Persistence and Mercy

PERSISTENCE 

Last week our approval was supposed to have been routed between 2 gov. agencies to finally be cabled to Guangzhou, China.  We were told it had been sent by the first agency and that the second should have received it.  After a total of about 20 emails by last Friday, I thought maybe it was lost.  Neither agency had any idea where it was.  In desperation, I sent one more email on Monday morning pleading for help in finding our paperwork.  I explained that our adoption agency has a deadline each week for when they send packets to China.  We had already lost 2 weeks, and the only way that I could meet the deadline was to have the paperwork not only found, but also entered into their system, cabled to China and a pdf file emailed to me as proof.  It then needed to be overnighted to my agency with my other paperwork by 4pm on Wednesday. 

I received an email within minutes stating that my paperwork had indeed been found.  It was still at the first agency where it had accidently sat for over a week while they told me it had already arrived at the second agency. Once they realized their error, it was sent to the second agency but wouldn't arrive until Tuesday morning.  

Oh.  the.  tears.

MERCY

I'm happy to report, though, that after a total of 6 more emails and a total of about 2 1/2 hours on the phone (long distance and most of it spent on hold waiting to talk to supervisors), my complaining whining persistence finally paid off.  Mercifully, by Tuesday evening the information was cabled, and the pdf letter was in my inbox this morning.  I take back every unpleasant thing I said about this process over the last few days. 

So, on to the next step....

My packet has been overnighted to my adoption agency, it will leave the US Friday, and by Sunday or Monday it will be in China.  If it arrives Sunday, it will go to the Consulate on Monday morning, otherwise it will wait until Thursday.  From the time it arrives at the Consulate, it generally takes about 2 weeks to receive your article 5.  Just 2-7 weeks later we should receive our travel approval.  

HOW EXCITING WILL THAT BE?!!