Still waiting...patiently (or something)

Exodus 16:8

Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.” 

When I was sharing with Raul all of the lessons I've been learning from those rebellious Israelite people, we discovered that we had both been making our way through the book of Exodus. Raul is speeding through it compared to me, but nonetheless, it has been really fun for us to be able to discuss what we're learning when we talk on the phone. For some reason (probably the Holy Spirit) we're both noticing things about the book that we had never noticed before. My insight from today was a little bit painful. In Exodus 16, God's chosen people seem to have again forgotten the many miracles that God had just performed for them and that he had delivered them from slavery. Instead of choosing to be excited about what God would do next, they decided to complain to Moses about their lack of food. However, they were ultimately complaining about (and to) God. Yet, God was merciful and provided them with manna and quail.

I came to the realization that I too am a complainer. Okay, that wasn't really a new revelation. But, the application that I came up with was a new one. Every time I complain about immigration and how long it takes for them to do anything, I am really complaining about God's timing and his plan he has for us. Ouch! Thank goodness he is merciful, eh?!

I must admit that I am getting antsy to hear something (even if it is that we have been sent for further review). According to the timeline they gave Raul, we have from about 1 to 5 more weeks to wait for the letter. Good thing I have learned my lesson about having patience and not complaining! ;)

There's really not much new to report. Raul was told by his municipal that since he's been living there a while, he has to do some work around the town like everyone else. So, tomorrow is his first day of "service" and he will be helping to pave a road. He has also been helping Lupita build a pen for her new pig that she purchased and has been watching the new baby chicks that hatched under his kitchen table--11 in all. I'm telling you, we're fixing to move to a farm in Iowa when he gets back so he feels at home! 

I've been keeping busy with homework as the end of the semester draws closer. I am hoping to do my practicum next Fall but I've hit a snag with the site I was planning on, so we'll see what happens with that. The weather here in Illinois has been unusually warm lately which reminds me that summer is right around the corner. While I'm looking forward to a break, I'm not looking forward to a summer without my husband. Good thing I'm not worrying about the future or that would really bum me out. ;)

Again, thank you all for your prayers. They are truly the reason why we are able to have peace during this time. We are so blessed to have friends and family all over the world praying for us. God is good...and BIG!

Silly Israelites

Exodus 14:11
They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?"

 I must admit that as the day draws closer for us to hear a definite "yes" or "no" (though that day could still be close to a year away), I have to daily remind myself that God is in control. On my drive to work this morning, I found myself fretting that we may have endured this long separation only to find out that all of our efforts have gone in vain and our waiver has been denied. Why would God let us spend all of the money and time we have spent only to have us end up living in Mexico? Why would he "string us along" like that? Then, I realized that at that moment, I sounded an awful lot like those silly Israelites in Exodus.

God had a miraculous plan in store them. He had delivered them from slavery and they would soon experience the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea as well as numerous other miracles.  He ultimately had planned for them to reach the Promised Land. Yet, they had zero faith in His plan and His goodness. Instead, they let fear and doubt take over and all they could see was the desert around them.

In many ways, this immigration journey has been a desert experience for me. It is easy for me to see the here and now and fear the worst possible outcome (in my eyes). Yet, along the way we have experienced so many partings of the Red Sea. The fact that Raul did not get deported on his court date in May and that we are still experiencing this journey is a sign of God's grace. We have seen God's work with our finances and the fact that we were able to pay off our large debt to the immigration lawyer and to afford my trips to visit Raul. I am sure that we have been oblivious to other workings that the Lord is doing in our lives. Yet, He is loving, gracious, merciful, and faithful.

Honestly, I am still a little scared that God's "promised land" for us may still be Mexico. Yet, I know that if it is, there will be joy and purpose there and His promised land will be far better than anything I could have planned for myself. It is obvious that God has had his hand on our lives individually and as a couple and we are not just wandering around aimlessly. He is molding us and preparing us for something greater to bring glory to Himself. God is here in my desert and I am glad that he is still faithful to me (and to us) even when my faith wavers.

