Charlie, officially a member of this traveling family, got his passport, his first stamp (Kenya), and slept through his first flight. The hotel we're in has cribs, so we are all sleeping better now that we're not afraid to move.
We've gotten a little taste of what it is like to immigrate to the US, and if I could just be permitted a few moments on my soapbox: It is hard. People have to go through SO much, jump through so many hoops, hope for so much luck, just to get a chance to come to the US. We owe everyone who works through these impossible channels a lot of respect! I've spent the past few days watching Africans be grilled by Embassy Officials, accused of lying (maybe rightly so), turned away left and right. It was a little sad.
Even our sweet Charlie is being held up before he can get his visa. There is one more screening that none of us knew had to happen. It has something to do with the guy from America's Most Wanted and a law he had passed years ago. While I'm *sure* it's a great law that does a lot of good, since it has me stuck in Nairobi away from my sweet kids, right now I hate that law!
We have been told it could take 2 days to do, could take 1 week, someone even mentioned 2 weeks. I'm trying not to think about that right now and am just praying we can get Charlie's visa tomorrow as planned.
In the meantime, Ben has developed a weird ability to watch dumb British movies on the one English channel we get. Right now, he's watching one about a little girl who misses her best friend. I'm feeling like the internet connection is totally worth the $20 a day we have to pay for it! I need to check the Bachelor Recap.
Here's a pic of Charlie practicing sitting up...
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PS - all respect to the US consulate, the America's Most Wanted guy, and anyone else who I may have offended. Sorry.
hey lady ... if you find yourself in need of anything while you're there, my mom lives in nairobi (although she happens to be in the US right at the moment) ... let me know ok??
Good to hear an update. Will be praying today for Charlie's visa! We know that can be a difficult and stressful thing. He is just beautiful though!
Praying for all of you!
praying you get his visa soon!
Susie,
Glad to see you're able to keep your sense of humor even just for a minute or two. I'm anxious to hear what happened today for you guys (since it's already after 5pm your time).
BTW: Charlie has the most beautiful eyes :)
Kayan
I love that he is already decked out in number 12 gear! I'm praying for a smooth return for you guys. Love you.
Praying for you guys (all of you) and can I just say Charlie is beautiful. That pic of him and the towel is AMAZING!
We are praying, praying, praying. Hope to see all of you soon in Ohio.
I love that picture of Charlie in the towel, so adorable. I'm praying praying praying everything goes smoothly! If not I may have tossed the idea around of telling sy that every day is still friday until you actually come home, i don't think he'll buy it though.
hey guys...so good to hear you are on the move but praying for the visa now!!
The Bacherlor is so horrific this season it will make you wish you could return to the consulate and have a few more weird laws delay you. Ok maybe not, just sayin' it's bad this year! Love the updates and pics and hope you guys can avoid the massive blizzard bearding down on PA so Charlie can meet the rest of his family!!
I think one of the qualifications for Americans to work in our overseas embassies is a split personality! One minute they are over the line verbally abusive and offensive to the foreign visa applicants and the next minute when speaking to a fellow American, they are all sugar and spice. I am always amazed at how fast they can switch the roles! I don’t care if someone suspects a visa applicant to be lying – you should still treat people with a modicum of respect. The Embassy workers can simply deny the application (and they are not even obligated to tell non-Americans why) without resorting to this sort of abuse. For most people around the world, this is the only contact they will ever have with Americans. We blame American foreign policy for people’s ill will towards America, but most Americans cannot even articulate what that foreign policy is (and neither can most people around the world). In most countries with American Embassies (except Western Europe) you will hear a lot of first or second hand accounts of poor treatment at the hands of U.S. Embassy officials – what opinion of Americans did the visa applicants who were being called liars leave the embassy with? There have been so many accounts of embassy workers tearing people documents (like title deeds) saying they were fake or keeping them and the applicant having to pay a lawyer to retrieve the documents and American Embassy officials belittling and embarrassing the elderly. So for my rants, but this issue really irks me!
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