Two Fewer Orphans

As of Friday morning, there are 2 fewer orphans in the world. We passed court. Our leading up to passing court went something like this:

1. January 12--not our actual court date

2. January 20--were approved for adoption but didn't pass officially because of an amendment needed in the girls' history

3. February 8--the date given for our next court time

4. January 25--an email arrived that said we passed

5. January 25--another email arrived that said we were expected to pass but hadn't officially

6. January 26--our documents were resubmitted

7. January 28--our documents were not all in order and more needed to be sent from the girls' birth region

8. January 29, 6:30 a.m.--I give up on our adoption and tell God that I'm just not going to think about it anymore and He can let me know when anything is actually going to happen.

9. January 29, 11:00 a.m.--We pass court. The girls are ours. They have our last name. They are no longer orphans.

I have now packed their suitcase. I began to pack mine until Joel begged me not to make him help me during the same time he was also planning a run down the St. Croix.

I am emailing my new friend Trent at Velocity Tours in Utah for flight information.

We can call the girls by their American names but we find ourselves unable to. I think we have grown rather fond of their Ethiopian names even though we don't plan to keep them.

Ever since we passed court, I have had a cheesy 1980 something love song stuck in my head. It's not even grammatically correct.

"Two less lonely people in the world, and it's going to be fine.

Out of all the people in the world, I just can't believe you're mine.

In my life where everything was wrong, something finally went right.

Now there's two less lonely people in the world tonight."

Unbelievable. I have not heard this song since I was in high school? Junior high? It's on a loop in my head, just this verse. Every time it loops back, I wish they sang "fewer" even though it doesn't sound as good. Everything in my life was not wrong either. Apparently when I get a verse stuck, I don't get to edit out the parts with which I do not agree.

This week I should be able to know my embassy date. It will likely be about 4-6 weeks from now; I will travel in 3-5 weeks.

God is good.