We are in the middle of some wonderful family time, but I wanted to give you two pieces of great news.
1. We were approved for our visa allowing us to stay another year here in Ireland.
Here's a brief summary of what we do to stay in Ireland. Every year we show up to the Immigration office and stand in line (like the one pictured above) for a couple of hours. Once inside, we receive a number and wait another hour or two. Once our number is called we present our required documents. If approved, we wait for another hour or two to receive our new cards. Nothing too crazy. That happens every year in May.
Except now that we've been here over three years, before we go through that process, in January we send in a large packet full us many more required documents to the Department of Justice. This is essentially our application for approval to apply. Many people around the world have it much worse. It's a little tedious, but we are so grateful for the favour we've receive so far.
2. We both passed our Irish driver's license tests on the first try!
In Ireland, everyone is required to take a minimum of twelve lessons before they can take the driving test. We heard many horror stories of the driving tests here. Apparently, it's very common to take the test at least twice. Again, we are grateful for favour.
These may seem like little things, but having them behind us gives us such peace of mind. They are both very important for being here longterm. We are so blessed for what God has in store here in Ireland. Thank you for your prayers and support!