(24) Travel visas

Once tickets were bought it was time for the next big expense -travel visas. On October 10th I started filling out the paperwork and collecting the documents. I thought this would take a couple hours at most. I didn't have to search for documents just fill out forms, copy documents, put them in order and send. How hard could it be? I even had great advise from Becky to save time by filling out the information that would be the same for everyone on a single form; then make 6 copies of it; on each of those copies add the personal information needed for each individual; then make 1 copy of that form (each person had to have 2 complete and identical copies of every requirement); finally make 2 copies of each required documentation, including notarized forms for each traveler under the age of 18 with signatures by both parents at the notary or even more paperwork.  There were so many papers and so much whiteout needed. I was shocked when it took 2 full days to get everything right. On October 12th when we went to the UPS Store I was mistaken to think it should only take a few minutes to get them sent, 15 minutes at most. Over 2 hours later they were in the mail. I'm so glad daughter, my sister, and Ben looked over everything. They each found a correction, empty space, or clarification that I missed having looked at it so long. We did pay to have them rushed to the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC. Our packet was to arrive 4 days later -by the end of the day on the 16th. I tracked it and was pleased when it arrived in the morning on the 16th. I continued to try to track it but was told each time that no shipment had been made yet with the number I entered. On October 20th I was shocked, when Ben and the kids were excited about something in the mail I didn't really think much of it. When I saw the package and that it had a tear in the bottom about 4 inches wide and something blue sticking out of it, I actually hoped it wasn't our visas because I didn't want any missing. I imagined our passports on the floor of mail trucks, kicked under a table or counter at post offices across the United States, in airplanes or on the ground at one of several transfer points. We opened it and it was our passports with the sicker and stamp each needed. Then I offered a quick silent prayer that they were all there. By some miracle that was the case -not one was missing.  The next day Becky asked how long they were good for. I had assumed 6 months to a year. From what I understood a year was the longest and usual length. I checked and to my surprise Ben and I are approved for 5 years and most of the children are approved for 3 years. For some reason our 9 year old only got 3 months. I panicked when I saw this would she be deported? I tried calling the Embassy a few times and my calls were never returned. We have to get stamps in them every 2 months Becky thinks as long as this child doesn't leave Ghana they will be ok but if they go home they will have to apply again. I was frustrated at first and until Becky said what had crosses my mind -having to only pay for 1 more visa in 3-5 years is not bad at all, it's $100 savings per person per year. We have no plans at the moment to be here that long nor to be back anytime soon after we return home but it could be $100's or even $1000's of dollars in saving if were were to extend or return. I can't help but wonder what God has planned though. He has sped up and protected the details of our path once again.