Success!!!

Well....after a VERY long day...I was able to get our I-797C authenticated!!! I got up at 4:15 this morning and left for the airport at 5:15. I then flew to Houston and was in my rental car by 8:15!! I arrived at the Chinese Consulate by 8:45 with help from the trusty GPS system I rented with the car. Praise God for that because little did I know it would come in MIGHTY handy later in the day. I stood in line until 9am when the doors opened. I think I was the 10th one in line. I turned in my papers to them and was told to come back at 2:30pm. It was only 9:15 when I left so I had some time to kill!! I decided to drive over to the Galleria and do some shopping. That place was too ritzy for my blood so I left and found a Barnes and Noble where I bought a book (The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom) and a nail place so I could get a pedicure and nails. It was so lovely. I was being so leisurely!! I ate a little lunch and talked to my sister on the phone where she informed me that when she did this same thing they told her to come back at 2:30 but she went early and they had it ready for her. Great idea, I thought! I'll mosey on over there after I eat and pick it up, go make copies, mail my dossier to AWAA, and make my way over to the airport and catch an early flight back. Ha. I got back to the Consulate at 2pm and walked in to a room full of people waiting for same day service. I walked up to the window and they told me to sit down and that it wasn't ready yet. "2:30!!", they said. So I sat down amongst all of these people and I asked the grumpy looking man how we were supposed to know when to approach the window. "I've been sitting here longer than you! You get up when I say you get up", he barked. Yowchy, dude. Anyhoo....2:30 rolls around. Nothing. 3:00...nothing. Mind you I still need to find a FED EX, make copies, turn in my rental car by 5pm, and catch a shuttle to the airport for my 6pm flight...in Houston traffic. 3:30...out of a room FULL of people waiting for their documents ONE lone piece of paper gets brought out. And it mine! I was humbled and joyful all at the same time! I jumped up and down, grabbed my paper and sped out the door to my car. The next little bit was CRAZY!!! I had printed off directions to a Fed ex before I left this morning. When I got there it was closed down!!! Praise God I had my cell phone and the GPS system. I got Sara on the phone and she helped me locate a Fed ex but it was sort of far from where I needed to be. I arrived there at 4:10 and had my dossier in the mail to AWAA by 4:15!! The poor lady who took it from me didn't know what to do with my tears and snot. I was very emotional about the whole thing. But it was short lived because I had to race back to the airport to turn in my car and catch a shuttle! I arrived at the car place at 5pm sharp and was through security by 5:20. I was so early that I was able to fly standby on a 5:30 flight. Wow! I'll say this...none of this could have been done with out the Lord. Occasionally through out the day He would show me the "sign" he likes to show me. When I would see it I would take a deep breath, tell Him I trusted him and this process, and continue on. He is so good to me that way!! Anyway, thank you for praying for me today! I got so many sweet messages that gave me such encouragement!! Once AWAA receives our dossier tomorrow I will get a call and they will let me know if everything looks good enough to send to China on Thursday. I'll let you know once I hear! Thank you, friends!!!

Our dossier...it may not look like much but IT IS!!! 4 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days worth of work. Which, by the way, is a miracle! Last time it took me 10 months!!


Before it left today for AWAA....be safe little box. Be safe.