Seven weeks ago, we informed you of our imminent return to Mexico. The rules for religious visas required us to return to Mexico for a full year prior to applying for a new religious visa for our family. We knew there was a change coming that would reduce this time, but not having any clarity on the reduction, we were estimating to be reduced to 9 months, plus 3 months of paperwork on the new visas, prior to arriving in the US.
Well, God worked a miracle that changed our whole plan! The time was not reduced to 9 months, 6 months, or even 3 months; it was reduced to 0 months! Nobody expected 0 months!! We believe this is the hand of God, giving us assurance and clarity that he is for us and wants us in this ministry. We still need to leave the US, but now we can request our new visa as soon as we set foot in Mexico. This is a huge answer to prayer from the Camp community, since our summer ministry with Foundation Camp, Summer Staff, and TST was going to be heavily impacted by our absence. We estimate we will come back around May 5 (after 3 months of paperwork), a month before summer.
Please join us in praising God for the great news. Here are some questions and answers you guys may have:
When are you leaving? We have our plane tickets for Feb 6, leaving from La Crosse at 11 am and arriving at Bajio airport at 11:30 pm.
Are you still going to Guanajuato? Yes, we are going to live in Guanajuato, where our families are from, and attend the church we were part of many years ago.
Do you have a house? Yes, God orchestrated the securing of a house that is just 4 minutes walk from Laura’s parents! Laura’s mom was walking by a house of some friends, who were cleaning and repairing the house, so she asked if the house was for rent. They said they were looking for a family to rent it and when Laura’s mom mentioned our family, they said, “God must have sent you, we did not want to rent it to students anymore; we were hoping for a family to rent it to.”.
Do you have a vehicle? Not yet! We are hoping to maybe buy a minivan or two small vehicles (and sell them when we leave, it seems to be financially better than renting a car for 3 months.) If you know of anything, let us know! Another God story here: Our house is on an alley, so no parking spots ( as some of you know, parking in Guanajuato is a complicated matter). However, Laura’s mom was talking to a neighbor who rents a parking spot, and she has agreed to let us use her parking spot. We don’t even have a car yet, and God has already provided the parking spot for it!
Can we still visit you? Yes, it turns out the house has 6 bedrooms! We believe God provided this house so we could host and connect with people from the region and the US. We already have a missionary family/team from Denmark/Germany scheduled to stay with us the weekend of Feb 14-15! We would love to have you over, but remember, we will be coming back to the US, Lord willing, on May 5th. So contact us sooner rather than later.
Are you then taking a 3-month vacation? Yes and no. Ivan will still continue to heavily volunteer for the Camp; there are many projects that need continuity. Laura and the kids will still need to finish the home-school year. However, it is a vacation in the sense that it is a short time; we get to visit places we have not seen in many years and enjoy time with our families and friends.
If the visa is granted earlier, are you coming back earlier? We want our family and friends to have the certainty of us being around for a few months. We have also committed to a couple of teachings at the church, and even to renting the house for 6 months (standard practice, we hope to be able to negotiate a shorter period). For these reasons, we decided it is better to stay all 3 months in Mexico and come back by May 5.
What will happen with your house in Westby? People will help us keep an eye on the house for the 3 months we will be away. We are making the house available for ministry (bible studies, church gatherings, etc.) Please contact Laura if you need to use the house.
Please continue to pray for us:
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For the paperwork to move fast. We are struggling to get the documents ready to submit soon (Camp has a heavy workload in the financial office), and our lawyer is also working on other cases (she agreed to give us top priority, but preparing the petition still takes time). Pray that we will be able to submit by Feb 15.
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Pray for emotional stability as we adjust. We already had a plan in mind, and it just changed 2 weeks ago!
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Pray for our time with our family and friends in Mexico to be meaningful and uplifting for all
Thank you for caring!
The Munguia Family