Adventures in Uganda: WAITING

2/2012  Due to the nature of adoption in Uganda (and, frankly, the occasional craziness of the Ugandan adoptive community), I chose not to share any details about our adoption while we were still in process. But because this blog is the story of our lives... I want to go back and fill in those empty spaces.  To see all of my adventures in Uganda (or at least the ones I've posted so far), click on the "Ugandan Adventures" tag at the bottom of this post.

Here's the message I posted to my secret/private facebook group leading up to getting our court date. The wait between meeting Micah Marvin and getting news that we could come to Uganda for court was excruciating. Little did I know that it was actually just preparing me for the marathon of trusting the Lord that our time in Uganda turned out to be.

***** 

October 5, 2011

OK Friends.... sometime in the next 24 hours our affidavits should be arriving at our lawyer's office. There's only one more piece of paper they're waiting for (something someone else involved in the case needs to sign off on), and then we'll be ready to file for court. So it is possible that we'll know our court date within the next two weeks (although I'll admit it doesn't seem super probable... At the very least I'm realizing I need to be just as ready to move quickly as I am to move slowly...and I've spent a lot of time conditioning myself to be ready to move slowly :D).

Would love your prayers for our judge assignment... We are trusting God's hand over both the decisions and the timing!

 (This picture was taken by a friend who visited our babies home in between my two visits - news and pictures of him were treasures!)

October 17, 2011

Hi Friends! I am in CO at a retreat with our college group (trying to be ALL HERE when my mind and heart are in Uganda!)

Heard from our lawyer this AM, and she is trying to get a court date for us, but said that all the allocations are full (I think this means all of the possible int'l adoption court slots). Usually the judges hear cases until the holiday recess 12/15-1/15... but I'm hearing rumors that none of the judges are hearing international cases after the first of November. :( She said she is TRYING (she put it in cap letters, which is unusual...)

I would so dearly love to be able to bring our little guy home this year, would you pray that God would move mountains and get us a court date?? 

BUT we trust the Lord and that all things are from His hand...so also pray for my heart (and Matt's, but I'm WAY more emotional about this :D) to rest and receive whatever happens from the Lord. I am so thankful for His goodness and comfort!

October 19, 2011

Praying friends. You must have been PRAYING (and God has really done a work in my heart, thank you!!) I mourned over the weekend and really settled into the idea of waiting until 2012 to bring MM home, trusting the Lord's plan v. my own. I decided to just rest in His plan, and focus on enjoying these last few months of our current season as a family of 4.

And then I heard from my lawyer this morning that we have a court date on 11/1. We have to be in Ug in a week and a half. EEK. Matt & (hopefully) Luke will be with me for the first 1-2 weeks, then I'll stay with Micah Marvin until all the paperwork is done, 4-5 weeks. Lord willing, we'll be bringing home our little guy in early December.

Will put up some specific things to pray for when my head stops spinning, but in the mean time, I'd love it if you'd all just praise the Lord with me. He is good whether we're going to bring MM home in December or February or WHENEVER (or never... The Lord is GOOD no matter what my circumstances)...but this feels like a gift to me, and a reminder that I'm trusting in Him, not in judges or governments or even my own plan. As we sang this weekend, "When the oceans rage, I don't have to be afraid...because I know that He loves me." ♥

October 21, 2011

So much to pray about.... Our judge lost his brother this morning. I'm not sure how this will affect our date, maybe not at all, maybe it will be delayed a week, or maybe they'll put us off until next year (sending me on yet another roller coaster ride...) It would be FOOLISH of me to think that God is not in control of EVERYTHING at this point. So we trust Him...but it would also be a major pain to change all of the things I've gotten done this week. :) Will you pray with me? For what, I don't even know. For our judge in his loss...for our plans and date and everything else. THANKS!!!

October 26, 2011

OK...there's always a chance of unexpected things. But right now, it looks like we'll be traveling as expected. The justice only missed 1 day of appointments as far as I can tell (last week), he kept the ones yesterday, and I'm praying for one that's happening this morning.

Specific things to pray for:
.... Our lawyer: I'm realizing how much of our case rests on her. Will you pray for wisdom for her, favor for us, and for all the details that she needs to be taking care of to get taken care of?
... Flight details. We get in at 10pm on the 30th, giving us one full day in Ug before court at noon on 11/1 (which will be 3am CST, if any of you want to wake up and pray). That doesn't give us much room for error as far as flights go...and it means we need to really hit the ground running. No time for jet lag! Will you pray we'd quickly adjust, and be all there for our meetings and court?
...Favor with our Justice, praying we'd be a BLESSING to him. And praying he'd rule in our favor and give us the written ruling really quickly (sometimes people get them within a week, sometimes they wait a month.)

FRIENDS. I can't tell you what it means to me that so many of you are praying along with us, it's such a comfort and JOY.