"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28
If you've never adopted from or travled to China before, you may not be aware that it takes more than just a passport and a plane ticket to actually get to China.
Chinese citizens traveling to the U.S. and United States citizens traveling to China are required to have a
VISA which allows entry into each country.
VISA
A small, little, four-letter word.
Simple enough, right?
WRONG!!!
It's a government document.
(Translation = $$$ + paperwork)
Today, I couldn't even tell you how much my visa will cost. Or how much it will cost me to pay a courrier to walk my paperwork into the Chinese Embassy and stand in line for me so that I can receive a beautiful sticker in my passport that will allow me to travel to China, again. (I really do love looking at my visa stickers. It always makes my heart happy.)
Today is all about PAPERWORK!!!!
Well, paperwork, and paper, and computers, and printers, and...okay, I'll start closer to the beginning...
This has been our first week of Summer Break. Nobody has Summer School! Nobody has any Camps! Nobody really had anything to do, so we haven't done much all week.
(Unless you count the bird in the house yesterday and Animal Control coming to get it out of the house but not the rest of the nest of birds living in the attic because that is not their job which would be why I didn't work on this visa paperwork yesterday.)
So I have been that Bad Mom who has let my kids sleep until noon most days this week and stay up late almost every night. It has felt so GOOD!
Today, I planned to get them up out of bed! Maybe around 10:00am? We would accomplish something today! And then we'd have fun doing "B Day" activities! (
A to Z Summer Fun by Catherine Baker) But I REALLY needed to finish the visa application paperwork for Miranda and I for the July Storyteller Mission trip TODAY...so the kids could sleep in a bit longer while I worked on it because it wouldn't take too long to type in a few blanks, make some copies, and have it all ready to mail...
RIGHT?!?!?!?
In the quiet and calm of the morning, I tiptoed downstairs to find our passports in the fireproof box where we keep them safe. I tried the first key...I tried the second key...I tried the third key...repeat because there are only three keys. Finally got the correct key to work!
I settled into my comfy computer chair and started to work. Pulling up emails, downloading documents, printing out samples to have on hand as a guide, and GO! Typing in answers to fill in all the blanks as my sweet children began to slowly awaken one by one. Wisdom said, "Save that document! Just in case you need to make a correction later." And then I printed out my copy and started to enter Miranda's information to the melodious sounds of my printer. Ahhhh...
But, wait...
Upon reviewing the copy of my application, I discover that my birthdate has been changed! The year jumped ahead but zeroed out the month and day. How odd?
No problem! I saved it! Remember?
Open the file...blank...completely blank???
FINE!
Print out Miranda's application and start over! But everytime I enter the birthdate, it changes to that totally weird, doesn't exisit day.
Ugh!
So my very helpful China Missions Coordinator friend sends me another version of the form. That should solve the problem!
It doesn't...
Try another computer!
So I leave behind my desktop PC and try the MacBook in my bedroom. Mr. Mac declares that it won't open the form unless I download a new font. So, I do. Still he refuses to recognize the font he demanded.
Miranda!
When you send a child off to college, and they return home with the computer you provided for their education, you should be able to demand that it cooperate and help complete a simple visa application form. Except, it refused to play fair...
Black Screen of Death...in protest
(at which point I did remind my college girl that this had nothing to do with her computer and everything to do with stopping us from getting these visas to go to China.)
I am not about to give up now! Downstairs to the kids homework computer! Except, I have to ask them to remind me what the password is to get on this computer. Re-enter all my information...and print...but which printer is currently playing nicely with this computer????
(I may have screamed into a pillow more than once by now. And maybe just screamed without a pillow too.)
Did I mention yet, that in the midst of all this, my kids were trying to make themselves breakfast? But everytime they used the microwave, the internet crashes! So I might have banned microwave use temporarily...EAT FRUIT INSTEAD!...for now?
So, I'm running up and down the stairs tweaking two applications, because everytime I think they are correct, we find a new error! We are now at the point where I'm misspelling "Son"..."Sone"! I can't even remember how to spell my daughter's name! And she had to remind me that she is "Single" and not "Married". And I may have entered "Wade" as my maiden name, once.
I try scanning my paperwork so I can have it reviewed by the coordinator...and the scanner eats one page!!! Both printers run out of paper! But I can't figure out how to load paper into one of them..."BOYS! HELP your poor mother!"
The T.M.I. part...I'm still in my PJs and haven't eaten a bite or even had a sip of juice or tea (Yuck! Don't touch coffee! Not grown up enough for that stuff.)
Hours and hours are ticking away on the clock...I have finally finished and sent the last copies to my dear coordinator, even attached our passport-size approved photos, with staples...alas...she has a life and left her computer screen briefly. (Run away! Run far, far away!)
