A quick work visa update

So it is really obvious that we haven't updated our blog in absolutely forever! A quick recap since a new post is long overdue. After turning in our final appeal in July, and after a year of fervent prayer, in late August we finally received positive news that my work permit was approved. Amazingly, we heard this news the first day that my school started. Thankfully, I was able to tell my principal to hold my teaching position for me and once I received my visa in the post I hurried back to Ireland to start back to school immediately. Unbeknownst to me, there was a teacher lined up to take my spot, so literally it was in the knick of time that my work visa came through! Being back at St. Andrew's has been an absolute blessing and joy.

Throughout this year, God has graciously held us as we learned to rest in the midst of great uncertainty. We have become firm believers in the power and persistence of prayer and see this as nothing short of a miracle. So many times this year we felt like this great opportunity to live abroad was slipping through our fingers, and now having the gift restored to us we feel as though we have been given new eyes for Dublin. We truly see each day here as a gift, one to be treasured and rejoiced over. We appreciate everyone who has journeyed with us this past year!

Because of job uncertainty these past two years, we hadn't gone on a proper holiday, which was driving us crazy since we are so close to so many amazing European cities that we had been dying to travel to! So to celebrate a huge work visa victory after a year of rough going, this past week we were blessed to go on our first long awaited holiday to Italy!