Africa Update

Photo by Chen Hu on Unsplash

5 weeks ago, I set all my scheduled blog posts to publish while I was away. I even scheduled a few to post during the first two weeks I'd be back home, just in case I didn't feel like blogging then. I was proud of the fact that I wouldn't miss my New Year's goal of posting on this blog once a week.

Then things changed.

We had to cancel our return tickets. Our stay in Africa was extended indefinitely.

We came here thinking we could get the necessary paperwork and bring Wezi home as our foster child. Then we found out they Malawi doesn't allow you to foster outside of the country. So we tried to bring Wezi home on a medical visa so she could at least get the needed surgeries in the US. But the US immigration laws don't allow you to bring a minor who isn't related to you into the country. So we changed plans yet again and have started the process to adopt Wezi so we can bring her home as our legal child.

We don't know if we'll be approved to adopt her. We don't know if we can get her birth certificate and passport in her new name in a timely manner. We don't know if the US will grant her a visa.

But we know God is good and He us leading us in the unknown journey.

It has not been easy - far from that! We have experienced attacks from so many different fronts. Yet one thing that the Lord has been teaching me is that following him isn't supposed to be easy. I'm reminded of this through our Bible reading and even reading kid Bible stories to Wezi. Mary and Joseph's life calling was hard. Abraham's was hard. Paul's was hard. But God used the hard things to bring about his will and to bring tremendous blessings into the lives of those following him.

If you think of us, pray for us. This is tough - tougher than I ever imagined. I feel like I went into this blind and with a naive faith. Maybe that's a good thing, otherwise I would have been too scared to start this journey.

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm not sure what we'll be doing. We bought some apples and will make an apple pie to have a slice of the holiday with you all.

As far as my posting on this blog, I can't promise anything. Though after writing this out, I feel like I can still keep up with my bi-weekly posting schedule. We'll see. Things might be more informal and chatty. I only have my phone, no computer, so can only use that to write out posts, making it a bit more tedious. I have been journaling up a storm here, and when I get back, I plan to type some of those entries up and share them with you all. Give you a taste of Africa.

We don't know when exactly we'll be back, but it shouldn't be any later than mid December. I can't wait to spend Christmas at home!