Well we finally did it.  Turned in our annual report to the government agency we report to.  We stopped first at the post office.  Out in back in their parking lot we had our report made into a  booklet.  One copy for the office and one copy for us.  You can get anything done in that parking lot.  Photo copies.  Secretaries will type up your document.  Plastic coating. You name it, they do it.  There are extension cords stretched everywhere, leading from an array of office machines to outside outlets.  It's quite amazing actually.

Then on to our government office.  Place was dead. 9:30 a.m. Both doors locked.  Checked with the school director's office next door.  The director was no help.  Had no idea when they would be in the office.  They come and go at will.  They were there yesterday.  Will they come in today?  Are mornings better than afternoons for catching them?  It's all so random, she could not help us.  "I run a school.  I'm here every day.  I don't know what they do next door.  They are hardly ever in."  We phoned Francis for his shopping list and killed an hour.  Back to the office and hit the jackpot.  Doors were both open.  Two gals in the office.  Director's office empty as usual.  10:30 a.m.  One gal asleep on a bench.  Poor lady, she had to wake up and work.  We made her stamp and date our copy.  We need proof that we turned it in.

When our current "boss" was new she came to visit Shiloh.  Brought her boss, a very big lady in the government.  As our gal came through the gate she said rather loudly "This is an empty association.  They don't do anything."  We were insulted.  She had never laid eyes on us before.  We graciously met with them in our living room.  Served them soft drinks and answered questions.  Our boss said we never turn in reports.  We handed her boss the reports from the previous three years.  As she flipped through them she became ever more impressed.  We presented a market bag made by our partners at the Fombam prison to the two ladies and their assistants.  On her way out the gate the big lady told our boss that we were an excellent association!  So there!  Our boss lady asked us for chicken.  Said she was normally given chicken when she came for an inspection like this.  Guy promised her that next visit we would have chicken prepared and ready.  We were obliged to give money to each person who came.  Supposed to be for their transportation.

Well that's done for the year.  We are already working on the 2016 report.  We add things the document as they happen.  Makes it so much easier at the end of the year.  We cannot complain too loudly about what we have to go through.  After all it is because of our association that we get such good permits to live and work in the country.  We are the only missionaries (and I mean the ONLY missionaries) that pay a small sum and get ten year papers with very little effort.  We just turn in the application, pay the fee, and sit back and wait for their phone call that the papers are ready to pick up.  It takes less than a month.  Everybody else pays all sorts of money and goes through all sorts of grief (like six months worth of running back and forth to the office to check on their papers).  In the end they are granted two year permits.  We are really blessed.  We can put up with a little inconvenience every January as we have to deal with the office people.