147 Million Minus 1: November 2012

Friday, November 23, 2012

Approved!

God is absolutely amazing- I honestly do not have the capacity to understand His love for us. Just when I have giving into complaining and frustration He comes through. I am AMAZED at how He can love and care about us so much. Today, was a good day at work (for once!), I had an amazing annual review and it was surprisingly quiet (which hasn't happened in months and months). Then when I get home tonight from work I check the mail immediately (as we have been doing for the last month) and see a letter from Homeland Security. It is good news? Is it bad news? I hesitate to even open the envelope. I open and see our approval for our I-600. Thank you Jesus!!! What a glorious way to end Thanksgiving week. My heart is filled with gratitude, appreciation, amazement and humbleness. I suddenly feel guilty for my complaining last week on this process dragging on and on. I've always known that this whole process is in HIS timing and I have recently struggled because HIS timing didn't seem to be right in align with mine.
Experiencincing this today brought 2 very important songs to my heart. These songs have help me through the trials of the last few months and have offered encouragement right when I needed it. I have listened to both of these more times than I can count and yet each time the songs bring tears to my eyes.

Amazing Love
I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, you're spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, you're spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That you my king would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
Amazing love, how can it be
That you My king would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
In all I do I honor you

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, you're spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

The other song that I can't seem to enough of is by Meredith Andrews:

Meredith Andrews - Not For A Moment

You were reaching through the storm, walking on the water,
Even when I could not see.
In the middle of it all, when I thought you were a thousand miles away.
Not for a moment, did You forsake me.
Not for a moment, did You forsake me.

After all, You are constant.
After all, You are only good.
After all, You are sovereign.
Not for a moment, will You forsake me.

You were singing in the dark, whispering Your promise.
Even when I could not hear.
I was held in Your arms, carried for a thousand miles to show,
Not for a moment did You forsake me.

After all, You are constant.
After all, You are only good.
After all, You are sovereign.
Not for a moment, will You forsake me.
Not for a moment, will You forsake me.

And every step, every breath You are there.
Every tear, every cry, every breath.
In my hurt, at my worst, when my world falls down.
Not for a moment, will You forsake me.

Even in the dark, even when it's hard
You will never leave me
After all

After all, You are constant.
After all, You are only good.
After all, You are sovereign.
Not for a moment, will You forsake me.
Not for a moment, will You forsake me.
Not for a moment, will You forsake me.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His rightness and justice, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 7: 17

Thankfulness: Gratefulness; Appreciation

On Thanksgiving, I reflect on the top things in my life that I am so grateful for:

1. Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer

2. My husband and best fried, who has shown me what true love really is

3. My son, that I love with all my heart and haven't even met yet

4. My Parents and In-Laws, who love me unconditionally

5. My family

6. My friends

7. My health

8. That I live in a free country where many men and women have died to protect our freedoms

9. My house and all that is in it to make it a home

10. My job, even though it stresses me out beyond what words can express, I'm thankful that I have a stable job with good pay and benefits.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Nursery Done!

Although we are still waiting for paperwork to be approved, we have been preparing at home for our little bug-a-boo. The nursery is finished! I absolutely love it. The color of the room is so calming and the decals add such a personal touch. All we need now is our little guy home in our arms. At least his room will be ready for him when he comes home.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

When are we gonna get our break?

Lord grant us favor....PLEASE!!
Adoption is not for the faint hearted that is for sure. We passed our 30 day non appeal period and began our the next stage of paperwork for our little guy. I honestly keep wondering when the paperwork chase is going to end. I have 2 binders (each 2 inches) full of the copies of documents, home study and dossier. I'm sorry to be complaining but it seems that around every turn there is another document (or 10) that need to be completed.
We sent off a number of forms on Oct 3rd, including our I-600 with his birth certificate, adoption judgement and judgement suppletive for the birth certificate (each document in English and French). These were sent to the USCIS---let me just say, our experience with this department of the government now affirms the reason that the government is in the trouble it is. Inefficient to say the least.
We also had to complete the G-28: Notice of Entry of Appearance, I-864: Affidavit of Support, Affidavit Concerning Exemption from Immigration Vaccination Requirements and the Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration. We got all of these docs off quickly and then waited.
A few weeks later we received a letter from the USCIS requesting additional information/proof of orphan status. We opened the letter and were shocked....more proof than the 4 documents in both English and Spanish?!? The feelings we felt were extreme anger, sadness, frustration and hopelessness. What more did they need to prove that he is an orphan? We reached out to our agency with the request for evidence and of course this would take an additional couple of weeks for the attorney in Congo to get the additional documentation that the USCIS requested.
Finally, over a month after originally sending our I-600 off we sent back the documentation (on Nov 5) and pray for a quick (can we even say quick since this set us back at the very least another month?). It is now Nov 17th and we are still waiting for approval of our I-600 so that the Ministry can begin their work and approvals.
Everyday we check the mail to see if there is a letter of approval. So far, each day we are disappointed. Our hearts hurt. Our arms are empty. All we can think about is when we will be able to hold our son in our arms. I know everything is in His timing but it is getting hard to accept that His timing is not matching up with our timing. I continue to pray that those reviewing our paperwork will show us favor. Please Lord, show us the light at the end of the tunnel. Let something go quick in this process, we need some sort of win to encourage us.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Weekend Getaway

Utah or Bust!

After many ~~weeks~~ months of stress at both of our jobs we decided to take a couple days off and at the last minute head to Moab, UT. We even took the dogs with us, finding a website (www.bringfido.com) that tells of pet friendly hotels.

We are always thinking about our little guy. We are waiting for you!

The pups enjoying the hotel

Utah or Bust!

We had an awesome time. I think one of the things that made this so fun was that it was totally unplanned (which is not like me-I'm a total planner!). We just went and did what we wanted when we wanted. The only bad thing about the trip was that it was too short. But we plan on heading back to Moab next year when it is warmer for some fun four wheeling.