And then things got interesting

This is an update that was definitely not on my radar last week. Definitely.

Last Sunday I was leading worship for our little expat team, getting the guest flat ready for a family coming to visit for a few days at the end of the week, and making sure I had all the paperwork ready to submit my visa application in Hong Kong. (At the end of 2017 my work visa had expired and Kristen and I had applied for new visas in Hong Kong. While she got a 10 year visa, I only got a 3 month one because my passport was expiring in August. I applied for a new passport, which was now ready to pick up in Hong Kong.) So on Tuesday we took the fast train to the border and then the subway into Hong Kong. New passport, new visa and we would be back in Hengyang on Friday. 

Or not.
I picked up my passport at the US consulate Tuesday afternoon. All shiny and new.
I dropped off my visa application at the Chinese visa office on Wednesday morning. Except:

• the visa office had moved
• the office hours were different
• the process for submitting paperwork was different (and waaaay longer)
• the photo I used for my visa in December was unacceptable
• the invitation letter I used for my visa in December was unacceptable
• several aspects of my application (you got it, exactly as submitted in December) were unacceptable
• and the cost, oh the cost was definitely unacceptable: about 30% higher than in December

So I spent 3 1/2 hours getting a new photo, changing the application, and adding additional documents to replace the unacceptable ones. Then I submitted all the apparently acceptable documents along with my old passport and my new passport at Window 14. The lady at Window 14 was still not so sure about one or two things, but deemed it all acceptable enough to accept. Then I paid a lot of money to the lady at Window 5 (which she found quite acceptable) and received my pickup slip for Friday after 1pm. 

On Friday at about 1:30pm Kristen and I returned to the visa office, all packed and ready to race to the border for our train home. I received a number and we waited for the number to be called. Then we went to Window 6 where the lady there proceeded to tell me that my visa application had been rejected. You know that feeling when you are pretty sure you heard what you heard but there was no way that that was what you heard so you say, "What??" Because this was really, really not acceptable. 

I asked the reason, with what I am sure was a look of utter disbelief mixed with despair. She was apologetic but of course there is "nothing we can do." Of course. 

So that's the long part of this story. The short part is that after a day of seeking advice from some long time China expats, checking with three visa agents, one in Hong Kong and two in the US, to determine any options, lots and lots of prayer by people all over the world, and gradually getting my shell-shocked brain cells to work, Kristen and I are flying to Chicago so I can resubmit my application in the US. I will now and forever have to check yes to question 13.2: Have you ever been denied a visa to China? I feel like I have done something wrong, but I absolutely have not. 

Do I feel bitter? angry? resentful? There is plenty of reason to feel all of those things, but I don't. I am sad that it will be weeks before I can get back to my co-workers and the young people I work with. I am disappointed that I am missing an important conference for people who work with children and youth with traumatic backgrounds. I am thankful for all the people who have been willing to help however they can here in Hong Kong and also in Hengyang. I appreciate so much the prayers and encouragement from my support network: knowing I have a place to go to share the hard is a big deal. I am confident that though I have NO IDEA why this has happened, or if there is a reason at all, that the hand  that calms the storm is in control of this situation and keeps me calm in the middle of uncertainty. ​

​The song below has been my *fight song* over the last many months when I have felt pushed down or worn out by worries, problems or just the difficulty of living in a foreign country. It has been on my mind a lot these last few days, reminding me that I have an anchor that holds no matter what. 

As you can imagine, an extended stay in Hong Kong, a trip to the US and paying the visa fees again have all taken a toll on my finances. Please consider a donation to the PayPal account to help offset these as well as to invest in the work I do with youth and young adults with disabilities. Thank you!

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