What is REALLY going on in Burundi right now...

Update: I talked to our agency last night.  There is not much to tell.  They said that they are getting frustrated because it seems the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Burundi is putting up roadblocks.  They said it seems like someone in the office doesn’t want these adoptions to go through.  After waiting for a while (roadblock), they have come back to our agency and asked them to submit a detailed plan of what they want to do in Burundi (roadblock).  Our agency has resubmitted the information, and now the Ministry wants time to review it (roadblock) with no indication that they are being agreeable.  So based on the timing of things so far, it could take 1-2 months to get it all sorted out.

We had been waiting to hear whether or not there is going to be a delay in processing adoptions.  What I need to tell myself now is:

Face it.  There is a delay. 

We will not be submitting our paperwork to Burundi this week.  Not that we are ready, but we couldn’t even if we were ready.  Maybe it will take us the exact amount of time to get everything ready to submit as it takes them to sort everything out.  We hope our psychological evaluation should be done very soon (Praise the Lord, we made an appointment!).  As soon as we have that back, we will be at the authentication phase, and we will thus need a name of a child to continue.  But our agency can’t give us, and won’t give us, any info until they have sorted everything out with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  If it will be two months down the road, then the fact is, we will be delayed.

What I believe may be happening, not only in my thoughts, but also in Burundi is Spiritual Warfare. 

Spiritual Warfare can be defined as: “the cosmic war of good versus evil: its battles are fought daily between God and Satan; between the Christian Church and the world system ruled by our spiritual enemy; and between the Holy Spirit and the lusts of the carnal flesh within every human soul. The clear meanings of good and evil, as defined by God rather than man, are revealed within the verses of the Holy Bible and the life of Jesus Christ.”

I am not talking about going on a holy crusade or a physical war.  I am talking about supernatural battles.  Satan is Real.  God is Real.  They are directly opposed to each other.  God desires that orphans find homes.  Satan does not.  God wants children to join a family where they can hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Satan does not.  God wants those children to come to believe in Him.  Satan does NOT.  God vs. Satan, plain and simple.

The good news is that Satan has already lost.  Though he may try his best to take glory away from God while here on earth, he will not have the ultimate victory.  Because the battle is still real, there are still children suffering, and we need to pray.

I could wring my hands with worry over the delays.

Or

Everyone I know could be praying to break down the walls that are preventing adoptions from occurring in Burundi. 

Everyone can be praying to place someone in charge in Burundi who has a heart for orphans. 

Praying to open the eyes of the officials to see that it is not a bad thing for the country. 

Praying to let Christ have the victory over the spiritual battle that is being waged. 

Praying that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will look at the paperwork and decide that everything is in order, and will declare our agency free to continue on to process adoptions. 

Praying that no other order of business gets in the way of them deciding on this matter. 

Praying that they will have to look at the paperwork, that their eyes would be directed to it, that their minds will not stop thinking about it, that they will even have dreams that they must clear this paperwork for good. 

Praying they have to look into the eyes of an orphan on their way to work, and praying they stop and think about what will happen to that child.

We need your prayers!  Lots and lots of children in Burundi need your prayers!

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” –Ephesians 6:10-13

What has been going on in my thoughts:

We had a little bit of a scare recently.  We found out a few days ago that Mark would have to go on an “all-expense paid trip” to the middle east in June… for 6+ months, without me of course.   Hmm, Lord how is that going to work with our adoption plans?  All of the sudden, I am faced with a huge struggle to trust God and His plans.  In my rational human mind I can’t see how this is going to work.  God, are you sure you know what you are doing?  I am faced with my own ugliness of sin.  What do I want most?  A child, or the Father?  Do I want my plans to happen exactly how I want them to happen, in the exact timing I want them to happen… or do I want to be shaped more into the character of Christ, and learn to depend on Him more and trust Him more, no matter what?  I had to open up my hands, let go of trying to control, and choose to trust Him instead…. Even if it means that we will not be able to adopt in 2011, or 2012.… or ever (This brings me to tears).  Even if it means that we will have to redo all our paperwork because it will have expired, and spend thousands more dollars.  What is that compared to all of eternity?  What is a few more years, a few more dollars compared to what awaits us in heaven for eternity.  Will anyone even care 100 years from now?  No. 

So, I laid it all at His feet.  I enlisted the prayers of some close friends.  And I saw God answer prayers.  The “middle-east vacation” was called off!  Praise the Lord!

Me: Lord, I would have been just fine if you hadn’t put this little obstacle in my path for the last few days.

God: No, you needed it.  I had a plan for you.  I had some lessons I needed to teach you.  I wanted to remind you to trust in Me, not in “chariots and horses” (Psalm 20:7).

Me: Ok, I see that now.  You were right.  I did need reminding of that.  Thank you for your lovingkindness to me!

I rejoice in the Lord always (Phil 4:4) and take to heart this great verse in Romans 8:37-39,

“…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Thanks for reading my rants, I hope to have more good news soon.