 |
| This would be an epic way to travel. |
It has been a few months since our last update blog! We have received a few messages and emails asking about our progress. We thought that it would be best to write this blog as an update on The Walker’s.
It is also way easier than answering every message separately.
To say that the past few months have been very eventful for us would be a substantial understatement. Our capacity for transition has gauged at a pressure so intense that I am sure you could power a steam engine with the resulting combustion of calamity. We have experienced everything from laughter, joy, tears, and confusion. We have wondered if we will ever again have a full nights sleep! I might go out on a limb and say that we’ve never experienced this much eventfulness in our lives.
So you may be asking, “What series of events could produce such eventfulness?”
1. We welcomed our first child into the world on September 21, 2014.
 |
| 1 hour old. |
Her name is Olivia Pearl Walker. She was born weighing 6 lbs 8.5oz. Isn’t she beautiful? Olivia has been a source of so much joy and excitement in this eventful season of life. (and also sleep loss) We are so thankful that God has blessed us with the gift of our daughter Olivia! Kaylee and I still cannot shake the surrealness of entering into parenthood. It is like nothing we have ever experienced before.
The days before her arrival were filled with preparation and expectation. We diligently purchased cribs, prams (strollers), car seats, diapers, onesies, and a whole host of necessary items. We read books. We researched the best parenting practices. We attended parenting classes. We sought out advice from fellow young parents. Did this prepare us for the reality of parenting? Were we sufficiently ready for the task of caring for a baby?
No….not even close.
Nothing can fully prepare you for this phase of your life. The only way to fully know is to walk the path and experience it firsthand. I expect that this could probably be said about a good many other things in life. I am convinced that ultimately, experience is the best teacher. But I must warn you; she charges the highest tuition. So be prepared my friends.
Here is a video of Olivia sending her greetings to you.
2. We are moving internationally…again!
 |
| Improper lifting technique. She might throw out her back. |
I imagine that some of you have moved a few times in your life. It can be quite a hassle. You have to organize all your possessions, pack boxes, clean house, rent a u-haul, and eventually drive down the road and unpack everything.
 |
| This picture represents moving to Florida. |
Moving internationally could be compared to “normal” moving, in the same way that space travel could be compared to airplane travel. In both space travel and air travel, you have left the ground and ascended into the air. You will experience, in both forms of transportation, g-forces, in-flight meals, washroom breaks, and travel vast distances in a short time. The difference between the two methods is the intensity and reach! Space travel takes you to new heights beyond the atmosphere. There is a whole different preparation involved with space travel. There is a whole different set of risks in space travel. In the same way, moving internationally is going to stretch you to a whole new level.
Just how far will you be stretched? What new heights will you reach? Let us give you a few examples of the challenges of moving internationally:
 |
| Not sure what happened to his feet. |
The cost of moving internationally will stretch you! If you were moving from Saskatoon to Calgary, you could rent a U-Haul or borrow a friends truck to move the larger items. Then you and your loved ones could leisurely take a drive to your new home city. You might even buy your friends pizza for helping with the move and contribute a couple bucks towards gas. This is not the case with internationally moving. Your airplane pilot is nothing like your friend with the truck.You need to book flights months in advance for each of your family members. Airlines tend to charge way more than the cost of pizza for your pals.You will need to pay custom fees on declared items. Tax !? You heard me right! The government will charge you tax on all those possessions that you have to take back home with you. You will need to pay for visa’s and passports. Our U.K. visa’s were $500 CAN a piece! And that’s all before you leave the airport to drive you humble abode! Oh…Did I mention luggage yet?
