2.18.20 Fight Hard

Anna worked hard two weeks ago on finishing up her application packet for State FFA Office. She has actually been working on this for four years. She has been blessed to be elected to the offices that would allow her to learn and become qualified for this highest position in the state. She has worked through defeat, discouragement, disagreements, and the daily grind of high school to become a better person. she is malleable, she is kind and friendly. She has traveled a lot meeting great people from all over the state and country who similarly love FFA. 

Yet she got news Friday night that she had thirty minutes to hand deliver her application or she would be disqualified! This was impossible, as we are 300 plus miles from Corvallis where the papers needed to be. We all quietly mourned and watched her reaction. She was quiet and withdrawn but proceeded on with life. I told a sister and her advisers and they all encouraged fighting this. Not sure of where to fight we endured the night. 

We were missing this. This simple piece of paper, one not to be noticed or needed that was thrown away. I've been working to cut down the clutter and thus cleaned my overfull purse or the pile of papers that is always on the edge of taking over the counter. Of course we burned the weeks garbage Friday morning as it was overflowing as well. 

 Anna's one hope of being admitted late entry was that small piece of paper. After a restless night, I did have the quick impression that Anna's trek father from years past was a postman in Nyssa. He is her friend and she confidently reached out to him asking if there was anyway to find lost mail without receipt in hand. He assured her there was and  thus a glimmer of hope was ignited. In the meantime we cleaned the car, she dug through all her bags and clothes hoping maybe the piece of paper was still among us. I dug through the garbage for the week, a job I detest, and worked on the right words to help her. Monday was a holiday so we waited some more.

Greg comes from strong stock of never giving up no matter the odds or the unlikelihood of success. His father is a master of this skill and has passed it on. Tuesday morning we sent the oldest three off to La Grande early in the morning for leadership contests. Greg waited for the post office to open. He spoke with the postmaster again and got precise directions and promise to help the local postal people through the process.
A few minutes later he got a return call saying they had found the package and determined the error!!
Apparently, Anna had not been strong in writing the zip code and had worked to strengthen the numbers. The typed/printed coding was correct and clear for Corvallis it was clearly attached to the package, however the reading machines took the one handwritten code over the other computer coded directions. Thus her package arrived promptly in Vancouver Washington, on Wednesday.
It was obviously lost, so was sent back to Boise and reviewed and forwarded onto Corvallis, Oregon. Arriving on Tuesday four days late!

Greg was pleased with this discovery as it was the proof that in good faith her packet should have been in Corvallis in plenty of time. The secretary in charge of receiving and distributing the packets told Anna if she could provide a receipt proving delivery she would be admitted to the running process. 

I worked to compose an email on Anna's behalf. The email was sent and we waited anxiously for the verdict. Anna was competing and was thus oblivious to all that was going on at home. We got names of people higher up to appeal the decision if she was not admitted. Finally, we got the return email she was accepted and would be part of the candidate pool. 

The flood of relief and joy was enormous. I sent a text to her adviser in La Grande asking her to have Anna check her email to get word of the news. The adviser told Anna between contests. 

Now we move on trying to juggle a lot of responsibilities and deadlines. Addie the coach will get more time working Anna over. We will be reaching out to others to help her sharpen and clarify her answers and understandings of herself and Oregon agriculture. And yet again the door for future FFA involvement is open. 

We are supremely thankful to the postal workers who took the time to find those important papers. And to her Dad who didn't give up or take no for an answer.