Learning to Wait

There is so much we can glean from waiting isn't there?

We have waited quite a bit over these last couple years.

It's been almost 2 years since we decided to follow the Lord in the adoption of a fatherless child.

We had no idea the wait would be this long.

But God did.

We had no idea that this journey would contain so many roller coaster ups and downs of emotions!  So many highs and lows, excitements and disappointments! 

But God did.

We had no idea that our son would be waiting on the government of his home country to allow him to leave.  To allow him, and the rest of the Congolese children that are WAITING...to come home.

But God did.

This journey is not over for us.  

We still don't know when it will end.

When we will get the call that it is our turn to travel.

When we will FINALLY meet our son, hold him in our arms, stumble through the language barrier, and express in every possible way that we love him and have labored for him....that we are thankful that he has waited for us!

But God does.

He knows.

And in all this waiting, all this UNKNOWN, we are forced again to rest ONLY in the fact that our Sovereign Lord KNOWS.

Wow, I am so thankful for that!  How do parents DO this without that reassurance??? 

"Our God is in the heavens, and He does whatever He pleases" Psalm 115:3

"...He works all things after the counsel of HIS will." Ephesians 1:11

We are so small.

I praise God this is NOT all up to me, because The Lord knows I'd MESS IT UP! 

All this to let y'all know....we are still waiting. 

And yes, it is hard.
Yes, it is heartbreaking at times.
Yes, we cry.

But YES, we hope in Him!!

As far as a real update on the adoption process, here's the info we have for you:

*Tobias should be getting his visa in the next couple weeks (there are issues beyond our control that have delayed it some).

*Once he gets his visa, he will travel back to Lubumbashi unless God works a miracle and opens up the issuance of exit letters again very very soon.

*He will again be in the orphanage he's known as "home" with the people he knows as family.

**He has been in the care of a lady that he has known for a long time while staying in Kinshasa these past few months.  We are so grateful she has been caring for him!

*We will wait for the government in Congo to again issue exit letters and get the "go-ahead" to get our own entrance visa and TRAVEL to get him!

*We will most likely be traveling to Lubumbashi instead of Kinshasa if this is the case.  This will actually make a HUGE impact on our financial situation (for the better!!!!).

We do NOT know when that will be, but are obviously praying SOON!

Here is where you can HELP!

The U.S. has not been silent on this issue.  There is a whole "coalition" here that have been working tirelessly with our own government, the Congolese ambassador, and now the Congolese president to specifically get the exit letters issued for children in the adoption process.

We have received word that sometime soon, we will be able to ask our family and friends (you) to write letters to the appropriate government officials requesting urgency in this matter!

So please keep this in mind and be ready to do so on behalf of Tobias and all the other children waiting! (there are well over 100 that are ready to leave right now)

When the time comes, I will FOR SURE blog about it and you will get all the details you need to write a letter if you chose to!

In the meantime, we just continue to ask that you pray for this situation.  

• We are praying that Tobi will get his visa quickly.

• That his trip back to Lubumbashi will be safe and that he will handle this whole situation well.  I know this would be hard for my girls, I can't imagine how he's processing all this :(

• And pray pray pray that these exit letters will be issued ASAP!!!!!

Thank you for the support, we certainly feel it and appreciate it.

We have more people behind us and Tobi than we actually realize!

Thank you for praying with us and waiting with us!!