Today has been one frustrating day. We never heard back from the immigrant visa section all day. I emailed countless times. I would have faxed but could not locate a working fax machine anywhere. (Do people even fax anymore?) They only answer their phone on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 3:30. (Wouldn't you like to say that to your clients? "Sorry, due to my high work load and low resources, I will only answer my phone three hours a week.") I asked the operator if there was any way I could just confirm an appointment date. No, she said, you'll have to email them. I even asked someone in the I-600 area for help -- they wouldn't even answer the phone for her. I know, in a few months I'll be laughing about this. Maybe I'm even laughing a little bit about it right now due to the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. But not too much.
So, this means we won't even have our visa appointment on Monday since the appointments are always at 7:00 am. I hope I can get them to answer my call on Monday at 2:00 pm. And actually, I don't even have a guarantee that I'll be able to get an appointment on Tuesday. Or even any day next week.
The thing that is actually giving me a hard time is that Jerry, Mario, and Erik are flying home in the morning. This is what we planned, that I would stay by myself with Noah after the first 2 1/2 weeks. Jerry has to get back to work, and the boys do need to get back to school at some point too. Really, those two just need to get home. This is a very long trip for a 6 year old and a 7 year old, or at least it has been a very long trip for them. Jerry asked if I wanted to switch places with him and me head home and he stay here, and although I truly appreciate the thought, it is the most logical thing for me to be the one to stay. It's just hard because the way things were moving so well there for a while, I had begun to entertain the thought that Noah and I just might be flying home with them. But little by little over the course of the week, the hope I had for that just dissipated. Now, I don't know when I will be home.
I talked to Ileana tonight to confirm when she'll pick up Jerry and the boys tomorrow, and she did a great job of pepping me up by reminding me of everything that I do know: God's ways are perfect. God knows what He is doing. All things work for the good. Etc. Plus, based on other families' timelines, we had thought I would be staying up to six or seven weeks, a full month after Jerry, Mario, and Erik had left. We're nowhere near that. It is just 2 1/2 weeks tomorrow. And realistically, we're on the very last step, other than the actual flight home. So it's not like it really will be anywhere near an entire additional month. Noah is a real little honey, and he is very attached to me now. It probably will be quite confusing and troubling for him for Jerry and the boys to leave tomorrow, but I'll do everything I can to keep him happy and will give him lots of love and attention (and chocolate ice cream if necessary). And of course lots of prayers. I know I've got crowds of people praying for us already, and God has blessed us so much as it is, enabling us to get so much accomplished in just 2 1/2 weeks. It will all work out. It will all be fine. It's just a little while longer.