Visa Adventure

Last Monday we went to the Colombian Consulate in Atlanta. Our instructions were to bring all the needed paperwork, show up, take a ticket and wait for our turn. They open at 8:00am and close at 1:30pm. So, we got to the Consulate and opened the door to find 70 Colombians shoulder to shoulder in a tiny room with two windows and two ladies behind them. Only one window was open for business. The ticket number machine was empty and the digital number display said #89. I knew we were in trouble. There was no indication of a line, just a crowd. So we started to make our way to the window. It was obvious that we were not Colombian and this little white hair man seemed to be interested in that fact. He sized us up pretty quickly and when we got next to him he blurted out, "Do you have a number?" He showed us his and we replied, "No, the machine is empty." He and the lady next to him then informed us that you have to come at 5:00am to get a ticket number and they only give out 100 tickets. If your number is not called then you come at 5:00am the next day. The lady had been there since the Friday before. "We live 400 miles away. We can't do that." we told them. "So do we." they all replied. Then the lady asked,"What are you doing?" "I just need to leave these papers for an Adoption Visa." I told her. "Why don't you ask them at the window if you can leave them. They can tell you whatever they want." she said. So, with determination I made my way to the window, got a lady's attention and explained my situation. She said that the lady who does the special visas would not be in until the 28th. So, I explained that I had a return envelope for her to mail the visas to me and that all the papers were there. She took my phone number and the date that I was traveling. She said it would be fine, then she winked and sent me on my way. Thank you Lord for the nice lady at the Colombian Consulate.