Update

Well, the mailbox still has not presented us with our approval from US Immigration.  Joey gave a friendly update call (which is why Joey had to call...I am no longer feeling particularly friendly) to the Immigration Officer handling our case.  They had a nice little chat.  Our case has made it to her desk and she thinks that if everything goes well, she will get to it by the end of this week or the beginning of next week.  Joey assured her that we were praying for her and for God to muliply her time.  Please join us in praying for Officer Lauren to move quickly through her cases so that she can process ours this week. 

Once we get the approval, then our agency can set our embassy appointment.  This will take about three weeks.  After the embassy appointment, it takes about two weeks for Miriam's visa to be processed and then we can travel.  I am itching to go.  I really want to be there with her on her birthday...which is October 24th.  In the human scheme of things, this doesn't look like it is going to happen.  But still, I hold out hope.

Our God is Able-Part 2

AAAAUUGGGHHH!  Disappointment!  So, today I called US Immigration again just to check on the status of our paperwork.  I have been praying from the moment that we saw Miriam's picture that we could bring her home in October.  Her birthday is October 24th, and I want to be with her on that day.  As time goes on, and there is no approval in the mailbox, it gets less likely that we will travel in October.  I decided to be proactive and call again to see where we were in the approval process.  The woman that answered the phone (after being on hold for a long time) didn't even let me talk with Officer Lauren.  She said that Officer Lauren just returned to work after being out for several weeks.  WHAT? Out for several weeks? I wanted to cry.  I told the lady that I was trying really hard not to cry.  She said, "There is no reason to cry. She is working on your paperwork."  I tried to explain about Miriam's birthday and how I wanted to be with her by then, but it didn't seem to matter.  So I politely got off the phone and then I did cry.  God will have to move in a mighty way in order for us to travel in October.

Yesterday, when I was in my God is able mood.  I looked in my concordance to see all the places in scripture where God is shown as able to do something.  The first one I looked at was in Daniel 3.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are getting ready to be thrown into the furnace for not bowing down and worshiping the statue of the king.  In verses 17-18 they say, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O King. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve you gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."  So, I know that God is able to move in miraculous ways...he can move the paperwork...get the embassy appointment...issue the visa to Miriam all in time for us to travel in October.  BUT if he does not, I will still serve and worship Him! I continue to pray and ask for this miraculous movement all the while trusting that He is always working for good of those who love Him.

Our God is Able

Joey and I went to a conference this weekend called, Together for Adoption.  It was not exactly what expected. I think that was expecting a conference geared toward the adoptive parent with practical advice for the day to day struggles.  This was more than that…it was theology…revealing the heart of God. It was about orphan care as a way to proclaim the gospel. We heard 4 pastors preach about adoption as it is found in scripture.  We were once outside the family of God, but because of Jesus, we have been adopted in and can claim our rightful place as children of God!  It was deep, and meaty, and thought provoking.

During the main sessions of the conference, we sang praises to God and worshiped.  I needed this time to be reminded who God is.  In the waiting, I can take my eyes off my Loving Father and put them on all the obstacles in our path.  Worship reminds me where my focus should be.  One of the songs we sang was God is Able by Hillsong.  This is what my spirit needed to sing…God is able…He has done great things…He can do great things…He is Almighty God.  He is able to move the paperwork through this system.  He is able to prepare Miriam’s heart for attaching to our family.  He is able to schedule a date with the US Embassy.  He is able to knit our family together.  AND even when I can’t see any of this happening, and I begin to panic because every day I run to the mailbox and the approval is not there…I KNOW HE IS ABLE. I will choose to trust.

God Is Able
He Will Never Fail
He Is Almighty God

Greater Than All We Seek
Greater Than All We Ask
He Has Done Great Things

Chorus
Lifted Up
He Defeated The Grave
Raised To Life
Our God Is Able
In His Name We Overcome
For The Lord
Our God Is Able[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/hillsong/god_is_able.html ]
God Is With Us
God Is On Our Side
He Will Make A Way
Far Above All We Know
Far Above All We Hope
He Has Done Great Things

Repeat Chorus

God Is With Us
He Will Go Before
He Will Never Leave Us
He Will Never Leave Us

God Is For Us
He Has Open Arms
He Will Never Fail Us
He Will Never Fail Us

Crafty!

This is Helen! My friend Ellie and I did a little project for Miriam's room. It is wooden letters to hang over her cubbies. We felt super crafty and it was a great way to spend our day off of school! I am so excited for my sister(!!!) to come home!

Words of Experience

One of the things that takes up my time these days is reading adoption blogs.  I can't seem to get enough of reading about other people's experiences.  There is so much unknown in this journey that reading blogs seems to give me an idea of things to expect.  Jen Hatmaker posted this one the other day. While the truth is sometimes hard, I much prefer knowing it than being unprepared for what is ahead.  I thought you might like to read it too.

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2012/08/21/the-truth-about-adoption-one-year-later

Closer Still

Our agency sends needed items to the orphanages with parents traveling to pick up their children.  There are two families traveling this weekend who are taking baby formula with them.  We received an email yesterday asking for first aid supplies to send with the 3rd family that is traveling.  I forwarded the message to Joey so that he could remind me to get first aid supplies to send to this family to take to the DRC.  Then, we got the email that it is us.  We are the next family to travel!!!  We don't have approval yet, but we are next in line to go! WOW!

We are getting closer!

It has been a while since I updated the blog as to all that is going on.  Things have been happening, but we have been so busy with school starting and getting my bible study up and going that I haven't sat down long enough to get out some coherent thoughts.  Here are some updates:
Miriam received her book about our family.  Our agency videotaped the congo director reading it to her.  We could see God at work.  Papa John (this is what the kids call him) hugged Miriam as he read it to her, so she felt safe as she contemplated this new idea in her life.  He read the book with great enthusiasm which seemed to give her a sense that this was going to be ok.  In this book, we simply introduced ourselves.  The main phrase that we wrote was Tolingi Miriam which means we love you Miriam.  The first time she hears that phrase you can see a slight smile come across her lips.  By the end of the book, Papa John has Miriam waving at the camera and telling us that she loves us too.
Our I600 form has been in the hands of US Immigration for almost 4 weeks now, so hopefully we will receive our approval soon.  This week we sent a giant amount of paperwork to a family from our agency that is traveling over the weekend to the DRC.  They are taking everything that is needed for Miriam to get her visa and our embassy appointment.  I am praying for God's perfect timing in our travel and approval process and trying to trust His sovereignty while we wait.
We have also been working on Miriam's room.  It is coming together.  Here is a picture of her bed!

There is still lots to do and so many things that have to happen but we feel it...we are getting closer...our lives are getting ready to change forever...and we are so excited to be on this great adventure!