Pressure Cooker

A friend of mine got a pressure cooker a few of weeks ago.  She loves it so much, and the first week or so that she had it she used it EVERYDAY and would post pictures of everything she had made and it all looked amazing.  Apparently enough people were interested in her "pressure cooking" and asked her enough questions about it that she decided to make a Facebook group where people could ask questions or talk about their pressure cooking experiences.  As many know, I love to cook and am always looking for an easier way to make things, so naturally I asked her questions about her new found cooking style which in turn she added me to her Facebook group.

However, this is not a blog about my cooking endeavors, this is the story of my journey bringing home my daughter.  Ever since I was added to that group and learned more about the world of pressure cooking (all I know is what I learned from my host family when I lived in France as they used theirs a few times a week).  I have gotten to think more and more about how this journey I am on is a lot like a pressure cooker.

We started out loose and happy and ready to "do God's will" no matter the cost.  Then slow downs happened and the pressure started building and building and soon we didn't understand why God had called us on this VERY difficult path.  We got to a point that we felt that we couldn't handle the pressure and God relieved it a little bit by bringing significant movement and then after more pressure build up, by matching us with our daughter.  Since then EVERY step has been life in a pressure cooker.  We sit at a stand still for months and months with the pressure building around us.  Then some small change or progress comes to relieve the pressure for a time.  Then we sit and wait again and then another bit of progress happens and the pressure is let out again.

This happens over and over many many times! 

How much pressure can we handle? 

When will God decide that we are done "cooking" and turn the switch to "quick release" and allow all of the pressure to come flooding out.  I have faith that God can do that.  I know that he can work miracles. He just doesn't seem to want to.  I search my brain for a reason, I dwell on what I can learn and improve in my life during this time, to occupy me and to prepare me to be a better parent, more equipped to parent a child from a hard place.  I also spend time just dwelling in God and thinking "Maybe I just need to sit, and be quiet and trust...Be still and know that I am God" is what he calls us to do.   I have actually been able to do that some.  Yet, still the pressure and the pain keeps building up.  I have faith that it will be released as soon as I don't think I can handle it anymore.  But apparently God thinks/knows I can handle more than I think I  can handle or would like to handle.

Really I just want my girl home!  I want all of the paperwork process to just speed up and I want to fly through the whole rest of the process.  I want to have no more delays and SOMETHING in this crazy annoying part of the journey to go in our favor.  People have passed us up by months in this process and we still just sit and wait while the pressure builds and builds and we wonder if we will ever bring our girl home.  Will she be home by next school year?  Will she be here by her 5th birthday or Christmas?  I don't know.  Only God knows. 

Feeling Blessed

I know many of you have seen my post a couple of posts ago, and how discouraged I was in January.  Well February has turned out to be a much better month!   (I think because it's such an awesome birthday month).  Well after we got submitted to Embassy, I was feeling pretty good.  But then last week a mom who has adopted through our agency mentioned on our Facebook group that she was currently in our daughter's town in Ethiopia and asked if she could "love on any of our kids".  Well obviously I contacted her and she went the next day!!  She got back to me later saying that the orphanage was absolutely great, and the director was so loving and kind.  She said it was the only orphanage that allowed her to take pictures and she got to spend lots of time with our sweet girl!  So we were able to get TONS and TONS of pictures of her and her size and shoe size.  The report is that she seems like a typical 4 year old.  She was shy at first but then was engaging when she realized she was the "girl of the hour!".  We even got a video of her saying her name (So we FINALLY know how to pronounce it, and will have to retrain ourselves to say it correctly!!) and singing a couple of songs!!  Talk about heart melting!! 

The director also explained that our daughter has a couple of friends who are getting adopted as well and she really wanted them to remain in contact after they moved to the US.  Well, naturally we contacted our agency to see about getting connected with those families and low and behold, we were able to!!  I am so excited that Sister will be able to maintain contact with her friends that know where she's from and can understand her in a way that we won't be able to! I hope and pray that she has made some lifelong friends in these boys, and I will do my best to accomplish that!!  

Thanks for all of the prayers, and continue praying for urgency to process these cases within both governments!! 

Submitted to Embassy!!!

Thank you for all of your prayers!  We got the email from Embassy we needed on Sunday night.  Now the US Embassy can start their orphan investigation This generally takes a few weeks, but things have been really slow right now so could take several months given the current speed of things! Please be praying that the Embassy has all the information they need to quickly interview who they need to regarding our case and that this portion of the process goes quickly and smoothly!!

Once this investigation is complete we can get our PAIR letter from US immigration and our case can then be filed with the Ethiopian courts and they have to then do their investigation.  Pray for speed in that leg of the race too as it has slowed down as well!   

Thanks to all of you prayer warriors out there!! 

Just be Held

This song is my heart right now. 

"Just Be Held"

By Casting Crowns

Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on

And when you're tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There's freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm
You'll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You'll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you'll understand
I'm painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you'll find Me
And where you are, I'll hold your heart
I'll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest

In the arms of the God who wont let go 

 

As I posted last month we had a little (big) delay in our process with getting a request for more evidence from USCIS.  We finally got information regarding that the beginning of last week and it was submitted to USCIS.  We have been waiting and haven't heard anything.  If it wasn't enough information, we could get another RFE in the mail (we are praying that's not the case) or if USCIS feels like there is enough information they will send our information on to US Embassy in Ethiopia (We are praying we get this email any day now!!).  

Sadly, along with the delays in this phase of the process I have also heard that the US Embassy is taking a very long time to process cases.  This will most likely delay things further.  Then, once we get through that process, I have also heard that the Ethiopian government is ALSO taking an exceptionally long time to process cases as well.  

I have been quite discouraged most of this week about it and it's really been on my heart.  Most days I can push it down and "forget" about it with an out of sight out of mind, it's in God's hands kind of mentality (Don't get me wrong, I think about my sweet girl CONSTANTLY).  But I have to have some sort of self preservation to get through this wait.  It doesn't help that two dear friends got tough news this week about their cases, so my heart aches doubly for them as well. 

Please be praying that these stages of processing speed up a bit!  Please also be praying that we get the Embassy email soon and that my heart will find some peace.  Please also be praying for my friend's hearts to find peace as well.