Tuesday, September 8

The next step after sending off the I800 is to apply for your Chinese visas. I made appointments for us right away on Friday and they were scheduled for Tuesday, September 8. I had been to the visa office before when Adeline and I went on our girls trip to Beijing in 2013. I was glad I knew the process and the location of the office (driving in Madrid and parking is NOT my favorite pass-time). I was nervous for our appointment, however, because Adeline and I had been denied the first time we applied because they needed additional paperwork.

Mitchell and I haven't received our TA (travel approval or invitation letter) from China yet. This is the very last document needed before we can book our flights. I prayed the entire drive to the office, asking for a kind agent who would approve our visa applications. When we arrived we were given the same agent that had rejected Addi and I...my stomach was in knots. We gave her all our paperwork and she was unsure about our documents. She took everything we had and went into her supervisor's office to discuss it. My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest the whole time. Mitchell was WAY more calm and said the worst is that they'll deny it now and we have to come back after we receive our TA.

Finally, our agent came back and asked if we had the original copy of our LOA with all of the Chinese chops on it. We DID have it with us because it had arrived to Mitchell at work from Candy THAT VERY MORNING! After reviewing that document, again with her supervisor, she came back and approved our visas! Not just any visa though, but a Multi-entry, 60 day stay each time that was valid for 10 years!!!! We didn't even know those existed!

Praise God in his faithfulness!! We are so close to getting Priscilla!!