Every country has its legal requirements for entry. Most make it easy to visit, just present your passport on arrival, and you are welcome. Others stamp a visa in your passport, and a few actually give you a paper visa, which they expect you to carry and present to any official who might question your presence in the country. And then there's Ghana.
The normal process of obtaining a visa for Ghana requires applying to the Ghana Embassy which, in the U.S., is in Washington, D.C. After suffering through a yellow fever shot-and the almost $100 cost of the shot-you must send your passport and immunization card to the Embassy. And don't forget the fee-$35 for a one-visit visa and $50 for a multiple entry visa, which is valid for 6 months. And before you send everything, you must first contact the Embassy and obtain a visa application form, which must be completed and returned with the other documents and the fee. Of course, this all requires pre-planning, since it may take up to three weeks for your application to be processed, after it's received by the Embassy, and then several days for your documents and visa to be mailed to you after approval-if it's approved.
To by-pass this process, which may be necessary if your need to visit to Ghana arose quickly, there is the "emergency visa" process. This requires that you know someone in Ghana who knows how to get things done. This person must go to the appropriate office, which is in the airport if you're arriving by plane, and file an application for the emergency visa. This form is then "filed" by being placed in a binder-along with hundreds of others, and in no particular order-which is lying among other official debris on the desk shared by customs officials at the airport. The Ghana contact then may fax a letter to you-on official stationary, hopefully-that you will be granted a visa upon entry into the country. In my case, an appointee of the President of Ghana, who has also served his country as an Ambassador, has helped me obtain an emergency visa on at least two occasions. But this process is not without its risks.
When I arrived in Accra for a recent visit, my high ranking friend was not present. Believing that my flight had been delayed, the Ambassador was carrying on his normal office business while I was attempting to pass through customs. Armed with my fax on official looking letterhead, and confident the emergency visa application was in order, I was confident of my entry into Ghana. But there were 2 problems.
First, the official who looked at my faxed letter stating that a visa would be granted upon my arrival, handed the paper back to me and said simply, "I doubt the integrity of that letter. I don't think its genuine." The problem was only minor, however, since it would be rectified by the visa application that had been filed in the appropriate office. The customs officer pointed me to the office, and told me to talk with the supervisor.
In the customs office, the supervisor was involved with someone else who, like myself, was without a visa. So I was relegated to an assistant. The supervisor pointed her to the book of emergency visa applications on the cluttered desk, and she took all of 25 seconds to flip casually through the stack of loose papers before emphatically telling her superior that I was not listed on any of the applications. This began a very uncomfortable time of attempting to explain my business ("I'm here to visit pastors."), why my contact wasn't there to meet me ("I have no idea; I expected him to meet me, but obviously, he isn't here. I've been flying for hours, it's after office hours, and I don't know how to contact him."), why I didn't obtain a visa through proper channels ("My visit was planned rather quickly and there wasn't time.") and why don't you use your cell phone and call your contact ("That's not my cell phone, and I only have his office number, and it's long past office hours.").
After the better part of an hour, making absolutely no progress and without any idea of the next step, I despaired of being allowed into the country. It promised to be a long night. I was, at least in their eyes, an imposter and a forger, and could only have some sinister purpose for being there. If I was a friend of an Ambassador, as I claimed, certainly he would have sent someone for me or at least have filed an application for my emergency visa!
But then he came. The Ambassador called me by name, shook my hand, and informed the customs officials that indeed, he had filed the application. He took the binder and flipped a few pages and there, for everyone to see, was an application with my name at the top! Quickly, the necessary forms were completed, and I was entrusted to the care of the Ambassador. Ghana was open before me!
All my claims, my protestations, my pleas, plans, and explanations failed to secure my passage into the country. But a genuine relationship-with nothing else necessary from me-provided a welcome and open passage.
When I arrive at my eternal destination and assert my privileged entry into Heaven, I'm confident there will be a checkpoint through which all citizens must pass. Entry isn't assured to all those in the line, and some evidence of welcome will be required. No church letter, attendance record, or certificate of commendation will suffice. No explanation of my history, plans for my future, or pleas of ignorance or innocence will avail. The only way into that Kingdom is a personal relationship with the King, Himself. And I know Him. And He knows me. Personally. By name.