Well, That Could Have Gone Smoother

Our trip got off to a great start on Thursday night at the sparkling new international terminal in Atlanta. Everyone showed up on time, with luggage that did not exceed the weight limit, and with their passports. The mission trip trifecta!

We boarded the plane, enjoyed a decent dinner -- as plane meals go -- with a choice of steak or chicken curry. After the meal, we settled in for some rest -- chemically induced or otherwise. (Over-the-counter remedies only.) The sleep totals ranged from 1 to 4-ish hours. Once we landed in London, we made our way to the area for our connection to Glasgow. Before we could get to that gate, we had to pass through the UK Border Agency. This is where our day came to a complete halt and chaos ensued.

The border agent wanted to know what we were going to be doing in the UK. Simple, we are here to work with a church in Scotland to provide a youth camp for their students. This is our 6th year providing the camp. OK, you need a visa to be here for that.

No, we don't. We haven't for the last two years. We are "Business Visitors - Religious Workers" which don't require visas. We've paid our own expenses; we are not taking any jobs from UK citizens; we are here for pastoral purposes.

Why did you get a visa in 2009? Because we were told at that time, that we needed one. Why didn't you get one after that? Because we were told that we no longer need one because we fell under the Business Visitor-Religious Worker category. Who told you that? (she asked, skeptically.) The UK Border Agency. I can show you the email that I received from them. Please do. Here you go. OK, we'll take this under consideration.

"We'll take this under consideration" are not exactly reassuring words. So we waited at the Border Agency while she scurried back behind the one-way glass to evaluate the veracity of our story. And I guess contemplated whether the UK should permit our band of proselytizers in to, no doubt, wreak havoc on a nation or two. (God willing, anyway.) And so we waited ... and waited ... and as minutes turned to an hour, it was clear we were not going to make our connection to Glasgow.

The agent emerged from her secret hideout to tell me that she had attempted to call the pastor that we were working with but only reached his voicemail. She needed him to call her back to discuss the issue before she could tell us anything about our outcome. Accordingly, I called the pastor as well -- straight to voicemail. Of course. So I called another pastor I knew on the other side of the country and asked him to make an effort to locate Gary and have him return the call because, at the moment, we were sitting in Heathrow twiddling our thumbs.

Eventually, members of the team needed to ... use the facilities. So, we let them go, with permission from BA (our friendly airline partner -- foreshadowing). One by one, people trickled over and back, passing back through with their boarding passes to our Border corral. About half the group had ventured over and back, and the waiting continued. Our agent popped back up to say that she had spoken to the pastor but that their rules required a visa for our purposes. Again, I reiterated that the regulations do not state that. The email I received from the Border Agency clearly indicates that no visa is required; no visa has been required the last 2 years; and nothing has changed in the regulations. We will certainly take that into consideration -- the fact that you have this correspondence from the agency and that you have been here the last 2 years without a visa. Ahh, those reassuring words again. But for now, please wait, while I discuss this with my manager. Where else am I going to go?

Now, the rest of the group needs to use the facilities. So a group of 5 walks over -- again with BA's permission. While they are gone, our agent comes back to tell us that she has spoken again with Gary and explained to him that visas are required for a group like ours. (Uh, where is she going with this?) There is another program that he can use if he registers for it, but either that program or visas are the only options for a group like ours. (OK, so what about us today?) She says she gave Gary a stern warning not to do this again, but we are going to let your group through today, in part, because you have been here before, but this is the last time you can do so without visas or via that other program. Great! Sweet! Thank you very much. And she meant the part about not letting us through ever again without visas as noted by the "W" written beside the entry stamp. (I think the "W" stands for "Whoa -- do not let this nefarious character through without a visa.)

We now have approval for the group to pass through. I just need the other half of the team back from the facilities. They appear to be held up by a BA agent who now won't let them back into the Border Agency area because between the time they went to the restroom and now, our flight connection left and their boarding passes are for flights that no longer exist. Of course. Even the pleadings of our Border Agent were of no use to convince the BA agent. So that 5 had to walk over to the BA counter to get new tickets. While the 6 of us waited for them.

The 5 were unable to get seats together. Two were on a 6:00 pm flight. Three were on the 7:30 pm one. All 5 had stand-by tickets for 2:15 pm. The remaining 6 still needed tickets. So 11 of us walked to the gate area and the 6 engaged the BA customer service desk inside the terminal. There, when presented with our dilemma of needing 6 rescheduled tickets, we were castigated for missing the flight and causing a delay while they retrieved our luggage off the plane while we were held up at the border. (Customer service with a smile) I explained that it was not our fault and that the border agent held us up. He wanted to hear nothing of it. We would have to pay for the new tickets. Uh, no we won't. It wasn't our fault for missing the flight. We are here -- through the border -- so it was obviously, the border agents' fault for holding us up, as we were ultimately approved to come through. We went through the correct procedure from our London flight to our connection. We did not delay ourselves. And, 5 of our team has already been re-booked ... at no cost. Who approved that?!?! (he asked, angrily and skeptically). The agent at the desk called her manager who approved it because it was immigration's fault. Well, I'll have to call my manager to see about that. Call him.

And more waiting. The 5 went to see if they could get on the 2:15 which had been delayed to 2:45. Eventually, the CSR's manager called back and agreed they had to let us through without additional cost because they had already done so -- not admitting that it wasn't our fault -- but whatever gets us through without paying extra is fine with me. Now, they could only get the 6 of us on the 9:50 pm flight, but they could get us stand-by on the 4:25. Fine.

The 5 returned after being unable to get on the 2:45. But, as luck would have it, when they re-checked their bags a friendly BA agent (they do exist ... just rarely seen ... like sasquatches) gave them business class upgrades which gave them access to the land of milk and honey -- the BA lounge in the terminal. This news was conveyed to the 6 of us sheepishly. As it turned out the 6 were able to get on the 4:25 stand-by and departed Heathrow while the 5 enjoyed the luxurious food and beverage in the BA lounge.

By 10:00 pm, everyone and, amazingly, their luggage arrived in Glasgow and at Lapwing to enjoy some late-night tea and biscuits (i.e., cookies) and sleep!!

What a day! Certainly lived up to the reputation of a Friday the 13th! But we feel blessed that we overcame the resistance that we encountered, as odd as it is to think we are undertaking something that the UK thinks would merit protecting its citizens from. Even with the late arrival, we were able to get some set-up done -- enough not to interfere with our sightseeing plans for Saturday.

But pray for us as we finish setting up for camp and throughout the week -- that we do not encounter any more complications of whatever variety.