Hello all!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

 

Yes, it's true and there will be a wedding this summer.  Well, actually two weddings.  We will get legally married in United States in early July and will head to Mexico City for the large church wedding on the 21st of July.

 

I'm sorry to leave many of you in the dark.  We've actually been engaged since last July.  Since that time, we've been doing all of the bureaucracy surrounding an international marriage.  Phase one came to fruition in April when we received a fiancée visa.  Now Areli will be able to come the United States to marry me (and come to my graduation!)  The problem is that when we leave to go back to Mexico, Areli will not be able to return on that same visa.  Therefore, there will be several more months of bureaucracy until she will finally be able to come and go as she pleases—that is to get her “green card”.  This is phase two. So what's the plan?

 

Areli and I will be living mostly in Mexico over the next couple of years.  She will finish her degree during that time.  It is still not clear what exactly I will be doing.  I planned to help out in local ministries and hope to do medical work there in some capacity.  The task of obtaining a medical license in Mexico is one that I have not been able to tackle from afar.  I will need to work on this once I am down there.  However, I do have a huge opportunity for "curbside consults" and health promotion.  In addition, in order to earn money and to keep my U.S. license active, I plan to return periodically to do temporary medical work.

 

There is one month and 24 days left in my residency (but who’s counting).  Then it will be time for a wedding, another wedding, and a honeymoon.  I can't think of a better graduation present.

 

I tried to keep this succinct.  I know that they're a lot more details I could fill in.