We’re Going to America!

The Details:

My Mom, Benjamin, Wyatt and I will travel from Cape Town International Airport to Atlanta on March 16th. My mom will get us through a six-hour layover and continue to her home in San Diego. The little boys and I fly to Knoxville, TN to stay with Chris’ parents.

We have passport renewal appointments in Knoxville on March 25th and will apply for new South African visas once we’ve received new passports. There are South African embassies in LA, NYC and DC. You are zoned to an embassy based on your residency. I’ve got a Texas driver’s license, Tennessee banking details, and haven’t lived in the country in over 16 years! My prayer is to be able to access the LA embassy because it’s known for fastest turnaround and positive outcomes. It’s the longest shot as I don’t have residency there, and it’s quite a big jump with travel time and costs. But it’s a city I’ve lived in and love too!

We’ll submit applications and await outcomes before we reunite in South Africa. The official statement on the wait time is, “one to three months or longer.” One friend recieved her outcome from LA in five hours. A little bit of research reports the LA embassy averages a 10-day outcome. I cannot access the information I need while I’m in South Africa, so we’re prayerfully taking it one step at a time.

I’m currently working with lawyers to complete visa application packets, including police and medical clearances, chest x-rays, and certified documents. I’m thinking ahead for countless hours of travel, three months of medication and unknowns with a child with speical needs. I am SO THANKFUL for a supportive family.

Benjamin’s nervous system disability and autoimmune condition are “invisible”. The decisions I’ll have to make to protect him won’t make sense to many and will keep our experience smaller than I would prefer if I was on my own. There is a lifetime of people I’d love to see. There are churches I’d love to learn from. But we’ll just keep the first things first: protection, paperwork and our immediate family in Tennessee, Missouri and Texas. And that’s all I know!

We trust God to ordain our steps and surround us for the rest.