FedEx stole years off my life

The process to obtain a work visa in China is very extensive and requires state, federal and Chinese notarization.  This process started a couple months ago but we were worried it still wasn’t going to be enough time.  In every step we paid the extra money to have it expedited and rushed hoping to not have a “last minute experience.”  We came down to a week before leaving and still hadn’t received our visas so we began to get a little nervous.  We couldn’t afford too much mental energy on the matter because of what the rest of our preparations required.  3 days before leaving we got word that they had finally been completed and the Chinese Embassy would overnight them, which would have them arriving at our home on Friday, July 15^th at 8:30 am, which was the day before we were scheduled to get on the plane.  We thought this was way too close for comfort but felt fine about it because we were confident they would arrive on time.  There was absolutely no room for error and we were down to the wire.  Friday morning came and as we were busily going about our morning I realized it was already 10 am and no visas.  I told myself not to worry.  I’ve never had an issue with Fedex before and I didn’t plan on having one this day either.  As the day carried on without any sign of our Visas I started to panic a little.  The Chinese Embassy had sent me the tracking number for the package so I jumped on line to see if I could get some information of where the passports were only to see the latest update having the passports listed still in Virginia.  I hurriedly called Fedex who moved me around from person to person telling me what I already knew which was that the package appeared to still be in Virginia.  I was really starting to get upset because every time they placed me on hold to “look into it” or transfer me to management it was a 20 minute wait.  One time I actually made it to a person who seemed like they might actually be able to give me some information and somehow we got disconnected.  I felt my anxiety escalating with every minute that was passing by.  I had called the tracking department twice and the automated service told me the package was in the area and on it’s way to the station closest to me.  When I finally got a hold of someone they informed me that wasn’t true and it was still somehow in Virginia.  My heart dropped and I was sick to my stomach.  The planning and preparations (both physical and emotional) leading up to this day were so extensive and the thought of having to change all our flights and wait even longer made me absolutely heart sick.

The Fedex guy told me he would begin working on it immediately and I would have a phone call from them within the hour with possible options.  I had very little confidence in the process but what other options did I have then to just hang up and hope for the best.   The hour came and went with out any phone call (shocker) so I called back again and got someone different who told me that the previous guy had gone home and there were no notes on the account that showed anything had been done.  MADDENING!  It was now past 5 pm and I feared we were going to be out of luck because everyone would start going home.

The next person I talked to was a manager.  He also tried to convince me they were doing everything they could but the station in Virginia was now closed so his options were limited.  He told me the same line that they would call me back but that he was getting off shift as well. So I got the name and direct line of the person that was supposed to be calling me back.  I called them every 20 minutes.  They told me it was possible but very slim that the package would actually make it.  They blamed it on “transportation issues”, well duh!!!  Their business in based on transportation.  That’s like a shortage of chocolate and Hershey’s coming out and saying “uhh, due to a shortage in chocolate we wont produce candy bars”.  It was absurd but my hands were tied.  The final person I talked to told me there was nothing more they could do that night.  I would just have to call first thing in the morning.  They open at 6 am, which was 5 am my time. 

Well, now what.  Do we continue to stay up late trying to finish packing?  Do we concede and call and cancel our flights (which was going to cost thousands of dollars)?  I did the absolutely only thing I could do….Pray!  I prayed for peace, I prayed for understanding.  I prayed for my wife and I to be on the same page of how to deal with this emotional gut punch.  In the end, somehow Kati and I were actually ok and decided to move forward with our final packing preparations and leave it in the Lords hands.  We were up until 2 am before we finally got in bed.  We were in no way prepared in the way we wanted to be prepared because te passport issue had zapped hours out of my final planning and preparations. 

