We will release the container…if

First, Happy Easter everyone! We praise God for the birth, life and resurrection of Jesus today (as we do everyday but again on this day:)! Thank you Lord Jesus for dying so that we might live!

Now…in answer to our prayers, we got our miracle…with conditions. On Thursday Customs agreed to release the container to me without having to wait for my renewed passport and work permit…IF…we change the documentation on the container to “Murphy Crowson”. Praise the Lord!

Now, the funny part. Guess what? Changing the paperwork to my name requires, you guessed it, more paperwork.

Right now the container is in Sam Shewmaker’s name. In order to change the container to my name Sam Shewmaker has to have a Tax Clearance document from the Rwanda Revenue Authority saying that he doesn’t owe any taxes. In some minds, Sam Shewmaker could be trying to change the name on the container to “Murphy Crowson” in order to avoid taxes that he already owes.

So, with rejoicing on our lips for this change of heart we headed off to the Rwanda Revenue Authority to find out how to get ahold of a Tax Clearance Document for Sam. The paperwork was no problem. One page filled out and a copy of Sam’s passport.

BUT, you have to pay $10 before they can accept the application. We went to the office where we pay the fee and found over 150 people waiting in line to pay fees! There is only one place to pay in the whole building!

In the past, to avoid having to wait in this line for hours, we hired someone else to wait in line for us. It worked before, so we decided to call our “waiting in line” contact and she said she’d be happy to wait for us.

After four hours Thursday afternoon, she was finally able to pay the $10 fee in order to submit the application for Sam’s Tax Clearance Document. However, when she went back upstairs to the office to submit the application, you guessed it, they were in a meeting for the rest of the day. “Please come back Monday.” Friday was a holiday.

So, Monday our “waiting in line” friend will submit the application at the RRA for Sam’s Tax Clearance. It’s supposed to take four days to get it back. But, Charles has a “cousin” who works at the RRA who says that he might be able to speed up the process to two days:) We will see.

So, thanks for your prayers. God answered them, with conditions…Still waiting in expectation. At this point we care less about getting our stuff and more about having “closure” on our transition to Rwanda!