very authentic Mexican food, for the most part. He is getting his fill of homemade tortillas and enjoyed some very good turkey mole that his aunt made today. The sanitation methods there aren't quite what he was used to, but he says if he doesn't let himself think about it, he's okay. :)

One of the perks of living in Santa Monica is that its residents are qualified for free medical care. Apparently, Raul just has to fill out and file some paperwork and then he's ready to go. Just before he left Waukegan, his dentist suggested that he get his wisdom teeth out, so maybe we'll be able to get a good deal on that procedure south of the border!

I am in the process of adjusting as much as possible to the married-single life. I really need to kick my study habits into high gear now. I am hoping to finish a paper before I go to visit Raul.  We'll see if that happens... I am really thankful for my good roommie, my sister and her family, and my Journey Church family. They are all making sure that I do not have too many lonely nights at home.

And that's...about it for now!

A taste of Mexico

http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/thegizzos/Mexico1/

Raul went to the nearest town with Internet today to upload his pictures. Since the connection was slow, he was only able to upload a few. Hopefully, he will be able to upload more soon. I'm not sure where all of these were taken (other than Mexico, of course).

The way it is...

I was able to briefly talk to Raul yesterday and today. It's almost like we're dating again because I get so giddy when I pick up the phone and hear his voice on the other end of the line. Unfortunately, we don't have unlimited minutes to chat about nothing important this time around, though. I have found a couple of inexpensive options to call him, but he still has to pay for air time even if he's on the receiving end of the call. So, we're trying to scale back the length of our conversations for now. Hopefully, when he goes elsewhere, he'll have Internet access so we can Skye instead. Right now, I'm just happy that I get to hear his voice daily, so I can adjust to a shorter conversation if I have to. I'll just speak twice as quickly! :)

Raul's grandparents seem to be really taking him under their wings. His family made arrangements for Raul to eat with his grandma and Lupita daily and I believe the ladies really look forward to this time. Raul was going to be cooking for them tonight, so I'm looking forward to hearing how that went. Raul's grandpa has informed him that he needs to check in with him before he goes anywhere and that he won't be going to sleep until he knows that Raul is safe at home every night. It is a little bit of an adjustment for Raul since he hasn't had to check in with anyone (other than me of course!) in a while, but he appreciates the fact that everyone is caring for him.

As I mentioned before, we are soon finding out that everything in Santa Monica is much more expensive than we anticipated. Raul thinks the reason is because Santa Monica is so far out in the boonies (my wording) that it's like they have to import everything. For this reason  (and a few others), I'm a fan of him striking out to find a new place to live as soon as he is able to, but Raul really wants to make sure that he does everything he can for his family there before he leaves. His grandmother fell last night and hit her head hard enough for her to start bleeding. Fortunately, Raul's uncle lives next door so he was able to come over. She seems to be okay today, but I know Raul is still concerned and he mentioned that he wants to be sure that his grandma will be okay before he leaves. Please keep the timing of Raul's departure from Santa Monica in your prayers. We want him to leave when God says it's time and not a day before.

Speaking of God's timing, I have really be praying and thinking about what to do about my schooling. I am nearing the end of my masters program in counseling psychology and still have a practicum and internship left to do. I was originally supposed to complete my practicum this Spring and start my internship in Fall 2012. However, both of those require a great deal of time, 10 hours a week for the practicum and 20 hours a week for the internship, and I wasn't sure how I would complete those while working full time. In addition, I would have to start applying for internship sites by this November and the thought of planning that far ahead really freaks me out right now since everything is so up in the air. Long story short, I met with my advisor today and she assured me that it's okay and even wise to wait until the summer to do my practicum and then wait until Fall 2013 to do my internship. By then, hopefully Raul will be back and things will be a bit more stable. It is hard to describe how relieved I felt after talking to her. I had been stressing for quite some time about how my school was going to fit in with "real life".  My advisor, Dr. Parent, has been a source of encouragement to me ever since I started the program in 2007. In fact, she is the person I went to when I was struggling with being single and wanting to be married after Raul and I broke up so many years ago. Oh how things do change!

In small group last night, we were discussing God's faithfulness and mercy and I was struck again with how faithful, merciful, and gracious our God really is. After years of praying for a husband and even crying over this particular man, God brought us together and I am blessed to call Raul my husband. Absence has definitely made this heart grow even fonder!

One week down ? more to go...

Raul successfully checked in with immigration today, so he can check that off of his list. He spent the night in Mexico City last night and was able to walk around a little bit and get a "real coffee" complete with cream and sugar. It sounded like enjoyed his time there. He should be back "home" in Santa Monica by now. He called me earlier this evening from the town where he gets off of the bus and catches a taxi for the rest of his trip home.

