Today I received some "not what I wanted to hear" news. Earlier this week I recieved an email from a friend that is going through paperwork for an international adoption. She wrote about some setbacks she had with her immigration/fingerprint paperwork. I told Jason I feared that we would have setbacks too since I was counting so heavily on the information we were given that we should receive approval in 2 weeks. Well, today marks 3 weeks since our fingerprints were taken so I decided to start emailing and calling to find out where we were in the approval process. I found out that even though a petition was made to expedite our paperwork, USCIS takes on files as they come in. It could be up to 90 days. (Insert empty, nauseating, gut renching feeling! Remember that LONGING to be with Lucy I talked about in my last post!) 90 DAYS!!!! Are you serious???? The good news is (well the better than bad news at this point) after I looked into it further and asked more questions of the USCIS officer I found out that the 90 days starts when they receive our application, which was Sept. 28th. Sonthe magic 90 day number brings us to the end of December. By the end of December we should have approval. I am praying, praying, praying that it will be earlier.
This news is just really bothering me tonight. This process is truly a roller coaster ride. Just when I think we are making huge steps in getting closer to bringing Lucy home, I get knocked down with news like this. It's someone telling me I have to wait even longer. It's that feeling that we will never hold Lucy in our arms. Interesting enough, I checked my email on my phone at the end of our moms group meeting where the devotion for today was on patience. Huh! Coincidence, I think not! Yes, I am praying for patience.
My prayer has been since receiving this news that through God's working, He would make a way for our papers to be noticed and looked at quickly. That all the necessary information would be there when the officer looks at our paperwork, if this is His way in all this. If not, I pray that I would be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, patience.
I was reading a post today on the internet and came across what an adoptive mom wrote on what not to say and what to say to parents waiting for their child. I do not wish to post the whole article because it comes across as being discouraging to those that are trying to be encouraging. I think we say things to people that may be going through some trial in life, trying to be an encouragement, but it comes across to the person we are trying to encourage as offensive or harsh because they are not at the point in their process where they are ready to hear those words. I have appreciated all the encouraging words we have received during this process. I understand that the encouragers out there may not have experienced what I am experiencing, but I still want to hear those words. Anyway, I digress. My point is there is one little piece of advice this writer put in her article that I would like to share:
"When you say you’re praying for us and our waiting children, and you actually really are, not only does that soothe our troubled souls, but according to Scripture, it activates the heavens. So pray on, dear friends. Pray on. That is always the right thing to say. And please actually do it. We need people to stand in the gap for us when we are too tired and discouraged to keep praying the same words another day."This is my request to you prayer warriors out there. I know many people have said they are praying for us and I know they truly are. Thank you! Keep praying!
I will leave with this song that was brought to my attention earlier this week. The words that stick out to me in this song is "If you take that first step into the unknown, He will not let you go." Jesus is not letting me, Lucy, or our family go while we walk out into this whole unknown process. He is holding us and this whole process in His hands. I needed that reminder.
Soli Deo Gloria!
I am praying for you and Lucy, Laura. Love, Aunt Sandy
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