Praying for Mercy

Today our I-600 paperwork arrived in Texas! It feels SO GOOD to have this out of my hands. I was so excited to have mailed this yesterday so when I came home from my morning ladies group and saw I had new pictures in my inbox I was doubly thrilled.

Until I opened them.

I noticed with the previous set of pics (and other people commented as well), that Mercy just seemed off. She wasn't her usual perky, smiley self. Needless to say I have been very concerned for her well-being and shed quite a few tears over these.

We are praying for all obstacles to Mercy's homecoming be removed. We are praying that any approvals we need will be obtained quickly and without fail. We are praying for a hedge of protection to be placed around Mercy. Also, we are praying that the finances needed for travel will not be an issue and that anything we need for when that time comes will be there. We are trusting God for his love and protection over Mercy's life. Our hope is in Him.

The Kindness of "Strangers"

I've recently become "bloggy friends" with a wonderful family from the midwest who is currently living in Italy and adopting from Haiti. Her husband happens to travel to Ghana quite frequently with his work.

I was blessed when she wrote recently to ask if there was anything I had wished I would have brought back from Ghana but didn't. I was amazed by her generous offer and wrote her back to let her know I had bought a Ghanaian clothing item for everyone but myself. She quickly offered that her husband needed a reason to shop in Ghana and that he would be on the lookout for something special.

The box arrived the other day and I opened it to find an exquisitely embroided ensemble and a figurine that symbolized "life is precious". The outfit also came with a headwrap that I have not quite mastered (yet). I plan to wear it on the day Mercy is dedicated at church.

I feel blessed that God chose to connect me with this family via the United States, Italy, Haiti & Ghana. The world is certainly feeling like a smaller place all the time.

Pictures Are Better Than Gold

A friend's husband got these pictures of Mercy while he was in Ghana recently. New pictures always bring about a flurry of emotions. I wonder what she is thinking. I wonder if she wonders if I'm really ever coming back. Oh how I love this sweet, spunky girl!

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5

A Life of Excess

I sat in our basement yesterday and cried. I've been cleaning, organizing and purging down there in preparation for adding another member to our family and was just suddenly overwhelmed at how much "stuff" we have. Mind you, I've already sold or given away huge amounts of "stuff", but I still felt deeply ashamed of all that we have.

"Stuff" packed up in boxes. "Stuff" we don't care about. Boxes and boxes of clothes the children have outgrown.

Why. oh. why. did. we. buy. all. this. STUFF!?

We do not live an extravagant lifestyle by American standards. I generally clearance shop and don't spend any money on perks like a professional dye job or manicure. We don't live in a huge house or have a new car. Our shopping and spending habits changed drastically a few years back when Jeff lost his job, but we still have work to do. Learning the difference between what we NEED and what we WANT has been good for us all - including the kids.

When I looked around at all of our "stuff" I realized how foolish and wasteful it was. I wept for the dollars I spent on things that don't matter to us. Things that get shoved to the back of a closet. I think of all of the good that could have been done with that money. A few dollars here and there would have added up to a lot that could be given to people making a difference or to people lacking the basic essentials to live.

The truth is that I have a deep desire to simplify. I want to be a better steward. My possessions have slowly lost their meaning and I am thankful.

Orphan Sunday

10 Ways Every Christian Can Care for the Orphan:
1) Pray for them
2) Speak up for them
3) Provide for their needs
4) Support those who support them
5) Protect them from harm
6) Visit them where they are
7) Give sacrificially to them
8) Encourage them to press on
9) Adopt them into your family
10) Mobilize your church for them

Orphan Sunday from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

November 23rd

...is the day we have our FINGERPRINTING appointment! Of course I wish it were next week, but I am thrilled that we have an appointment at all. Knowing we are in the home stretch is quickly becoming the hardest part of the wait. It's like having a piece of cheesecake sitting in front of you, but being told you can't eat it. HARD!

