The last few months have been full of changes, growth, and so many reasons to be thankful! Bill, Anthony, and Mercy, along with her boyfriend, recently returned from a month-long trip. They visited our daughter, Adria, in Oregon, visited Bill’s family in Washington, and spent time helping a friend in California. While their adventure was wonderful, it’s so good to have them back home!
Bill and Jenna’s Update
Bill is wrapping up another semester at Southwestern Seminary, with a few more classes lined up for next semester. He’s starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel of earning his master’s degree. After a lot of hard work and studying, he’s excited to finish in the next year or so. Even after our move to Panama, he’ll continue his studies online.
In addition to school, Bill has been keeping busy with work, doing tile projects, and working on our immigration process for Panama.
Jenna recently had her last Sunday on staff at NorthPointe Church—a bittersweet moment as she transitions to working from home. She’s now offering neurofeedback therapy from our house and focusing on organizing everything for our big move.
The Visa Process
The journey to move overseas is both exciting and incredibly detailed. Many don’t realize how complex the process can be, but we’re committed to sharing it with you as we go.
We’ve started the process of obtaining our residency visas with the help of an immigration attorney in Panama. This includes gathering documents like background checks, original birth certificates, marriage licenses, and getting them apostilled here in the U.S. before sending them to Panama. Each step is precise and time-sensitive, and the process requires us to be in Panama within the next six months to finalize everything.
Once there, we’ll also need to find a place to live as part of the visa requirements. Even after we arrive, the process remains lengthy, but we’re officially in the six-month window!
Moving Challenges (and Our Dogs)
Moving to a different country is no small feat, and even getting our dogs to Panama involves extensive paperwork, health checks, and consulate approvals. We’ll share more about this in future updates, but these requirements have a large impact how we plan and time our move.
Preparing Our Home
We’ve started going through our belongings, selling what we don’t need. It’s been a major undertaking to say the least. Every bit helps with the financial demands of the visa process and the move.
Prayer Requests
As we navigate this exciting season, we would love your prayers for:
- Our hearts and minds to stay focused on Him each day
- The visa process and all its details
- Resolution of an insurance holdup with our roof
- Selling our house smoothly
- Provision for the financial costs of the visa process and our move
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Your prayers, encouragement, and support mean more than words can express. We’ll continue to share updates as we prepare to step into this new chapter in Panama!
In Christ,
Bill and Jenna Lewis
