Another Miracle!

Well, friends, we can't believe how our situation turned around in just the span of a few hours today. When we checked our e-mail this morning we were told that the earliest we'd be able to hear anything about our case would be next week. After finishing up our e-mailing we went to a grocery store to buy some food and the cell phone finally rang! They said, "There's been an investigation in your case and we are now ready to move forward. Can you be at our office before 4 p.m.?" That was at 2:30 p.m. So, we quickly bought our snacks and walked back to our hotel, grabbed all of our documents and hopped onto the sky train. Then we walked briskly in the 90 degree heat to the Sindhorn Building and proceeded to the 15th floor. Very interesting that the woman who was supposed to be in charge of our entire case was no where to be found. Another woman briefly questioned us. We had to laugh at one of the questions that she tried asking Penny. "Are you unmarried?" Ha! She even grinned a little when she asked it as she realized that Penny was clueless as to what she was asking her. Then she told us that the Embassy was already closed and that they normally do visa interviews in the afternoon. However, she said that maybe we'd be able to go in early. So, we were to wait for a call from them on Friday to see if we could get in earlier. But, just as we were about ready to leave the USCIS office a woman at the front desk said, "Wait a minute! I'll call over to the Embassy to see if they'll let you come over now." She called and just like that they told us to cross the street and tell the guards that we have a special meeting with the Immigration Visa Department. Jay skipped on the way out as we rushed across the street. The guards did not look as happy as we did when we tried to communicate with them. They had no idea what we were saying. So, they called in to the Embassy to ask about us. Then they gave us the phone so the woman inside could verify who we were. Then they took the phone back and she told them in Thai that it was okay to let us in. When Jay went through the metal detector his metal pen in his pocket set it off. So, he got to be wanded. But, we finally made it inside where we waited for a while as there was no one at the counter. But, finally a woman came out and asked for various documents. Jay was practically shaking as he was searching for all of the documents. Fortunately, he had what she was asking for. HINT: Always bring along plenty of extra copies (at least 5 of everything) and the originals as well as passport pictures along. Then she kept Penny's passport and handed us a letter. She told us to show it to the guards tomorrow morning as she was giving us a special meeting at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. That means we should be able to get Penny's visa by tomorrow morning. Yes, it looks like we will be flying out early Saturday morning, after all! It must have been all of the inquiring on the part of Senator John Thune's secretary that sped them up. For, the woman at CIS said, "So, will you be going back home to South Dakota?" "No," we smiled. "The grandparents live in South Dakota." So, we will be home in time for Jay's birthday. I bet he's never celebrated his birthday so close to celebrating Christmas and New Year's. But, this year he's gotten the best gift of all, a daughter who actually starting to show her affection for him even before she leaves her own turf.