So it’s been a week now since my 23rd Birthday, but the story bears telling. I was all set for focusing on training, but still excited for OCTOBER 8th (will someone from DUMC please tell Mittie Happy Birthday for me and thanks for the e-card! Also thank you everyone else for your warm wishes!) My darling roommate at Stony Point Amihan (currently serving in DC) finally woke up and gave me a big hug and headed to breakfast with me. Rosanna a missionary from NC, had the entire cafeteria sing to me before 9 am.
Our sessions went well and during I got packages from both Mom and DAD’s family. We were a little confused about mom sending me cereal at the bottom of the package, but turns out inside was a tray filled with brownies. So all combined we had enough food to really snack for a while. Then we ended up doing video taped interviews and head shots and group photos early, which turned out to be a good thing before our next session.
Because right before it started Suzanne and Glenn came to get us and sat us down in another room, to explain the South African Embassy wanted more information as our criminal histories from the Board were not from the places they wanted. So finding this out a little before two they decided they wanted Rachel and I to go home and get an FBI or State Police criminal history background check (there was a lot more back and forth and more lost in translation than this but onward).
Well Jen is from South Dakota and getting her there in time to get everything before close of business of Friday was doubtful and much more expensive and of course Monday was Columbus Day and the embassy was closed so nothing was to be processed until Tuesday. Tuesday was our commissioning and we were flying out Thursday so this was all getting to feel a bit scrunched, but we had a mission in front of us and that gives me adrenaline to focus on what needs to be done and have faith that I can get my part done and everything will work out. (Jen being from South Dakota- called the State Police who were very sweet and willing to help and fedexed a letter for her.)
Glenn drove Rachel and I into the city as soon as we got tickets and worked some of what we needed out and as the traffic was getting worse we decided it would be faster to walk.
Unfortunately we stopped to get out in a bus lane, but the side doors to the van don’t open unless the car is in park. Rachel got out of the front seat and I was trying to pass her backpack from the back – but an angry bus was coming down the bus lane and she finally had to run to the street instead of getting run over by the bus. It took Glenn and I another block to pull over away from the bus and there is Rachel running down the street not too frazzled just on a mission. I handed her here things and we were running toward Penn Station to get her eon her train in time.
We both made it and I soon settled in on the bus, realizing it did in fact have internet- so I could have written this story last week, but instead I used the down time to look at the beautiful day out of the window and try to plan how to get everything done the next morning so we could return to training by the afternoon.
Truthfully everything in this stretch of time felt so fast I can barely remember it happened. My Dad had been informed of the process and was calling ahead to the police station for me and had told the rest of the family, but I knew I wouldn’t have time to tell anyone else. Mom ended up picking me up from the bus, a block away from where she had put us on the Bus to go up to New York. We went to Hook to surprise Simon and were there in time that I could still be served dessert. IT was lovely to calm down for a moment and really get to see my Mom- as it had been very frantic before I left.
Becca, my godsister, was also in town for one more night and we hadn’t seen each other in a year. So we drove by her house to hug and catch up quickly before she headed back to China. Also Peter and Becca’s mom joined us in the front yard and we all got to have conversation for a few minutes. Which was about all I was good for.
The next morning I met my DAD at the courthouse to go get the form and fingerprints. When we went up despite information from two different people my Dad had talked to the day before, we found out Arlington County could not get me what I needed. After another phone call with Gail—
Side note: Gail Coulson (photoed above with Jen, me, Gail, and Rachel at Commissioning)– fills my heart with joy. Gail is the Regional Executive for GBGM for everyone in Africa. She is also South African and while she is very busy, tended to helping set up every little detail for us, especially the Visas. Anyway, key person for you to know about. Gail also was clear to let the Embassy know with everything, she was happy her country was being careful with who they let in. Truthfully, I just kept thinking of how much harder it is for so many other people to get Visas. We just needed one more piece of information and had a lot of people helping us. I don’t think God meant for us to have borders like we do.
After the conversation- we went back in (because you cant have phones in the courthouse) to get finger printed, but turns out they don’t do it on Fridays. Got the Arlington County Background form cleared though. Then went home to print off the forms to get the Virginia State form and the FBI cover letter to send in applications and money to get the process started – as we were told they couldn’t be hand delivered.
At this point I have learned the process takes 12 days in VA and the FBI could take up to 3 weeks (but we tried to put an express date on). I was to leave in 6 days.
Then went to get a certified Check, and everything notarized, then found the State Police Office to get lots of fingerprints for everyone. And decided to take the train back to get there around the same time as Rachel and in time to get all the paper work to the office before we headed back up to training. DAD got me to the train in time and mailed everything for me and I took a copy of everything for the Embassy so they knew everything was in process.
The train ride back I was exhausted, but I met a very interesting main who is the CEO of a company that works with new technologies and is trying to get electricity after food and water to many communities around the world. He is originally Indian and we had great conversations on sustainability and social issues and the environment that we talked about two and a half hours. He wants us all to wait for LED light bulbs and he is hoping they come out within the next nine months.
Rachel and I met each other in the train station (after the Visa and quick traveling portion of our training) exactly 24 hours after we left NYC. We met Gail and Glenn at the office and made copies of everything and got everything ready for the Embassy.
(Going back to training was a bit hard, because the group is so close but hard to be away for a day. We had a party with all the groups being trained- but it was also decided my toe needed medical attention so I wouldn’t have problems on the plane because of my nail. That is another story- but has since been taken care of and was no trouble on the plane.)
We didn’t hear anything until the day of Commissioning. Gail was camped out at the Embassy so she knew it was being taken care of. Finally a few hours before Commissioning we found out they would accept all the forms from Rachel and I as enough supplemental information, but we were unsure about Jen (who had the early nonchangeable flight).
Gail came up in time for Commissioning and it was so lovely to see her! Commissioning was beautiful and we felt totally a part of the moment (thanks for all who watched!) it is still online at
www.ummissionaries.com if anyone wants to watch segments of it- but I doubt the music came out as well.
The next day we headed into the city incase we needed to get to the embassy. Gail called around 2:45 and said “now don’t scream too loud I don’t want you to get in trouble at the guest house… But you all have visas and I am picking them up and will come down and meet you to go over everything for you and then we can all go to dinner.”
There was only minor screaming. And then we all took naps. We had a lovely dinner with Gail in the city and Beth (in the youth and young adults arm of GBGM, who had lived with us all the two weeks at training) joined as well and we got our final cupcakes from Magnolias in the city.
Turns out the Visas worked and after a day of traveling Rachel, Jen, and I are sitting in our kitchen typing up e-mails before our computers run out of power. We are hoping to get to an internet Café to send messages home, and then to get appropriate adaptors. So if this was a bit rushed (though very lengthy- it is due to that). We are happy and healthy and finally got a good night’s sleep in our new home.
Let the rejoicing and getting our hands dirty start!
In Praise,
Hannah
Joyce and I at the office, there weren't enough chairs.
