Outeach Miracle #1

Wendy and I are teaching this week at YWAM, on the subject of "Relationships & Community"; it's a topic near and dear to our hearts, and it's been cool to team-teach together. In the past, one of us would teach while the other kept the kids occupied -- it's great to be in a season where we can teach together.

Last Friday was "Outreach Miracle #1" for our team. Allow me to explain:

We have a number of Korean students at our Crossroads DTS (and a whole Korean-language DTS happening simultaneously), and in recent years, it's become difficult-to-impossible for Koreans to get visa's for the United States. The Virginia Tech shooting a while back didn't help.

It's gotten to the point where the Korean staff at our base have thrown up their hands in frustration, and have ceased to even try to get American visas for their staff or students. When they heard that five of our Korean students were traveling to Vancouver (five hours away) to apply for transit visa's, the Korean staff told them "it's impossible -- don't waste your time".

Our Crossroads team felt quite the opposite, and so our Korean students went last Friday to an appointment at the American Embassy in Vancouver, while the rest of our school and staff (Canadian, American, Fijian, Japanese, German, and South African) spent most of the morning -- coinciding with the Korean's scheduled appointment -- praying like crazy.

We got word later that day:

With only a few general questions asked as a preamble, all five Koreans received transit visas for the United States!! WOO-HOO!!

We had our normal "all base worship" this morning, where all the schools come together for a time of worship, and it was a pretty excited bunch of people when they heard the story of the visas! I've noticed that worship seems to be a little more exuberant when people are responding in thanksgiving to what God is doing in their midst!

UPDATE: May 25

The visas arrived yesterday, and not only did the Koreans all receive them, they were all granted an unprecedented 10 YEARS on the visas. WOW!

Now we're on to Prayer Request #2: finances for the trip, particularly for the staff. All told, our team is praying for God to provide a total of about $65,000 before the end of June, with $30,000 of that total needed by the end of this month (so the airline tickets can be booked).

Any and all intercession on our behalf would be welcome! The Clan McAlpine is trusting God for somewhere around $17,000, with $10,000 of that due by the end of the month. Prayer would be appreciated!