I am always amazed that I can be typing from Uganda.
Thank you Lord, for such a privilege.
The flights were great, at times pretty turbulent {and you know I’m not the excited flyer}, but I felt like the Lord was paving the way and was also our rear guard. While I didn’t sleep much on the plane I read my Bible tons and He spoke specifically about some things in this journey to bring our two girls home and for that I am grateful. His word is powerful and it makes our faith confident.
The attorney could not meet with me until Saturday. But God gave our son Lutaaya the boldness to encourage persistence and we met her last night. {Not Saturday, but Wednesday!}
Then today I was supposed to meet someone from her office to give them on paper. They called and asked if I could come to the office instead. We headed straight there. Things in Uganda always take a longer – but since we love Uganda it’s ok.
The traffic has been the worst we have ever seen – like LA!!
Anyway, it took us a half hour to get to her office and they we waited for an hour and a half.
In that time I kept falling asleep {the problem of sitting still}.
When we went in to meet with her partner I recognized her.
I said, “Didn’t you work for so-n-so? “
{our attorney with Elijah and Elizabeth}
She had! She had gone to court with us for their process!
How cool is that?
She then told us all the things we needed
for submission to the courts.
{And trust me, there is tons of stuff!}
We spent 2-1/2 hours with her!
ONLY GOD as they were not wanting to meet till Saturday.
This way Dw can gather the stuff and get it shipped to us.
About 2 hours into our meeting {and me furiously writing down everything I needed Dw to send me – including the court orders in the adoption of Isaiah and Jubilee} someone from her office said, “Someone is here from Redeemer House.” {This is where Sarah Jane is.} Our attorney kind of jumped and said, “Send them in.”
A beautiful young African woman appeared,
her name was Mercy.
I said, “Hi! I’m S’s prospective mom.”
She said, “Oh! S is out in the waiting room.”
Friends you would have laughed!
I literally gasped and burst into tears and dove over Emma’s chair, losing one of my sandals in the process. I could not believe, our daughter was just feet from me, when her orphanage is 2 hours away! Mercy later said, “I noticed you lost your shoe.” haha
S, as it turns out, had seen Emmy and I when she came in {the door to the office had view of where we were sitting}….so the second she heard her name she peeked around the wall and seeing me diving over chairs had came hurrying to me/us.
I threw my arms around her and stood and cried and cried.
Then she sat on my lap for about 1/2 hour.
We took pictures too. I will try to post them soon.
She was so shy and sweet and seemed so pleased.
They had come to town to bring her adoption papers. A family member is putting up a stink about her being adopted {although they do not want to care for her}.
Please pray for this obstacle to be removed.
And we learned that she just turned 9.
We had thought she was 10. But she just turned 9.
Jubilee will actually be older than her.
Lastly, little Miss R is darling.
You would all love her.
Emma said her head is significantly larger than it was in June.
She cannot hold it up and it is heavy, heavy, heavy.
She needs to get to America so they can get rid of the infection and get her shunt put in.
The orphanage director said that the bones will never go back down once they have gotten so big {so thankful that God is bigger than that too!}. And really, I can’t bear that thought.
R. coos and coos and told me to tell all of you that she is so thankful you are praying for her.
She asked me to ask you not to stop?
Seriously, she is a rare gem and I cannot wait to have her home with S. and all the rest of the treasures.
Happy tears for you. Praying the mountains will continue to melt before your eyes. HUGS!
Love, love, love, love!
And I totally love the oh-so-Ugandan "I noticed you lost your shoe." 😛
So glad mountains are moving and that you got to see your Sarah. 🙂 Now, if only they could figure out a way to convey the whole "I'm so excited to see my little girl, I lost my shoe in the process" thing (without making you sound crazy, of course), you'd surely have no problem convincing the judges and family members that you're who should parent those sweet girls. 🙂
Ditto to Rachel's comment – happy tears are flowing and those prayers continue for Ruby Grace, Sarah Jane, the whole family, and that every step of the process will proceed even faster than you hope!
Oh… forgot to comment about the bones. Our Maia has hydrocephaly, her head is adult size (and she is 3). Hair helps (now that Maia has some) and the precious spirit of those little ones overcomes all!
LOVED the Sarah story! LOVE LOVE LOVE! Praying, stalking, waiting, excited……:) With all my friends in UG (one one more on the way) I may just perish from wanting to be there with you all. j/k We are praying!
As I sit here giggling thinking of you diving over Emma to get to Sarah and your shoe coming off I am also praying. Only our God would have your daughter come to the lawyers office on the day/hour you were there AND you were not even suppose to be there?!?! WOW…what a mountian moving God. Praying that more mountians will be moved quickly!
Hugs from Edmonton
Shanna
Praying, crying, praying, rejoicing and doing some more praying!! Praying for hearts to be softened, for judges to listen to the prompting of the Spirit and for you to come home with two little girls. =)
Only God! His timing is so perfect for Sarah Jane to be at the lawyers office at the same time as you. Such a blessing and encouragement.
I'm still praying.
Yay! So excited to hear you've been with your babies! Was praying this morning that you would have a Rhema word for the trip, that it would turn out you wouldn't need all the paperwork they say you need, that you would be ushered out of Uganda with angels and your girls in hands.
Love,
Rory
I can just see this story in the book you write about your adoption journeys, someday. Goosebumps all over for your sweet girls. Our 7 yr. old has a shunt and has had no problems at all Wondering where they will put it on Ruby. Our son's was in the back but that didn't work so they put it on the front right side. Can't even tell. Praising and praying with you and your family back home.