I still get frustrated with the way our immigration system works and all of the hoops we must jump through. I get irritated with their timelines. I still fret that we may have made a mistake somewhere in our paperwork or that maybe the wrong person will review our case and deny us for "just because". But, then I have to return to the place where I truly believe that God is in control and that as long as we seek Him, his will will be done and there's nothing we can do to mess that up. As scary as giving up control is for me, it is still a comfort to know that I really am not in control. I ultimately come back to Exodus 14:13-14 "Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Spring Break 2012

What a wonderful week we Gizzos had in Puebla. Thank you to all of you who prayed for us and our safety. It will be hard for me to share with you just the highlights of the trip since we had so much fun and got to spend our time in three different places--Mexico City, Puebla, and Santa Monica--but I will try not to bore you with all the details.

I arrived in Mexico City on time on Friday, March 2, despite the presence of a wintery mix of rain and snow when I left Chicago. I was very thankful that the flight was not delayed because there was really no way for me to contact Raul to tell him. He was the first smiling face that I saw when I got out of customs and he was there holding a sign that said "The Gizzos" in case I didn't recognize him. From there, we got in a taxi and rode to our hotel that Raul had secured from a sort of hotel room broker at the airport. The room was not big, but it was clean and that was all I was interested in. We stayed there Friday and Saturday night and then made our way to the city of Puebla by bus on Sunday morning. It only took us about two hours to reach our destination.

The view from the balcony of our hotel room.

We were not very impressed with the hotel that we stayed in the first night so we looked for a different one to stay in until we ventured to Santa Monica. After checking out a couple of different places we found Hotel Posada Guadelupe and were impressed with its updated rooms and free WiFi. It ended up being less expensive than our other hotel and had a much better location and view as well. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a place to stay in Puebla and for only $38 per night, you can barely beat the price. Well...I guess Raul did find a much cheaper place to stay the night after I left, but when he complained that his window wouldn't shut properly, they handed him a piece of wire... :)

Hanging out at the zocalo

Though the outskirts of Puebla wasn't all that appealing, the downtown area near the square or "zocalo" was beautiful. The city was very clean and the outsides of the old building were well maintained. We spent most of our time in Puebla walking up and down the streets just looking at the little shops or sitting on a bench near the zocalo to soak in our surroundings. The temperature in Puebla was very comfortable. It was cool in the morning and evening and pleasantly warm during the day.

Outside Raul's "wing" of the house

Posing for a pic with Abuela and Lupita

We traveled to Raul's "hometown" of Santa Monica on Wednesday and arrived there around 3:00 p.m. after a four hour bus ride followed by a 45 minute taxi ride. Santa Monica is much hotter than the city of Puebla and we mainly just sat around and chatted with his grandpa until the sun went down and we could venture out to meet some of his family in the small town. I think almost everyone we met on the street was somehow related to him since both of his parents were originally from this town. I was excited to meet Abuela and Lupita in person. Lupita was very sweet and insisted that we needed to let her know the next time I was coming so she could buy a pig to slaughter. It was a lot of fun for me to see how well Raul has settled into life in his pueblito and how almost everyone knows him and jokes around with him. On top of cousins, aunts, and uncles, I met his basketball buddies and other guys that he plays cards with.

We headed back to Puebla on Friday morning and spent our last two days there. It was so nice not to have a schedule to abide by and to be able to sleep in and take naps whenever we wanted to. I also really enjoyed having Raul to lean on again. He was there to make decisions about where we would stay and how we would get there, where we would eat and how much we would tip them. It was nice to feel "married" again if that makes any sense.

We traveled to the airport in Mexico City by bus on Sunday morning for my 2:30 p.m. flight back to Chicago. As usual, I kinda fell apart when it was time for me to go through security and say good bye to the one I loved. This time was especially hard because I do not know the next time I will be able to see him. I'm hoping that the next time I see him, he will be the one coming on the plane and I will be the one picking him up from the airport, but only God knows. For now, we will have to trust God to carry us through day by day like he has so faithfully been doing.

Every time I get to see my husband, I fall more and more in love with him and am amazed that God gave me more than I could have ever asked or imagined in a husband. Raul really made me feel loved by the way he introduced me to his friends and family. Though I am definitely not the adventurous type, I felt safe with him by my side. What a blessed girl I am!