Raul has a couple of projects planned for this week, so hopefully that will make time pass a little more quickly. He is planning on fixing a fence and making a gate for his paternal grandmother and her caretaker, an elderly cousin named Lupita. I can tell that he already has a soft spot in his heart for these ladies.  He's planning on spending most of his time at their home, though he will still sleep at his maternal grandfather's. Raul will also be helping his grandfather paint some doors on his home.

One thing that has surprised me is the cost of living in Santa Monica. Though some things like dining out are relatively inexpensive, other things cost as much as they do here. For example, a bottle of drinking water is about $1 and a coke costs even more than that.

I'm starting to get back into the swing of school and work and I have a somewhat regular nightly routine going now. Most of my belongings are unpacked, though I am still behind in doing laundry. I have yet to start on the many thank yous that I want to write, but I'm sure I will get started on those pretty soon as well. I still miss eating dinner with my hubby and having him just text away during the day, but I am thankful that we have been able to maintain regular contact.

Without a doubt, your prayers are making a difference to us. We are thankful for Raul's safe travels and the sense of peace that we have in the midst of this storm. I am reminded of the line of a song that goes, "Sometimes he calms the storm and other times he calms his child." Various storms in my life have been raging in the past year, yet God has definitely been calming this child.

The first Friday

I'm not gonna lie, part of me is looking forward to the end of the weekend already. Crazy, I know! Weekends are when Raul and I had time to just be with each other and I always looked forward to our Friday night dates and our after church lunches. Even when we were just "special friends" we had most every Sunday lunch together, so I'm sure it will take me a while to adjust to the new pace of weekends. The good news is that I'm already so behind in homework and unpacking that I'll have plenty of things to keep my time occupied. :)

I was able to talk to Raul for a half hour this evening, the longest I've been able to talk to him thus far. For now, the plan is that I'll call him around 7:00 p.m. every evening on his grandpa's landline, so at least now I have that to count on and look forward to.

There are really no new developments to report. Raul is still meeting more and more new relatives and he is convinced that he's related to almost everyone in the town in some way. He really hasn't met anyone of his own age that he can hang out with, though. Raul has many close friends in Waukegan, so it's going to be really hard for him to adjust to not having someone to call up and hang out with whenever he has free time. He is also trying to adjust to having a lot of time on his hands since he has no job there and he's used to going to work every day and having other projects to complete around the house on the weekends.  He said that the days are really dragging for him already.

Raul's dad has been with him this week, but he is leaving from Mexico City on Sunday to fly back to the U.S. Raul will be traveling to Mexico City with him on Sunday and then stay overnight there so he can check in with immigration on Monday. Hopefully, the office is open this time and he can get that checked off of his immigration to-do list. While in Mexico City, Raul is going to try to find an Internet cafe somewhere so he can upload pictures to his facebook.

I guess that's all of the news from the Gizzos for now. Thank you again to all of you who have been upholding us in prayer. I am asking for you to specifically pray for Raul to find one or two people his own age that he can connect with down there. There is also really no church in his area that he can attend, so that is a concern as well. It is obvious that God has something in the works for Raul to do while he's in Mexico, please pray that he will give Raul the wisdom and strength to follow him in whatever he asks him to do in the days ahead.

God's Timing Has Never Failed

Psalm 27:14
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

I was able to talk to Raul today for a few minutes. He was at one of his uncle's houses and it sounds like he's been meeting a lot of family in the past couple of days. He was able to play baskeball with some of his cousins last night. He informed me that he has not yet had time to play his Xbox 360, though. :)

Since there is really no other big updates on Raul today, I thought I would take the opportunity to talk a little bit about God's timing in our lives. Raul and I both had the opportunity to take a course at our church called Vantage Point 3 last year. As an assignment for the course, we both composed narratives of our lives, focusing on God's continued presence. This was an eye opening experience for us and we frequently refer back to the lessons that we have learned about God's timing as result of writing our narratives. Though we would love for God's timing to be quick when it comes to Raul's stay in Mexico, we are confident that God has a reason for every day that he will be there.

Since Raul was given 120 days before he had to leave the U.S., we were able to start part of the application process for re-admittance before he left. My sister, Vonya (who works as the paralegal for our immigration lawyer), said that Raul's Consular Interview will probably be sometime in November. The purpose of this interview is to prove that our marriage is legit and to prove that he is eligible to file the waiver that we are filing. After this interview, he will have his waiver appointment. This may be as early as sometime in December. There are two outcomes for this appointment. Usually, 3 or 4 weeks after the waiver appointment, a letter is sent. The letter could either come with an approval and a visa for the U.S.  or it could say that they are sending the it for further review. If it is sent for further review, it could take 8 to 9 months to hear the decision. It's pretty obvious which outcome we're hoping for, but like I said, we are obediently trusting in God's timing because he continually shows himself faithful.

