Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The final wait before home

I got to Ghana Monday morning, dropped off my bags, and went straight to meet Enam and Jacob at the hospital. He was doing great, so the discharged him later that morning. The doctor said he had pneumonia, and they were covering him for malaria to be sure. Then the nurse came in and told us his iron was low and that we would need to give him a supplement (a healthier diet will help too once we can get home). She then told us he had sickle cell. When I asked if it was sickle cell disease and was this an acute chest syndrome, she said yes. I was then a bit worked up and preparing myself for caring for a chronic disease, but then I looked at the labs they drew. According to the labs he had sickle cell trait, meaning only some of his red blood cells sickle and some are normal.  This is a much better prognosis! Still I'm curios if our doctor at home will want to retest him to be sure. The good news is that our hospital bill was only about $300 for a 2 night stay, x-rays and labs! W have also been very thankful for things to work out with the delay as we would be just boarding the airplane when he got sick had our first plan worked out.

Now we are just running out the clock until we can pick up his visa and hope on a plane. We will make a quick trip Thursday to his hometown to say goodbye and maybe one last look for souvenirs.
We appreciate Ghana and all it's beauty, but we are ready to get back to home life.

Thanks to everyone who has helped care for us, our oldest boys and our home while we have been out. The support we have felt has been so amazing. I'm so happy that he will not only get to have a loving family, but also e loved by such a caring community.  Thanks again.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

I'm about an hour from flying out to Ghana! Jacob said the Enam did great today and is hopeful he will be released tomorrow.

Pray for a good night. I think we have both been pretty freaked out about finances. Money that we were supposed to have didn't come through (from more than one source and circumstances that were no fault of our own). All week there have been unexpected expenses, including hospital charges now. I think today Jacob and I are both starting to calm down and grasp hold of faith, patience and perseverance. God knows all and more than that he loves us and "has plans to prosper us." So we are shaking off the discouragement, getting our eyes back on the truth, and moving forward.

Hebrews 12 has been a huge encouragement.
(12)Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint rbut rather be healed.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Pray for healing

Jacob called me this afternoon concerned about Enam running fever and acting "out of it". He's been sick all week withe cold symptoms and diarrhea, but perky and playful between naps. But not so much today. Jacob took him to the hospital and they decide to admit him. They gave him about 3 different antibiotics and an anti malaria medication. His fever came down and he was able to be a bit playful before he fell asleep for the night.

Please pray first of all that Enam recover quickly. Second that God would provide for the medical bills.

Thank you all again. We really feel so supports by a great community of people who love our family. It's beautiful to see through this painful process.


Thursday, March 14, 2013

There's always a catch

Enam's visa has been approved!

Jacob met his biological mom today for the visa interview. He said she was happy about the adoption and was very sweet. He got a picture of her and got to show her pictures of our family. I am very thankful for that opportunity.

The catch is that they will not have the visa ready for us to pick up this Friday, but next Friday.

It's pretty expensive for me to fly out there also. Right now we are waiting on our tax return (our accountant doesn't have the estimated return yet) and some payments from work to come in, but we are not sure exactly what they will be. It could be that we have everything we need to pay for my ticket and the coming medical and legal expenses, but it is not in the bank yet nor do we know exactly the amounts. Also, our agency declared bankruptcy, so we are not getting some deposit money back either.  I debated with Jacob all day whether to take the risk and expense. I finally decided that I need to travel for the sake of being more apart of the transition out of Africa into our home. Jacob said that they would go to the village he's from and say goodbye to people there (assuming orphanage and extended family). I just couldn't miss being apart of these special moments and we will just have to trust that the adoption tax credit will really help give us that little bit more to make this happen.

Jacob is in the middle of his night's sleep as I write this, so I haven't even told him yet that I booked the flight. But it seems more right than not going. So please pray for peace and provision about the final financial matters. God has met us at every turn with what we need, I know he will again if I can turn away from my fear about spending money that is not quite in the bank yet.

Finally, I'll leave you with this picture. I was a bit stressed putting the kids to bed, just so much weighing on me and so much to do. Then, I found this in Keiran's backpack. It was so incredibly sweet, it really helped give me perspective and calm my worries.


***EDIT***

As I pack to leave, I just have to share a few more cute pictures. I can't get over how beautiful this boy is!




Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Our projected plan to bring him home!

The biological mother has been located and has agreed to go to the Embassy Thursday for the visa interview.  We have been told she has a good attitude about it all and I am excited to maybe get a picture of her that Enam can keep to remember her by. 

So here is what we are hoping for this week:
Thursday: Visa interview (about 8am our time)
Friday: Visa issued
Saturday-Sunday: Jacob flies back with Enam!
Sunday: I fly up to New York to join them for the final stretch of the journey home

Please pray that it will all go well. Also please pray for Enam's health. When Jacob got him Sunday, he said his skin was very dry and he had several nasty sores on his hands and wrist. The owners of the hotel where his is staying were able to go the the pharmacy and get him some antibiotic cream. He also has a nasty cold and ran a low-grade fever this morning. Jacob said he was coughing a lot last night. Yes, this is what I do for a living, treat childhood ailments, but this is my baby and he is coming out of a completely different environment that gives me enough uncertainty to be nervous. But I'm asking for more faith to trust in God as a mighty healer, even in Africa.  

Here are some of the latest pictures:

 love this cute smile!




Check out those eyelashes!



Monday, March 11, 2013

Visa interview #2

Jacob took Enam to the visa interview today. The good news, other than Jacob getting to spend time with him and take lots of cute pictures, is that they accepted the police report as evidence of the biological father's neglect. The bad news is that they are still insisting on us bringing the biological mom in for the interview. It is disappointing, but it still may be possible to get the visa done this week if we can get someone to give our in-country contacts more information about her whereabouts. We also have one of our congressmen emailing the Embassy on our behalf.

I guess I don't feel completely surprised to have yet another hang-up, but I still feel very hopeful. Maybe it's easier since this may be the last week of adoption bureaucracy.  We also feel very supported in this by our church community, friends, co-workers, and family. We have a great sense of the prayerful support that is carrying us through.

Thank again to everyone who has emailed, texted, or facebook messaged us scriptures, prayers, and encouraging words.  Even the likes on my facebook make me feel supported.

I really feel like we are close. I also feel a great sense of peace knowing that Jacob is there loving a caring for him. I'm so thankful God gave me a man that loves Him and his children so well.  I'm so glad another sweet boy is getting to enjoy the great father that Jacob is.

So here are some great pictures that Jacob has taken. (and may I give a shout out to Apple for the wonderful blessing the iPhone has been! FaceTime and for free! And photos automatically upload and are available to me through the data Cloud. Technology can be pretty great sometimes)

Sunday reunion!

 Dinner with Dad, starting to figure out the sippy cup

 Dressed up for the visa interview (Jacob had to wake him up from a nap)