Three weeks ago, we drove to Cedar City, got access to our FBI background checks and mailed the applications back to the consulate with additional funding.
By Wendesday of the next week, I received a call from the Mr. Reid at the consulate. He left a message on my phone. "Great," I thought. "They only call if there are problems! No what!?!" I could never get a hold of him. Completely frustrated, I jumped to conclusions.
The next day, I called him. He said they were ready to grant us the visas! What! I could not even process the information. There was, however, a problem. Part of Ryan's medical review was missing. What?
I looked everywhere in my files. How could this be?
We were so close that we couldn't quit. We had the additional papers filled out and sent to Santa Monica where the consulate in the West is located.
While we were waiting for the visas to be returned to us, I had a strange experience with the part-time job I was offered at BYU. I ended up quitting* this week under the assumption I must need to be available to go to New Zealand as soon as possible.
On Friday, we received our passports in the mail, visas firmly lodged into each passport.
______________
Strangely, when I opened the envelope, and looked at my passport and my newly acquired visa, I felt nothing. I wasn't excited. I felt exhausted at seeing this fancy sticker called a visa. I placed the passport back in the envelope hoping Ryan would feel more excitement and then be able to spark some emotional reaction inside of me.
Ryan was definitely more excited, but I still felt nothing.
We knew we needed to finalize our plans--and yet. . .
____________
Something wasn't right, after all the sacrifice, the waiting, the awkwardness, the kindness of others, we are not going. We are not going for because something is "off,"* something I cannot describe except for in terms of the metaphysical.
Ryan is going to stay in his job at the Active Network in Draper, and we are going to rebuild our lives.
We still feel strongly about me continuing my education.
SO THANK YOU.........
We are beyond grateful for the support we have received both emotional and material!
We are grateful for my parents and the long hours they donated to help us move out of our house and prepare it for renters.
We are grateful for Ryan's parents for their assistance with a vehicle and a house to live in during this transition.
We are grateful for our children and their unwavering patience with our inconsistency in the situation.
*For the spiritual narrative, please see my other blog Remembering Heaven
By Wendesday of the next week, I received a call from the Mr. Reid at the consulate. He left a message on my phone. "Great," I thought. "They only call if there are problems! No what!?!" I could never get a hold of him. Completely frustrated, I jumped to conclusions.
The next day, I called him. He said they were ready to grant us the visas! What! I could not even process the information. There was, however, a problem. Part of Ryan's medical review was missing. What?
I looked everywhere in my files. How could this be?
We were so close that we couldn't quit. We had the additional papers filled out and sent to Santa Monica where the consulate in the West is located.
While we were waiting for the visas to be returned to us, I had a strange experience with the part-time job I was offered at BYU. I ended up quitting* this week under the assumption I must need to be available to go to New Zealand as soon as possible.
On Friday, we received our passports in the mail, visas firmly lodged into each passport.
______________
Strangely, when I opened the envelope, and looked at my passport and my newly acquired visa, I felt nothing. I wasn't excited. I felt exhausted at seeing this fancy sticker called a visa. I placed the passport back in the envelope hoping Ryan would feel more excitement and then be able to spark some emotional reaction inside of me.
Ryan was definitely more excited, but I still felt nothing.
We knew we needed to finalize our plans--and yet. . .
____________
Something wasn't right, after all the sacrifice, the waiting, the awkwardness, the kindness of others, we are not going. We are not going for because something is "off,"* something I cannot describe except for in terms of the metaphysical.
Ryan is going to stay in his job at the Active Network in Draper, and we are going to rebuild our lives.
We still feel strongly about me continuing my education.
SO THANK YOU.........
We are beyond grateful for the support we have received both emotional and material!
We are grateful for my parents and the long hours they donated to help us move out of our house and prepare it for renters.
We are grateful for Ryan's parents for their assistance with a vehicle and a house to live in during this transition.
We are grateful for our children and their unwavering patience with our inconsistency in the situation.
*For the spiritual narrative, please see my other blog Remembering Heaven
This reminds me so much of Zions Camp. You get to your destination (lasted about a month of walking for them) and when you arrived, the Lord tells you to turn back and go home. My favorite take home from that lesson was "willing to accept and even seek corrections".
ReplyDeletehttps://www.lds.org/media-library/video/mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2012?lang=eng&start=13&end=24#2012-01-014-the-will-of-god
I am glad you are figuring things out and feel at peace with things. I hope everything falls into place. You are such an inspiration to me!
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