Fingerprint Snafu

I heard back from USCIS regarding our Uganda application.  Yeah... it turns out they hadn't done anything on it!  She said they were missing the fingerprints.  I told her I sent them in with my application months ago.  Then she said, "Oh wait, hold on... oh, here they are."  She didn't even realize that she had them all along!


So, now, my dear friends, please pray for a miracle that these fingerprints would be cleared more quickly than most cases.  Pray that we can get the approval before January, so that we can get all the paperwork turned in in order to be headed out to Uganda in March.  We don't want our daughter to be waiting any longer than she has to.


But that brings me to the point that God's timing is perfect.  Though it seems like someone messed up, and may have delayed things... God is not surprised by it!  He is not thinking, "Oh no!  She ruined My plans for Alison and Mark.  Now My timing is all messed up.  What am I going to do?"  NO!  He is in control.  He is sovereign over a fingerprint overlooking.  He is working things out to happen at the precise time that he has set for them to happen.  He is not taken by surprise and His plans are not thwarted.


But He asks His people to pray.  So, we get the privilege to be involved with praying for a quick and smooth process.  And He delights for us to see Him answer prayers.  Though prayer is not always answered the the way we expect, it will always be for our good and His glory.


We look forward to seeing how this process is completed.  We know that you have all labored with us in this, and we are so thankful!  Your prayers, and notes of encouragement, mean so much!  Thank you!

Anticipation

It is pretty exciting to think about our little girl coming home to live with us here.  Everything in our house looks different now.  Instead of looking at a room and thinking, "Well, she probably won't ever get to play in this room," now I am thinking "Whoa, look at those spider webs over there.  She is going to get into that stuff.  I can just imagine her crawling all over this place!"  And peaking into the family bathroom, "there's the tub that we'll give her baths in."  I can't wait for her to get here!

As far as our Congo adoption, we are holding steady at the same number on the wait list.  Things are moving slowly lately.  But I did get a call back from the USCIS about our application.  It is going to be finished up late next week!  Just waiting on the fingerprints to come back from being processed.  Not long after we bring home our daughter, our newly-formed family of three will increase to four or more!  I am looking forward to that referral!

Great News!

Our agency just returned from Uganda, where they got a lot of logistical things sorted out for all the families in the program.  We also got an update with the crucial information we were waiting for... is this baby girl actually eligible for adoption?  YES!  And she will be joining our family!  She will be our daughter!!

Also, the lawyer they are working with said that she hopes to have everything filed in January and we could travel to pick up our little Sweet Pea as early as March!!!  Wow!  That shocked me, because I was starting to believe it was going to take a lot longer.  Now, I can hardly contain my excitement as I ponder what awaits us possibly just 4 months down the road. 

Where our little one awaits

Much paperwork has to be accomplished in the meantime, but it is looking optimistic!  Please keep praying for this process...

-Pray that the lawyer will get everything signed within the next few weeks.
-Pray that our USCIS (US Citizen and Immigration) approval is expeditied by God and arrives quickly.
-Pray that all the paperwork will be able to get filed in January.
-Pray that we get a quick court date assigned to us, and that both of us will be able to travel for it.
-Pray for our baby girl and her care until we can get there
-Pray for our baby's young birthmother who needs the Lord
-Pray for our hearts to be patient as we wait for all these things to happen!

Also, please pray that we will receive updated photos soon!  They were unable to get any photos when they were there, but have a request in for the children's home director to send some.  Finally, rejoice in the Lord with me that God is working to give this little girl a permanent home, a home with us!

Ugandan women rejoicing