**** If you did not read my post yesterday–go and read it before this one.
Sorry friends, I really did not mean to keep you all hanging today. I totally laughed at some of your comments. You guys are too funny. Truth is, I wrote and wrote until my eyes couldn’t stay open anymore. The rest just had to wait till today. Sorry. It was kind of fun though 🙂
So, now that I have kept you all in suspense the entire day–I’ll fill you in on where we are with things.
By the time last Friday morning came, I was a mess. I now have such an understanding of what so many families go through when they fall in love with a child–only to find out he/she cannot be theirs. Goodness, I felt like I was losing OUR CHILD.
Our main obstacle is obviously my citizenship. So many times over the last couple of years my dear hubby has tried to convince me to get my US citizenship. Every time I blow him off–it means I have to lose one of my other citizenships (South African or Australian), plus the exam that you have to take is seriously intense. My knowledge of American history is very sad. So, I never pursued it. Of course now I am kicking myself for not looking into it a long time ago.
On Friday I almost gave in to hopelessness. I came so close to feeling overwhelmed to the point of just wanting to give up. So close. Every e-mail I got seemed to hold more bad news–more and more obstacles that stood in our way. Goodness, there just seemed to be one thing after another.
After many hours on the computer and the phone, the Spirit of the living God rose up in my heart. I realized that it IS possible for me to get my citizenship. The Lord had to give me a swift kick in the rear. I found out that the ‘normal’ process could take anywhere from 9-12 months. Oh no–Hailee may not have that long, she is not doing well. She is [barely] living with a severe heart defect that has not been repaired. She NEEDS surgery…or she will die.
Then we found out that there is a way to get my citizenship expedited. It could take just a couple of months from beginning to end. We have to apply to USCIS (Immigration) for my application to be expedited. They grant it based on need. We will apply based on a humanitarian need.
Learning that there IS a way for the Immigration side of things to be sorted out, I finally saw the glimmer of hope that we so needed.
But, we’re not in the clear yet. We’re still waiting to find out if there is a loophole regarding the financial issue. It is the craziest thing to me. We may have found a way around it–but are not 100% sure yet.
Then there is another paperwork issue. The country Hailee is in requires that Anthony and I include an original marriage license in our dossier. One wee problem–we were married in South Africa. There is no way on God’s green earth that I am going to get a copy of our marriage license from South Africa. Even if you live there–dealing with home affairs is no fun at all. A visit to their offices is a nightmare for everyone. No kidding. To try and get it from here–oh my, I can stand on my head and whistle dixie till the cows come home–it’s not gonna happen.
It may be possible to give them a copy of the original marriage license we have in our possession, like we did for our China adoptions. But, this country is seriously strict about their paperwork, so there is no telling what they will say. We’re trusting for favor.
The journey has been filled with highs and lows. It feels like we have faced mountain after mountain since the day we agreed to adopt this sweet little girl. From opposition and sheer disinterest from friends and family, to all the legal stuff, well, it has been a ride.
To get my citizenship is going to cost thousands of dollars extra. It’s going to take time and effort. The extra paperwork to do a “single person with consent” adoption is going to take more time and more effort. But you know what–Hailee is worth it! She is worth every single little bit of effort that we have to put into this adoption.
She is worth it.
Sometimes the journey’s that the Lord sends us on are not without trials. They are not without obstacles that stand in our way. There are times that the Lord has us stand up and FIGHT for the things He has birthed in our hearts. This is one such time for us.
We will not give up on Hailee.
We will not let the enemy have the victory here–another child left to die in an orphanage.
We will not grow weary of the battle.
We will not!
We’re standing up and fighting for Hailee…because she’s worth it!
Some things in this life are just worth fighting for.
