Answered Prayers

Yesterday morning I wrote this on my Facebook status:

Friday ... the last day of the work week and I'm always holding my breath extra tightly. Will we hear word from Haiti today?? Please Lord, let it be.

Then, frustrated as usual by my powerlessness, I visited the websites of my state's congressmen hoping to find guidelines for writing to them and asking their assistance on our behalf. Within a half hour I had my letter written and printed and ready to fax - but decided to wait until Monday, just in case.

The day before my husband and I had joked that we were "engaging Murphy's law" on this adoption. Time was running out for us to make a final decision regarding an annual meeting we were required to attend in the capital city during the first week of February. Back when we'd expected the boys home in December, we had planned to drive the 27 hours and attend the meeting/retreat as a family. When it became apparent that the boys' homecoming would be delayed, we considered flying Pedro and the three older kids down but he was a little nervous about doing that alone. Finally we decided that the four of them would join our church teens headed to camp on an adventurous bus ride to the capital; then Thursday we decided to go ahead and purchase plane tickets for all five of us instead.

O ye of little faith! Now Pedro will most likely fly alone with the three children; we will eat the cost of one plane ticket; and I will stay home with the two little boys. But, we are perfectly happy! What seemed an impossibility has finally come true.

Many friends have asked what the next step is, or have expressed confusion because they thought this was the last step. There is one more step, which is the actual visa appointment and issuing of the boys' visas. Lord willing, we should receive an e-mail this coming week with the date of our visa appointment. We are praying that we would receive an appointment even this same week! If so, we could make travel plans as early as the week of January 18. It is in the Lord's hands and I will definitely update as details become available.

Today the five of us went out and made our first real purchase for the boys: car seats and high chairs. We were all so excited (well, except maybe Daddy who just kept seeing dollar signs!) Isabel was showing Ian and Alec's picture to the ladies at the checkout counter and Owen was running wild all over the store. I'm sure they thought we were nuts, but we didn't care! It just seems unbelievable that this is finally coming true. And that is something worth celebrating. :)

Meanwhile, my heart is even more burdened for friends we have made along this journey who are still waiting at various stages of their adoptions. Some are waiting for birthparent appointments to be rescheduled; others are waiting for DNA results; still others are dealing with clerical errors and human mistakes. I am praying fervently that God will open the floodgates for all of us and that there will be a great flux of forward movement so that all the children will come home to the loving arms of their forever families!