Visa Paperwork Arrives and Chaos Ensues

Note:  This post was originally published on our family blog.

The other big news item this week is that Eldon's travel plans and visa application packet arrived on Thursday.  WOW, talk about overwhelming!!  Upon the advice of Marie's many new friends from the LDS Moms of Missionaries Serving in Londrina Brazil Facebook page, and the LDS Missionary Moms Brazil Central e-mail group (both of which will be her electronic lifelines the next 2+ years), we are flying Eldon home next weekend to take care of all the paperwork--which has to be notarized and then authenticated--here in his home state so we can apply for the visa through the Brazilian consulate in San Francisco, instead of the one in Los Angeles (where applications from Utah must be sent).  It's a long story--and an even longer list of documents that need to be provided.  This is what he sends to the missionary travel office which is then forwarded to the consulate:

• Signed passport
• Notarized & authenticated photocopy of every page of the passport
• 2 passport-type photos
• 3 signed electronic visa application forms
• Notarized & authenticated photocopy of driver's license
• Travisa permission letter (giving the Travisa agency permission to submit the application in his behalf)
• Certified birth certificate (an original, no less)
• Notarized & authenticated police clearance letter (proving he is not a criminal)
• 2 notarized & authenticated seminary transcripts
• 2 notarized & authenticated certificates of priesthood ordination
• 2 notarized & authenticated curriculum vitaes (essentially a resume listing both his secular and education and religious education)
• Contact information sheet.

Whew!  Eldon has to appear in person to have the passport, driver's license, and curriculum vitae notarized, then everything that is notarized has to be sent to Washington's Secretary of State to have the notary seals authenticated.  Who knows how long that will take??  Hopefully not too long, as everything has to be submitted to the missionary travel office by March 27.  Tune in next week to hear about everything we accomplish during Eldon's whirlwind trip.