Visa approved!

I went to the Consulate General of the United States of America more nervous than when I wrote my Postgraduate Honours exams. The butterflies were having a field day in my stomach!

I knew that this was it. This appointment would determine whether I would go to Texas for the Mercy Ships Gateway course, the training programme for crew members intending to serve long-term on the ship. I had been officially accepted by Mercy Ships. I had taken a leap of faith and bought my air tickets a couple of weeks ago - against common wisdom which dictates you have the visa before purchasing air tickets. The travel agent wouldn't hold them any longer and I needed to make a decision. So I bought the tickets. And if I didn't get the visa where would that have left me? I didn't think about it and prayed that all would go well.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the Consul Officer say “Well, everything’s in order here. Proceed to the DHL counter and you’ll have your passport with the visa couriered to your address by Monday or Tuesday next week.”

Thanks must go to the Mercy Ships team at the International Operations Centre for doing a great job in supplying me with the necessary documentation. God is so good! Thanks for your prayers!