January has been a busy and productive month!
First, my Bangladesh visa was approved. The process was a rather easy one and the turnaround time was two weeks. However, the visa expires 30 days after my arrival. I will travel to India for two weeks in April to visit the cities of Kolkata and Varanasi. While in India, I will renew my Bangladesh visa.
Next, my India visa was approved. The online application was a nightmare that took several hours to complete. I thought the application would be easy since I was familiar with the process of two years ago. But, no, the outsourcing company changed the online procedures, supposedly simplifying the process. NOT! When I went to the Fed-Ex office to mail it, the clerk commented, "It only took you 45 minutes to process the India visa. I had someone in here the other day and it took them 3-4 hours to complete it." I explained to him that I had already spent 3-4 hours on the application prior to coming to his office. Once the application was mailed, the entire process took less than a week.
Next, I bought my airline ticket to Bangladesh. This, too, was quite a challenge as I had talked with three different travel agents, none of whom could resolve the complications regarding my Bangladesh visa which expires 30 days after my arrival. Finally, after my frustration level had reached its limit, two people advised me, "Call Anna." As it turns out, Anna is a pastor's wife in Missouri and an independent travel consultant specializing in missionary travels. I simply explained my dilemma to her and she expertly took it from there. It was such a relief to have someone who knew what to do that I could trust. Merely 48 hours after talking with her, I purchased the airline ticket. The best part? Anna saved me $800 over the other travel agents' prices.
Last, I paid a security deposit on a brand new two-bedroom apartment located one block from the Bible school. The monthly rent? $160. This good deal cut my monthly expenses drastically, which will help me to raise the total budget more quickly.
Like I said, it's been a busy and productive month! It's been amazing to watch God put all the pieces into place in a timely and beautiful manner.
First, my Bangladesh visa was approved. The process was a rather easy one and the turnaround time was two weeks. However, the visa expires 30 days after my arrival. I will travel to India for two weeks in April to visit the cities of Kolkata and Varanasi. While in India, I will renew my Bangladesh visa.
Next, my India visa was approved. The online application was a nightmare that took several hours to complete. I thought the application would be easy since I was familiar with the process of two years ago. But, no, the outsourcing company changed the online procedures, supposedly simplifying the process. NOT! When I went to the Fed-Ex office to mail it, the clerk commented, "It only took you 45 minutes to process the India visa. I had someone in here the other day and it took them 3-4 hours to complete it." I explained to him that I had already spent 3-4 hours on the application prior to coming to his office. Once the application was mailed, the entire process took less than a week.
Next, I bought my airline ticket to Bangladesh. This, too, was quite a challenge as I had talked with three different travel agents, none of whom could resolve the complications regarding my Bangladesh visa which expires 30 days after my arrival. Finally, after my frustration level had reached its limit, two people advised me, "Call Anna." As it turns out, Anna is a pastor's wife in Missouri and an independent travel consultant specializing in missionary travels. I simply explained my dilemma to her and she expertly took it from there. It was such a relief to have someone who knew what to do that I could trust. Merely 48 hours after talking with her, I purchased the airline ticket. The best part? Anna saved me $800 over the other travel agents' prices.
Last, I paid a security deposit on a brand new two-bedroom apartment located one block from the Bible school. The monthly rent? $160. This good deal cut my monthly expenses drastically, which will help me to raise the total budget more quickly.
Like I said, it's been a busy and productive month! It's been amazing to watch God put all the pieces into place in a timely and beautiful manner.
