Frustration and News 10/11

I had planned to write a post for this week no matter what.  Earlier this week, I thought that it would have a much different tone, than I'm able to write with right now.  I'm not good at it, but I'll try hard to not tell a story and instead cut to the chase.  Long story short.  That sort of thing.  Trust me, this is the SHORT version.

The past week has been rough.  Really rough.

There's a document we needed to fill out.  To do so we needed some numbers from the government....to fill out THEIR document.  So after two e-mails that were never answered, I found a number to call.  I sat on hold for 1/2 hour to be told that my birthday wasn't right in their computer....not my fault, but I scanned my passport and sent it back to them....via e-mail which they never replied to.  The next day I sat on hold for another 1/2 hour and they gave me the info I needed.  So I filled out the document.

I was then told by our agency that they (government) should've sent me a confirmation letter.  Monday I called for a third time and another 1/2 hour on hold to be told that now E's birthday was wrong in their computer and they didn't want to talk to me.  To which I got a little riled up. 

What you don't know is that Tuesday is the day that paperwork gets submitted to the US Embassy in Ethiopia.  So if we didn't want to wait another week, it needed done now.  Basically we resigned ourselves to not getting into Embassy.  We were told that they would take our papers with them and plead our case.

So I woke up Tuesday morning to find an e-mail from the US Embassy saying that our paperwork was accepted!!!!  Thank you Lord!  I just don't think I could've taken much more.  I was so frustrated.

Beyond just us though....2 other families who we're friends with and also had paper problems also got in on Tuesday too.  I was probably as happy for them as for us. 

So what's next?  We wait.  More.  Longer.  The Embassy now researches E's story. And at some point in the future they tell us to come get him.

So out of all of this, I have been profoundly impressed by this:  I know you're reading our blog right now....probably because you know us.  But there are a bunch of other families who are as stuck and hurting as we are.  Some we know and keep in touch with.  Some we don't know.  They're crying at night because they're seeing their child grow up via pictures without them.  They're gritting their teeth when they sleep.  They're clenching their fists.  They're putting on a good face when people ask them "if they've heard anything or when's he coming home".  They're hurting.  All the while...they're jumping through ridiculous hoops only to be put on the back burner. 

I say this because from day one this blog has been about sharing with you not just our story....but the story of adoption.  It's not always pretty or happy.  While we rejoice with friends that we all got in this week....none of us probably should have....and others probably didn't. 

So this week as you pray for us (please continue to do so, because we're still desperately in need of your prayers) please pray for some other families in the midst of waiting. 


Finally...in the midst of a frustrating week, we got new pictures of E. 
On one hand it's good to see him.  It's good to see his half smile.  It also hurts me to my core.  He's not in my house.  He's not half smiling with toys from our play room.  He's not here.  He needs to come home now.