One Step Forward, One Step Back

This morning I looked at more apartments.  Then I called the IOM office to schedule the girls' medical appointment, since we will get their ID cards this afternoon or tomorrow, which is the last of the paperwork needed for IOM.  The good news is that they were able to schedule us in for Monday.  Then they asked if I had their passports, and I said no, but I had ID cards.  Then we had a conversation like this:

Lady: What kind of ID cards?
Me: The ID cards from their Local Council.
Lady: No, a letter from the LC doesn't count.
Me: It's not a letter, it's an ID card.
Lady: It cannot just be a card.
Me: It has their photo on it.
Lady: You cannot just bring in a photo, but you have to bring their passport.
Me: I'm not bringing their photo, I'm bringing a identification card with their name and their photo.
Lady: Where is it from?
Me: The LC district.
Lady: You must bring their passport.  You must bring the blue form, the birth certificate, $100 each, and their passport.
Me: I am LOOKING at the blue form, and it says "passport or other photo ID."
Lady: They must have the passport.
Me: The Embassy told us they need a photo ID.  You form says they need a photo ID.
Lady: The photo ID must be a passport.
Me: The form says it can be another form of ID.  It says passport OR another photo ID.
Lady: The photo ID must be the passport.
Me: I have another form of ID, just like it requires on the form.
Lady: I will ask about it and call you back.

She calls back: They have to bring the passport.  You need a passport to travel anyways, why are you trying to bring them if they do not have a passport?
Me: I am getting the passport also, but we don't have it just yet.  We were hoping to get the appointment before the holidays.
Lady (sounding irritated): Well, then bring the passport.  They are not refugees, they are Ugandans, so they need a Ugandan passport.
Me: The form says that they need a photo ID.
Lady: Everyone brings a passport.  We even put a copy of the passport into their file, that is how we make the file.  You have to bring their passports.
Me: You might want to change your forms, then.


Then we talked about when they are open.  She generously offered that there are appointments available all of next week.  And then nothing until January.  Just like everyone else, which DOES NOT HELP AT ALL.

Then I hung up, yelled "grr!" and sat down and cried.  Buttercup asked what I was doing, and I said that I was crying, because they had told me bad news and it would take a longer time to get to America.  She had been very ebullient, but she calmed right down and said seriously "me I want go America, and I want see Daddy.  Me missing Daddy."  Me too.