As I mentioned before, taking Vantage Point 3 has really helped me look back on my life and see how God orchestrated circumstances in it to prepare me for things I am currently going through or will be going through. Though we are going through a hard time right now, I know someday (hopefully soon) I will be able to look back and see God's hand in everything.

We are already able to see God's hand and some of his timing in our current situation. Raul was actually able to apply for voluntary departure (the process he's doing now) without having to go through all of the court mess that we went through in May. We decided not to do that and instead went the court route first. Though waiting for the courtdate seems to have set us back timewise and paying the legal fees associated with preparing for court created quite a bit of debt for us, I am able to say that I'm glad we didn't go straight for the voluntary departure. Had we chosen that route, Raul would have been in Mexico at the time my dad passed away from lung cancer. I can't imagine going through that experience without him by my side. 

Even the timing of our relationship, engagement, and marriage was a total God thing. As some of you may know, Raul and I knew each other seven years before he finally decided to pop the question. Raul asked me to be his wife on December 10, 2010 and less than a month later, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. Though there was much grief associated with my father's illness, our engagement was a bright spot in our family and provided joy for my parents. Raul had a court date at the end of January and we became aware of the fact that he had a slight possibility of being detained and then deported on the spot. Because of this, we decided to have a civil ceremony on January 13 and then have our "real" wedding in April if we made it past that date. Little did we know that my father would pass away before he could walk me down the aisle, but my mother tells me that it was a great relief for him to know that I was already married and would be taken care of. Like our engagement brought joy amidst the grief surrounding my father's diagnosis, planning for our upcoming wedding brought joy amidst the grief of losing my father so quickly after his diagnosis. God is good, and his timing is indeed perfect. I have never doubted that my marriage to Raul is part of God's plan for my life.

Seeing God's hand in those circumstances strengthens our faith that God is with us during this valley and that he will bring good out of all of this. I admit that it is a daily struggle for me to give control to God, but oh what peace comes when I am able to do that. Praise be to God!

Day 3 Adjusting

Today seemed to be a better day for both of us. So far, I have only cried once today and that was right after getting off the phone with Raul, so that's an improvement! Raul called me earlier in the evening today and he seemed to be a little more optimistic about sticking it out a little longer at his grandpa's, chalking most of his reservations about staying there up to culture shock. Apparently, it will take him a while to get used to scorpions in his bedroom, the sounds of dogs fighting outside, one lane roads, and roosters waking him up at the crack of dawn.

His plan as of now is to stay there long enough to get to know the family that he has down there and to help out where he can. Once he gets somewhat established there, he'll start venturing out a bit more. I'm planning on meeting him in Puerto Vallarta sometime in November for a mini-vacation. Thank goodness we saved some of our wedding money for when we had time to take a "real honeymoon".  While we're there, we hope to find out more about the cost of living and the employment opportunities there as well as to meet face to face with our "contact person" there. I'm eagerly looking forward to traveling to Puerto Vallarta, but we have to wait until we know the date of his first immigration interview before we can buy my plane ticket. I would hate to be in Puerto Vallarta while he's stuck in Juarez.

One positive thing about Raul staying with his grandpa is that his grandpa is one of the few people in that area to actually have a landline at home, so I should be able to talk to him on a regular basis. It's amazing how much better things seem when I get to hear his voice.

I thought I would have plenty of free time on my hands now, but my evenings have been filled with packing and moving and soon I'll have to buckle down and actually finish my wedding thank yous (that I wanted to have done by June) and get back into the habit of reading and doing homework. I had also hoped to get to bed earlier, but having a roommate to chat with hasnt really helped me reach that goal thus far. :)

Speaking of going to bed... I should be headed there soon. Thanks again to everyone who has shown us your support through prayers, phone calls, emails, cards, texts, monetary gifts and so much more. We love you guys and we feel very loved as well.

Day 2 Ups and Downs

If you were to ask the Gizzos how they were doing today, I think we would both answer, "We're hanging in there." Raul has had a far worse day today than I have, though. As I mentioned before, he didn't check in with immigration yesterday because they didn't think it was a good idea to go there with all of the luggage. Well, after making the long bus trip back to Mexico City today, they found out that the office where they need to go is only open on Mondays and Thursdays. So, Raul and his father spent the whole day on a bus for nothing. He called me about an hour ago from a town about an hour away from Santa Monica where he and his dad will be staying for the night because his dad had business there anyway.

