The One With The Study Permit

Dear Readers,

I cannot tell you just how thrilled and relieved I am to be writing to you this evening. As I have previously mentioned, I do have a slight problem with superstition (a slight problem that we are giving to God for him to take because I am through with it). Anyway, I am so thrilled to be writing to you because on Saturday, I vowed that I would not even looking at my blog, let alone update it, until I had received acceptance of my study permit application. Three weeks ago, I applied for my study permit. I know, I know, I should've applied earlier. I didn't for a number of reasons which do include disorganisation, procrastination and I needed to be in Oxfordshire not Exeter in order to have maternal passport and bank details. But I merrily applied, and armed with all the timing information that I had faithfully accepted as correct from my study abroad co-ordinator, I thought no more of it. Seven weeks after hitting 'send' and two weeks before I would depart, I would, fingers crossed, be accepted.

Last Saturday, I just thought I'd log in to my application to see if I could check up upon its progress. It was then that my world collapsed. (Melodrama klaxon). The website informed me that the timings for a UK application were nine weeks. Nine weeks meant that it would either arrive a day before I would leave or it would not arrive in time.

Melodrama is my go-to state in times of crisis. I screamed down the phone to my mother that my life was over and that my year abroad was to be no more and it was then that my anal tendencies overtook and I worked myself into such a state that I got into the mindset that if I blogged before my study permit arrived, it would not come in time and my life would indeed be over.

Reader(s), to quote a person who identifies themself only as Officer:

Your application for Study permit has been approved by a visa officer.

An automated email came through 21.00pm to say a message was in my account. My laptop couldn't load fast enough; my hands were trembling violently and the PDF took an age to load. Then I handed the computer to the mother to read the verdict. AND MY STUDY PERMIT HAS BEEN APPROVED!

Of course, and dear Readers you are going to have to bear my Jesus-Freak times over this blog, such a swift arrival can only be the answer to prayer, not excluding prayer for efficiency and compassionate visa officers. I was in such distress about it not arriving in time, compounded by a church member having his visa declined by the German officials, that I sent round a prayer request begging for prayer. And it's arrived! And I am so thankful.

And I can blog again!

So, my lovely Readers, I'm thankful to you for coming to read; I'm thankful to that dear Officer and I'm thankful to God, for true faithfulness.