01/28/14 - OUR INVESTIGATION ENDS

9 months and 5 days after the US Embassy in Danny's birth country began their investigation (to establish that all was done legally and that he was a true orphan), we received the email we had been waiting for - the investigation had come to a close and we would soon be sent a visa appointment day.

When we began this adoption process, the wait time for investigation was 2-6 weeks.  Then early in 2012 the Embassy said wait time were increasing to 3-6 months: lots more adoptions (yeah!) = lots more paperwork, same amount of staff = longer wait times (bummer!).

We got to be one of those lucky ones that went past the "estimated" wait time - and it was NOT FUN!  It was a struggle to wait, to wonder what was taking so long, to question why is it taking so long, to trust that God was at work in all of it, maybe I needed more time with John and Ryan, maybe Danny needed more time, maybe we'll never know.

So now we are done with this phase - we never have to repeat it in this process.

But now we are on to the next waiting phase - and once again we don't know when it will end.  The agency in country that writes exit letters (which all adopted children need to leave the country) suspended the writing of those letters last September due to a negative news article.  The suspension could last up to a year but no one really knows.  And once they do begin to write exit letters, everyone who is waiting in front of us - including families or are still stuck in country now - will need to get their letter before we do.

So this has been a time of excitement and highs - one more thing completed!  But also a time of frustration - IF there had been no suspension of exit letters, we would probably be traveling about two weeks after Danny gets his visa which will probably be at the end of February.  I was surprised at how hard that fact hit me.  Adoption is hard.  Waiting is hard.  God is good.

All the time.  And nothing can separate me from Him.  And He will never leave me nor forsake me.  And He will not let my foot slip.  And He will direct my paths.   And He will work good in all things for those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.