Lilongwe/immigration (encore)

A weekend in Nkhoma…well kind of. into Lilongwe to try immigration one last time (hopefully). Going to apply for the 6 month Temporary Residence Permit. We had the paperwork before going in and it came with a checklist: application (in duplicate), 2 passport photos, proof of adequate means, proof of continuing travel, covering letter from sponsor/applicant, and 30,000 malawian kwacha. So during the week Dorothy and I work on getting our covering letter from the synod…not sure who to talk to but we finally get the secretary of someone who might be the right person…the right person is of course out of the office until Friday. (this was Wednesday) ok. Then we decide it is more likely to happen if we have the letter printed out and they just have to sign it or put it on letterhead…no having to figure out the wording, etc. so I type up a draft and we have to work on getting it printed…only takes two trips to get that done. We go to the office Thursday morning and find that he won’t be in until later. So we leave our copies and come back late afternoon. Still not in but she can leave it on his desk and we can pick it up at his house later that night (if I knew where that was). She points it out and I go about 7:30 and knock on the door. I get to talk to his wife who tells me that he still isn’t back but if I come back at 8:30 Saturday morning he will be able to help. (I was hoping to get into Lilongwe and immigration early so that we would have time to figure things out when there were more requirements that we didn’t know about but ok. So Dorothy and I head back Saturday morning a little before 8:30 (not to rush anyone). He is home! So we walk down to the office where he decides to actually type up new letters for us as ours were addressed To Whom it May Concern and not the Head Immigration Officer…takes time as he continues to talk to whoever else comes into the office. Then he can’t find the correct POBox for immigration in Blantyre so we wait for that. But finally we get our letters and leave for Lilongwe around 9:30. have to stop and get passport pics made as I didn’t bring extras and then to immigration where we surprisingly breezed through (of course I suppose they won’t hassle much for 30000MK). The catch is that it does have to go through Blantyre and so now I just have a receipt that I gave them the money and I have to wait for them to send me something back to actually have my permit—but supposedly my receipt is just as good until I get the actual.