DRC Day 29

This has been my day:

1000: I haven't heard anything, so I text David "Should I call the USE or what's going on?"

1130:  David calls and asks if I've called the Embassy.  No, I say.  I don't have the number.  He says he'll send it to me.  But I get it from Valerie faster.  I try the number a few times, but keep getting error messages.   Not a voice mail, but an error message about the number not being available.
I try a different number I find on the USE-Kinshasa website, and navigate through many menus, only to end at a message that for questions about Immigrant Visas, I need to try back on Mondays between 3 and 6pm or Thursdays from 1am to noon.  Or I can email.  (Thanks for that.)

1200:  I hear from Valerie, who finally got through at the original number.  So I try that number again.  I finally get through to a human, and I ask for Andrew.  She says to call back in an hour.  He's doing DNA testing.

1300: Try the USE again several times.  No answer.
I call David, thinking he should arrange a car to bring me to the Embassy, and I'll just sit there until Andrew (or someone) is able to talk to me.  However, David does not answer either.

1330:  Still trying alternately to reach David or the USE.  I'm not sure my phone is even working.  I call Valerie.  I can't get her either.  I send a text to David asking if I should just go to the USE.  I send a text to Valerie letting her know I can't get anyone and I'm not sure my phone is working.

1345: Valerie calls. She's reached David and told him my phone is not working and to take me to the Embassy now, please. I get a text from David that he'll be here in 30 minutes to take me to the USE.

1415ish: David arrives to take me to the Embassy.

1430ish: He has to kind of argue with them to even let us in, since we don't have an appointment, but he eventually convinces them to let us in. The waiting room is packed to standing room only with Congolese people (apparently waiting on DNA tests) but we waited only about 5 seconds before they called us in. I could recount the whole conversation for you, but basically, this is what I learned:

1) Our Visas have been issued, printed, and placed in the passports! Yahoo!!!

2) The packets of stuff that you have to take with you to immigration when you land in the US are not ready.

3) We can come back tomorrow at 10am to get all of it.

We couldn't convince them to hand it over, even when we explained that my visa was just about to expire, and I really need to get out of here.  So that was annoying, but I've come to expect this from the Embassy.  But I am so excited to have an answer that contained actual information and not just speculation or being blown off, that I am pumped!

We should be headed home on Thursday, assuming the usual 48 hours(ish) for DGM turn-around.
Tomorrow morning (after David picks up our visas and packets, and deposits the appropriate pieces at the DGM so they can begin their processing) he will come here to get me and I will go get passport pictures taken and extend my visa, since (barring a miraculous 24 hours turn around by the DGM) I'll miss my visa cutoff by one stinkin' day.  :P

We're going HOME!  Wahoo!