The Sun has Set on Immigration

Aren't sunsets so peaceful? Isn't is amazing that God created sunsets to be the grand finale on a beautiful day? Don't they give you hope for a better tomorrow and great days to come?

We are smiling because our summer slump over our immigration woes has come to a close! We are so grateful for answered prayers! The heavy weight has been lifted off of our shoulders, and the black cloud is gone with only blue skies in sight!

Last week, our caseworker at Gladney suggested that we ask for a supervisor at immigration because another Gladney family with our same situation had a supervisor expedite their paperwork for them. I called Isaac and asked him to perform his magic sales tricks on the human robots at the NBC...and he did! The supervisor told him that our paperwork is literally buried underneath more boxes, and our paperwork is physically inaccessible. However, she would accept scanned copies of our file (thank the Lord!, we made copies of everything!) via email and see what she could do for us. We could not make contact with her on Friday, and I was already losing faith in her thinking that this was just another government employee paying us lip service, yet again. But, when Isaac went to the mailbox today, our immigration approval letter (171-H) had arrived! He called me at work to give me the good news...I couldn't believe it! Tomorrow we will have the document notarized and then FedEx it to Kate of KBS dossiers who will then send our dossier to Ethiopia...then we make the waiting list!!!

"Faithful is He who calls you, and He will bring it to pass." 1 Thess. 5:24

Sometimes We Find Out WHY

Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught...Psalm 55:1-2

I thought I was supposed to be on a medical mission trip in Uganda mid-July of this year. Everything was in place for Isaac and I to go on this trip that we've been wanting to experience for the past 2 years, and then all of our plans started to disintegrate. I took the wrong dates off of work, then we couldn't get in touch with the travel coordinator, then Isaac changed jobs, and then there was simply no time to be gone from our jobs. I just didn't understand why God did not work it out for us to go on this trip...a mission trip to help the needy and spread the gospel of all things! I have asked why so many times. I've questioned whether or not I should have gone on the trip alone. I was bothered to be at work in air-conditioning injecting cosmetics and healing acne that week when I could have been in the blazing-heat, healing the truly sick, needy people of Uganda. But, for some reason, I was not supposed to be there, and I had a strange peace despite my annoyance that my plans did not come to fruition.

Last night Isaac and I had dinner with the leaders/coordinators of that particular mission trip. We got to hear all that the Lord did through the medical team and other team members to reach the people of Uganda who desperately need medical care, clean water, mosquito nets, but need Jesus even more. I was sitting there just thinking, "why wasn't I there?!?" About the time I was mentally becoming very frustrated that I had missed out on this experience, the leader's wife, B, started to share her experiences from the trip. She looked my way and began a true story that broke my heart. She, being an American, was thought by the villagers to be rich. The people of this Ugandan village are extremely poor. Many of the women are taking care of their children and several orphans while bringing in an income for their families which never seems to stretch far enough. B said that a woman carrying a baby approached her and placed the baby in her arms. She then asked B to become the baby's mother and take the baby home with her to America. B, of course, had to tell this desperate woman "no" and give the baby back to its mother. Oh, my goodness...

I could not have handled that situation gracefully, nor would I have been able to focus on the task at hand had someone pleaded with me to take their baby home to the U.S. I would not have come home singing the Lord's praises for all He did, I would have been thinking about the little one left behind and his mother whom I could not help. My frustration immediately turned into gratefulness for the emotional protection provided for me. I'm thankful for an answer to my why and the reminder to simply trust.

Love the Least and Dads 4 Adoption

Isaac and I have decided to attend the "Love the Least" adoption conference hosted by First Baptist Church in Blackshear, GA, on November 20th, 2010. We are excited to receive encouragement and meet other adoptive families as well as hear the keynote speakers, Mike and Suzanne Mayernick, and Scott and Gwen Oatsvall, founders of 147 Millions Orphans.

I've had several friends mention to me since we've started the adoption process that they would love to adopt but their hubby isn't on board yet. I was watching Scott Oatsvall's Dads 4 Adoption video the other night while Isaac was eavesdropping a few feet away on the couch. Isaac watched the video and said that Scott really spoke to the heart of husbands and their fears associated with adoption. I encourage anyone and everyone to check out this adoption pep talk for dads! We can't wait to hear Scott and the crew speak in person! Our favorite quote of his is this: "God funds what He favors." Love it.

Conviction to be REAL

I haven't posted in a few weeks because, honestly, I have had nothing positive to say about the direction our adoption is going at this point in time. I was blessed to be able to attend an adoption support group (never thought I would ever attend a "support group" or have the need to attend one-doesn't God have a sense of humor?) this past weekend through an adoption ministry started through a group of adoptive parents at my church. The first part of the evening was more social, and then we all sat down and went around in a circle and shared our pre- and post-adoption struggles. A recurring theme was that these women (all the husbands but one were out-of-town) felt alone in their struggles because many blogs and online groups paint the adoption process as all "butterflies and rainbows." Let me tell you, this is not the way it really is! And, I felt very convicted that I am not being honest with the trials we are facing by only posting "good news" and "happy updates." Alot goes on in between the good times...

The truth is, I have been incredibly sad, disappointed, anxious, and depressed this summer as we wait on USCIS to approve us to bring our babies home. This approval means that we will finally make the coveted waiting list...no, we are still not on the waiting list after 8 months!!! I have never cried so much in my life. I cry on my way to work, sometimes at work, on my way home, and occasionally to sleep at night...my boys are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I pray for before I fall asleep. Sometimes, when I am very still, my arms feel so incredibly empty that it takes my breath away. I knew this journey would be hard, but I never thought it would be this hard. I have been insanely jealous of everyone and anyone who gets on a waiting list for Ethiopia, no matter how long their wait is projected to be-even if it is longer than mine! Crazy, huh? And, I made my husband change the seats we have sat in at church for the past 2 years because I cannot sit behind the stroller section anymore without crying through half of the service. We won't even talk about my feelings when I spot a double-stroller!

