An All-Around Hard Day

It’s been a very frustrating day, and we really need prayer! We began early with a trip to the embassy. We received approval from the U.S. Immigration over a month ago. The approval notice was sent to the embassy in Kinshasa, where the immigration process will take place. We turned in all of our adoption paperwork (the adoption occurred in Goma), and they wanted our original (not a copy) of our marriage license. We had a copy that was used for the adoption in Goma, but that stayed in the court files there. We got my sister to find our marriage license and send the document by email. We’ll try to use a color copy and hope they don’t make a deal of it, but she also sent the original by DHL (takes 4 days).

The passport photos for the embassy needed to be retaken (wrong color background). We went to Kenya Airways (there is no North West or KLM) to change our tickets. Stood in line, only to find out their power was out so there was no computer access…went to the other Kenya Airways office, stood in line forever, only to find out we can only change them through North West (unfortunately by phone). Paul was on the phone for well over an hour, ending up having to route us on two different days (we were scheduled to return the 7th, which wouldn’t give enough time to complete immigration), and discovering that a one way ticket for Miriam would cost $5,000. I’m leaving next Monday, and Paul is leaving Tuesday (with Miriam, so at least she can have someone to be able to communicate with her).

Poor Miriam spent the third day with us, being dragged all over the city, in and out of cars, very bored, hot and exhausted. When we got back to our hostel, she took a bath, packed her suitcase, took her photo out of our family photo album, and told Paul she wants us to take her home tomorrow. It was so sad.

Then after dinner, we found out that her passport, which was supposed to be delivered to us tonight, won’t be ready until Wednesday. The reason we were told is because it rained today, and “everything shuts down in Kinshasa when it rains.” Well, we were all over the city today, and it didn’t look like anything shut down to me.

The problem with the passport is that we can’t get her medical exam without it, and we can’t have our interview with the embassy without the results of the medical exam (which take at the very least 2 days.

So, prayer for Miriam’s heart, prayer for a more affordable flying option, prayer for her passport, prayer for her medical exam, prayer for our marriage license, etc, etc, etc. I feel like it would be good to assign prayer items like a potluck: If your last name is A-F, pray for Miriam, G-K cost to fly….

Really, I don’t think God is limited by any of this, so I hang on to the belief that your prayers will indeed make all the difference in the world…I don’t understand it, but I believe it.