Papers papers papers...

Here we are in the waiting game again.
Yes, but this time its more intense. Its more deep and we are fighting for our Hope. Literally and figuratively.  We sent off our paperwork 4 days ago. Here's the details that happened and how God showed up in a  major way.

Sunday night  I returned from our Cadence Student ministries Asia staff retreat in Okinawa. Our friend/boss came with us to spend the week here in Korea.  Dan and Mark came in Monday morning due to delays at the airport. What a divine appointment he had for Mark to be here.  Monday afternoon we gathered all our paperwork and made arrangements to get the notarized papers picked up. Monday we finished all the list checking and gathering. Tuesday we were coming back from Pyeongtaek and stopped at the Korean post office to mail our dossier papers in. Before we went in, we took a photo and Mark and us prayed for the papers. He prayed that there would be no blocks, or delays. As I went in talking to the clerk it was going to take a week and that didn't sit well so we left. I was meeting someone to help at 230pm, and at 1pm I was in Starbucks talking to someone and the Lord audibly told me PASSPORT PHOTOS, CHECK YOUR LIST.  I had thought the passport photos were the second package that was being mailed the following day. I looked and sure enough, I had missed the passport photos.

I ran across the street to the photo place by the USO and asked about passport photos. It was 130 at this point. I called Dan to come back on base, and the clerk said it would take 1 hour. I told them we didn't have an hour, but he did them in 20 minutes. PRAISE GOD!

The package to our agency was sent off Tuesday, and I received a note from our agency that they had received the papers and had started to do their part in authenticating the papers on their end. Ah, that part is done.
The following day we mailed off the second part of this story.  The I800a form to the government.

This was another faith lesson I had to be retaught. At conference I wanted to check and make sure a copy of our home study was indeed on the way.  We needed a original copy of the home study to submit with this form. I asked our agency what the tracking number was, and was told it was sent via regular mail. WHAT?  My craziness kicked in. PRAISE GOD we were with our CSM team they were able to pray for and with us as we were facing something that could be a game changer. I emailed the China director and she said, we can have another copy made and sent to your family in CA . They would mail it in to the government. Ah, that was another huge step that seemed so complicated. So, our team prayed. We prayed that it would come in Monday when we got back. Guess what! you got it, it came in Monday night, right on time! PRAISE GOD! We almost sent out a package Monday to his family but I thought, no, we prayed and asked God, we need to see that He will show up.  HE DID!

Its amazing to me that after everything we have seen and experienced with the Lord, there are times I still question.... Why is that? We are human, and I learned so much of trusting the Lord in just this moment.  Wednesday afternoon we mailed off our I800a form with fingerprints, and a money order (all of these things we needed help getting and God provided once again).

Whats next you ask? well, we wait. The I800a form takes an average of 47 days to be returned. That form will complete our dossier, and be sent to our agency which in turn will be  submitted  to China. Here's the kicker in all this, this all needs to be into China by March31st. We had to get an extension for Lily from Dec 31 to March 31st. All things need to be in China by March 31st in order to confirm she is ours! I am walking in trust that God will provide. Look at all HE alone has done up to this point. This is HIS girl that He is entrusting us with her. What a privilege to be able to care for His child.

So, here we are... we can do no more than to wait, and trust!

Please pray with us in this waiting time that all things will find favor in the government so that we can give glory to God as he moves the papers on the wings of angels thru all the steps.

Thank you for coming along and being such a huge part of this journey with us.