Dear Ana,

It has been a long time since we made a commitment to adopt you, and an even longer time since I first saw your sweet little face on Reece's Rainbow. I remember the excitement of scraping together everything in the bank to pay the commitment fee-we couldn't wait to get on our way to bringing you home!

Now it feels like we have been on our way forever. Your little brother G has grown from a newborn to a babbly crawly six month old and still we haven't made our first visit with you. 

I wonder about you; do you look at all like the picture that we have of you? Are you doing well? Are you warm enough at night? Do you get yummy nourishing food? Does anybody look at you and make you smile?

I pray for you, that God would keep you warm and safe and bring you home to us soon. I pray that He will prepare you for us, and that your little heart will be able to love your family.

We aren't much, just a mama and a papa and two brothers. Our house isn't that big, and we don't have fancy stuff. But we are a family. Papa and I are commited to loving every child in our family and giving them the very best. That means you, too, Ana! It won't always be easy, for us or for you, but God will take care of us and give us the strength to glorify Him as we love each other.

We hoped to have you home by August (that's when your country and every other country in Europe goes on vacation, sweetie), but now with the updates that we have had to do through USCIS I am not very hopeful. Maybe we can get our first set of travel dates before then?

Ana, I am so excited to meet you, because God has lead us to you and I know He only gives His people the very best. You will be the perfect daughter for us! You will be the perfect sister for your brothers, and cousin for your cousins, and niece for your Aunts and Uncles, and granddaughter for your grandparents! Did I tell you that we have a large extended family? We do. We will make sure that you don't get overwhelmed by them all at once and try to break them down in to manageable pieces :-)

Ana, I am praying that God will work wonders in the slow bureaucracy of our government and yours and bring you home to us speedily!

I love you!

Hugs and kisses,

Mama

Just waiting...

Doing the next right thing...

Trying not to be angry with institutions that seem so disorganized...

Trying not to feel guilty that we can't do more...

Wishing for travel dates...

Putting our trust in God that He is using all these little things for our good and His glory...

Praying for Anastacia that God would preserve her and encourage her while she waits and waits for the family that she doesn't know is coming...

Cast your burden on the LORD,

and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 55:22

Mr. Zip Exonerated

I did that thing.  That thing where you don't think, and merely send some paper (to its end?) by standard US Mail.  Three weeks or so had passed, we called the Feds, who said "No luck, it isn't here, try there" and so we did.  Praise God, today it cleared (the check enclosed), and we are cheered, and Papa knows that if you care about arrival anywhere, you spend the dough and make it go straight to the second address, which will say "ATTN: Hauge".