Yesterday we got the very disheartening news from our case manager in London that the report from ORRS, though completed on December 10th, was not yet in his office. Once received the medical assessors would have to review again! He would have no news for us until next week. Of course everytime we are told a time frame it ends up being much longer, only to receive another time frame. Billy and I were devastated and he resumed a stateside job search. Waiting an indefinite amount of time is becoming more and more impossible as we live on savings.
Billy is looking at a job in Texas at Fort Hood. It's a civilian position for the government. With the state of healthcare the way it is, these are the only type of job Billy is really interested in. As I lay crying on the bed in our loaner bedroom, Billy asked what I thought of Texas. I honestly didn't care. I found that I was less dissappointed about not going to NZ but rather, was more upset with feelings God had utterly forgotten about us or what we truly feel He has told us to do. I wept and Billy scoured the internet looking at various job opportunities. Suddenly, the sorrow began to lift and I felt the overwhelming sense that God was still saying "You are going to New Zealand." I argued in my head the unlikelihood given our most recent news. Again I strongly felt God saying we are indeed going. I quietly whispered to Billy, "We're going."
Later in the day (after Billy bribed me out of bed with a trip to eat sushi), we were asking Mikaylie for her thoughts on Texas. She replied with certainty, "It doesn't matter. We are going to New Zealand."
Our attorney in New Plymouth had emailed seeking a status update as the contract on our house in NZ was expiring. I told her that I honestly didn't know what to tell her. I told her we still had no info and that we could not go on like this much longer. She asked if we'd give her our permission to contact INZ but Billy discouraged her, fearful this would only anger them and they would drag their feet even more. He did tell her that if she felt inclined to contact the Member of Parliament (Jonathan Young) that he may put pressure on INZ to make haste. Last night we received another email from Linda which included the following:
"I rang Jonathan Young who advises as follows:
1.ORRs Report is with London office.
2.A decision will be made by the middle of next week.
3.He is in discussion with the Minister of Health and the Minister of Immigration both of whom are now familiar with your case. If the worst happens and the ORRs report is negative the case which will be argued to the Minister of Immigration (who has discretion to override any decision)by the Minister of Health is that the benefit to the public far outweighs any cost consequence your sons disability might have for the NZ taxpayer.
He feels very strongly that it will all work out. He said we are really close now and this is a crucial time. It would be awful for everyone if you took the job in Texas when we will likely know where we stand within the week. The big boys are all involved now so I am sure it will happen."
Praise God!!!! Might we have only one more week to wait!?!? And even if INZ declines our application, it sounds like the MoI would override their decision!!!
This morning I spent 4 four more hours volunteering at God's Food Panty. Perhaps I should have gone in yesterday, in the depths of my self pity. Helping the people that come in for assistance there makes me realize just how blessed we are- house or no house, job or no job, visa or no visa.
Thank you Lord for the blessing of just being in a position that allows us to be eagerly awaiting news of our visa!!!
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