Well first of all, we are still here and have had a super summer filled with lots of
adventures: Great America, Wisconsin
State fair, play dates
and time with family, bike rides, camping, and sleeping in. (I could add a sentence here about more info and pictures to follow, but with my track record for blogging, I can't make any guaranties! However, both boys are now in school full day and we are still waiting for Danny to come home, so the possibility of more time for me to blog is actually pretty realistic! SO stay tuned!!)
As far as "Have we heard anything new about the adoption?" question we are so frequently and lovingly asked, we are unfortunately still in the US
Embassy in country investigation wait.
According to our calculations, we are approaching 4 ½ months of waiting
in an approximate 3-9 month wait (yes, the wait time has increased). We are simply praying that Mike and I are
able to travel to bring Danny home by the end of the year.
BUT there are a couple things that can be done as we wait –
yeah! There is a desire within the
adoption community and a few members of Congress for the Embassy to work with
the authorities in country and begin their investigation process sooner which
would decrease the wait time for families to bring their children home. There is a Facebook group anyone can join even if you are not an adoptive family. This group is simply to show support – there
is strength in numbers and the hope is that many voices standing together can
make a difference. Another thing that can
be done is writing letters to your federal senators and representatives asking that
they support efforts of all agencies to work together and to increase the staff
size at the Embassy in country. I have a
general outline for this one page letter as well as the Facebook address so please email (mikeandamy@tds.net) if you’d like
either!
So I write this blog post on the first day of school. The house is quiet except for a Matthew West song playing and the occasional meow of a cat letting me know they are still here. I thought it would be filed with the noise of Danny playing and running and discovering. I will admit there was a tinge of sadness as I put the boys on the bus and walked back into the house by myself. (It wasn't quiet for too long though as I put a Leslie Sansone DVD in and we walked away the pounds for 45 minutes!) I will also admit then when we realized a few months ago that Danny would not in fact be home by the time the boys began school that the thought of actually having some "me time" was more than a bit exciting!! While I work from home caring for a friend's two girls, they do not come before 11:30am and I have one day a week off. Let's just say my house will be the cleanest, most decluttered it has ever been!!
And then there is the fact that God was not surprised by this extended wait time. I am comforted to know that nothing slips by Him and that He is so much bigger than paperwork and investigations and waiting time. He is my Rock and my Strength, and ever present help in time of trouble. I am comforted to know He watches over Danny and knows the number of hairs on his head. I have enjoyed a summer with just the two boys and all the freedom that allowed. (As I stood in line with them one day at Great America I thought of how much of a challenge it would have been to do Great America with Danny there too.) I am looking forward to me time and the thought of a really clean and organized house (Goodwill here we come!) and even some time for projects. But I am so looking forward to the day our agency calls and says "Book those tickets!!"
NEXT STEPS: A bit more fundraising and adoption scholarship applying is needed as Danny remains in country longer than expected - we are trusting God to provide and simply asking for wisdom as to which way to turn.
PRAISE: That God is God and He is in control!!
PRAYER: Thank you as always for your continued prayer, support, and
excitement as we wait to bring Danny home!
It is more appreciated than words can say!! Please pray for Danny - that he would remain happy and healthy and that the Lord would be preparing his little heart for a huge life change as he comes to be part of our family. Pray also for our investigation process to come to a close, that the Embassy would hire more staff and begin the investigation process earlier, and that the voices of concern would be heard by those in Congress.
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