I was blessed with new pictures today. One of them shows her talking on the phone with me. I love, love, love this girl!

The Good, The Bad, and the Wee Bit Sad

Yesterday was a rollercoaster of emotions kind of day. I was thrilled to wake up and find an e-mail containing the last bit of stuff we needed to file our I-600. It is a huge relief to have everything to be able to do this. It was sweet to see our last name behind Mercy's on an official piece of paper. Unfortunately I can't do anything with this paperwork because of our expired fingerprints.

Normally I would be semi-content to wait, but the reality of Mercy's living situation has me feeling in a hurry. I haven't said much on here, but the orphanage where Mercy was living was closed at the beginning of summer. She has pretty much been bounced around from place to place since then. She is currently being cared for by a lady I was told is her grandmother, however, the social welfare report I received says it is her aunt. Familial terms seem to be used very loosely in Ghana so it's hard to know how exactly this person is related to her. I did have someone check on her last week and was told that the "grandmother" was out traveling and she left Mercy in the care of her older male cousins (again, a guess). You can imagine that this has been very concerning. If she were in an orphanage setting I would at least feel confident that she is being supervised and fed. The reality is that I don't know either of those things are happening right now.

It was also the sad realization that one year ago yesterday Anchise was placed back with her mom. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on Anchise and my journey to Haiti. The truth is that I wouldn't change any of it. I am so thankful for the people that I've met by being a part of the Haiti crowd. I am thankful that I got to love Anchise (and still do). The reality is that I think my children are best cared for by me. If Anchise's mom is able to care for her, then that is where she belongs. Maybe my role in her life was to reunite her with a mom that loves her. I may never fully understand it this side of heaven, but I am at peace with it.

If you feel inclined to pray, we covet your prayers for Mercy, our fingerprinting appointment and the final steps to bring her home. Please pray for our remaining finances needed ~ we need about $1,500 yet to buy Mercy's plane ticket and my in-country expenses for pick up. Also, please take a moment to pray for sweet Anchise. I pray God's blessings are showered on her and her mother.

Jumpin' the Hoops

One of the things non-adoptive families have been curious about is why in the world your fingerprints expire. All I can say is that it makes no sense to me personally. At some point you just get used to jumping through all the ridiculous hoops. You almost expect them. Like if something actually made sense it would almost make no sense to someone who's been in the adoption process for some time.

Our fingerprints expired last Thursday and I haven't received a new appointment yet. I was excited when I went to the mailbox today and found an envelope from USCIS. The letter said this:

We have received your request to be re-fingerprinted. You will receive an appointment letter within 6 weeks. If you should have any questions please contact your adoption agency.

Seriously? They sent me a letter to let me know they would send me another letter with an appointment. Why not just schedule a time and send one letter thus freeing up more time of one our valuable government adoption workers? Nothing really surprises me at this point, but after talking with Mercy this morning I am happy to jump through whatever hoops necessary. It is worth it. She wants and needs a family. We want her to be a part of our family. I will keep jumping with God's strength.

But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

Oh my strength, I sing praise to you;

you, oh God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Psalm 59:16-17

Duck Duck Goose

Mr. B and I went to the park today to feed the ducks and the migrating Canadian geese. It was a great distraction from the ongoing waiting. We haven't had a very nice fall so it was good to enjoy a day outside with warmer temps and a bit of sunshine. The geese were a bit aggressive this year and would literally walk right up to us to grab some bread. Brezlan got a big kick out of it as you can see by his expression. I can't wait for the day when Mercy can join us in these fun, everyday activities.

The Care Package Take 4

I think this is the fourth care package we have sent to Mercy. Knowing she has new things sent by us makes us feel just a wee bit closer to her. Her favorites are the pictures and chewing gum. That girl LOVES chewing gum. And of course she wouldn't be a good Ghanaian if she didn't carry some of her items on her head. Love that! Love her!