Waiting for Aaron and Snow

Our nephew, Aaron (Marci's older boy), has been working overseas for a number of years. While working and living in Saipan, he met a young Chinese lady, named Snow (her anglicized name), fell in love with her and became engaged. They began planning for a wedding in Dallas, where Marci lives. However, the red tape for getting Snow into America continued to drag on for nearly two years. Therefore, part way through that discouraging wait, they decided to get married in Saipan.

But now, at last, Snow has the credentials in place to live in the U.S. Monday of this week they flew to California. Their intention was to pick up their car, which had been crated in, and shipped from, Saipan; and then to drive west, to Dallas. On their way they would pass through Albuquerque, so we asked if they'd spend the night with us on their way through. They happily accepted our invitation. We all, somewhat naively as it turns out, assumed they would get their car from Customs on Tuesday morning, putting them into Albuquerque fairly late on Tuesday night. But Tuesday evening we learned that Customs hadn't yet released their car, and wouldn't until they could get the car, and the crate it came in, x-rayed. Aaron was told it would probably be Wednesday or Thursday before he would have the car.

As anxious as we were to see them, we knew that Marci had to be ten times more anxious. She hasn't seen her son, Aaron, in over three years, and hasn't yet met her new daughter-in-law. So Dan called Marci on Thursday morning and asked her if she'd like to fly to New Mexico and be here when the "kids" arrived. Then she could ride, with them, on to Dallas. She thought that was a great idea, and was here by 4:00 Thursday afternoon.

All day, Thursday, our thoughts and prayers were with Snow and Aaron, who were, we assumed, driving west, on I-40, across California, through Arizona, and half-way across New Mexico (about a 12 hour trip), to arrive by 9:00 p.m. or so at our house in Albuquerque. Assumed, that is, until we heard from them, late in the day, that the car had STILL not been x-rayed or released. Disappointed, but not as disappointed as Aaron and Snow, themselves, we began hoping for a Friday morning release of the car.

Last night we got the phone call, telling us that the car didn't make it to the front of the line, yet, and, because of the weekend, Monday is the earliest possible day that it might happen.

As we wait, we are enjoying Marci's company. Aaron and Snow are fortunate that Aaron's cousin, Jacob, and his family live in the L.A. area, and have welcomed them into their home.

After such a long wait to get Snow's papers, and now this new obstacle, we're praying that they will get the car back in their possession as soon as possible, that they will have a safe trip on the road, and that their new life here in America will be blessed by the Lord.