Thursday, January 7, 2016

I CAN HARDLY WAIT!!

Yesterday, was as many of you may already know, Stephen's birthday.  He turned 14. This was very bittersweet for me, in fact more bitter than sweet because last year I had told him that he would be with us for this year's :-( I truly thought he would be. But buying and setting up house and running through all the prerequirements (the home study mainly, but that would include background checks, personality studies, doctors examinations, getting of birth certificates for Steve and I, and of course the means to take care of all those things) well took WAY LONGER than I had any idea of...I have regressed...well.... We'll have a SMASHING big party when he does get here!!   Which I am really hoping will be sooner than later.

So here is where things are at...we were finally able to submit EVERYTHING to the USCIS (United States Citizen and Immigration Services). AND we got a letter just two days ago that said they had received it. YAY!!!!  Now we are waiting to hear from them about our FBI background check appointment which we believe will require a trip to Rapid City, South Dakota.  After we do that...I'm not quite sure what....more waiting....I think ....until we get the go ahead. All of this has been HUGE.  I can't even begin to tell you  how this has affected me.  I've broken down more than a few times.  It just seems to be taking so long...and I know that what we're doing is nothing compared to what others have gone through.  So...I have started to buy some things for Stephen...I have his airplane outfit :-). When I've needed to get things for the kids for school....we get it for Stephen. I've been scouring eBay for some shoes for him...something comfortable, easy to take on and off for the plane...etc...It has helped.  I think I've put most of my emotions in some box in my brain so that I don't have to think about it, and on occasion something happens and they all come pouring out.  Like my brother being happy to see Stephen wear the Olsen racing shirt yesterday on his birthday...a flood of tears.  And right now...just remembering that...

Moving on....so what will happen when we go to Ghana?  I'm not completely sure...BUT I know a visit to the U.S. Consulate/Embassy will be in order.  There will be an interview for us to get an immigrant visa for Stephen. There may need to be a doctors examination done at a hospital in Accra to see if Stephen is healthy.  There will be excitement as we go to get a plane ticket for him at the airport. And there will likely be more waiting...as we seem to be doing a lot of that....there will be happiness for me to see everyone again in Ghana, there will be some shopping for me to get some things that I can only get in Ghana, there will be some eating of some VERY delicious foods that I can only have in Ghana, and there will be tears, lots of tears, as we leave. Definitely from me and likely from Stephen too...and that will be ok.  We will get to share that together.  I really can HARDLY wait to go on his first plane ride with him.  Or watch his amazement as we go through one of the international airports either in London or more likely Amsterdam.   I can HARDLY wait till I get to bring him through immigration in Minneapolis and when they stamp his passport knowing that will be the end of this huge long process.  I can HARDLY wait to board that last plane from Minneapolis to Minot knowing that our crew is already on their way there. I can HARDLY wait to get off the plane with him and see the looks on Steve's and the kids' faces as they spy us coming towards them.
I CAN HARDLY WAIT!!!

But....there is waiting...and in the meantime what will be doing?  Praying and pressing on to make this all possible.  I just had a thought...shouldn't we be waiting for the King of Glory like this?  I think I will save those thoughts for another blog post... :-). Please keep praying for us, for Stephen, for the Boatengs who have been caring for him in our absence, and for the waiting to not take so long.  

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like you'll be taking a new family picture for your blog soon. God Bless you all.

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  2. Yes, indeed!! In fact I have been reluctant to take any pictures until he's here... Hoping soon!!

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