“Sullivan family, window 4 please.”
This was the moment we had been waiting for all day long. We walked up to the window to speak with the Embassy worker and then…
“I am sorry, I have no news for you. We are still waiting on the processing to be completed by the Ghanaian government.”
My heart sunk. Jake continued talking with the very distraught Embassy worker who we could tell wanted this as badly as we did. The words weren’t coming to him as he tried to explain that there was nothing more he could do for our case. We just had to wait. Wait – a familiar term in the Sullivan adoption journey.
“Come back tomorrow at 3pm and we will see if it is done. I cannot make any guarantees. But, if not tomorrow then hopefully by Friday.”
A foggy outlook that none of us wanted to hear.
But, you know what? The worker mentioned hope. And that tiny little word means so much. There is still hope for tomorrow. There is a reason that there were only 5 seats available on the 1am flight for tonight. There is a reason that we will all be here 1 more day. A few months ago a friend and fellow adoptive mom called me while were awaiting our I-600 approval for Samuel’s adoption. Her encouraging words echo in my mind today. She said to me “God is never a day late.” I believe it. And now it is crunch time. We have one more day here. And I continually must remind myself of where my hope lays. I am not trusting in the Ghanaian government to get this administrative processing done before our flight leaves. I am not trusting in the U.S. Embassy workers to expedite our case. I am trusting in the maker of heaven and earth. The One who created the world and everything in it. The One who started this adoption in the first place and the One who will finish it.
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.
Show me your ways, O Lord,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
(Psalm 25:1-5)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
About an hour ago the U.S. Embassy called and said for all of us to come in at 7am tomorrow morning instead of 3pm. My heart leaps for joy! We all think this sounds like good news! Pray, pray, pray!
I was talking with Abigail today about the emotions that you go through on your first trip to Ghana.
This was the moment we had been waiting for all day long. We walked up to the window to speak with the Embassy worker and then…
“I am sorry, I have no news for you. We are still waiting on the processing to be completed by the Ghanaian government.”
My heart sunk. Jake continued talking with the very distraught Embassy worker who we could tell wanted this as badly as we did. The words weren’t coming to him as he tried to explain that there was nothing more he could do for our case. We just had to wait. Wait – a familiar term in the Sullivan adoption journey.
“Come back tomorrow at 3pm and we will see if it is done. I cannot make any guarantees. But, if not tomorrow then hopefully by Friday.”
A foggy outlook that none of us wanted to hear.
But, you know what? The worker mentioned hope. And that tiny little word means so much. There is still hope for tomorrow. There is a reason that there were only 5 seats available on the 1am flight for tonight. There is a reason that we will all be here 1 more day. A few months ago a friend and fellow adoptive mom called me while were awaiting our I-600 approval for Samuel’s adoption. Her encouraging words echo in my mind today. She said to me “God is never a day late.” I believe it. And now it is crunch time. We have one more day here. And I continually must remind myself of where my hope lays. I am not trusting in the Ghanaian government to get this administrative processing done before our flight leaves. I am not trusting in the U.S. Embassy workers to expedite our case. I am trusting in the maker of heaven and earth. The One who created the world and everything in it. The One who started this adoption in the first place and the One who will finish it.
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.
Show me your ways, O Lord,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
(Psalm 25:1-5)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
About an hour ago the U.S. Embassy called and said for all of us to come in at 7am tomorrow morning instead of 3pm. My heart leaps for joy! We all think this sounds like good news! Pray, pray, pray!
I was talking with Abigail today about the emotions that you go through on your first trip to Ghana.
This trip has been quite different for me emotionally than our last trip. Some of our plans have been ruined by the rain – like our trip to the village and today’s practice with the Kingdom Hoops Ghana team. We have spent a lot more time at the hotel and haven’t been out traveling and doing things like we did on our last trip. However, we have made some truly wonderful memories with Samuel here in his home country and in his comfort zone. This will be such a special trip to look back on.
Have I mentioned that from Day 1 Samuel has called us Mummy & Daddy? I. Love. It. He just says it with such ease! Kofi mentioned today that Samuel will most likely forget how to speak his twi language over the course of 1 year. It made me so sad to hear that, but I suppose he will forget much of it if he has no one to practice talking it with. Even tonight at dinner Big Sam & Ezekiel were trying to talk twi with Samuel and he refused to speak it. He told them that he wants to learn English better and so they should talk with him in English. :) Smart boy!
Esi said she is going to get me a little book that translates a few common twi words to English. I will love having it! I had to ask Esi how to say ‘walk’ in twi because Samuel has been running A LOT like through the hotel lobby and also out on the tile around the pool. When I say ‘walk’ he doesn’t know what I am saying, and he is usually already running ahead of me so I can’t really demonstrate it. So, Esi told me that to say walk in twi you say ‘nante’. I tried it out earlier today when Samuel was running through the lobby….I said it real seriously and I am not joking he literally froze mid-step and looked back at me with the most bewildered look on his face like how did you know how to say that?!?! :)
Well, I am about to head to bed. My prayer tonight is that at this time tomorrow night we will all be sitting together in the airport as a family, awaiting our flight home.
Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
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