Where to begin? At the beginning, I guess.
Monday May 9th was Beto´s interview appointment for his residency at the US embassy here in Tegucigalpa. What that means is that we´d already turned in his basic information to one office at the embassy, they approved it and sent it on to the consule´s office. That process took a couple of months longer than expected but after making a TON of phone calls to the embassy, one nice lady gave him an early appointment so we wouldn´t have to wait till July.
The appointment went really well. That´s when we turn in all the rest of the very detailed paperwork that I worked on like a part-time job to get together. Tax forms from the last three years, THANK YOU MOM!, and a bunch of other boring forms. The stack of papers was about 3 inches high and probably weighed about two pounds, at least I think so. I felt good that the first girl we saw, behind a window of course, congratulated me on how organized the paperwork was. I wanted to make it easy on them to find what they ask for and make a good first impression.
She then sent it all on the the consul while we waited. About an hour later we were called into a little room to talk to another lady behind another window. And they can´t ever tell us their names. Probably so mad people who don´t get VISA´s can´t look them up! So she had each of us raise our right hands to solemnly swear that everything we were about to say was the truth.
She only asked why we were leaving Honduras. We told her, she requested one more paper, told us to take it to window 2 the next day then see her again at her window 5 and she would give Beto his Residency the next day or WEdnesday.
So the next day Tuesday we went back to the embassy but nothing went as we expected. first of all even though we got there when they told us to come the guard wouldn´t let us in until 10, 30 minutes later. Then he wouldn´t let Beto in. Then instead of going to window 2 I had to take a number and wait an hour for my number to be called. It was called by a different lady at window three. I gave her the document they wanted and she said they would call us in 2 weeks.
I wanted to argue and protest but I couldn´t say anything. The atmosphere in the embassy is so scary and intimidating. Sometimes I have had the guts to fight with them but not this day. So I walked away but started thinking about going back, but when I looked there was already another person there. I walked outside and talked to beto about it and then decided that, no, I should explain to here that I was supposed to see the consul again and she said she would give Beto his residency this same day. But when I tried to go back in the guard wouldn´t let me. He called the lady at window three but she said I already had my chance and I would have to call in the PM. Nah, I didn´t have the energy to do that because I could already predict that they would tell me I would just have to wait.
and all that afternoon and evening I was kicking myself for not having been more aggressive. And being upset about how unorganized the embassy is, each person telling me something different. they should have their information straight!
But i had to leave it in God´s hands and trust that it was His perfect timing. Plus, it was only two weeks! We met a girl that was there with me that was told she would have to wait another whole year, although that´s because of certain issues she has in her history.
So the next day which was Wednesday, yesterday, I´m sitting in the car while Santi sleeps in the back and Beto goes into the bank. His phone rings with an unknown number and at first I hoped it would be the embassy but then I didn´t want to get my hopes up. Sure enough, they said Beto got it approved and we could go pick it up next week! good thing we only live four hours away up a steep, curvy, mountainy road that is being worked on!
We are very grateful for all the prayers. We have just about a month to sell everything, then make a trip over to Guatemala to see family before we move to the States. It is all bittersweet to leave here after so much time, but we are confident that God is in control.
