Trip 3- Day 11

WOW

Day 11!!

We have had Little for a week already and she has just done so amazingly well! I am just blown away at her ability to handle and deal with all the changes so far. She has been eating as much as her little belly can handle and knows the power of saying and signing, "MORE, PLEASE" in English! She is very independent, and wants to do it herself...hmmm...sounds like someone else i know... :) 

We have only seen tears twice, when she takes too big of bites and I have to swoop the piece from her mouth...twice this has made her burst into tears and throw her head back like its the worst thing that has ever happened...but she has recovered quickly. She has been sleeping great, 8-10 hrs a night and napping 2-3 hrs in the afternoon. 

We arrived via the train to the capital to complete the final step of this adoption process. We had our appointment today at the US Embassy to have all her documents processed regarding her citizenship and receiving her US Visa. And all went VERY well, we received all the necessary documents and her passport back with the US VISA stamped inside. The whole process maybe took an hour! 

We got to bypass the LONG line (adoptions have priority) and went directly to the cashier window to pay for her Visa, then sat in the waiting room and waited to be called up to one of three windows. We were called to window two where a very nice gentlemen swore me in (raise your right hand...) and had about a 5-10 min interview regarding what documents they were returning to me and when I will need to present what when. He had me verify her name was spelled correctly and birthdate was entered correctly and then asked me if I had any questions. And I said, "None!" and he said "Congratulations! I know its a long time coming!" Yes, sir, it has...but all well worth the wait! We sat for another 10 mins and we received our paperwork back. We were one of 4 other adoptive families that had appointments today. Fun to see all the other little kiddos. :)

We raced back to our coordinators car so that we could take all those documents and Rush's passport over to the consulate where they need to register her. This is the last step needed before we go home...we are waiting for her passport back that has a stamp in it confirming she has been registered. So, we chose to ask if it that process could be expedited so that it would be ready tomorrow evening so that we might have a chance to fly home a little earlier than we planned!!

I am so thankful that Rush is doing so well in the midst of all the changes while we are so far away from the comforts that we know and really take for granted...it has made all this traveling and time away so much easier. 

We look forward to some sight seeing tomorrow and some last souvenir shopping! 

Please keep us in your prayers as we near traveling back home! The Lord has been so gracious and laid out an easy perfect trip thus far. Our daughter is such a gift, I am so joyful the Lord called out our names and said, "GO!" I can't imagine this sweet little gem of a person being hidden away in the dark depths of a culture who can't see past the diagnosis of Down syndrome and appreciate her beauty... 

Thank you Lord, for giving us enough courage to say..."YES!!!" and then moving mountains when they came, and carrying us the whole way. He made the impossible possible...all the unknowns he already had worked out before we even knew Rush existed...we just have to have enough faith to just keep saying yes when we knew we were called. I am so reminded more and more in this process to not put my expectations on what is possible, not to put the Lord in a box...when he so carefully and purposefully designed the box. :) 

Lord, all the praise and glory to your name! May you be glorified OVER and OVER with our life story...may it be a beautiful song to your ears!