Hello to all our friends. You may have heard through Facebook or the grapevine that we are moving to Malaysia. Thanks to those who have emailed, called or spoken to us in person, expressing your concern and care. We really appreciate you all! I want to write this, to tell you the full story so we don't have to repeat it so much. A Blessing, and a Stipulation In 1996, Annie came to the United States to study at the East West Center at the University of Hawai'i. She came on a foreign exchange (J-1) visa, not a regular student visa. The US Dept of State, via its USIA program, sponsored her studies. She was given tuition, books, and a stipend. It was an obvious blessing from God, to get a full ride scholarship plus stipend for graduate school from the US government. The stipulation, however, was that at the end of her studies, she was to go back home for two years. The idea is, to use the education she got in the US to help her home country. Makes sense, right? However, written in bold letters on this visa is this caveat: NOTE: Marriage to a US Citizen or legal permanent resident or birth of a child in the US does not remove this requirement." Of course, Annie didn’t come here intending to get married. She was here to get her Master’s Degree in ESL, not an “MRS.” degree. But God had other plans, I guess. A Detour to San Jose Annie and I started dating in 1997. Of course, she told me right off that she had this stipulation on her visa. But that didn’t stop us from going forward in our relationship. Annie got her Master’s degree in Dec 98, but decided to continue her studies with the PhD program in Education. When she was approved for the program, we felt that this was also God’s will, for her to stay in the US. By then, we were thinking about getting married. Annie continued to work on her PhD coursework through 99 and 2000. At the same time, I was completing my education, with the thought that I would get a job in Information Technology with a multinational company that would allow me to eventually transfer to Malaysia when the time came. I interviewed with, and was hired by IBM after graduating in 2000. IBM moved me here to San Jose in June 2000. In August, Annie and I had our Chinese wedding banquet in Malaysia, followed by our official wedding in October in Hawaii. She moved up to San Jose in December 2000 once she finished her coursework. She could continue to work on her research and dissertation while living in California. Two More Wrinkles When we came to San Jose, one of the most important things to us was to find a church family that we could plug in to. We found San Jose Christian Alliance Church and felt very comfortable there. I also felt that this was where God was calling us. We made friends. We started serving on the ESL and worship ministries. We even went on a short term mission trip in 2001 to teach English. It all seemed to be going smoothly. And then, we found out we were pregnant. When Daniel was born in 2002, Annie took time off from her studies. She resumed them the following semester but the motivation to continue was not the same as it was in 1998. Still, that visa stipulation loomed on our minds. If she quit her studies, we’d have to go to Malaysia. We weren’t ready for that. So, she kept on. She got a little farther along with her research. And then we got pregnant again. When Esther arrived in 2004, Annie again took some time off from school. But now the motivation to get back into it was even less. We started talking about options. The Waiting Game We went to see an immigration lawyer, who suggested we might be able to get a waiver of the two-year homestay requirement. With the homestay requirement waived, she’d be able to stay in the US, even if she didn’t complete her studies. It would have to be based on an “extreme hardship” appeal, meaning that a return to Malaysia would pose an extreme hardship on us as a family and individually. Such waivers had been granted in the past, but in the post 9-11 world it was more difficult. On top of that, Annie’s sponsor, East West Center, would most likely object to granting the waiver. It would be 50-50 at best. We filed the appeal in 2005 and waited. And prayed. And waited. The wheels of government turn slowly. We prayed. And waited. And prayed. Years went by without any significant updates from our lawyer. In the meantime, life went on. We planted ourselves here in San Jose. Figuratively by making so many friends here. And literally by building our raised bed garden in the backyard of our house. I could see that it was becoming harder and harder to move, should the time come. But I was also feeling like we should really be prepared in case it did happen. Last November, our lawyer told us that the State Department had answered the Immigration Service’s request for input on our waiver. It was a good sign because that meant that Immigration didn’t deny our waiver application. The lawyer expected the State Department to say no, however, due to the stipulation on the visa. But of course we were praying otherwise. December came and went. Then January, February and March. Our lawyer told us to look out for a letter from the government. It finally arrived on Good Friday. Our answer had come. Not a Good Friday Unfortunately, it was not the answer we were hoping for. Essentially, the Immigration Service went with the State Department’s recommendation that the waiver not be granted. Annie has to fulfill her two year homestay requirement. There is no appealing this ruling. You can imagine what we felt. Dismay. Disappointment. Sadness. Then reality set in. “We have to go home. How are we going to do that?” Good Friday service was hard to get through. Our emotions were so raw at that point. Pastor Poon’s devotion about what we could sacrifice in the face of Jesus’ sacrifice for us was especially poignant. We would be giving up all of our family here in San Jose. It felt like our hearts were being ripped out. Blessings and Assurance It’s almost overwhelming, the stuff you have to think about and plan for now that you know you really are going. Thanks to all those people who called, emailed, and spoke to us in person once they started seeing our cryptic Facebook status updates. They are a real blessing to us. Today’s Easter Sunday message, about Jesus appearing to the disciples shortly after His resurrection, really spoke to me. The disciples were gathered in fear. Jesus appeared to them and said to them, “Peace be unto you!” Only it wasn’t just an ordinary greeting. He passed on His supernatural peace to them, and transformed their minds and their attitudes. We so needed this. The message we are beginning to receive is that this trip home is in God’s plan. He has a purpose for us. We may not see it yet. It will be a hard preparation and journey to Malaysia. But we are going to bless and be blessed. So, When are We Going? The letter from Immigration doesn’t actually say when we need to leave. The date of our departure is really up to us. At this point, we don’t know when exactly we are going. We were thinking to do it before school starts in the Fall, so as not to disrupt Daniel and Esther’s classes. That’s a little over four months away! Sixteen weeks! Another thing to consider is whether I can find a job in Malaysia. I have to start looking, and start networking. The sooner I can find a job to support our family, the better. How You can Help First and foremost, pray. Pray for peace. Pray for my job. Pray that we’ll have the wisdom and courage to know what to take and what to give up. Next, celebrate with us. We don’t have much time left, so let’s make the most of it. Invite us to dinner, or come over to our house for dinner. Finally, fill our shoes. If you aren’t ministering in church already, jump in. Sunday School and ESL really need teachers. The Worship Team needs singers, leaders, and AV people. The Gatekeepers ministry needs ushers and greeters. Our small groups need shepherds. The English Congregation is going to need another Ministry Assistant. Don’t hide your talents! Peace be unto you, Nate and Annie | 
