The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good... I checked the mail this afternoon and I saw a letter from USCIS (immigration).  Instantly, all of the other mail got put aside.  My mind, which races far too often, started thinking about what I did wrong on the forms.  Did I forget to sign something, some mishap with our fingerprints, problem with our homestudy?  But no, it was our approval to adopt.  Funny thing is that it was the least official looking thing we've received from them.  So I read it about three times to make sure I really understood what I was holding in my hands.  I am thrilled we got this back so quickly.  It's only been 8 days since our fingerprinting.  I had a family connection make a phone call for me a couple of weeks ago to try to speed things up for us.  I guess it worked!  Praise the Lord!

In other good news, I had my Scentsy party tonight.  We had a great time and smelled a lot!!  I'll officially close the party on Monday, so I won't know how much we earned until then.  But thank you to all who have helped to make this fundraiser a success and so much fun!  And a huge thank you to Kylie!  If you ever need Scentsy stuff please get in touch with her.  She's awesome!

Ok, this may sound totally corny, I also just want to let you all know how much I love seeing you wear your Mercy shirts. It thrills my heart to see them at church, at Easter Egg hunts, at school events, and even on Facebook. =)  Adoption can be a pretty time-consuming and emotionally-consuming venture.  When I see you all wearing our shirts it reminds me that we have all of you cheering us on and praying for us.  And I must say I think they look pretty-darn cute too!

The Bad... there is still no real resolution in Uganda in regards to the visa situation.  We pretty much are ready to go anytime, but we can't until this is resolved.   I do not know all of the ins and outs, but I know people are working very hard to figure this out.  Please pray for this happen to quickly, for our sake, but also for the sake of the numerous other families involved. 

The Ugly... the past few days I've been hit even more with the reality of the ugly-side of adoption.  We have learned a little bit more about Mercy's history and we will learn even more soon.  It's just more reminders to me of the sadness from which she comes.  I tend to focus more on the excitement of making her part of our family and the joy she will bring to us.  But to be an orphan, her life has had to endure tragedy.  Death, abandonment, poverty... the list goes on and on.  I pray for her now as she deals with all of this on a day-to-day basis.  I pray for her near-future as she goes through huge adjustments to life with us.  I pray for her distant future when she has questions about her biological family and the many questions of "why".  Questions that I will most likely not be able to answer.   God give her peace and surround her with your love.  Help me show her your grace, love and mercy.