The meeting.

So yesterday we had our marriage interrogation meeting in the twin cities- for Matthew's Canadian vs. United States paperwork. Here is what happened:

-We got up at 5:30am to make sure we'd get to the 8am meeting on time.

-The weather was terrible, so we ended up stuck in traffic, chewing off our fingers.

-Arrived, miraculously at 8:05am.

-Went through numerous security checkpoints, frantically trying to empty our pockets and get scanned, while attempting to not look like crazy people.

-Waited for what seemed like an eternity. Up until this point, Matthew chose to keep a couple of key items to himself, which would've been helpful to his ignorant wife.
A) If an 'alien' is late for this particular meeting, they can easily be deported, all paperwork thrown out. That boy would've been out of bed at 4am, sitting on the curb of that government building waiting for them to open if I'd known that!
B) It is not wise for the wife of said 'alien' to ask questions such as 'what city does your Dad live in again?" while sitting in the waiting room before this meeting that is to prove the marriage to be genuine. Apparently there are cameras situated around the waiting room.

Fortunately, an officer eventually came to collect us from the waiting room. She brought us through several doors that required her to punch in codes, then to her office where we were sworn in and asked general questions about our life together. After only about 15 minutes, she calmly says, "Well, I'm going to approve you today." We were so shocked that we asked her several times, "You mean for permanent residency?" She said, yes, and that Matthew can now travel in and out of the US as much as he wants... AHHHHHHHhhhhhh... I cannot even tell you what a relief it was to hear her say those words after 3 years of getting nowhere in his paperwork, she approves him in 15 minutes.

But the story gets even better.

She then says, "I wouldn't normally tell you this, but since I've already approved you, I'll share something with you. I'm originally from Paynesville (near our town). Last night I happened to be there with my family, and since my brother used to be involved in Youth For Christ (Matthew used to work there, and it was listed on his paperwork) I asked my family a few questions about you." Her younger brother was in Matthew's ministry 3 years ago! Matthew remembered her brother really well, so they shared a couple of stories, and that was the end of our meeting! We got it!

I love that God added that exclamation point to the end of this process. Our being late to this meeting could very well have been the end of Matthew living in the U.S., but He had other plans. We were pardoned for our lateness by an officer that just happened to be from a town near ours, who just happened to have a brother who really looked up to Matthew... I don't believe in coincidences. Our case was meant to fall into her hands... and if it took 3 years for that to happen, then so be it!