We may actually be making some progress over here. Though trying not to get our hopes up too much, it is hard not to feel a shift in the air that things might actually work out. Mary had her medical clearance on Monday. All she had to get was a TB test which she goes back on Thursday to have cleared. As I am writing this, Mary and our parents are going through the passport process. Details are unclear, but for whatever reason the lawyer said that it was better for Moses to go in with Mary and her biological family and our parents stay outside in the waiting room. To say that we are unhappy about this would be an understatement. Right now the office is going through all the paperwork to make sure everything is correct. However, this means Mary has had to sit with the biological family the whole time and our parents are forced to wait outside while this goes on. In the end, as long as we get the passport, it will be worth it, but that does not make it any easier in the moment. The hope is that once this is done we will have Mary’s passport by this afternoon or early tomorrow morning. If this happens, if being the operative word as we do not count on anything here, it would be a huge step because not having the passport has been our big hold up with the Visa process.
On Friday, Mom and Dad are headed to the U.S. Embassy to review all of our documents and paperwork to ensure that we have everything necessary for the Visa application. If we do, then we can make an appointment for Monday morning and if that goes as planned, we will be able to get the Visa that afternoon. If we get the Visa we are set to come home. In case you did not notice, there are a number of “ifs” in that sentence. Everything has to fall exactly in place for this to work out in our favor so things, while more hopeful, are also tense and anxious in our apartment these days. We are also anxious about finally going home, if everything goes as planned, next weekend which only makes the days seem longer.
As for me, I am finally getting to do something I have waited to do a long time to do. I am going gorilla trekking on Friday. I leave tomorrow for a very long drive down to the far reaches of Southwestern Uganda into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. I am very excited about finally getting to trek the Mountain Gorillas! It also takes me out of Kampala for three days and gives me something to do other than sit around and stress over the Visa process in Kampala. Since I am the only one going, I have been told if I do not bring back excellent photos I will not be allowed back into the apartment, so hopefully all goes well! From what I have been told from numerous people, once you set out with a trekking group you are pretty much guaranteed to find a gorilla family. Once we find them we are allowed to spend up to an hour sitting with gorilla family. It should be a great trip and one I have looked forward to for a long time!
If we get as far as the Visa appointment on Monday, we will all have to be there for interviews. This may include the biological family unfortunately. Later in the week I am supposed to be traveling back to Jinja where I will also visit the school I interned at in Iganga. This of course is a tentative plan as once again it depends on everything falling in place these next few days. I hope everyone at home is doing well. We miss everyone and hope to see you all soon! Please keep us in your thoughts over the next few days. Hopefully it will all work out!
