Business As Usual-VISA

Arriving at the Area Office at 7:00 a.m., we were chauffeured to the immigration office where we joined a group of missionaries who had arrived at the CCM (MTC) days before.  We were guided by two church employees, a husband and wife team who stood in line at 5:00 a.m. so that our group of 29 missionaries would be first in line.  They do this faithfully as each group arrives at the CCM.

Some of the the elders were bright eyed and bushy tailed and others had bedhead and looked dazed.  The sisters generally were awake and pleasant to chat with about where they were from and where they were headed in Guatemala. 

The dynamic duo checked our passports in groups and reminded us that the signature on the Visa application had to match our signature in our passport.  One elder in particular was a little worried since he had tried out a new signature on his passport and was having difficulty duplicating it. 

At 8:00 a.m as the doors to the building opened I looked back at the line behind all 29 of us and it stretched around the corner and down the street.  Up three flights of stairs we arrived at this small waiting area and waited and waited.  Finally by 10 a.m. we were done and back on the street anticipating a ride back to the Area Office.

Gary tells me one dentist received his Visa the week before he left to return to the United States.

 Cie la vie!