Hi friends and family,

I wrote a blog right before Kirk came on Oct 1, but it didn't seem to get saved, so sorry you haven't heard from us in a while. We can use your prayers. He arrived safely, as most all of you know, over two weeks ago and received his work authorization stamp, which is good until Dec. 30. Today he goes to apply for his Social Security Number.

We are so grateful for all the help we are receiving for our wedding! We feel prepare for our marriage, but with 5 days left til the wedding, we are workingdiligently to get all things done, and are so thankful to those who are helping us.

You all haven't heard from me in a while because I have been in a whirlwind of moving, school starting and our school's biggest annual fund raiser - a Quilt Auction. This weekend I went on my church's annual retreat. It truly was a breath of fresh air to be in nature and surrounded by green trees and grass with the sounds of crickets and birds echoing in my ears. It almost made me forget my cemented city home with the sirens blaring by, well it did, until I tried to fall asleep last night. However, it did not make me forget this unsettling ache deep within. In fact, the retreat brought the pain of separation from Kirk salient in my mind. Yearning for peace, Saturday night I cried out to the moon, asking God to give me peace. So soon, I know, these days are nothing compared to the lifetime we will be together. But it wasnt until last night, until after Kirk and I finally got to have a decent conversation this weekend, that my heart became content, knowing these last two weeks, Kirk needs to be with his family and friends. I praise God for the peace he has given me. No doubt the ache of separation still hurts deep within, but somehow I have a peace, knowing that Kirk needs this time to say good-bye. As the days draw closer for us to be together, I continue to trust in God's promise to us, that we will be together.

Okay, it's been two weeks now that I've had this nasty virus, and been on medication for a little over a week.  From tonsillitis to apparent disagreement with the antibiotics, my body hasn't been cooperating all that well on my last few weeks to wind down before the big move.  So I've had much more time to research, as I prepare for Sarah's and my wedding and honeymoon, and my imminent departure from Trinidad to a much colder land.

One thing I've had the chance to really ponder is the rising cost of healthcare in the US.  I remember seeing billboards on my last trip to Illinois campaigning to 'Keep Doctors in Illinois', a campaign to keep doctors from leaving because of rising insurance costs.  Imagine that, the insurance is so high for doctors, that they are leaving the state. Doctors, hospitals, drug companies, lawmakers, insurance companies and consumers of medical services all contribute to the rising costs of medical costs. We must find a solution.  Why must it cost so much? Itr really doesn't cost that much and we all know it doesn't. Who gets all the money at the end of the day? I'll continue looking at that as I try to select a health insurance plan for myself, to find some medical coverage to even survive in this different world of the United States of America.

Okay, I got out of bed way too early this morning despite the fact that I'm still recovering from the flu and had a very restless night last night. 

Here's my account of my visa interview this morning.  I got to the embassy for 6:50am to beat the masses.  I didn't beat them; there were throngs of people already at the embassy and several of them sporting these big envelopes that I knew were for the immigrant visa appointments.  At 7:00am they welcomed everyone over the bullhorn as we were herded (yes, I use that cattle term purposefully) away from the pavement unto the road. The officer at the gate, asked those who were here for immigrant visas to take their appointment letters out of the envelopes and take two steps forward from the main group. Yes, more herding, but somehow with my two steps I ended up in front of the line, so I was the third person into the embassy. 

For the Trinidadians who read our blog, Happy Independence Day. It's a bittersweet day for many of us. We love Trinidad and Tobago, our twin island republic. Yet in the last 43 years of independence, we look back and see what we've accomplished, and we admit that we're more than a bit disappointed. I look at The Trinidad Express newspaper today saddened to see the state of our nation.

On the eve of the Anniversary of our independence, our Prime Minister, the Hon. Patrick Manning addressed the nation saying, "As a young nation we have made considerable progress (and) we have been able to develop and exercise our sovereign integrity."  Progress indeed Mr. Manning, and this is the price we pay for it!

Well that's exactly what Sarah went to do this week, to prepare a place for us. We have an apartment now. This week Sarah found us a lovely apartment in Oak Park. Her current lease in Clarendon Hills is up at the end of this month, so she can move in to our new apartment in Oak Park, Illinois, which we've been praying that we get at the end of this month. It's all slowly coming together.

Now we need to move her in, and when I come in October we'll decide where everything goes.  As of this week we officially have an apartment - our first apartment, and we have a parking space in a garage, because we know those are extremely hard to find in Oak Park.  Yay!

Yes, it really is going to happen.  Sarah and I are going to get married on October 22.  I heard from the embassy this afternoon and they scheduled my interview for September 7 at 7:30am.  I'm usually a late riser, but I'll be up before the sun that morning.  It's really going to happen.  Yay!  I can breathe now...

This morning I took Sarah to the airport for our final goodbye.  We knew this moment was coming for some time now.  It was a moment to celebrate and still a bittersweet one at that.  It was great having Sarah be a part of my life here in Trinidad over these last three weeks, but now, she's gone back.. there's so much to do.

As they wax poetic, "Parting is such sweet sorrow".  It stinks.  I wish I knew exactly when I'd see her again, but that as with so much else we have waiting in the balance is out of our hands.

Pray for us these coming weeks as it's going to be hard: the not-knowing part.

Today Kirk and I celebrate our one year anniversary of our interest in one another. This occured just before he left last year for his trip to Guyana. We had both expressed an interest in each other sensing God was drawing us to one another. Yet, until he left for Guyana and God truly stirred his heart, I don't think either of us knew in what direction God was leading our relationship. And now here we are one year later 3 months before our wedding!

Thank you for your prayers. We called the US Embassy in Trinidad yesterday, they have received our case and the packet was sent early this week. However, it still has not arrived here. Until he receives it and replies the interview date remains unknown, but we are close...very close. Still, each day that slips by puts the interview date one day later. I trust God that all will arrive in time. We are doing are part to be ready for each step, preparing papers etc for the interview. Your prayers are still coveted.

This week we heard from the Department of State regarding our visa petition, they assigned it a case number and were in the process of forwarding it to the embassy in Trinidad for the remainder of the process.  So now we wait in anticipation for the embassy to contact me and give us an interview date.  Continue to pray for us, that this process is not delayed by any process.

Well life goes on while all of this is happening.  We've been researching apartments for a bit online, and Sarah goes apartment hunting tomorrow.  She's gonna look for a place that we're gonna live in.  We've decided that although she's gonna move in, she's not going to settle in until I get there.  We want the place to be our place, so we decide where everything goes.  So here's our quandry.  We have no idea when I'll get a work permit after I arrive to start working in the US, then we have no idea where I might get a job. Apartments in this area typically require a one year lease.  So based on those unknowns, we need to find an apartment which is centralized to public transport for me to work either east or west of it, with minimum problems.  We're thinking of Oak Park right now, because of it's proximity to the Metra and the CTA lines.  Again.. we have no clue when I can start working in the US, and thereafter, where I might get a job... so it's all a guessing game.  So that's what's happening now.