more drama

Our visa appointment on Monday was very hard.  Imagine walking up to one of 13 windows in a room with 150 people sitting in it and having a conversation with someone through glass....with a screaming toddler on your hip that has been waiting with you for 2 hours for this interview in that room.  The consular officer was all business.  He got right to it asking me all sorts of questions about our adoption.  When E had been taken to the orphanage, when we met him, how long I had been in the country.

Imagine this officer looking annoyed and walking back to an office where he has a heated discussion with another gentleman.  All while you stand at the window wondering if this will be the end of your adoption of your son.  I was shaking.  He came back and said I just don't see any evidence that he was ever at an orphanage and you need to prove to me that he was.  Through the grace of God, I calmly explained the order of events as I knew them to be true.  As I spoke he typed away on his computer, never looking up or making eye contact.

More back to the office arguing with that gentleman and then he walked back, handed me a little blue slip of paper and said ok, we have approved his visa, come back on Friday to get it.

I almost burst into tears.  Relief that he had approved.  Fear that he would call later and tell me they changed their mind.

Fast forward to this morning.  We return to the Embassy and are ushered with about 50 other people to the area to collect visas.  A very nice man comes out and explains all about an immigrant visa and the things you should double check, what to do with the passport, and the yellow envelope they are giving me that cannot be opened until we reach immigration at NYC.  They begin to call names and as your name is called you go inside and get in a line.  Our name was not called.  He walks straight up to me and says, "You meet me at window 2."

I am freaking out.  If I am not in that line over there, I am the exception.  I am not getting my son's visa.  I am not going home today.  More shaking.  I get to window 2 and the kind man smiles and says there is a problem with his visa, we are going to fix it.  Why don't you take him for a walk (because the kid is screaming and he has pity on me) and come back in 15 minutes.

Then in 5 minutes or so they call Emmanuel Brown to window 2.  There is a woman there and she tells me they have printed his visa with him listed as a female.  They have sent off for some checks and put high priority on them.  (What does that mean, but I don't ask?) She knows it is hard because she has a toddler and I should go and have breakfast and come back at 11:00.

I have entered full freak out mode.  On the surface it seems that we will get our visa no problem, they are obviously saying that.  But I am tense with fear.  I don't see the consular officer from my interview anywhere or I would have been even more nervous he was going to revoke his visa or something.

We go back to the hotel and E runs around playing while I sit down to read a book my mom got me for  Christmas, Jesus Calling.  I turn to today's devotional and it says I want you to learn a new habit.  Try saying I trust you Jesus in response to whatever happens to you.  It went on to speak into me.  He spoke into me and through His grace I was at peace.

Back to the Embassy at 11:00 and the visa in our hands within 5 minutes.  The same lady handed it to me, apologized and was so kind in double checking it and his passport to make sure everything was in order.  She smiled and said, "You and your son may go home."

I am sure she about died when the crazy white lady with the screaming toddler burst into tears.

Love journeying with Jesus, but it sure can be dramatic, or maybe that is just me...I am sure the drama on my travels home with E will be quite amusing too.  But who cares, we are going home.