When things should be different and the world should be different and life is terribly unfair to so many who do not deserve it. I pray and I am frustrated because I do not receive an instant different answer...well, I can hardly say instant now, can I? Marina has waited 14 months so far for us to be able to come to her. That is utterly ridiculous in a day and time such as this. I was so tired of being ignored by immigration this past week to the point that I was convinced our case worker did not even work there any more. I would never be so rude as to totally ignore a person who continually asked the viable question of "Do you have every thing you need? Did the papers all arrive?". I descended on our local Congressional HR Representative more than a week ago as well and SHE took more than a week to call me back, too. I went to the local field office for immigration and someone should give her a medal for dealing with me with the grace she had. I have been in that office three times for information-one just general stuff, one because our fingerprint appointments were not being made, and then to see what the heck was going on currently...it has been since June 1st that I expected everything to be there on the officer's desk...today is the 25th and nothing...so that woman in the field office let me cry while I fussed about rudeness...when it was really just my heart breaking in frustration and sadness for Marina. So the lady wrote our agent and email as I stood there and and listened as she read it back...she was a good editor and left out the sniffling and other sounds....then I left. I got the call later that afternoon from Representative Inglis's office that our case was next on the desk and we should hear something in several weeks. I believe "blew a gasket" was the term we are looking for here. Evidently we could potentially wait 3 months after all the paperwork has arrived at immigration. And they are working on an emergency case...Oh really? Well I think mine is pretty much an emergency case. It is not like we are buying a boat or something and the delivery is off...Marina is not a luxury item that has been placed on hold for our fancy! Every day of not knowing LOVE is the biggest disaster in anyone's existence and sets each and every child back further into sadness and hopelessness. For more than 425 days she has sat around waiting on us. Because that is what they do, they sit. I had a mom who met Marina last month and did not realize it was Marina. The mom fell in love with her and sent the pictures to Reece's Rainbow to see if the child could be identified. The child is not walking and was propped on a ride on toy every day that she was seen by this mom. The child's muscle tone is very very low in her neck and arms and legs and torso...and serious doubts that the child can even walk... perhaps it is all the prayers for her daily, many times a day, that has kept the light in her eyes and a smile on her little lips. Then the information was relayed to the mom who had inquired about her...everyone agrees it is Marina. I have a new picture:) And the Mom who cared enough after bringing home 3, to inquire about this child too, is Shelly. My friend across the miles who is an amazing cheerleader and confidant and drove her beautiful family here so I could brush little Yulia's hair from her face and hear her giggle in person as she went crazy in the swimming pool, is the one who God used to snap this picture while in eastern Europe and bring it home to me, practically hand delivered all the way from Texas:)
I know God is protecting Marina, because I ask this of Him more than anything else through out the day. I need to realize that when I say this is out of my hands, that it is not. I have completed my list, and have freed up my time to pray even more for those who are involved in all of this crazy journey. I believe truly that we are next. Pray with us for Godspeed, undeniable Godspeed. After that terrible day of emotional explosion over not getting answers, at the end of the day something interesting happened...I was at the Vacation bible school family rodeo night with Evan and Tully and we were in a sea of children, I think I mean that literally, and we were milling around the petting zoo filled with rescue animals...and the phone rang from an area code from our state capital. The social services agent who has been pulling for us for so long, called to see how we were doing. It was the first time I had ever spoken with her. And just for the record, she found all our original papers that were misplaced when they were approving us last Christmas.
When it gets too much, really really too much, and something unusual happens out of the blue, in a way that timing is too specific, I can trust that God has used someone to physically relay that He is there. And He knows the insides of our hearts where we keep the hurt and anxiety. Again, we are so often the arms of Jesus for someone else, reaching out to convey love. Don't ignore the whispers to do something out of the ordinary. Her call at that moment in time spoke volumes more to me than she may ever know.
Praying for all of the children, there are sooo many who will never have a fighter come to their rescue this side of Heaven. I think often of the story, " I would cry out to God and ask him why there are so many orphans without loving parents to hug them and love them and keep them secure, but in reality I know He should ask us the same thing". This world is so upside down. I hope our next post will be of our approval from immigration rather than my standard lamenting.
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