Our dossier entered the embassy on July 25th, glorious day! On July 31, we received an email from the embassy saying they needed the archived death certificate of Sunny's biological mother and they were also requesting an interview with the biological aunt. Bum day.
At the time we thought it would be easy (quick) to get the death certificate (that blasted thing has haunted us in every step one way or another). But alas, I forgot - this is Haiti. Nothing happens fast in Haiti.
The aunt's interview went well. Five and a half crazy weeks later the long-prayed-for death certificate was delivered into our director's hands. That was September 3.
On September 4, the death certificate was in the embassy's hands and finally they had all they needed to give us I600 approval. I expected approval within a day or 2.....How do I forget what country we are working with?!!
On September 11, the I600 approval came by way of email late in the afternoon! HALLELUJAH!!!!
There had been 2 other families with us at each step until the death certificate fiasco. Both of those families received a visa appointment email (giving them their visa appt. dates) 3 business days after they received I600 approval. So I had hoped to receive the visa appointment email on Friday, Sept 14. But, my tricky God (he laughs when I call him that, I'm sure) decided I needed to wait through another weekend.
So, here I sit on a Sunday night 2 years and 9 months into this crazy journey...praying for that visa appointment email to cyber-float its way into my life tomorrow.
Seriously though....
God's timing (albiet tricky) is ever so perfect this Rash Hashanah night.
If Sunny had come home last fall she would have been in the throws of our big move to Amarillo. And to be honest, the move to Amarillo all the way through the adjustment months were hard enough on this momma without adjusting to an older adopted child.
And if Sunny had come home mid-summer as once hoped, there are several things that would not have happened (that I can't share publicly out of respect for others) that needed to happen.
And if Sunny had come home late summer - I would not have come to an eye-opening, parenting-changing revelation that has beautifully altered my life with precious Libby. And what God taught me in that revelation will certainly impact my parenting of Sunny. The changes I've seen in Libby in just one week's time have been AMAZING. Its just another - "ok, God - you were right" realization that Sunny will come home at the perfect time when the entire family is really, really, really ready to love her fully and train her up whole-y/holy. I mean - we've always been ready in our hearts/minds to receive her, love her and be her parents...But Jesus knew the deeper things that needed changing - like entire attitudes, philosophies and concepts. So he made us wait.
Now, I know there is more to learn. I know one can never be entirely ready for the unexpected, unknown strongholds that are inevitably attached to an older adopted child. But, I'm taking responsibility in a whole new way and that place of humility and gentleness are exactly where I need to be to parent Sunny into whole freedom.
So there you have it. God was right all along. But you probably already knew that:)
1 comments:
You are so precious to our Father, so teachable...and then your pour forth what you learn. I love that about you, Cindy! Praying and joyful!!
Holly
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