Thursday, April 2, 2009

Finally HOME!

It has been a LONG road! For Sidnei anyway, for me it was just so frustrating to be here trying to fix things there!

The run down of events:

Sidnei got to Sao Paulo last night at 9 PM. He had US Dollars, but they would not exchange them for him because he had no ID on him. Therefore he could not buy ANYTHING. So I scrambled around to see if I could get him a flight out that night to Belo Horizonte (BH), but they wouldn't let me buy the ticket over the phone because it was less than two hours before the flight left. They wouldn't let him buy it at the counter because they won't accept dollars and he needs to have a credit card physically present (i tried to give him the card numbers) and when I called the ticket counter they could not sell me a ticket over the phone! I was SO frustrated.

Sidnei did have a document stating that he had been deported. We asked the airport if he would be allowed to come back the next day to fly home and they said yes. So then started the search to get Sidnei into a hotel for the night so he could catch a flight at 1 PM the next day. Found the Marriott close to the airport, made Sidnei a reservation online. Well apparently they needed a credit card authorization. So they emailed it to me, and I tried to fax back, but the fax was down, etc etc. But we finally got him into a room at 1AM. Poor thing he was so overly tired and so emotional, it was breaking my heart! So, I then proceeded to buy him a ticket with GOL airlines, but the website kept going down. But I had it secured by 2 AM. Went to sleep, completely exhausted!

This morning Sidnei felt MUCH better. But I imagine a good nights sleep and a hot shower would do that for a lot of people! He was actually allowed to get on his flight (I personally was SHOCKED that this step had gone well, I thought for sure they would deny him re-entry into the airport! so YAY!). He got to Belo Horizonte about 2:30. Still was not allowed to exchange US Dollars for Reais...So he couldn't buy a bus ticket. Luckily I had bought him a phone card online that worked in Brazil(something right for a change!) and he was able to call his family, who gave him the number of his uncle who lives in BH, and the Uncle came and bought Sidnei his bus ticket home! I was so grateful when Sidnei called me and told me he had finally arrived!!


Here is the VERY first picture of our reunion! **Exclusive to the Blogging World!!**



It was wonderful to see his face and to see him HAPPY!

Thank you all for enduring the last couple of days with me. Greg from Gringo in Bahia put it best from his post today (not related to mine at all, but..).. "It's just that sometimes when you keep hitting brick walls you need to let off a little steam."

I am SO close!! What was a really rotten day has blossomed into a really wonderful night! Tonight I will sleep well!

Thank you all for your prayers and support! It means SO much to me!
53 DAYS!!

35 comments:

Whitney said...

You are going to have some awesome stories for your kids. You should write a book!

Paula said...

Good deal...glad he is home!

KLC said...

I am so happy things are starting to work out!!! You better still blog when you move to Brazil :)

Unknown said...

Honey I am so happy for you both!! What a wonderful feeling--I had happy tears when I saw your reunion :)

Carla said...

WE LOVE YOU BOTH! Hooray, hooray, hooray! Que bom, que legal, finalmente!

Heather said...

I seriously LOVE your reunion pics. Glad he is home!

Eve said...

YAY!!!!!

Young Momma said...

You both look so happy!!! Yay!!!

JSue said...

So awesome!! I will pray that these next few weeks seem to fly so that you can be together soon.

Beth said...

Aw honey! YAY! I am so glad it worked out. And he *does* look happy! So do YOU!

xoxo

Unknown said...

Seems like they would have given him some sort of ID, other than deport papers. Either way, sorry it was so rough, but I am SO glad to hear that he is home! Your reunion pic is awesome!

Ballerina Girl said...

I am so excited for you both! I hope the 53 days passes quickly so that you can be together again!
BG

Vanessa Rogers said...

53 days and counting! The time will fly by! I am so happy for you!

Keeper of the Skies Wife said...

I am crying tears of joy for you right now!!!! I'm gonna have to fix my make up! haha

Like someone else said, You should write a book!!

I'm so happy for you two and THANK YOU for sharing your reunion with us.

marina said...

I am so happy for the both of you and can't wait until the both of you will be together again , these is quite a story, ") marina

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

So glad he made it safely!! Can't wait until you get to see him again!

Ms Cupcake said...

Good morning!

Checking in from sits. It's FRIDAY!!!! Yay!!!

Have a great weekend.

Zen Cupcake

Anonymous said...

You'd think they would make it a little easier for a guy to leave detainment. It's not like Sidnei's the first one to ever get out! (He's not, is he?) And they've determined he's not a criminal, so why are they still treating him like one? SHEESH. You'll have to write an instruction manual at the end of this!

Lisa said...

YEAH!!!! So glad it all worked out. Now to get you down there with that handsome husband!

Lisa Q

Betty said...

I´m glad it all worked out!! You are a big help for your man, and I can see he needs you! :)

Ashley said...

What a great reunion!!! That online chatting brings back some old memories of Lucas and I in our early days. So glad communication will be a little easier now. Now he can read your blog, right? I'd love to hear what he has to say about this!!! Well, these 53 days will be the slowest AND the fastest 53 days of your life. I'm thinking about you!!!

April said...

Thanks for sharing your reunion with us! I can't wait to have bloggy peeps in Brazil!

Anonymous said...

So glad he is home!!! It stinks that it was such a struggle, but he made it! woohooooo!!!!!

Nani said...

Oh Wow, Poor Sidnei and poor you! I am glad he is back home and safe, and he is lucky for having such a dedicated and loving wife as you!!! Things seem to start getting better. Excited to go Brazil? I can't wait to start reading your adventures and impressions!!

:)

GingerV said...

I am happy for you - now you are coming to Brasil with the correct papers and visa - CORRECT? So you two can be together and stay together.

Crystal Rae said...

OMG... I am so excited for you 2. Enjoy yourselves... you two are so blessed.

Laural Out Loud said...

Yes!!!! So so excited for both of you.

Someday someone is going to go through the same thing, and you're going to have ALL the answers, lol.

AndreaLeigh said...

this made me so weepy for some reason! i am SO happy and overjoyed for your reunion. i know that was the most amazing feeling in the world!

Ronnica said...

I'm glad he finally made it...and I love the looks on your faces!

Michele said...

Oh Steph ~ I'm sitting here crying, thinking, oh my gosh, what else can happen to them!!!

I'm so glad he's home and safe...and soon you'll be together for GOOD!

Hugz,
Michele

Leo said...

thelionsdenn@gmail.com

Email if you need to "let off steam".

Tchauzinho.

Betty said...

It´s been a while since you posted. I hope you are doing well.
Just popped in to wish you a happy Easter and lots of blessings for the holidays!

Anonymous said...

How are things? Are are your plans to get to Brasil soon?

I'm already here in Switzerland! It's not so cold! But learn german is really hard, harder than I thought! Even gives me a headache in the ned of the classes! :P

hugs!

Belle (from Life of a...) said...

I know this is all hard to deal with but you are learning SO much about so many things. I'm thankful that he was able to reconnect with family. Life is going to be good again for you both very very soon.

Megan said...

So frustrating but I'm SO glad that he finally made it home to his family! Awesome picture! =D