The Final Night of Trip 1

"Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?' For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:33-36

While it is easy for me to get wrapped up in the details and the supposed timelines, it is appropriate to sit back and praise God for His goodness. On a large scale, He has adopted us as His children. He has given us a hope and a future. He has placed His Spirit within us and has given us Jesus as a Savior and mediator. In the small stuff of our lives, He has placed just the right kids into our family. He has sustained Andy through long days. He has brought us through rollercoaster after rollercoaster, always walking with us, deepening our faith and trust in Him. He truly deserves all the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Final Trip 1 Congo Update:
I have spoken with Andy twice today, and he is doing well. Despite the lack of showers and being so hot that he just wants to drink water all day, he said that we have great kids and he's sad to return them to foster care tomorrow morning.

He told me that he feels like people must be praying for him around the clock because he has made it through some wild days. He said that the Lord hasn't given him more than he can handle, but He has given him as much as he can handle!

Silas slept through the night last night, and Mercy only woke up once. Andy spent a few hours this morning just playing on the bed with both babies. Mercy just smiles and giggles and never fusses. Silas was more giggly today. His health isn't as good as Mercy's (though it certainty isn't terrible) and he has really bad diaper rash, which makes him uncomfortable...poor guy. Overall, the kids have been great but Andy's been so busy and hot that he's hardly had time to eat!

The Embassy interview was quick, and all 3 adoptive families were told that the kids' visas would take 1-3 weeks (This is the visa that will allow them to enter US soil). Please pray that ours are on the shorter side of this timeline. I know that God will command the timing and that I have no control, but I would appreciate prayer that the Embassy would not hassle us over paperwork and will issue the visas quicker than expected. However, Andy said that if they say 1-3 weeks in the Congo, we should expect 4. Ugh...I am ready to meet my babies and would ask you to pray for God's mercy in giving me peace in the waiting and His covering over the visa process.

Andy's flight leaves Kinshasa at 10pm tomorrow night (4pm CST), and I will be picking him in at O'Hare at 6:30 Friday night.

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer through this wild journey.

Expect to see pictures of the babies in the next few days! Woohoo!

Ways to Pray:
1. For Silas and Mercy's visas to be issued quickly, so that we can return to Congo and bring them home.
2. For the Embassy to issue visas without unnecessarily scrutinizing documents or hassling us.
3. For Andy to travel safely home.
4. For the children to adjust back to foster care for a short time and to not be too confused over the change of settings.
5. For them to remember Andy when we return and especially Silas to not be as scared on trip 2.
6. For God to prepare Elly's heart for the changes ahead...specifically for her to have an unexplainable, deep love for Silas and Mercy rather than jealousy. For the timing of our travels to work out so that she can go on Lovejoy family vacation while we are gone (this will hopefully be a better distraction than being in our home for 2 weeks without us).
7. For God to prepare Andy and I and Silas and Mercy for the changes ahead. For us to get a good glimpse of the Congo and to be a blessing to the orphanages that we visit. That God will show us to how to die to ourselves as we raise 3 little children.