Delayed but Not Derailed
After a year of waiting, I am thrilled to share that there is progress in the sponsorship and visa application process!
As many of you may recall, Harbour City Church needed to reapply for sponsorship after their previous sponsorship had expired. A sponsor is necessary to secure a visa to live and work in Australia. The church applied in 2024, but was rejected due to concerns about their financial stability. This came as a surprise to us, since the church was larger and had more resources than when it previously had sponsorship.
Around that time, we also began to have concerns about the immigration lawyer we had been using for many years, as he was getting quite advanced in years. We consulted another lawyer who confirmed that the previous application had not been adequately prepared.
In early 2025, I was informed that because the church’s sponsorship application had been denied, my visa application would also rejected. I was given the option of finding another sponsor, or leaving the country.
The question then was “how soon can we reapply for sponsorship?” Because of the recent rejection, we knew the government would likely scrutinize the church’s finances very closely. With several unexpected expenses in 2025, we felt it would be wiser to wait until we could demonstrate greater financial stability and avoid showing large fluctuations in the church’s bank account.
Now, with stronger giving from church members and no unexpected large expenses recently, we believe the time is right to reapply for sponsorship!
Our MTW team is working with Harbour City Church to prepare documents for our new immigration lawyer to submit on our behalf. My visa application will be submitted at the same time.
So when can I expect to return to Sydney? At this stage, preparing both applications may take two to three months. After that, we will once again be waiting on government processing, which may take six months, give or take.
Please pray with me for the process to go quickly! I am very hopeful that I will be back in Sydney by the end of the year.
Waiting is never easy, and God’s timing rarely aligns with our own plans. Yet Habakkuk 2:3 reminds us:
“For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end — it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come;
it will not delay.”
Praise God that he is sovereign over all these things!
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