15 weeks.

That is how long it took from the time we were told the Minister's Letter was being retracted until we were able to bring our sons home.

Retraction of the letter was key and it was crucial.

But that wasn't the final step.

We needed the US Embassy to approve our adoptions via a form called the I600.

At the time, we were still living with the Strebe's, but very close to moving into our new home.

To back track just a little…

Back in February, we extended our Form I600a. This is the form we filed when we knew we wanted to adopt from Ghana, but were not placed with our sons yet. This form "grandfathered" us in as the laws were changing for the country implementing the Hague Agreement.

Since we weren't 100% sure our Form I600 would be approved with the Minister's Letter requirement, we were advised to extend our Form I600a to keep our grandfather status.

When I arrived home from my trip to Ghana in April, I received a letter from Division of Homeland Security to submit certain documents for our Form I600a extension. They wanted additional fingerprints for the Strebe's. Something that could take months. We were in the process of moving and we needed to make a decision quick. The right decision, that is.

The Embassy halted their review of the Form I600 until I submitted all documents requested from Division of Homeland Security.

I called a couple very trusted friends that I met through the adoption circle for advise. We decided the quickest way was for us to do an amended home study when we moved and not worry about the Strebe fingerprints as that would be irrelevant.

We weren't moving for another week or so, so we did have to wait. A little.

I contacted our social worker and she was absolutely amazing…coming over so quickly and getting the updated home study to us within a couple days. AND she didn't charge us for the update!!! What a blessing in disguise.

We submit all documents, got the extension of our Form I600a within another week or so. And they sent all information to Ghana for review.

That, of course, took a little time.

But it is a moment that is etched in my mind forever…

We were in Jefferson City for Scott's grandmother's funeral. Just as we were about to walk out the door that morning of her service, Scott just happened to check his email and called me over to read something. It was the approval from the US Embassy in Accra! I think I had to read that over about half a dozen times to make sure I didn't read it wrong! ;) Before Grandmother Snodgrass passed away, we had a heart to heart with her about Heaven. We asked her to send us a sign when she got there. She so softly and sweetly said, "if I can, I will." Scott and I felt like this was a beautiful gift (aka: sign) from his grandmother…working some of that "mojo" in Heaven.

BUT…

Yep, you guessed it…that wasn't the FINAL step.

There was one more hurdle to go and that was Visas for the boys. They are Ghanaian and need a visa to be able to travel to the US. Although, once their feet hit US soil, they will officially be US citizens.

Again, about a week goes by and after some additional follow up on our part (as usual), we finally get an email with a Visa Interview Date and notice to go online and complete the applications for our sons.

Simple right?

Yeah…not so much.

My login for the applications wouldn't work. I emailed the consular's office in Ghana (where Visas are issued) and they confirmed my login info was correct. So, I try again and it still does not work.

Did I mention that we still don't have internet at our home since our subdivision is so new? So I am running up to Starbucks each time to try to fill out this application.

It is now Thursday and the interview is on Monday. If I don't complete the application, there can NOT be an interview. To say I was a little stressed would be an understatement. So I try calling to get thru to someone, anyone. Every single person kept passing me off to someone else, another number. After I cannot remember how many calls and this mama was about to lose her you know what…FINALLY a young man takes the initiative and gives me a different log in.

We go to Scott's mom's house that night so I can get online and complete the applications and the log in works. PRAISE JESUS!!! It wasn't a piece of cake completing the applications and I won't bore you with the craziness I went thru on that one, but we got thru it!

Bernard, our POA, goes to the Visa Interview on Monday. After MANY hours of questioning, they ask for a few additional pieces of information. An updated POA (Power of Attorney) form, pictures of us with the boys on all visits and copies of our Passports showing the Ghana Visa that we were in country prior to the boy's court dates.

All easy enough to do. So we complete them and email them back to Bernard. Our POA's assistant's name was misspelled, so I corrected with pen and had it notarized.

Bernard's assistant, Millicent, took the documents back to the consular's office. The assumed the POA form was altered after being notarized and requested an original. It's a Thursday and we were hopeful to get an approval, but no… So, we go back to the bank to get another copy notarized and FedEx it to Ghana $125 later…

The form arrives on Monday and Millicent picks it up Tuesday and goes directly to the consular's office to drop it off. The officer was not available and requested her to return the next day.

Wednesday, Millicent returns to the consular's office and what do you know??? The officer is STILL not available and she is asked to return for the second time.

By this time, as you can imagine, Scott and I are questioning a LOT of things. The constant delays just don't make sense to us. I feel like a broken record…every night I was going to bed for weeks now, asking the Lord to bring us good news the next morning. And every morning I would check my phone for a message from Bernard and then go back to bed saying the same prayer.

On Thursday, I woke up and spent some extra time in the Word. Specifically asking the Lord what He wanted me to see from this passage. It was Psalms 30. David cries out to the Lord, the Lord hears his cries and the Lord ANSWERS. David tells the Lord, 'you have turned my mourning into dancing'. And that morning, THAT was my prayer. Lord, turn my mourning into dancing.

I sent that text to my husband and the friend who so graciously offered to travel with me to pick up the boys. I wanted them to be in prayer with me. THAT prayer, that is.

That text was sent at 9:19am. At 11:08am I sent another text saying, "Lets get some flights booked sister!!!"

I cried out to the Lord, the Lord heard my cry, the Lord answered. It was in His timing, as it always is and I am grateful all the same.

Maria and I will leave this Friday for our trip to pick up the boys and bring them home FOREVER.

It is surreal.

I am still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that now the only thing we are waiting for is to BRING OUR SONS HOME!!!

This trip will not be without it's own share of adventures. We will be traveling to different areas in Ghana to see our sons' biological family (of who is alive) so the boys can have an opportunity to say goodbye before they leave the country. I hope to get pictures, some video and possibly learn something new about our boys. It will be an experience and while I do not know what this will be like for our sons, I know it is important. As one friend of mine said that has also adopted, "It's very important. It's closure we will not regret getting and we owe it to our kids."

She's right. There's a past there. All of us have them. Some of us know more of our pasts than others. Their pasts are a part of them…the good and the bad. All of it. And I definitely don't want any regrets…this is something we have to do now.

So please be in prayer for this final "leg" of our adoption journey. We covet those prayers so much. They have sustained us throughout the years time and time again. At times, when we felt completely hopeless. We will be forever grateful for the constant and consistent love and support from all our family and friends…

We love you all.

OUR SONS ARE COMING HOME!!!

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

 -Galatians 6:9