Raul didn't have much time to talk so he didn't go into detail, but he's pretty sure that he won't be able to stick it out at his grandpa's house until Christmas like we had hoped. So, we'll be looking at other options. We do still have Puerto Vallarta as an option, but it is definitely more expensive to live there, so he would have to begin working right away and we were wanting to make sure that he would be able to go to Panama for Christmas. The good news is that we do already have a second option. The mother of one of our friends has a house in Mexico which sits empty most of the time since they live in the U.S. From the sound of it, the house is in better condition than his current situation and there is internet availability right across the street. She is more than willing to let Raul stay there and even has a car there if he needs to get around. I'm sure everything will work itself out and we'll find a way to pay for him to have a place to live a little more comfortably with or without him having to find a job right away. I'll just be glad when we know where he will land. I'm sure Raul will be even more glad!

As could be expected, I had a pretty rough day. I kept it together for the most part throughout the day, but I fell apart a little bit when I got home and started packing the rest of my things that needed to be moved. It's amazing how fast I got used to the married life and being able to see my love every day when he got home from work. I was, however, able to pull myself together for the first night of my new small group that I am facilitating. It was hard at first to head to small group without my hubby by my side, but I did enjoy myself once I got there and they are an amazing source of support. After small group, I headed home to my roommie who has continued to be very supportive. She even packed me a lunch for today complete with my name on my bag and a smiley face.

I guess that's all the news for today. Hopefully, Raul's day goes a little bit more smoothly tomorrow!

Day 1

Our day began bright and early today as we left for the airport at 5:00 a.m. I went straight to work after dropping off the Mozo men at the airport, so I was there by 6:30 a.m. I don't think I've ever been that early for work in  my life! It was nice to be there by myself before the library opened so I could get most of my crying done and de-puff my eyelids by the time other staff arrived.

Raul called me at about 10:30 p.m. to report that he and his father arrived at his grandpa's house safely. We were under the impression that the bus ride from Mexico City to his grandpa's was only about 4 hours. However, it was more like 7. Unfortunately, they will have to make the trip to Mexico City again tomorrow because the amount of luggage made it too difficult for Raul to make his way to the Embassy to check in today.

Raul wasn't able to chat very long, but he did mention that his grandpa's house was a bit more "ghetto" than he had imagined and that he will quite possibly be looking for an alternative place to stay in the near future. He was not looking forward to sleeping on the floor with little critters crawling around.  His parents also own a house in Santa Monica, so that may be a possibility, but I don't believe Raul had a chance to see that house today since they arrived so late.

We are so thankful for everyone's support and generosity. Our Journey Church family threw Raul a going away party yesterday after church and we really appreciated the chance for Raul to say good-bye to people. A memory book was also presented and I had tears flowing down my face as I read the kind words that everyone had to say to Raul. God's work in Raul's life is so evident and I am proud to be his partner in life and in ministry.

I can't say that I'm enjoying this part of the journey right now, but I know that God's plan and timing is perfect and that his strength will be enough for both of us in the days ahead.

2 Corinthians 12:9-11
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Preparing for the Great Adventure

Raul's departure date (Sept. 12) for Mexico is quickly approaching and there is still much to be done, but many things have already fallen in to place. Raul is telling everyone that he's happy because he's found good homes for both of his "pets" for while he's gone. Our beloved dog, Miklo, seems to be adjusting well to his new home with a nice fenced in yard and his new "dog brother" Dexter. We are very thankful that our friend, Damon, volunteered to take Miklo for us.

His other pet (me) will be staying with a dear friend and ex-roommate, Jenny. Jenny is living in a two bedroom townhome in Waukegan, and I am thankful to have a place to stay that is not far from where I have been living and to have my own room and space to store some of our belongings. Not only will Jenny be helping me out by giving me a place to stay, but she has already been a source of emotional support and I am sure that she has her work cut out for her in the days ahead!

Raul's housing situation in Mexico seems to be falling into place as well. His maternal grandfather has offered for Raul to live with him in Santa Monica, Puebla, and that is the plan for now. The brother of one of our friends lives and works in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and has also volunteered to look out for Raul if he should choose to move to Puerto Vallarta since jobs are more plentiful there because it is a popular vacation destination. Depending on how long Raul's stay in Mexico is, he may make his way to Puerto Vallarta after Christmas.

We are thankful that Raul's father will be traveling to Mexico with him on Monday and will be staying with him for the week to get him settled in. As I understand it, Raul's hometown where he will be staying is about a four hour bus ride away from Mexico City. Before he heads to his new home, he has to find the U.S. Consulate in Mexio City and check-in with them.

And that...is about all we know for now. Pretty soon, the adventure will begin!