Post Placement and paperwork God is still GOOD!

We had our post placement visit today for Kai Wei, it also served as our homestudy update--as we need that to extend our I-171H(the permission from immigrations to adopt an international orphan). I'm getting so tired of paperwork! But I thought the visit went well. Especially considering I thought it was about 1:30 and was just putting the boys' lunch on the table when the doorbell rang--this was after discussing the neighbor's dead chicken with them and making sure they washed their hands before eating due to handling the dead chicken--and after coming home from dropping Rebecca at the airport to go away for the summer. It was an eventful day! And not without some sadness, due to both Rebecca's departure and the dead chicken (killed by the big daddy chicken as Kai said--You really have to see the hand motions and facial expressions to appreciate this--the boys were absolutely fascinated. . .)

Anyway, I think it was the best day yet for Daniel and Kai Wei together. As Daniel said, even when they did disagree they "worked it out" I don't think I heard any fighting and they had a lot of fun playing outside in the BEAUTIFUL spring weather.

It seemed a little strange to be telling the social worker that the hardest part of the adjustment, besides just trying to parent a 10 year old boy who doesnt speak your language, was the relationship between Kai Wei and Daniel. I love these days when we see how good it can be. Other times there is just a lot of miscommunication and competition and I guess a wondering on both parts, "does SHE (that being me) love HIM best?" So I'm thinking over time they will come to realize a person can really love 2 people or even more (like say 8)just fine. I think as Kai's language skills get better there will also be less of a problem. As many issues they fight over are what they THINK the other person is saying--not always what the other person is actually saying!

Anyway, back to the doorbell at 2 pm--I actually thought they came early! (They because our caseworker, had an intern with her) They asked questions about Kai Wei's adjustment and activities and I showed them his school work and when it was time to talk with him he was very reticent. I suggested we look at pictures and he jumped right on the computer and pulled up some pictures similar to the ones here on our blog. He didn't have a whole lot to say. But I think she felt she had the chance to see him in action. He and Daniel were up and down and in and out and fairly visible shouting happily every time they came in the room. After almost 2 hours everybody else started to arrive home and answered the obligatory immigration questions--"have you ever been finger printed(yes, more times than we remember at this point!), treated for drug or alcohol abuse, arrested, been the object of an unfavorable homestudy, been denied for adoption(soon to be 18 year old Tim really like this one) etc.

Oh, by the way--we got ALL our paperwork back really quickly. Even my FBI fingerprint check went OK. I was really concerned, because the day we went down there all my fingers but one failed and Kai Wei was telling me I was a bu hao ren (bad guy)! It can take up to 6 weeks to get the results back and I was worried we wouldn't have them in time to apply for our extension which is due in mid May. So none of us is a hardened criminal and hopefully the USCIS can do our extension paperwork quickly. . . and we can go get Sarah Grace.

As Annie said, we are all getting tired of the wait again. It seems so sad to us. And unfortunately I feel like I just made it longer. All this month I've had this email from the orphanage telling me what extra documents the judge wants and I've gotten them all together and we were just waiting for Dana's Dr. appointment. WELL, apparently after being a high school and college graduate I still can't read. All these weeks I thought the email said these documents did NOT need to go to TECO--but they did--so they are back on my desk and I guess I will send them to TECO this morning. . .Will this paperwork(and the cost involved!) never end!?

On a happy note, last week at Bible study I asked for prayer for Sarah Grace and that the judge would rule favorably and quickly on our behalf. The man who prayed prayed such an awesome prayer asking God to be with her and work this as a positive in her life and a time to draw close to him. It was so beautiful because it was all the very things I have been praying and hoping for her and us too.

I constantly need to remind myself that God is in control and he loves us and wants the best for us.

We have a webchat tonight with Sarah Grace, please keep her in your prayers too--and this judge!