Visa Application

Today was a very stressful day.  Our adoption case manager emailed to let us know that China would be changing their visa policy on August 1st.  They would begin to require the LOA and airline ticket before approving travel visas.  We were told to complete our visa application and submit it and our passports to the courier service in Chicago by Monday, July 30th.  I frantically got to work on the visa applications for David, my parents, and myself.  I soon realized that we had to have updated passport photos to attach to our application.  This was something that I couldn't get until after everyone got home from work.  It turns out that my dad was the only one who had an extra photo because he just got his passport last month.   A quick trip to Walgreens for photos turned into a lengthy visit because the photo printer ran out of paper.  We were trying to make a 7:00 deadline to FedEx to make sure that our packet could be overnighted and arrive in Chicago tomorrow.  At 6:50, we left Walgreens with the photos and rushed to FedEx.  I prayed the entire way that we would make it in time.  I walked in the door at 7:03 and just knew that the person had picked up the packages already.  I asked the man at the front counter if we were too late and he said that there was a usual pickup at 7:00, but he had not come yet.  God heard my prayer!  I set about filling out the shipping information and was able to send it tonight knowing that it would make it to Chicago tomorrow.  Now, we are praying that our items make it there safely and on time, the paperwork was completed correctly, and China approves our travel visa without delay.  I hope to know something in a week or two. 

No news on a referral yet, but we are praying that God will take care of our daughter in China and let her know that we are coming for her as soon as they let us.  We still have 6 more days in July to hear something by the end of the month.  When they said July, I was hoping it would be much earlier than now.