Through all of these emotions and tears, the Lord has been so gracious to build a network of Christians around me to support us and lift us up. Another couple in our Sunday School class adopted a baby boy this year, and their wait was very long and had many ups and downs. They have been such an encouragement to us and have cheered us along by reminding us of the prize at the end of the journey. Another close friend of mine has been struggling with infertility for a year now. She and I have been able to honestly talk about our feelings and pray for one another to become mommies soon. I would never equate the adoption process to infertility, however, it has its similarities. We are both trying to get "pregnant", me on paper and my friend for real, and neither of us has been successful and our circumstances are currently out of our control. But, we both know that the Lord has placed in our hearts the passion to be mothers and that He will bring that desire to fruition. I'm so thankful for everyone who has encouraged us along the way, it means so much to me to know that others care for us and our babies and want to see us together as a family.

A verse that God keeps putting in front of me is Proverbs 16:9: "The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." I know that He is trying to teach me that He has a plan and it is the best plan regardless of what I already have planned in my mind. You see, when we started this process, I thought that we would become parents next summer which would be perfect because that is a slower time at my job and the best time to take maternity leave. Well, God may have another idea because our wait time has increased by 3 months with no end in sight. I often wonder why God made me to be a planner and control-freak and call me to a passion and purpose which is almost completely out of my control?! I am trying to take comfort knowing that He knows who our children are...He knows their birth date...He knows when they are going to be orphaned...He knows when we will meet for the first time...He knows when we will become a family...He knows how long we will wait...He knew that this hold-up with Immigration would happen...He knew that we would need to start the process in January 2010 in order to get our children that He created for our family in the right timing...He knew that He would have to start working in our hearts to adopt almost 3 years ago so that all things would work together according to His plan! And He knows when I cry and He comforts me.

I know once all of our feet are on American soil and we are a family that I will say that Adoption is the hardest thing I have ever experienced, but also the greatest experience of my life, and I can't wait to do it again. Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of taking this journey with You and for holding our hands the entire way.

Our First Ethiopian Meal

Isaac took me to dinner at Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant on Wednesday night. This was our first experience dining on Ethiopian cuisine and we really enjoyed it. The inside of the restaurant had authentic decorations, and we heard a few people speaking in Amharic, the native language in Ethiopia. We almost felt like we were there...

This picture cracks me up...our poor kids are going to have such a dorky mom...but here I am, in front of the sign for the restaurant, documenting for posterity!

Appetizers: Beef Sambussa and Buticha with Injera
The Beef Sambussa tasted like a spicy beef wonton. The Buticha reminds me of hummus but more chunky and spicy. The Injera is crepe-like and tasteless; it is used to dip and scoop up the food to eat instead of using utensils.

Entree: Queen's Eight Meal Platter

Starting from the green stuff and clockwise: Gomen (Collard Greens), Atikilt Alecha (Potato & Carrot), Ye Misr Wot (Lentil), Lamb Tibs, Tibs Wot (Beef), Chicken Tibs, Ye Kik Alecha (Split-Pea), and Doro Wat (Chicken leg & Boiled Egg)

My itty-bitty cup of Ethiopian coffee-it was thick as syrup! I think I'll stick with my Cafe Americano!

Marco Island, FL Vacation

The last week of July we drove south to Marco Island for vacation and a few days of continuing education for Kyle. Our friends, Jason, Katie, Carly and Abby, joined us again this year on our trip. We stayed in a beach condo and enjoyed both the beach and the pool during our stay.

Isaac got right to the good eating...we consumed alot of crab legs on this trip!

Abby & Isaac- on our way home from Naples one night after a crab feast, Abby was not too happy to be in her carseat and was letting everyone in the car know it! Miraculously, she stopped crying as soon as we pulled in the parking garage but the car was still moving...why?...because Isaac had taken her out of her carseat! She was so happy in his arms and out of her restraints. Isaac got a lesson on child-safety right after that and was told (by his wife) to never do that again. He is such a softy.

The six of us ate dinner one night at the Marriott with a few pharm reps that know Katie and I. Carly and Abby wore the cutest matching dresses.

Carly wanted to join Isaac and I in our picture.

Carly was my buddy for the week...she nicknamed me "Kyle-Wyle"

View from our balcony

The beach was soooo wide...even though our condo was "on the beach", it was a really long walk with all of our gear for the day.

Artwork on the beach...the beach was loaded with beautiful shells.

Sunset during a walk on the beach

Isaac and I attended a luau at the Marriott that the conference I attended put on for all the conference guests...it wasn't the same as the Marriott Waikoloa luau we attended 3 years ago! We were missing the luau pork and lomi-lomi salmon at this one.

Luau man playing with fire

Sunset the last night from our balcony...a beautiful demonstration of God's creation and a nice ending to our week.

Thank You!

Today Isaac and I returned from our trip to Marco Island for a medical conference. While I was going through the mail, I came across a card with no return address. I opened it and inside was a donation towards our adoption. The card was signed 1 John 4:19 which reads, "We love, because He first loved us." We don't know who sent this donation, but we want to say "thank you". Thank you for loving Him and loving us and our children-to-be! God is glorified through you...whoever you are!

A friend pointed out to me today that this gift we received can be viewed as a sign from the Lord that He is still working even though we are growing more and more frustrated as we wait on Immigration and we feel like our plans are not working out. We appreciate His reminder that He has a plan and He is providing these little pick-me-ups to keep us going!