A is for Apostille

These first two and a half months of full-time missionary service have been nothing if not a learning experience. I've gained a tremendous amount of knowledge in a short amount of time; I even learned a new word! That's right, this Scrabble nut had never heard the term "apostille" until a few weeks ago. Before I saw it in print, I couldn't even picture how it might be spelled. 

Turns out, it's a noun defined by the Merriam-Webster Law Dictionary as "a document used in international law that is issued by a government in accordance with the Hague Convention and that certifies that another document has been signed by a notary public." 

Huh? Exactly. 

I've come to understand that basically, it's an additional level of certification for official documents that validates them abroad. Enter my present situation. I'm in the throes of applying for a business (read: multiple entry) visa. After relocating to the DR, that will be converted into a form of residency. The residency requirements include a copy of my birth certificate and two FBI background checks (I had to get fingerprinted!), each bearing an apostille. So, after collecting all three items, I sent them off to Washington, D.C. yesterday. Lord-willing, they'll be returned to me soon, ready to be pulled out when I need them!

(I'll let you know if I play it in Scrabble anytime soon. It's nine letters long but far from impossible with words like "post" and "still" in the middle of it.)

Until next time, blessings!