Applying for a Visa

I was a Visa rookie. I had to go to the Brazilian consulate last Thursday to apply for a travel visa, the first time I've ever needed one for a trip. It was a trip in and of itself, and man did I learn a lot. Thought maybe my "mistakes" could possible save you some of the same pain. Here are a few quick thoughts.

One, don't go to the consulate unless you have everything you need; you'll spend a lot of time on your cell phone having people fax stuff to you.

Two, bring the money order with you.

Three, we're pretty fortunate here in the US. We can go just about anywhere, which can't be said for many of our friends around the world. If we have the money, we can buy a visa, if we even need one. I've been to Bulgaria, South Africa, England, Germany, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, and now Brazil, and this is the first time I've even needed to apply for a visa. It was memory maker, one our friends do all the time.

In case you haven't guessed, Terry and I will be blessed by being the guest of our Brazilian brothers and sisters later this month at their NYC; it should be a blast. My days serving the church have been responsible for my being able to go to all the places listed above, and to think, all I ever wanted to be was a youth pastor. I've been that, and much more, thanks be to God.