The next morning came so fast and I was so out of it when my alarm started going off at 4:45 am.  I finally drug myself out of bed and woke up enough o place the phone call.  I had very little hope at this point.  The person I spoke with was a little more helpful then the myriad of people the night before.  He told me that through the night the package had  actually shipped and was scanned in at the Salt Lake Airport at 4:39 am.  The passports were in the state!  Now, originally we had planned to leave the house at 7:30 am to be able to make our 11:40 am flight.  We knew we were going to need ample time to get our 18 bags and 6 members of our family checked in and through security.  Fedex told me they had no way of knowing if the package was still at the airport or if it had been picked up and taken down to the Orem station.  They wouldn’t know until the package was actually scanned again and the station wouldn’t open until 8:30 to find out.  We were down to the wire.  This could not be any closer. 

We were yet again left hanging, not knowing if we should cancel our flights and we wouldn’t know until 8:30.  At this point I tried to wake Kati out of her coma so we could make a decision of how to proceed this morning.  Do we get up and get everyone dressed in the one outfit we had left out of our suitcases?  Do make Kati’s sister and brother-in-law come over and load all our suitcases in their truck only to have the passports not arrive.  It they don’t arrive we would have a long day ahead of us changing flights and waiting in a holding pattern.  We knelt down together and prayed to know what to do.  We both reluctantly felt we should just push forward like we were still leaving then if we don’t end up getting he passports in time we would have faith the Lord had a hand in it and we would just trust that the delay was in our best interest.    We kicked it into high gear and woke the kids, grandparents and Kati’s sister up.  

I decided to physically go down to the Fedex station at 8 am  just in case I could catch an employee going in a little early and plead my case to see if they could help us at all.  Well, as I pulled up all the drivers were arriving and one guy told me it would take until 9 am to unload the truck and know if our passports were there.  The Fedex truck pulled in right behind me and they started unloading.  I was out front of the station pacing back and forth when I got a call from the Fedex office back East to update me on the situation.  This was the first call back in this entire situation and I so appreciated it because the lady told me she had just spoken with the manager of the Orem station, who told her the truck had arrived in Orem.  I told her “Ya, I know, I am here outside the station and I just watched it pull up.”  She said the manager will be sifting through the items that come off the truck as fast as she could to try and find our package.  At this point I actually got a glimmer of hope thinking “Holy cow, after the crazy roller coaster of the previous 24 hours we might actually make our flight”.  I hung up the phone with Fedex and called kati to update her on the situation.  Just then the front door opens and the lady said “are you Shad?”  I excitedly replied “yes, yes”.  She said “I have your package, come on in and lets get you checked out so you can make your flight.”  I ran inside the station happy as a little schoolgirl.  As I rushed away from the station I looked at my clock and it said 8:20 am.  We didn’t have any time to spare.  

I rushed home, loaded everyone and took off for the airport.

I could not believe the passports made it.  Fedex had made a HUGE mistake in not getting them there the day before but we didn’t give up and we pushed forward hoping the Lord would handle the situation and he did.

The stress wasn’t over yet because I knew what was ahead of us at the airport.  We were going to have to do everything being rushed, not the best way to start a massive travel experience.  I couldn’t help but imagine our family running through the airport like Home Alone.  I was scarred to death we were going to leave one of our ducklings or something else behind.  It did take us a long time to get all our bags checked (after having to open many of the bags to move items around due to the weight restrictions) and make it through security but the TSA agents were so helpful as they saw our little hurd coming with lots of carry ons, backpacks and a massive double stroller. 

Luckily we didn’t have to do any running and we didn’t lose anything or anyone.  When we made it to our gate I couldn’t help but laugh with giddiness.  We had done it! We actually made it!  We were heading to China.  We trusted the Lord would manage the situation and whether we made the flight or not we knew he was in charge.  This experience was an unexpected gift at the beginning of this massive journey we were embarking on because I have a feeling that we are going to have to learn to trust him through out this whole experience the way we did this day and the same way when we lost our son Ty.  We know he is aware of us and if we will but allow it, he will lead us down paths that will not only bless our own lives but bless the lives of many people who are to be found along that path.