That is what I have crying out in my heart for the last 10 days, and what I want to shout from the mountain tops!!!! I am really emotional about this, because on April 15, I did something that was completely DUMB!!! Here is the story--it may be kind of long...but you're not surprised, are you?:)

Just after I wrote the Canadian Citizenship test on April 15, I did not realize that I had lost one of the most important documents to a landed immigrant: my landing paper. 15 years ago, I was instructed to ALWAYS keep that paper in my passport, as it would grant me entrance back into Canada. However, on this particular day, I needed that paper to prove my landed status, and I had it at that time. I remember coming home and looking for a stapler to staple it back into the passport...and that all I remember. I think I may have tossed it in the garbage with some junk mail that came in that day, but I guess I got sidetracked, and wasn't paying attention to what I was doing...I really don't know what I was thinking! The thing is, I didn't realize it was missing until almost a week later when we went to the States for something. Thankfully, the guard we talked to was understanding, so she did let us all back into Canada. Everything would have been fine and dandy if I had a P.R. (permanent residence) card, which allows immigrants to travel back and forth. When the government first came out with this card, they made it sound like you ONLY needed it if you were going to be flying. Well, we thought that if I were ever to fly anywhere, it would be out of Buffalo, so we did not see the need for one...

Well, I tore the place apart, but nothing. Worry and fear shot right through me. In a month, we would be travelling to Togo...If anyone mentioned it, I would immediately start sweating and worrying. I did go back to the immigration office to see if perhaps I had left it behind. The lady there was VERY helpful, but she did not find it. She did photocopy it from her files, but she said it would not help in getting me into the country should I leave. She said that I would need to apply for a P.R. card (it takes a minimum of 105 days to process), and I would need to go to the police and file a report for lost property (for the oath for citizenship, one has to either have the landing paper or the police report). Now, this was the day that we were leaving for a missions conference at Kitchener Baptist Church, so that was our priority, but I did begin working on the application. That following Monday, after getting Pastor Wyatt to sign the needed documents (he was at work at the time), we headed to Simcoe to see Alan's mom, and there we overnight-expressed it to Sydney, Nova Scotia, to be processed. I was told to put "Urgent--traveling outside of Canada on May 19". Needless to say, I wrote it several times! This was on April 24. With the timing of our travels, things just seemed impossible.

On the spiritual side of things, I was kind of in trouble. I KNEW that the Lord was working on me. I KNOW exactly what He was trying to teach me. THAT HE IS IN CONTROL! This worrying was for those who don't depend on Him. It took me a few days, and let me tell you, it was U.N.C.O.M.F.O.R.T.A.B.L.E.!!! Through prayer and daily Bible reading, He showed me from the book of Joshua where time after time, GOD SUPPLIED!! And when things looked impossible to us, to our great and mighty God, it was NOTHING!! I purposefully didn't blog about it, because I knew that I needed to completely depend on Him (I knew you guys were already praying...thank you!!) One day I was reading Psalm 118, where David says, "I will not fear what man can do unto me" (or something like that!) Finally, after many days, if anyone mentioned it there were no flip-flops in my stomach. The headaches didn't happen. I didn't start sweating. It was sweet, sweet, peace. Instead, I would smile, and say, "I can't wait to see how HE gets me out of this one!" God is so good!

So now we start out for our East Coast trip. We were to be there for 3 Sundays. We left on Friday. On Monday, Pastor Eagles called my ever so patient hubby, and told him that I had received a letter saying that I was to be taking the oath of citizenship in a week and a half on May 12. My heart REJOICED, and to this day, I still get emotional. You see, on the day of the test, we were told that if we passed, we would get a letter in 6-8 WEEKS to let us know when our swearing in would be. Allow me to work the calendar for you: The test was taken o April 15, I become a Canadian on May 12. The total time is less than a MONTH!! Here's the thing, I thought that maybe God allowed someone in Sydney processing the P.R. card, to call immigration here in Hamilton and just have them push my date forward. But I am pretty sure that didn't happen, because as I was typing this post (not more than 1 minute ago)I received a call from immigration who told me that my P.R. card was in, and I could pick it up any time!!!!!!! I just started laughing and when I told the lady on the phone about being sworn in today, she laughed really hard, too, and said, "I must say, this is the first time I have ever seen that happen!" I can hardly keep the tears from flowing!!

Well, I am off to become a Canadian! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your prayers! We serve a God who cares!! And I am so glad that HE is in CONTROL!

Psalm 113:1,2

Have a wonderful day!

Love,

Ida