We have some great news we've been waiting to share! We're heading overseas!
The Lord still has not opened an immediate door to India. Our passports will remain with the consulate, waiting for what we pray will be our eventual student and entry visas. We have been to the passport agency in New Orleans and received same-day service for second emergency travel passports for our entire family. These second passports are the 'exception to the rule' and we had to provide proof of pending immediate travel. They are only good for a short two years. The hope is that our other visas will be granted and our original passports can be walked in to us sometime in the next few months.
We will be coordinating volunteers with BGR doing earthquake relief in Nepal. Right now is the beginning of monsoon season and the focus is finding temporary housing for people to get them out of the rains... it is impossible to rebuild during Monsoon. These temporary shelters are $100 each and can house 8 people during the monsoon. Sheets of metal are being driven to access points, and then walked hours up mountains to remote villages!
There are volunteer groups scheduled every week through the end of 2015 and we will be scheduling additional groups on into 2016. If you are interested in volunteering or giving, check out www.gobgr.org
This is a temporary assignment through the end of the year - road and medical conditions are such in Nepal that Bret's back most likely could not hold out. However, he has been medically approved to coordinate the volunteers in the short-term.
We will spend some time house-sitting for some friends, and they have a dog, Asha, that Lorelei will absolutely LOVE taking care of.
At some point, we hope to take a short trip to India on a tourist-on-arrival visa. We will hopefully visit our friends in Lucknow and make some further business contacts that will assist us getting visas in the future. We'll have more details in the future - and soon hope to have details on when we will be flying out.
Thanks for sticking with us - praying for us - and following our journey!
