We are still waiting to hear from the South African Embassy. While waiting for work permits, my family decided to utilize airline tickets bought last year for our January 2017 flights back to Cape Town (CT) that were not able to be used. We will travel to CT to move out of our home, attend the South African Campus Crusade for Christ Staff Conference and visit friends and school officials. Our travel agent rescheduled our January flights with no change fees applied; she is great! Our family leaves on March 23, 2017. I am hoping this month-long visit will be refreshing and aid us to persevere through the wait.
While waiting, our CT rental home lease was not renewed. The owner shared he desires to reside in the home by April 1. My wonderful South African team members have already begun packing up our home. When we arrive in CT we will complete the process, and place our furniture in storage. After March 31, we will travel along South Africa’s southern coastline to attend our staff conference in Port Shepstone.
The conference will be bittersweet. Attending this strategic event helps to give staff direction on how to implement new strategies to reach the vision of everyone knowing someone of truly believes in Jesus Christ in South Africa, but I will not get the opportunity to be in the field with the team. At the end of the meeting, our visit will be halfway complete. We will travel to Cape Town to spend time with friends and meet with school officials.
My children are excited to see school friends. Some will be able to have fun at friends’ parties. Melanie and I will meet with our children’s schools and hope they will still be admitted when our permit ordeal is over. Melanie and I are glad to be able to see our CT friends. We are grateful for their prayers.
Upon returning to the US on April 25, my prayer is this experience will get us through the wait. Continue to pray the South African Embassy will send us information that will tell us when this wait will be over.
Praising God for your partnership,
Leon Best
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