Hello - I hope everyone is safe & warm! We are very homesick, but glad we missed the storm! We have been having 70 degree weather during the day in Islamabad (however, 35 degrees at night!) :)
We have had a somewhat productive week so far.
Monday (31st), Gracy had another doctor's appointment. We picked her up from Edhi Home a little over a week ago now & she was a very sick little baby girl last week & over the weekend. We have found a wonderful child specialist doctor, Dr. Rubina! In the end, MG has 5 different medicines to finally get her on the wellness track! She is doing much, much better this week!
Tuesday (1st) we spent 4 hours at the Ministry of Interior/Directorate General of Passports office waiting for the special Director General's approval for MG's passport. It has taken us 7 business days of waiting & 4 different personal visits to finally get the approval from the Ministry of Interior! We decided on Tuesday that we would go to the DG's office & sit until we had it in hand . . . it worked!
On Wednesday (2nd), we were at the passport office bright & early to begin the process of MG's passport (with the Director General's letter of special approval for a guardian endorsement to be placed on her passport). Our day's number was #145 & we had to wait through 3 different "station/queues", each taking about an hour of wait until #145 was called each time. After 3 hours & wall-to-wall people, we finally had an approved passport application. Now we have to wait 5 days & return on Monday (7th) with an attested (notarized) passport application & we can pick up MG's passport! This is a major move forward! With the passport, we can get the US required medical/physical for MG's immigrant visa & start inching toward the US Embassy side.
On Thursday (3rd), we had visa photos taken of MG.
On Friday (4th), Uppa D & Mama are going to the Pakistan Consulate to extend our visas (just in case). Pakistan will only issue a 1x entry visa for a 30 day duration to US citizens. Since we entered Pakistan on 1/13 our visas will expire on 2/12. For an extension, you have to submit an extension application several days in advance of the expiration date. Since we have time tomorrow, we will go ahead & get that task done. At this point, we don't know if we will need the extension or not, but it is better to have it, just in case.
It is obvious that we will not be returning to the US on Sunday (6th) as planned. We have been majorly delayed due to the extra court hearing for guardianship & new Ministry of Interior requirements of a foreign guardian applying for a Pakistani passport for a minor. We are hoping that we can begin the US immigrant visa process next week. I will give an update on our return flights as soon as I can.
All in all, we are doing fine . . . homesick . . . but fine! We skype with Nicky/G'ma twice a day & that helps! I continue to read my email daily . . . so keep those cards & letters via email coming! . . . it helps us keep connected! Uppa D continues to work at night with his office . . . we have been gone 23 days & counting!
Take care :)
Nancy (Mama), Dalend (Uppa D) & Gracy
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A Touch of Justice
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