It is always darkest...

It has been a rough few weeks. It seemed like each time we talked to someone about the process for renewing our background checks there was an additional mailing and 5-10 days added to the process. In total, the information requests and background check will have been processed and mailed at least 8 different times since February 11. By the end of it, we started to wonder if people were messing with us when they would tell us about some new place it needed to be mailed or a new group who had to process it.

Yesterday's miracle: An immigration case officer e-mailed us our appointment letter (which had allegedly been sent last Wednesday, but has not arrived as of today) and we went immediately to St. Louis.

Why it was miraculous: we had left a message asking the officer assigned to our case if he would e-mail an appointment letter to us a week and a half ago. He didn't respond to our request. In addition, our appointments weren't scheduled for another week, but the St. Louis office saw us anyway.

Today's Miracle: A different case officer took over our case (our case officer is out of town), then sped up our process and finished our background checks today!

Why it was miraculous:  She went out of her way to help us by asking her supervisor to take over our case. It took less than 24 hours to do something we had been told would take 2-4 days.

We booked plane tickets and are leaving next week for Taiwan. Please pray that we are able to get Simeon's visa before we are scheduled to come home (otherwise Simeon and I will have to stay longer in Taiwan). Today's case officer says that the Taiwan office should have everything they need in 1 to 2 weeks. Then it takes 4-5 days for them to process our visa application.

"It is always darkest just before the Day dawneth."

- Thomas Fuller, English theologian, 1650

Waiting for the Mail

We are spending our days waiting for the mail. We are waiting to get an appointment to get fingerprinted for our immigration application. Once we get fingerprinted, our case manager will review our background checks and send a new immigration approval letter to Taiwan. We have had immigration approval for our adopted child since 2010, but our fingerprints expired this month before we were able to travel.


Please pray that the appointment notice comes soon and that our case officer processes everything quickly. This is the last thing we have to do before we can travel to get Simeon.

Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Good News

We received word today that we are officially Simeon's parents! Taiwan Xi En got the final decree in the mail from the Taiwanese Courts! Praise the Lord!!! They submitted the paperwork to AIT (who will issue Simeon's visa to immigrate to the USA) and we will hear from them soon about our appointment (which will determine when we travel).

We are also waiting to find out if we will be able to travel as soon as possible or if we will need to get fingerprinted again for Simeon's immigration application.


Please pray. Please pray that God will work something out so we can travel as soon as possible. Please pray that we will have peace in the meantime.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart 
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Initial Decree

Praise the Lord! Last night we got word from Taiwan Xi En that they received our initial decree from the courts (exactly 15 weeks after our court date). We also decided last weekend that we are going to take both our older boys with us to Taiwan. Please pray that we receive the final decree soon (we expect to get it in the next 10 to 40 days, but you never really know) and that God gives us grace as we travel.

Isaiah 64:4
From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

Chinese New Year

We celebrated Chinese New Year last weekend with chicken fried rice and dumplings, reading some Chinese children's books, and a dragon parade around the house.

In Taiwan the courts are closed all of this week for the holiday. We heard from His Hands this week that adoption cases are taking (significantly) longer since the new laws have been implemented. This means that we have no estimate of when Simeon will be home (we are praying for March). It has been 14 weeks since our court date and we have not received our initial decree. Prior to the new laws families would get their initial decree 6 to 8 weeks after the court date. Please pray that the judge, social worker, and other government officials will process Simeon's case soon so we can bring him home! You can also pray that we have the patience of the Lord and His peace as we wait. We continue to thank God daily that Simeon is receiving such good care by the nannies and aunties at His Hands.

Psalm 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 

Blessings

I've been listening to this song a lot lately. There are several versions on youtube. Waiting to hear back from the court has been hard. And so I am looking for God's mercies in it all.

Blessings 

lyrics by Laura Story

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise 

Cruising

We haven't gotten any news about the court case, but we did get some new pictures today. Simeon is doing well. He started clapping and cruising along the furniture in the last couple weeks.