Update From Germany: August 2021 

Praise the LORD we arrived in Germany by the grace of GOD. Our exit from UK and entry into Germany was smooth and without any issues relating to the pandemic. We arrived at our host’s house shortly after leaving the airport. For most of the rest of the week we were busy calling people to update on our arrival and to settle down and to spend time relating with our host and setting our stuff in place.

We visited our prospective apartment in Buchholz on Friday after arranging a visit with our friends there. We used the opportunity to assess the apartment and take measurements so as to plan what furniture we need and the logistics around that. We relocated to our new apartment on 2nd August with the help and support of our Christian brothers and sisters here in Hamburg. Buchholz is 25km or 45mins drive from Hamburg, a Town of about 40,000 people. On arrival at Buchholz, we were met by our neighbours, who brought us flowers and gave us a warm welcome.

The new apartment is in a new building and is not furnished. This meant that we needed to find a way to get some essential furniture immediately. With the help of our neighbours and friends here, we got good information on places we could go shop for furniture and household items. However, GOD used our neighbours and friends to give us some of the household items. We pray the LORD will bless them greatly as these items really helped us with some immediate needs. The next few days we were busy shopping for furniture and household items.

We are still expecting our cargo from the UK as the customs clearance has been really challenging due to demands for really complicated documents and other requirements. We have managed to fulfil all the requirements and are now expecting and praying that our goods - which are already in Cologne Germany - can be shipped to us within the next week.

On Friday 13th August, we went to register our address, a requirement we needed to fulfil as intending residents of Germany. This was a seamless process, praise the LORD. We are now expecting our resident number to come by post in the next week or so. In the meantime, we have continued efforts to find jobs as we need to have employment before we can get a resident permit. Also, we plan to start the process of establishing our stay by opening a new bank account, buying a new sim for our phones so we can have German telephone numbers, etc.

Most importantly, we have been praying that the LORD will help us to build the right strategy for German language speaking and writing. At the moment, we are relying on our neighbours to teach us a few important words while we shop around for a suitable language school. Unfortunately not many schools are available in Buchholz, apart from the integration course which the government have provided to help foreigners who are trying to get a job in Germany. This does not start until November and it is intensive so it will not be possible to keep up with it if employed.

Please continue to pray for us using the points below:

1. Pray for us to be able to meet the requirement for a visa / resident permit. The permit allows us to stay in Germany beyond the 90 days allowed for a visiting visa.

2. Pray for us to find the best and most efficient language training module that suits our needs. Most of the jobs in Germany require German language proficiency to a good level; a requirement we obviously don't have at the moment. We are planning to work with our new friends in the local church in Buchholz on a strategy that will help our language proficiency.

3. Pray for our cargo from the UK to be delivered to us without further delay. Many of our household items like our clothes, shoes, books etc are in the expected cargo shipment. We are still managing with the few items we brought with us.

4. Pray for good health, that GOD will grant us the strength to cope with the changes the relocation have created.