The Exit Stamp

Continued from “The Passport”…

Tuesday, February 5

I awoke Tuesday morning ready to get the day started.  I had a list of about 20 things I wanted to accomplish that day, but the first thing on it was getting the exit stamp at the FRRO.  If that didn’t happen, the rest of the things on my list would not matter.

Since the FRRO didn’t open until 10:00 am, it provided time for me to enjoy two of my favorite things, pancakes and coffee, with the couple I had spent the night with.  I left their house at 8 and headed back to my side of the city.

I checked and double checked to make sure I had every possible piece of paperwork I might possibly need and then headed for the FRRO.  I even stopped at a small shop next to where I live and made three copies of everything.   When going to the FRRO, I had learned on previous occasions, it is best to be prepared with copies of everything!

Arriving at the FRRO, and after a 15 minute wait in what I will call “Holding Pin #1”, I spoke with a nice older man and explained my situation.  He took it all and made copies of it (not sure why he didn’t take my copies I was holding, but whatever) and then told me to go back to Holding Pin #1 and wait until 12:00 to talk with the actual FRRO official man.  Thankfully, I had brought lesson plans and teaching materials to work on while I waited, so I didn’t feel like I was wasting time, but rather working on the other 19 things on my list.

It was 12:15 before they called me to go up and talk to the FRRO official man.  They led me to what I will call “Holding Pin #2”.  I sat there with another girl who I had been visiting with for 45 minutes.  Finally, after my patience was about exhausted, they told me I could go in to see the FRRO official man.  I walked into his office which was similar to what the Oval Office of the President looks like—smaller, no seal of the USA—but large room, circular shape, man behind a large desk, one chair out in front of the desk.

I walked in with my mind racing.  How do I say “Hello” respectfully in Bangla again?  How do I say “How are you?”?  I squeaked it out and he gave a polite, tight smile and told me sit down.  He asked me to explain my situation.  I told him a very abbreviated version of my story and said that I needed an exit stamp today so that I could leave the country that night.  I added that I had been in this county for 178 days and could only stay in for 180 days (as per their own rules), so I had to leave.  He didn’t look at me with much compassion or mercy and said “You can’t always have things the way you want.”  At that point, I felt the tears returning to my eyes and my voice got really wobbly.  I told him, “I know, Sir.  I know,” and then was ushered out the door.

Thankfully I was not returned to either Holding Pin #1 or #2, but taken down and around another corridor to another man’s desk.  He looked at my paperwork and told me I should have given my passport number to the police and have had it written on the police report.  I told him that I my passport was stolen and I didn’t have the number memorized to give to the police.  Although this seemed to make sense to me as a logical reason as to why the passport number couldn’t be included on the police report, he wasn’t satisfied with my answer.  To try to make amends with him since he was frowning at me, I said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.  Next time I will know better.”  (There had better not be a next time!)

That man told me to leave his office and I went back down to the room where I had talked with the nice older man again.  The same man took my papers again, looked things over, and then asked me to sign and date each one.  I knew I was making progress at this point.  Then he told me to go take lunch from my tiffin box and return at 4:30.  It was around 1:45 at the time, so I rushed home and threw a bunch of clothes in a suitcase, another item on my list completed.

I came back to the FRRO at 4:15 and waited in the main FRRO office—which became my “Holding Pin #3”.  Finally, right around 5, he called me over to his desk, asked for my passport, put two stamps in it, and passed it to two other men who gave their initials.  Then, he handed it to me.  I could now leave the country!!!  I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my chest. 

I went back home, somehow managed to finish the remaining 17 things on my list and left for the airport at 8:30 pm.  On the way, I met with the logistics guy in my city who gave me a debit card to take with some money on it.  I was set and ready to go.  I met my friend in the airport as originally planned, easily made it through immigration control, and flew to Thailand. 

As I sat on the plane to Thailand, I took some time to reflect on what had transpired in the last 72 hours.  Oh, the Father is so good.  Here’s just a few reasons why.

• ·         I am so blessed to work in a “company” who really takes care of their Workers.  So many people helped me during a time when I didn’t know what to do and was stressed to the maximum.  I have no idea what I would have done had it not been for them.  The guy who also had had his passport stolen said it so well while we were sitting in the US Embassy.  He said, “Don’t worry.  You have family here.  They’ll take care of you.”  How right he is.  Even people I hadn’t met were helping me and buying me a plane ticket.  People who I did know and have grown to love were pulling out all the stops for me and lifting up my situation continually.
• ·         People back home got word and were also pr@ying.  I know several of you were lifting me up on Sunday morning.  What a blessing it is to have people constantly in my corner lifting me up when I need it.
• ·         The Father had moved mountains for me in a way I don’t think I have ever experience before.  As long as I live, I do not want to forget how much He took care of me during this time.  Sometimes I think moving mountains in easier than moving government officials, but He did it.  In two working days, I had an emergency passport and exit stamp.  That is simply unheard of in a country that is known for slow government work.  No one really thought I would be on my originally scheduled flight to Thailand, but I was.  It was simply a miracle!!

I’ve been in Thailand since Wednesday.  I am here until I can either get my visa that was in my stolen passport transferred to my new passport or apply/receive a new visa.  It is Chinese New Year, so things have been closed, and I’ve had some time to enjoy being a tourist and hanging out with my friend.  Monday I’m headed to the I-country Embassy in hopes of getting a visa tara tari (quickly).  Please be lifting me and the Embassy officials up as I do this on Monday.  Ask that I would find favor in their eyes and that they would transfer the visa quickly and without much red tape.  He is in control and has it figured out.  He has been faithful before and He will be faithful again!

More to come in the saga on Monday…Perhaps I'll post some pictures of the fun adventures I've been having while I've been waiting...