It
has been a while since I have written on my blog. As January rolls in, my New Year’s Resolution
for this year is to do a better job waiting on God. Waiting is never easy, especially when it
involves being separated from a loved one.
For me, the journey of waiting for my husband to immigrate to America from
Nigeria has been one of the most challenging seasons of my life. It has tested
my patience in every imaginable way. Yet, through this season, God has taught
me valuable lessons about trust, hope, and the beauty of His perfect timing.
The
Pain of Waiting
When
I first embarked on this journey in 2021, I had no idea how complicated the
U.S. immigration system was. I thought
that people marry abroad, and their spouse joins them immediately in the U.S. However, that is not the case. The U.S. citizen must petition for the spouse
(I 130) which presently takes USCIS over a year to attend to. After receiving approval, the couple must go
through the National Visa Center for even more processing. Then after all of that is approved, there is
a waiting period for an interview.
Usually this takes months, however, for some reason it takes up to a
year at Lagos Embassy.
And
to top it off, I could not even get the process started until May of 2023. Though we got married in August of 2021, it
took two whole years for his passport to be updated. This was mainly because of pandemic delays
and immigration officers not being able to process his paperwork. However, after two long years he finally received
his passport and we could finally move forward with petitioning for his
residency in the United States.
It
was in these moments of pain and frustration that I learned to be honest with
God. Sometimes we may be afraid to be honest with our Lord because we may think
it offends Him if we share our grievances.
However, this is what He wants us to do.
The Psalms became a refuge for me as I poured out my heart to Him, much
like David did when he cried, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How
long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1).
Waiting
gives you the opportunity to become more focused and stable
One
good thing that I have learned about waiting is that it grants you the
opportunity to become more focused and stable.
Because my husband and I live thousands of miles apart, we are both able
to work on ourselves as individuals. He
was able to get extra training in his career as we waited. I was able to begin a career in special
education which brought more financial stability into my life. We
have time to really plan what kind of future we will want for ourselves and our
family we will create.
My
resolution
As
I wait, I thank God for the times I do get to visit my husband. Because I teach, I am able to spend the entire
summer in Nigeria. There, I learn the language,
customs, and culture of the Igbo people.
I have visited Nigeria four times, something I have never imagine being
able to do. And not only do I visit, but
I am able to stay there for a couple of months.
Finally,
we are at the final leg of the journey, which is the visa interview. Once the Lagos embassy has an opening for
him, he will be able to be interviewed and finally get to join me in
America. Praise be to God!
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