Linny, I have hydrocephaly, and my head was larger than an adult men's bike helmet could fit at age 5, so I know how the big head thing goes. I can also tell you that getting the shunt put in will be a lifesaver (literally!), and that as she grows it won't be quite so obvious. By the time I was a teenager, I looked normal.
I am praying you get BOTH of those precious girls home quickly, to get Ruby the help she desperately needs and to give Sarah the family she's been waiting so long for!!!
Praying Linny, for you, for your newest treasures, and for the mountains that need to be moved to make it happen! So grateful that you have gotten to love on Ruby Grace AND sweet Sarah Jane!
He is faithful!
Love you,
Tina
Praying Praying for those mountains to be moved quickly! So so happy you were able to meet up with Sarah Jane like that; God is an amazing at his details isn't he?? Love and prayers!
Thanks for the updates. We are praying for you and your newest treasures.
So "LOVE" this post..tears and goosebumps. God is moving and it is really exciting to watch how he flattens those mountains!!!!
Loving this update and PRAYING for the mountains to FALL under the power of our MIGHTY GOD!! Can't wait to see pics!:)
What a beautiful meeting with Sarah!! Praying for every mountain to be moved!!
Wow, so glad you got to see Sarah! Praying for rest and mountains to be moved.
Humbled to even have a small part in all of this through prayer! Truly. Again, just as with Karl, God is not allowing me to forget, you are never far from my thoughts and prayers going right with those thoughts. Love you and am aching to be there too. So thankful for the opportunity to have been there. It helps in the intercesion. Love you!!!
I just love how God worked that out for you to see your daughter. So cool !!! I will continue praying !!!
Only God! praying that the mountains will be removed and Praising God for you getting to see Sarah Jane! Janet
Oh sweet Ruby Grace, I am praying and holding my breath for you!! Linny, I love this post, I can visualize the whole thing in the lawyers office jumping over the chair!! Prayers, prayers and even MORE prayers!! CAN'T wait for pictures!!
Please, Please, PLEASE post sometime about how to adopt as a single parent. I am in my late 20's and DYING to adopt…..right now, Im going to focus my time and energy on learning how to go about adopting as a single person, and pray that the rest (a man) falls into place. But I have such a strong will to adopt and Im tired of waiting for the right man to come along. The way I see it, if he is the right man, he will come wheather I have a kid already or not…..so why keep my little one(s) waiting……RIGHT?!?!?! But Im going into this completely blind and don't even know where to start gathering information.
The mental picture of you jumping the chair made my day! So glad you got to love on BOTH of your girls!!! Praying for you!!!!!
You totally had me almost crying. Sounds like you had an amazing day and I am praying those girls home right with ya 😉
Streaming tears…we will continue to pray. Love those trembling mountains! They won't stand for long…I am sure of it:)
REJOICING!!!
Blessings,
Suzanne
Oh those sweet girls! Praying for their health and getting them home! That God will remove all mountains and lead the way for your family!
What a beautiful post. Feel like I was right there with you guys. We will pray without ceasing for the mountains to be removed and favor on these judges. Jesus direct their hands and hearts….and we believe and stand with you that He will complete what has been started. Love and strength to you. L in fl
PRAYING!!! :o)
Thank you, God, for being the Ultimate Controller of timing, even in Uganda where time is not important. Thank you for having Linny right where she needed to be to see Sarah Jane at just the right time. Thank you for placing that worker in the office that had worked with them before. We ask for Your grace and hedge of protection to be around Linny and the girls and please send your divine "way through" for all the obstacles. In Jesus' strong Name we pray, AMEN!
Thank you for sharing the Sarah Jane story, laughter through tears with the diving over chairs to greet you daughter. How Sweet that is, God is just weaved all over this day. Will continue to pray, I am having a similar issue with a family member in Ecuador holding up an adoption. God has it covered. Praying also for Ruby Grace!
Praying, praying, praying here for you all.
Love in Christ,
janet and gang
So thankful that you have gotten to spend time with both of your treasures!!! I will continue praying for all of the mountains to be moved!! Love and prayers from the other side of the ocean!!
Praying, praying, praying
Rejoicing with you in all that God is doing! Praying, praying, then praying some more here back at home.
It's amazing how God let the timing be so that you met Sarah Jane in the lawyer's office… perhaps He had a plan for the laywer to see with her own eyes how much you love her so, and this may have a bearing in the future, her influence may come from her own heart and understanding. Praying for His love to break through and everyone sees what His love means! 🙂
So wonderful – so God – that Sarah Jane was there – praying that those little ones can go home with their family.
I just want you to know that I prayed out loud for you yesterday. For all of you. I just feel the power in stating my requests before God out loud. I will do the same for you today. I have told you before, but y'all have changed our life in so many ways just through reading your blog. There will soon be one less orphan in China, a 12 year old boy, because you spent your time pouring your heart out to the public. The prompting of the Holy Spirit through your words changed my husband's heart about adopting our son (he will be our 6th child, 3rd adoption) and for that I am so very grateful. Much love and many prayers!!
Praying that your mountains be removed has bolstered my faith regarding our own mountains. I have that scripture on a sticky note on my bathroom mirror, and I read it morning & evening. I am continuing to claim that verse for your situation as well as ours and expecting exciting outcomes on both sides!
Oh Linny, I love this post so much. 🙂 Praying for your two sweet girls to be home with you soon.