first, the good news...

The good news is that apparently there is a way to try to speed up the visa process for my tour in the USA...

The bad news is that it takes something called "congressional intervention."

The good news is that "congressional intervention" in this case is not as ominous as it sounds - it means calling the local Congressperson and seeing if they will make inquiries on your behalf...

The bad news is that this is something, apparently, that I should have set in motion a couple of weeks ago.

The good news is that Andy and Wendy are heroes, and have been making calls, and that the people in the Senator's office have been very kind and helpful - I even got a call from them yesterday afternoon, letting me know where things stand.

The bad news is that I don't have the visa yet, and that the "best case scenario" of receiving the approval on Monday (and making it in time for the first concerts on Tuesday) is "possible but not very likely."

The good news is that the "worst case scenario" - apparently - is that the process will take a few more days, and although I may have to miss the first few events (I hope not!), I should be able to proceed with the rest of the tour...

I'll keep you posted!

The first scheduled stop on the tour is Bluffton, Ohio, a community that is going through a traumatic time as a bus accident involving the Bluffton University baseball team killed 7 people and injured many others about a week ago. Please join in prayer for this community and all of the people affected by the accident.

I really hope to be there soon.