Posts Tagged ‘visas’

Links: Leadership, Czech Bible Project, and Ideas

July 17th, 2008

So, here are just a few things I thought I would share today.

This is a link to a blog that my dear friend, David Malouf, wrote. I found it interesting and insightful. Interesting and insightful are actually both good words to describe David, too! J Check out the post to read some of his interesting and insightful thoughts on leadership and leadership development.

Also, today Bryan and I saw this short video about the Czech Bible Project. We both really admire the work that Sasha Flek is doing and really enjoy the few times we’ve been able to be around him here in Prague. It was interesting to watch this video and learn a little more about the Czech Bible Translation Project.

Also, I just heard about this web site, www.ideas4all.com. It’s new and in beta still and I haven’t spent that much time on it yet, but I really like the concept. Basically it’s a place where you can share ideas and find solutions to problems. So, if you have an idea you can post it to share with people or if you have a problem you can post it and see if others can help you solve your problem. Like I said I haven’t really played with it much but I thought it was interesting and that I would pass it on.

Ok, that’s it for today.

Oh, Wait!! One more thing! We went to the foreign police and after some confusion, 9 hours of waiting, 1 missing paper, 1 really nice Czech foreign police worker, 1 run back up to our place to get said missing paper, and more help from the nice man behind the counter, we have the official stamp that goes with our visa and we are TOTALLY LEGAL now!!! YAY!!!

Rejoicing in the journey -
Beth Stedman

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Vienna, Visas, and Victor Wooten

July 16th, 2008

So, yesterday was long and exhausting, but wonderful!

We left Prague with the Baker’s at 4:30am and headed out for Vienna. The drive there was pretty uneventful and we made it to the embassy having only got a little lost once we reached Vienna. Once at the embassy we gratefully got a different gal to help us then last time and she just barely glanced at our paper work (which we had had so much trouble with last time and had struggled so hard to get in perfect order this time) and said it was ok. After waiting around for a while she called us back up and gave us our beautiful visas! I was actually kind of in shock. I really had all along expected not to get them yesterday, I hoped and prayed that we would get them but I sort of expected it to fail again. So, it was a beautiful thing to see those gorgeous visas in our passport. Now we just have to get through going to the foreign police (you have to go and show them your visa and have them verify that you are who you say you are within three days of entering the country) and then we will be officially done with this visa process (at least until we have to reapply at the end of this year). I hear that going to the foreign police is a pretty crazy ordeal here and can take up to 10 hours – so, I’m not looking forward to that. But, it’ll be over after tomorrow! J Praise God!! J

After getting the visa the Baker’s and Bryan and I went to lunch and then walked around Vienna. There are so many beautiful things to see in Vienna and we really only touched on a small section of the city, but it was fun. We walked a TON and by about 3pm we were all too exhausted to stand, so we decided to head back to Prague. We took the scenic way on the drive back, which actually ended up not taking any more time then the highways even though it felt like it did. We all enjoyed seeing a little more of the Czech country side and playing games such as 20 questions, who has the ball, and would you rather. Bryan and I really enjoyed our first road trip with the Baker’s and enjoyed getting to know them better – “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

After getting back to Prague we went to the Springer’s house (they had been nice enough to let us use their car to go to Vienna so we needed to return it). And we got to meet the couple who is leading the marriage retreat this weekend (did I tell you all we are going on our first marriage retreat this weekend?). Anyway, they had just gotten in and were hanging out at the Springer’s so we got to meet them and talk with them for a little while, which was really nice. I have been really looking forward to the retreat this weekend and even more so now that I have met the couple. They seem really great and I’m looking forward to what they have to teach us.

After that the Baker’s and Bryan and I went to Old Town Square for the FREE Jazz Festival that has been going on there. We were pretty late but we made it in time to see Victor Wooten play along with his brothers. We were all pretty tired and hungry (since we hadn’t had dinner) but it was definitely cool to see him play. They were all very talented. Bryan was just beaming – I could tell that he really misses playing music and going to shows – we really need to incorporate that more into his life here.

After that we all went out for pizza at this great little place around the corner from Old Town and then made it home just in time to check email before crawling into bed around midnight. Wow, what a day! J

Rejoicing in the journey -
Beth Stedman

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Vienna, Visa’s and Vivisection

July 14th, 2008

I have been feeling really agitated and anxious today. Why? Because, tomorrow morning we are driving back to Vienna to try once again to pick up our visas. If you remember, last time we went to Vienna to pick up our visas ended up being quite the fiasco – you can read my blog about it here.

