We are going to Ghana!

It has been 8 months since we were last in Ghana.

8 months since we last hugged our two precious kids who are there.

8 months of many ups and downs, many tears and joys, many, many many emails and phone calls.

This past week has been one of the hardest of the entire journey. Two things happened to make it clear that we need to go to Ghana now:

1. Due to financial constraints our agency made the decision to let the Ghana social worker go. The one I often described as an "angel on earth" and a "selfless saint". She is the only person in Ghana that we trust 100% with our kids. She earned our trust through her countless acts of service for our children and others and through her devotion to their well being, safety and health. We have been literally grieving the loss of her job and the stability that it provided to our children, as well as the personal ramifications that has on her life. This news has wrecked us and challenged us. She is still glorifying God and trusting His plan and sovereignty for her life. We plan to see her while we are in Ghana and encourage her. (likely she will encourage us!) She has become a friend for life. 
2. Our friend, Edie, went to Ghana last Monday and came home with her son, Robert, this past Tuesday. She realized that his case was not progressing and that her presence in country made all the difference. Please note, their case was completely different from ours and, although we are hoping and praying for the same results, we are not overly optimistic. 

Based on these two circumstances, we made the decision to fly to Ghana on Monday. Adam will return after a week and hopefully Gabriel, Debora and I will be on that same flight home. We will follow God's leading, but I am prepared to stay longer if we feel it would help. We just really want to get these kids home, especially now that they don't have Auntie Ebe looking after them. She was a lifeline for us. 

We are waiting for Gabriel's visa to print and all we know is that it is still in "administrative processing". We don't know anything else and we can't get any information. A very specific prayer need right now is that we can get into the Embassy to ask our questions. This is the US Embassy. They will not let us in without a notice and when I requested an appointment via email this week they denied me. Our congressperson has reached out on our behalf to request a meeting. Even once we get that meeting, we will pray that we can get someone to give us information about Gabriel's case and hope and pray we can do something to help it progress.  

We still know without a doubt that God is in control. There is such a fine balance between waiting-and-trusting and doing-and-trusting. We have been waiting and trusting for awhile. We definitely feel like God wants us to go to Ghana right now so that is what we are doing but He doesn't tell us the results or the path. So.we.keep.trusting. 

I'm not gonna lie. It is not easy. But this is what I cling to today (and I am writing this more for me than you):

1. I get to see my other two kids in 3 days!!!!
2. I get to travel with my best friend and amazing husband for a week!!!
3. I have family and friends praying and supporting our family!!!
4. God's got this!!!

The bible verse at the end of my devotion reading today was from Genesis 28:15

"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you." Thanks God. I'm gonna need you in Ghana and I'm gonna need you here. Thank you for being with me and not leaving me. You haven't promised me an easy road but you have promised to be with me. That's all I need. I love you.