An American in England: Baby's Got Two Passports

We've had a very busy few months. In January, we moved to a new home, and I restarted my Graduate Certificate, which I finished just a few weeks ago. Alexander has been busy with his teacher training, and he's got a job lined up for when he finishes. Baby boy is now a year old (where did the time go!), and we had a lovely birthday party to celebrate. I even made my first birthday cake...

During Alexander's Easter holiday, we were able to take a family trip to Dublin for a few days. It was really a lot of fun. We got to go to the zoo, have a pint of Guinness in the storehouse, tour an exhibit at the General Post Office on the Easter Rising of 1916, and lots of other cool stuff. It was a special time to be there since it was 100 years since the attempted revolution.

 

For me, the most exciting part of the past few months was getting our son's American passport. Not because the process of getting the passport was exciting, much the opposite in fact, but because it meant he had two passports before the age of one...fascinating for me as I didn't even have a single passport until I was 17! 

The actual process of getting the passport was fairly complicated. With his British passport, all we needed to do was send an application, photo, birth certificate, and reduced fee. A few weeks later, he had his passport, which is valid for 5 years. For the American passport, we needed to make an appointment at the embassy in London. Both Alexander and I had to go to the appointment, otherwise we would have needed to get an official document excusing the absent of one parent. In order to get the passport, we needed to also get a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). The passport was $105, and the CRBA was $100. Along with the fees and applications, we needed: Alexander's passport, my passport, Baby's British Passport, our marriage certificate, my divorce decree from previous marriage, Baby's full birth certificate, proof of my residence in the U.S. To prove I had resided in the U.S. I had to show my high school transcripts, university transcripts, tax documents. We also had to apply for a Social Security Card. The appointment took about an hour, and they had a nice little play area for babies, but it really seemed to be a bit over-the-top to get a document that is valid for 5 years and will only be used when travelling in and out of the U.S.

Regardless of the hassle, I'm excited that my baby boy is lucky enough to have dual citizenship. When he's older, he may choose to only have one, but I'm glad that he's the one who will make the choice!

Jacque in Jakarta: Life as a Christian

In honor of Easter, I've decided to share my experience as a Christian living in Jakarta. It hasn't been the challenge I was anticipating, but it has been a challenge in ways I never realized.

The first two months we were living in Jakarta, we weren't going to church. It was a a burden for me because we had been going every Sunday before we came to Jakarta. Finally, my amazing husband tracked down an English-speaking Christian church. We went on the first Sunday, and I was so happy to be home. It was something that had definitely been missing, and once we had the comfort of a church family, it made life here in Jakarta a lot easier.

However, things aren't always easy for religious minorities. Here in Indonesia, Christians make up less than ten percent of the population, while over 85% are Muslim. This has led to some religious strife here in Jakarta. Luckily though, we haven't faced those issues since we've been here.

For me, this journey as a Christian in a Muslim country hasn't been publicly challenging, but personally challenging. I have always been unsure about the strength of my faith. I would sit in the pews furthest to the back. I would never put myself in a position to talk about my faith. Even though I had a true longing to be more involved, I would do everything I could to avoid it. But, I have learned in the past few months that the plans we have for ourselves are not always the plans that are best for us.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
-Jeremiah 29:11

This was the first verse I heard on the first Sunday I went to church in Jakarta. I return to it time and again. I know that whenever I get a pull in my heart to do something, it's a pull toward the plans that the Lord has for me. He pulled me to return to church in Jakarta, which can be dangerous. He pulled me to join a Bible study group, so I could share my testimony and learn more about His word. And most recently He has pulled me to join in the prayer ministry at church.

And of course, I know that He has used some awesome people to give me the extra pushes I needed. First and foremost, my loving husband has been my support to get me to the door. And I wouldn't have come this far without the encouragement of my loyal friend Helen. Also, our vicar, Jon, has opened doors to my faith that I didn't know existed.

All in all, life as Christian is a challenge. Sometimes though, the biggest hurdle is yourself.