10 days...but who's counting?

I cant believe we will be boarding a one-way flight to Changsha in 10 days. I cant believe that originally we wouldve boarded that flight yesterday. I am sooooo thankful for the extra 10 days we get in this country. These extra days are going to go faster then we can blink our eyes. Our week is packed with visiting friends and last minute details. I wouldnt have it any other way!!! 

10 days. Wow. Almost 3 years since our first trip to China and these last 9 months of finalizing plans and we are down to 10 days. I guess this is our 'baby'. As I reflect over the past 17 months since our journey began with ICC, I am amazed at all God has done for us and through us. I remember reading the email that said 'your application has been accepted' and telling everyone the good news. It was a time of celebration. Within a month or so, when our first financial supported joined our journey, the reality set in. In only a few months we would be on our way to Changsha. 

We took time to share our passion and good news with everyone. I conquered my fear of being on stage and talking into a microphone as I stood up at church and shared where God was/is taking us. Slowly the financial partners came. The prayer partners came. Personal supporters came. A friend suggested doing a fundraiser for us. What an amazing night that was!! Then it felt as though we were stuck. Stuck at 37% support in. Where was the minimum 33% more going to come from? As much as I hated to write financial support emails and send them off, I had no choice. Without coming right out and asking, no one would know. Those were hard to write and even harder to hit the send button. But word got out. 

The fundraiser was the very end of April. We were going for our Cross-Canada trip at the end of June. 2 months to double the support that had come in. We wanted to be at 70% before heading out. We werent there, but continued to trust God to bring the partners to us as we traveled. We continued to pray and ask for prayer. The end of July we were at 70%. Time to book flights (I'll get to that in a minute). We had said from day one that although ICC required a minimum of 70% support committed to us, wouldnt it be great if we were at 80-90% before leaving? That was impossible on our own, but we knew God could do anything. We have been home for 3 weeks. God has raised up partners and we are now at 83% (with a few more coming in!)!! Wow. God is more then good, He is great!

So, onto the flights. Flights are only possible when accompanied with the proper visa. We booked flights to leave Aug 23, 2012 with the faith that our visas would be in. Well, the paperwork came in time. However, the Chinese gov't decided that they didnt want us to arrive before Sept 1, 2012. We really had no other choice but to change our flights. Now we leave on Sept 3, 2012. 10 days. 

There was still the issue of the visa. We took all the paperwork to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center. Of course it didnt go smoothly. I was told that even the 3 girls needed a medical done. In the spring we were told Andrew, Brendin and I needed a few things done (13 yrs and up) but now the guy said everyone had to have the work done!! He gave us 3 options: 1) change the flights and get into the doctor and get all the work done...2) enter China on a tourist visa but that was only good for 3 months and somehow work on the work visa while in China or 3) take the Foreigner Medical Form to the doctor and have the doctor fill out what they could and where the x-rays/ECC/blood work is requested, to put "child is too young" and come back. We chose option 3. Thankfully Brendin's, Andrew's and my medical work was copied and put in our file at the dr office and the dr was able to print it off and gave us another copy. We returned to the Visa Center today and submitted our papers. It was accepted!! We can pick up our work visas on Aug 29. Yay! There is still a possibility that it will be denied, but we have faith that it will be fine. So, as it stands now, we are outta here on Sept 3!

Now that flights are confirmed & visas are pretty much here, i guess its time to pack. Packing only 12 suitcases, 6 carry-ons and 6 back packs. This is what our life has come down to. Its a daunting task. But Im looking forward to it. We bought some of those vacuum sealed bags so hopefully that will create a lot more space for us. This weekend we will start packing, between visits with friends and family. 

I will send out an email of what can/cannot be written in a comment here or on an email to us. Things like God has to be written Gd or G. Pray needs to be pr or pr*y. I will send you all a full email on these 'codes'. 

With only 10 days to go, I'm not sure I will get on here again to write. I will write again within our first few days in China, assuming we have internet coverage. I will also send out an email to everyone on our email chain. If you arent on our email chain, and want to be, please send an email to thepensare@gmail.com and i will add you.

Take care everyone!

Its time!!!

Well, this is what you've all been waiting for...we have our flights booked!!! So, yes, this means we are at 70%. Well, officially we are at about 67% as i write this, but we have a couple of people whose support is in the mail. This doesnt mean we are done with needing people to partner with us...at some point we need to be at 100%, but for now we are thrilled to be at 70%!!

I suppose you are wondering when we are leaving. Too soon. Not soon enough. The date is AUGUST 23, 2012. It is going to come soooo fast!! We just got home 3 days ago from our cross-Canada trip and now we are leaving in just over 2 weeks. We have done laundry and unpacked. We will live 'normally' for a few days before we re-pack. This time everything we need will have to go into 12 suitcases. Its a very overwhelming task. 

Our emotions are all over the place. One minute happy and excited the next sad and crying. You name an emotion and i guarantee if we havent felt it yet, we will before the next 2 weeks are up. 

These next couple of weeks will be filled with getting the last minute details (which I dont even know what they are) done. We need international medical insurance and visa's to come in. Other than that I cant even think what else needs to be done, but I'm sure there is lots! 

We will also be spending time with as many friends as we can. We know we cant see everyone, but we will do our best to make contact with as many of you as possible. 

This is a very crazy time (more so then normal) for the Inkpens. We could really use your prayers during these last few days. Specifically, we need prayer for:
1. our visas...we are hoping that our work visas will be in to Changsha this coming week with the top line reading (something like this): This visa can be processed in Hong Kong OR___________. This means that our team leaders can fill in the blank with Calgary and have them couriered to us asap. If the "OR _________" isnt there, then we have to arrive in Changsha on a travelers visa then leave Changsha and go to Hong Kong for 48 hours to have it processed then back to Changsha. The entire family must leave the country and re-enter. 
2. the 'big' kids...that they will be able to spend time with all their friends...i think this is very important in the lives of an 11yr old and a 13yr old. They have a very limited time to hang out and their friends mean the world to them. It will be a while before they can 'just hang out' with friends again.
3. for the twins...they are having a hard time figuring out what is going on...we were at Grandma's for 5 weeks, then traveling for 5 weeks now back to Grandma's for only 3 weeks and gone again - for 2 years! Their whole world has been flipped upside down. Schedules have been sent out the window and they are having melt-downs a couple times a day. Their behaviour has been, well, trying. One minute great, the next they are hitting and yelling. They have so much going on that they dont know how to process.
4. for me and andrew...we are trying to get everything done, when we dont even have a clear idea of what needs to be done...stress is rising (which we understand will happen) which is hard to deal with, even when you know its happening...we want to be a united family and more then ever at this time we need to be united. We know the enemy will be pulling out all his tricks to get to us and we need protection. 

I'm not sure what else I would like to tell you at this time. Im a little overwhelmed. I will write to you all again soon!