I know I am falling down on the job here, but the past month has gotten away from me. I was not expecting the post-referral paperwork to be quite as intense as it has been. We waited nearly two months to get JP's child study report from her RIPA. I admit, I was stalking the mailbox like a vulture and emailing our agency every single week asking for an update. I will never understand how it can take so long to put a document that is already on hand into the mail! Thankfully, we received it last week. I went without food for the majority of that Monday as I scurried around from Walgreens, to notaries, to county clerks, to the Secretary of State, to the post office, but by golly, I got that paperwork back in the mail the same day. Then I started filling out paperwork for USCIS to allow JP admittance into the US. I had everything done on our side, and just got our final documents in the mail from our agency today to complete the application. Tomorrow is Sunday, so it will have to wait a day, but then it will be in the mail to USCIS, and we will pray for a speedy approval.
There are a few more comings and goings between the US embassy and us after that comes through, but then we are in line for the infamous ARC approval in India. That just means a regional committee decides that they don't have an objection to our adopting JP. This is a fairly new step, and we are seeing other families in our Indian state who have been waiting 8-10 months and counting for this approval. Not a good sign. So we are already praying for divine intervention, that our case would fly through ARC approval with record speed. Please pray with us!!!
For now, for this moment, I want to focus on thanksgiving, though. Because there has already been a miracle this week. As you know, we've been sharing our puzzle fund raiser as a means of finishing out our final adoption fee, and getting started on our travel expenses. We were still about $1,650 away from being back in the black, and I'll admit, I was stressed... to the point of having tension headaches and muscle spasms in my neck and right shoulder. I knew deep down that the Lord would provide, but I do NOT like being in the hole... owing money. We just don't do debt. We were at about 212 puzzle pieces, which was awesome! But yesterday... oh yesterday. I checked the mail late in the afternoon and found a hand addressed envelope with no name or return address. I opened it and found a single white sheet that read, "For Adoption Fund Matthew 6:33..." and money orders totaling $2,000. What?!?! "Seek first his kingdom..." And all these things have been given to us as well. That's right, friends. Our final adoption fee is COVERED! And, nearly all of the fee for updating our paperwork in the fall when we move has been taken care of as well. Praise the Lord!!! I am still in shock. I felt like the early church who prayed so fervently for Peter's release from prison, but were totally surprised when he showed up at the door! The pain and spasms in my neck and shoulder immediately stopped as if a massive weight had literally been lifted off of me. Now, we can start saving for our travel expenses. I pray that we need them by the end of the year, but I can only trust that JP will come home exactly when she is supposed to. And I can only trust that the Lord will blow me away again and provide the $10,000 that we will need for travel. I have no idea how that will happen, but I know that it will. So there is yet another miracle in this journey, yet another confirmation that our sweet girl will come home, and that He will make our way straight. All glory to God.
No comments:
Post a Comment