Some un-settling news from Mary.

 So today I've been expecting to hear from Mary with our May court date and instead got this:

"DEAR ANDREA AND RUTHANNE,TODAY I MET WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE KIDS, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND THE LAWYER. AFTER A LENGHTY DELIBERATION THE OUTCOME WAS THAT ADOPTERS HAVE TO BOND WITH ADOPTEES BEFORE THEIR APPLICATIONS ARE SENT TO COURT. THIS IS THE NEW GOVERNMENT DIRECTIVE. I AM THEREFORE ASKED TO TELL YOU TO COME TO GHANA. YOU HAVE TO PLAN TO STAY NOT LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS. SO WE DECIDED THAT BECAUSE I AM COMING TO AMERICA AND WILL NOT BE BACK TILL 13TH MAY. SO YOU CAN PLAN TO COME 15TH OF MAY. YOUR STAY SHOULD BE FOUR WEEKS. THE MAN OR WOMAN ALONE CAN COME.THERE IS NO NEED TWO OF YOU IE HUSBAND AND WIFE COME. AFTER YOU GO BACK THEY WILL ARRANGE FOR JULY FOR THE INTERVIEW. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF THEY DONT DO THIS AND YOU COME FOR COURT YOU MAY BE REFUSED THE ADOPTION DECREE.I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND ME. I HAVE FORWARDED ALL THE DOCUMENTS AND YOU WILL BE INTERVIEWED BY THE LAWYER AND SOCIAL WELFARE WHEN YOU COME IN MAY.MARY"

I am going to try not and panic yet.  I am going to pause and turn this over to God.  Four weeks is pretty unrealistic but this journey thus far has been one FAITH.  I was just reminded of that from one of my very dear friends tonight.

On a lighter note, Evan thinks this is great news and doesn't understand why I see this as a problem at all.  He says he will go with me and play with his Joseph, Askia and all the other boys in the orphanage for 4 weeks.  He sees this as a break from his sisters and a party in Ghana!  LOL

Clearly life is easier when we view it through the eyes of a child.

Brothers - Waiting for Much Too Long

....And  the post read:

"Adeye - Please advocate for these boys. They are so old that no agency will bother listing them. They need a family willing to adopt independently from Ghana (we're doing that now and I'd be happy to help guide them). These boys NEED a family! They need and deserve to know the love of Christ! Please help their family find them! http://lambfamilyadopts.com/2012/08/29/brothers-waiting-for-much-too-long/"




This was the day our lives would be forever changed.  This is their picture and their story and I could get 
neither out of my head.   I read the blog post that "Christy" had posted on my friend, Adeye's, FB Wall.   Emma was sitting next to me on the couch that evening and noticed my tears.  She read the story and immediately says to me "Mom, we gotta go get them.  They belong in our family. They even look like us."    Oh my sweet Emma.  She is my kindred spirit and our forever optimist.

Andy initially thought I was crazy but I knew what I was feeling was more than some temporary sympathetic tug at my heart.