While I'm patiently awaiting final approval, I requested that my dear, sweet, firstborn son, who works in his dad's office, bring home a FedEx envelope and mailing label for me on his way home from work. I just wasn't feeling like I needed to drag my whole crew up to Daddy's office today. Especially since I'm still in those PJs!!! But I will be taking my shower now...
Upon her return...did you know that the pictures are supposed to be TAPED to the form and NOT stapled?!?!?
I didn't...
Print new copies of the first page, while thanking God that we had the wisdom to get multiple copies of thoses silly, little, ugly pictures from Walgreens that long miserable Sunday afternoon with grumpy hungry children following church. Find the secret stash of double-sided tape and proudly afix the un-stapled extra in place. I even sent an extra text to let the coordinator know just how pretty my paper was going to look. No silly extra tape showing on these applications that I've worked so hard on all day long!
Did I get the email about the tape?
No...
It must be on the top edge and bottom edge of the photo or the Chinese Embassy will reject the applications?!?!?
UGH!!!
TAPE!
They want to see the tape on the pictures?!?
So I stop writing the address on the FedEx packing label, to begin my search for regular Scotch tape. Ah! The dispenser is empty and needs to be filled.
(You can't be surprised by this now.)
But by now I'm panicking about how exactly to tape the pictures onto the application form. I did NOT want to send any more texts or emails to my coordinator! So I decided that it couldn't be that hard to find instructions if I just Googled how to attach your picture to a Chinese visa application.
...(crickets)...
Nothing I'm finding says exactly HOW you are supposed to attach the picture. I've poured through all my emails and can't find the magic one with the instructions. Back to the Google search list until I stumble upon the Chinese Embassy's instructions for submitting your visa application. Still nothing...
...BUT...
...it talks about what to do if you had a visa in an old passport book but needed to get a new passport book and are submitting it for a new visa...something about including a copy of the old visa page or possibly being rejected.
Miranda has a brand new passport because her previous passport would have expired in December 2015. You are not allowed to travel to China on a passport that will expire in under six months (might have recently be increased to one year?). So we had already gotten her a brand new grown up girl passport good for the next 10 years (unless she does something crazy, like get married during that time period, but that would be LONG range plans...VERY FAR in the future).
Given the day I've had so far...I stopped and just thanked God...in the midst of all this hassle and panic and insanity...with every twist and turn, and hurdle, and roadblock, and frustration...God was directing my steps along the way...
I double and triple checked the address I was writing on that FedEx label and then was ready to put it in the plastic pocket on the envelope...
Oh! But look!
It has instructions for removing the protective backing so you can just stick it on your package! That's new, since I was mailing lots of adoption paperwork in 2010. Wonder how you get it in the plastic pocket after you expose the sticker?
You don't...
Google!
Nearest staffed, FedEx location...20 minute drive away!
Last pick up time on Friday night...6:30pm!
Time check...5:55pm!!!!
KIDS!!!!
GET IN THE CAR NOW!!!!
DON'T ASK ANY QUESTIONS!
JUST GET IN THE CAR!
I don't care that you are still in your footie PJs!
I don't care that the ground is wet from rain!
I don't care if you have on your shoes!
I don't care that you are 16-years-old!
Why do you think I don't care what your sisters look like?
JUST GET IN THE CAR!
Leave the 16-year-old in the car with the mixed up mess I call my family, and dash through the glass doors...to fill out more paperwork! Check, double check, and triple check those addresses before handing over the cash to launch my entire day's work into the wonderful world of FedEx package tracking.
BAM!
In and out and on our way home with 15 minutes to spare!
Home to order Chinese delivery for dinner so we can watch "The Spy Next Door" before I spend my late night folding towels to the new "Karate Kid".
So if you've made it this far, I hope you didn't miss it?
GOD is soooooo GOOD!
Even giving me that extra time in the car with my kids. Time to apologize for my short fuse today. Time to praise Him! Time to tell my kids the story of my day and how God showed up BIG in the midst of the mess to once again direct my path, in spite of me. Time to remind them once again that even though I'm XX years old, have traveled through two adoptions, followed Him to China last year on a mission trip, I still forget to trust Him and believe that He's got all the details under control, especially when I feel so out of control. Extra time to remind them of a similarly crazy day and chain of events while preparing our dossier for our last adoption and how a series of frustions actually saved us being delayed by at least one month while waiting to bring our youngest daughter home.
God's perfect timing never quite looks what my perfectly color-coded plans do, but He is always right on time.
More than anything, I am reminded today of just how precious and how priceless the lives of the children and staff we will travel to visit once again are to my heavenly Father.
These sweethearts are so worth it!
Looking back at the photos from 2014, I long to return to the children who are still waiting. Scrolling through Facebook and seeing smiles, laughter, siblings, long hair, round cheeks, families, and LOVE...I am again reminded of just how important that little visa sticker will be to the work God has planned.
Here am I, LORD!
Send me!
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