Well, I have learned a little about Slovak bureaucracy! After visiting the Foreign Police...twice....it has been decided that all my paperwork for my visa has expired.....everything. So, what does that mean? It means I start all over. The biggest challenge was getting my fingerprints done again and checked out in the states by the FBI. I found out, after a confusing week of back and forth conflicting information that I can indeed take my own fingerprints. I just had to do 5 cards worth so that hopefully between them all, they would be able to find a set that they could use! I have yet to see all the ink leave my fingers! But that was just a little thing compared to the UPS fiasco!
I needed to have a prepaid return label for the FBI to send it back to me, so I went on line to UPS and set up an account for my credit card to be charged for both labels there and back. When the label printed out, it had in small letters, somewhere near the bottom, the letters 'pp'. Can anyone guess what that means? Yes! Prepaid - which they were! Only the UPS guy didn't know what it meant, had never seen it before and so therefore returned my envelope to me and said he would not accept it until I printed a label with the letters he did recognize: 'RS', return service. I tried....I tried for days.....to get them what they wanted and we went back and forth with the whole prepaid concept until finally yesterday, Sisa got on the phone with them and explained the whole thing....which took some doing....and led to me changing my address, (I had my address in the states as my address for credit card purposes, but had the ship to and from address for the states and here). They decided that didn't make sense and it looked like I was shipping from the States! So, ok....whatever, I changed it..... and they finally came and picked up my package yesterday.....they were given Sisa's phone number in case they had any trouble and off they went. A few hours later I got a call from Sisa saying they couldn't charge my credit card because the address didn't match and they need me to pay cash! SHEEESSHH! So, I paid cash. And the envelope is now on its way to America....please pray with me that the FBI won't have any trouble with my prints or with shipping it back. The time I have to fix this all before I get deported out of the country is fast running out! Thank you!!
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6 comments:
Mary... so sorry to hear of your troubles... I know you had to jump through a lot of hoops here earlier this year... I will be praying for you. and UPS and the US government (maybe an extra prayer for the government!)
maybe you need a personal currior (sp?)to hand deliver the paper work!
I too love your blog... I will be much better at checking it more often!!! :-)
What an ordeal! Makes you wonder how anyone gets anything done over there. Steven had a similar situation in Germany once, it was crazy! Did the UPS guy speak English? Just curious.
Well, I enjoyed the story even though I know you must have been frustrated beyond belief with the whole situation. You're in my prayers! Love you baby sis!
Thanks for the sympathy! :o) No, the guy didn't speak English. The admin, Yanka, at the school was helping me, but not getting anywhere, so I happened to have a meeting with Sisa, the administrator of donations, and the one teaching grammar to the beginner English classes, and told her of my UPS problems - she said "oh those guys make me so mad!" and then she got on the phone and called the Bratislava UPS, the Martin UPS, and the guy who sent back my letter, and the guy who picked up my letter - she called them all and gave them 'what for'. It was really quite funny!
Oh my goodness! Mom always says that when you're serving is when Satan does everything possible to attack. I think i'm starting to believe her! Thinking of you.
~Brook
Mary,
I'm sure we'll be praying for you at the Slovakia women's study tomorrow night. Hang in there. God's timing will work out for the best in the end.
I am glad you have this blog you can reach out and ask prayer for. I am glad God is on your side. I think of Psalm 46:10. (I know in some countries you can go across to another border and come back to into the country to have more time when trying to get a visa. Is that possible there? ) Stand fast with your feet on that soil that God has given you for this time! Linda
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