 |
| This will cost $150 as extra luggage. |
Luggage! You need to come to grips with the reality that you cannot bring all of your possessions with you. You need to collapse your life into a few suitcases. If you are lucky, you may even get a few boxes to ship over the ocean with a courier. Whatever the case may be, you will soon realize that hauling your possesses overseas is an expensive affair. When Kaylee and I first moved over to the U.K. we took seven full pieces of luggage and shipped three guitars through Fedex. The total cost was around $2000 CAN. (And that was the cheapest option available to us!) My honest advice to anyone moving internationally is to rid yourself of as many possessions as you can. Take only what you need. Live simply. It will help you make the transition to your new home in one piece. That being said, it is extremely difficult to decide what will you will fit into your suitcases. Do you keep the books? Do you keep the extra coat? Do you get rid of those jeans you swear that you’ll fit into one day? These are the decisions you will have to make. I cannot stress enough that luggage is very expensive! Try to have the least amount of it as possible.
 |
| Actual photo... seriously. ;) |
Another huge hurdle to cross will be the paperwork. You will fill out a busload of it. You will need to fill out visa applications, passport forms, custom forms, airline forms, bill payment forms, bank account forms, etc……Then you will need to wait for the various organizations to receive and process your paperwork. The reward for this will likely be more paperwork! It also important to note that you should also make sure to back up all your important documents and keep them with you at all times. If you are traveling with medication, you should have a doctor’s note confirming the type of medication with prescribed doses, what the medication is for and any other medical items required, such as syringes or Epi-Pens. Failure to have the proper paperwork could result in loss of items, delay of travel, or worse. To travel with Olivia we will need a doctor’s consent form that will confirm her shots are up to date and authorize her to make the flight. We also had to apply for her Canadian citizenship and Canadian passport because she is not a U.K. citizen! We kind of assumed that she would automatically become a U.K. citizen, however the law was changed in 1983 to prevent foreigners from obtaining citizenship based on their birthplace, instead receiving citizenship based on their parents citizenship status. This was a huge reason that we are taking our time in coming home.
I hope that gives you a brief description into the unique challenges of international moving!
3. Searching for a new job
 |
| I wonder who wasted an afternoon cutting out the word "career"? |
Searching for employment can be a challenge for anyone regardless of location. You need to update your résumé, search countless websites for job postings, write cover letters, and pray that you catch the attention of a potential employer. I find that searching for a job while living in a different country can have its own unique set of challenges. This was especially true for arranging interviews across timezones. Greenwich time was seven to five hours difference to many of the locations I called. I once had to have a Skype interview with a church in British Columbia at midnight my time. I, Paul, still wonder if my answers were coherent enough to pass, but considering I didn’t get the position, I doubt it! ;)
We can’t release a lot of details at the moment, but we are happy to confirm that we will be candidating at a church upon our arrival back in Canada. Please keep us in your prayers regarding this matter!
How have we coped through the eventfulness?
We have some amazing friends here in the U.K. that have been a HUGE blessing to us! We have genuinely felt the encouragement and support from so many people here in the U.K. We have had people drop off food, babysit Olivia, support us financially, and drop by to visit us! We will miss our friends here in the U.K.! We have re-learned in this season that God loves to answer prayer by moving the hands and hearts of people around us… and we are amazed!
What is happening next?
We need to move out of our flat on November 5th. We will be staying with our friend's Scud & Rosie until November 8th. From there we will make the journey down to Birmingham to stay with our friends Cheryl & Michael Nimz, who are fellow Canadians living and working in Birmingham with the Anabaptist Network U.K. They have been a huge blessing to us! While we are in the city of Birmingham, Olivia will receive her eight week vaccinations. We will also need to acquire medical note in order for us to take her on the flight.
Speaking of flights! We have booked our tickets home with Iceland Air! The advantage of Iceland Air is extra baggage allowance, low cost, and great service. We have just one layover in our whole flight home. It is in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. We are excited to spend seventeen hours wandering around Iceland before boarding our flight to Edmonton, Alberta. We will then stay with Paul's parents for a couple of weeks in Lloydminster.
Here is a little video demonstrating our travel plans for the next month:
How can you help?
We are glad you asked! ;)
Just pray for us.
Pray for traveling mercies.
Pray for peace.
Pray for strength.
Pray for “open doors”.
Pray for renewed joy.
Pray for continued comfort.
Pray for encouragement.
Pray that we would increased in love.
With love,
Paul, Kaylee, & Olivia Walker
