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Maine, United States
Happily married for 14 years- celebrating the reality that our children are home

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

there's a light at the end of the tunnel

HOORAY!
I just returned from the Embassy and have happy news to share.
It was quiet there today. Not a lot of people and no one else was coming for their appointment today for adoptions except us.  The Embassy worker there, Freda, helped me fill out the paperwork correctly and very patiently.  It was quite tedious but it is now completed.  The boys and I were there and our snacks had been confiscated by security so they were restless while I filled out the tons of little blanks.  However, there was an angel there in the form of a Ugandan man who was super friendly and kind and he played with them and looked at magazines with them the entire time!  I am in his debt.  His presence there was gift to us.  After filling everything out I confirmed that I don't need to bring the guardians to the Embassy after all since that portion of the investigation was completed in the interim after we left Uganda the first time.  Every single thing is there in order except the passports which are being produced and we are told we may have them by this Friday.  Freda said that if I get them into her by Friday at noon then we can confirm the appointment for Monday and we'll have the visas in our hands by Wednesday and can go home Wednesday night, the 14th.  This would bring us back exactly 1 month from the day we left.  I was not expecting to need to have the cash in hand today since I knew we could not do the final processing without the passports.  However she was so accommodating that she said would do everything today as if she had everything she needed so that there would be no processing time afterwards.  So I needed the cash which was locked in the safe at the guest house.  I also needed to call our hosts but had run out of phone credits.  So as we went back out through security at the Embassy and my phone and the boys' sweeties were returned to me I asked the guards about where I could buy more airtime.  They directed me to a shop across the (very busy) road and down just a bit.  So the boys and I went there and bought airtime and I called our host.  Dad was still home oddly enough.  He was supposed to have left for a pastor's conference already so I explained what I needed and he hopped on a boda boda and brought me the cash in just a few minutes.  We waited outside the Embassy in a little shaded seating area.  However since he (thought he) was leaving very soon he declined to take the boys back with him(but in actual fact he was still home when we arrive back).  So the 3 of us again gave up our sweeties and cell phone and went back through security and reentered the Embassy compound.  I paid Freda and it was then she confirmed all I have already told you above.  She would have been happy to move forward even more today but without the passports it was not possible.  So after getting directions from the security guards again of the best way to walk home, we started out on what ended up being a very long slow walk back home.  I knew right where we were from having ridden or walked around the area quite a bit but I was not sure of the best way to get from there to the road I knew.  SO we cut through an ally (a very generous description of what it was) behind a boarding school and got to see a side of Uganda I would have otherwise missed so that was quite unique[please note here the use of a generous euphemism].  [btw: if you don't like being stared at and/or talked about by every SINGLE person you pass.  I don't recommend taking a walk around here.]
We exited the ally and I was relieved to see that we were indeed on a street I recognized from all my trips to town.  So I knew how to get home from here it was just the walking it out that took some time.  I was determined not to get on a boda boda with the boys and didn't want to call for a taxi.  I knew we could make it.  It was probably about an hour's walk at least at the pace we took.  They were so tired that on the way home they actually started talking about how when we get home we will be taking a shower and going to bed like it was the best news they'd had all day.  And that is precisely what we did!  Lunch, bath, bed. They are still asleep and I am sharing our good news with all of you.
One great thing is that because we are staying the weekend, I will be able to go and visit my dear friends Don and Danielle Pierce whose home I stayed at on my first trip to Uganda in 2009.  I have already called them and we are working on details for a visit this weekend.  I would have regretted coming all this way and then not seeing them.  Also, as dad pointed out, it may be that with this new travel date, perhaps we will not have to have a 7hr layover on our way home as we originally did.
What to pray for: we still need those passports to be done by Friday for this revised travel plan to be possible.  Please pray that they are done tomorrow or first thing Friday morning so that I can bring them to Freda before noon on Friday. Please also pray for our families who are missing us and for us because we are weary and can't wait to get home.  Please pray that this weekend would be a sweet time of fellowship with our friends as well.  They live about an hour away so for safe travel as well.  Thanks so much for caring and praying.

5 comments:

  1. is it purse or perice? miss you dad plus rachel can't wita hahhahahahahahahaha;)mom sais how eciting miss you

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  2. THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!!!! I CANT WAIT FOR YOU ALL TO BE SOUNDLY BACK IN THE US!!!!!!

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  3. Does leaving on the 14th instead of the 9th mean you have to pay the $1,200 to change your reservation? Hope not. Judy Hunter from TBC

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  4. I keep telling everyone Feb 14th cause all I can think of is how sweet our reunion will be. Before he started laughing, Pastor Cook's face dropped in shock!
    hahaha!
    We are praying Dr. Keady sends her love and prayers for your return!

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