So, tomorrow we are off to try again. We are planning on leaving at 4:30am and will be driving this time. Thankfully some wonderful friends, David and Sarah, have agreed to go with us this time. So, we are planning on making it a fun road trip and plan to hopefully try to see and enjoy some of Vienna as well instead of just spending all our time at the embassy. So, I am excited about that aspect of it. I really enjoy David and Sarah and look forward to spending time getting to know them better and exploring Vienna with them.

…but, the visa side of the trip has got me pretty knotted up. Really I just keep worrying that they are going to pull the same BS that they pulled last time. Basically last time we did everything they told us to and then they said it was wrong and wouldn’t give us our visas, we asked how we could make it right and what we needed to do to get them and they told us, then we did what they told us we needed to do and they then totally changed their story and told us we couldn’t do it that way, so again we asked what we needed to do to actually get them and they told us and that is what we have now done but I am just so worried that we will get there and they will have changed their story again and won’t give us the visas. It really is just a ton of bureaucratic red tape – which I hate. So, yeah, we are praying that it would all go smoothly this time and we would be able to quickly get our visas and have everything we need for them. And we would sure appreciate others joining us in praying this as well! J

Anyway, here’s a little Celtic prayer I’ve been saying to calm my spirit as we prepare for tomorrow:

Peace between me and my God.
Peace between me and my God.
May I tread the path to the gates of glory;
May I tread the path to the gates of glory.
On your path, O my God,
And not my own,
be all my journeying.
Rule this heart of mine
that it be only Yours.
Great God of wisdom,
Great God of mercy,
give me of Your fullness
and of Your guidance
at the turning
of each pass.
Peace between me and my God.
May I tread the path
to the gates of glory.
Rule this heart of mine
that it be only Yours.
God’s path would I travel,
my own path refuse.
May I tread the path
to the gates of glory.

Amen.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Beth Stedman

PS – the vivisection part of the title was just to get your attention, but really I think the process of getting visas can sort of feel like vivisection some times ;)

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A Long Day

June 16th, 2008

Hope. Anticipation. Excitement. Nervousness. Fear. Disappointment. Doubt. Anxiety. Stress. Uncontrollable tears. Grasping. Striving. Giving up. Surrender. Peace. Calm. Hope. Anticipation. Excitement. Doubt. Disappointment. And more tears…

It was a long day.

What happened? We tried to pick up our visa in Vienna. You’d think that since we have already been approved for visas picking them up would be no big deal and a quick and painless process… Wrong. Not for us. Not today. It looks like we will have more hoops to jump through and will have to make another trip to Vienna to pick them up after rounding up more paperwork. Clearly, saying “your visas are approved” means basically nothing – you still have all sorts of things to do before they will actually give them to you and let you live here.

Today I, once again, felt my near desperate desire to be in Prague… and I cried thinking about all the what if’s that go along with not yet having visas. What is it about this place that I love so deeply…? Why does Prague stir such strong emotion in me…? I’m realizing more and more that the real heart of it is unexplainable… I just deeply want to be here.

After the visa ordeal and after being awake for somewhere around 36 hours we got home and quickly showered before going to hear a lecture at Faith Community Church on Jan Hus. It was fascinating. I really enjoyed listening to Phil talking about Jan Hus and really liked the way that he presented the information. It stirred things in me. I miss history. Most of all I miss church history. I miss having that be a part of my life. Anyway, it was really interesting and I really enjoyed learning more about the fascinating man who was Jan Hus and the influence that he had on the Czech’s and also on the world. It was also nice to meet some new people there and also see people we know. After a long day of dealing with bureaucracy it’s nice to come back and be surrounded by FRIENDLY faces.

After it all I got to talk a little bit with Sarah Baker’s mom – wonderfully sweet women. She and her husband are planning on moving to Prague. But, tonight I didn’t really talk with her about their move much or about Prague, instead she told me a little of the ordeal they went through adopting their youngest daughter – I got choked up listening to it. I’ve gotten choked up a lot lately when adoption comes up… Anyway, it was nice to chat with her a little – she and her husband seem like a really great couple from the few brief conversations that I’ve had with them.

Anyway, that was the day. I’m off to bed now… it’s been way too long since I’ve slept.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Beth Stedman

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