One Step Forward, Five Steps Backwards

The clearing of our container is back in the “hopefully, someday” stage. Here are some of the details of the process we are going through:

Step One – Apply for exoneration of customs tax at customs office. Personal Effects can be brought into Rwanda for NGO workers without tax.

Response – Customs said that the expiration of our Organization’s Registration was too close to the request date for exhonoration and that the Ministry of Local Government would have to sign off on clearing the container duty-free.

Step Two – Apply for exoneration of customs tax at the Ministry of Local Government (MINILOC).

Response – MINILOC requested a copy of Sam Shewmaker’s Passport, Work Permit and contract with ATN (our organization).

Step Three – Documents were submitted to MINILOC. We were told to come back Tuesday, then Thursday, then Friday, then Monday.

Response – Monday MINILOC approved exoneration of the container. This was the big signature we were all praying for.

Step Four - Give MINILOC’s approval to Customs and ask them to confirm exoneration of the container.

Response – Customs rejected MINILOC’s approval saying that Sam Shewmaker has already received a container of personal effects (the ’08 team’s container that was just recently cleared). Why they didn’t say this the first time I don’t know. It would’ve saved us two weeks of paperwork chasing!

Step Five – Visit customs and explain that the items on the container are not Sam Shewmaker’s but rather Murphy Crowson’s. Sam Shewmaker is the director of the organization but the items are for other personnel.

Response – Customs said that Sam’s name has to be taken off the documents and my name replaced with his. I need a letter from Sam on our organization’s letterhead explaining that he is transferring consignment of the goods to me. I also need to submit a copy of our renewed registration, a copy of my passport and a copy of my work permit in Rwanda.

Step Six - Wait for our registration to be renewed (The office renewing the registration said to come back Friday:) Tomorrow to check on the paperwork.)

Response – Still waiting.

Step Seven – Once registration is renewed, I need to apply for a work permit. Today, we started to gather all of the necessary papers to be ready to submit my application for a work permit tomorrow when/if the registration is renewed. In the process we found out that my US Passport is within six months of the expiration date. They will not accept a visa application for a passport that will expire in less than six months. My Passport is expiring in 5 months and 30 days, just two days short of the deadline. Is this hilarious or what???!!!

Step Eight – Apply for a new passport. I went by the US Embassy today and found out that there are only two days each week that they are open to Americans. Tuesdays and Fridays. So, tomorrow I will go in at 9am and submit an application for a new passport. And, who knows how long that will take…..

Summary of things left to do before Step Five can be completed:

• Apply for a new passport. 1-2 weeks reponse time.
• Wait for registration renewal. Hopefully this will be granted while we wait for our passport. Without this, I cannot apply for a work permit.
• When registration is extended, apply for a work permit. 1-3 days.
• Submit necessary documents to customs to appeal a second time for the container to be exonerated.
• Wait for customs to respond to the most recent request and hope they approve.

Of course, we can still pray for a miracle! Let’s keep praying! The story of the persistent widow comes to mind…

We know this is exhausting! But we appreciate your prayers so much and are very encouraged everytime you pray!