Don't Ever Mention the V-I-S-A Word...Please

Have I ever mentioned I graduated high school at 16? And that I received my master's by the age of 21? And was Miss. SPC and President's Student of the Year? I mean, I am not a dumb girl. In fact, I sometimes refer to myself as a nerd. This being said, completing our Visa application stripped me of my intelligence. I felt dumb and stupid not once, but twice.

Our entire adoption process has been smooth sailing. We have not had one single hiccup in any of our paperwork. Papers have never been returned to us. Perfection and promptness has been my motto through it all.

Back in early August I printed off the Visa Application from the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I filled out 2 sets of applications for us both. Attached a copy of our passport and yellow fever card. I then saw we needed 2 more passport photos. Well darn, I wish we would have known that 9 months ago when we got 4 sets of photos made. We could have gotten 1 more and just saved it. So we waited for a day I actually put makeup on, stood in line for 15 minutes, and took our photos not once, not twice, but three times. The first time Trevor's head didn't fit inside the "picture mold". Then my picture was too "pale"! Great...I'm obviously really white! Third time was a charm.

On September 7 we received our travel invitation from the DRC. That Monday I booked our flights and printed off the itinerary to attach to the visa application. I read through and checked off all instructions. To the post office it went and $40 later it was on it's way to the Embassy in Washington. About a week later I received our pre-paid envelope back in the mail. I was super excited and tore into the package only to find our applications and checks. I freaked out. Our program director happened to be in the hospital so I freaked out more. Luckily another sweet program director immediately returned my e-mail and said, "honey you were suppose to send the actual passport." What?!?! Just 2 weeks before I'm suppose to leave I'm suppose to take the chance of my passport being lost in the mail? Back to the post office I go, praying it gets approved and back to us before we have to leave in 1.5 weeks.

I just got back from the post office. We received the pink slip in the mail while we were in Lubbock stating they had a package for us from the Embassy. Columbus day was yesterday so I had to wait :-( I eagerly ran into the post office to get our package. I ripped it open and just began to cry. What?!?! All it is is our passports. There's no visa, nothing. We're not going to be able to leave Friday! What do I do? I felt the Lord say, "Be still my child. Look through the passport." I flip through thinking a small piece of paper with VISA at the top was going to fall out. Then it dawned on me to read the pages of the passport. Under the Visa page there's a blue stamp written in French obviously approving us to travel to Congo to get our son! Whewsh....just 3 days to spare!!