Monday, December 31, 2012

Part 2: Getting to Know Her...Day 1

During the long flight to Ind*a, I was struck with a thought, "What are we going to do with each other for 3 days?"  I admit I had some trepidation about how that would go.  We don't speak the same language and how much can you really do on the hotel grounds?  I was imagining after an hour or so, just staring at each other in boredom.  Wow, was I wrong!  Looking back it feels like the time we had together was only about 10 minutes long!  Not once did I ever feel like I didn't know what to do with her or wonder if she was bored.  I was never bored!!!  I have never been so mesmerized by a person in my life!  One thing about adopting an older child is that since they are pretty self- sufficient (compared to a baby) watching them do things and how they do them, is incredibly fascinating.  With that, I will start with how things went after we left the orphanage....

M. told me to bring a towel because many of the children get car sick since most of them have never ridden in a car.  Munni climbed right in, sat on my lap (don't judge me, this is India!), held onto the door handle and LOVED looking out the window at life.  We went to a hole in the wall restaurant for a traditional AP lunch.  One thing you should know about me is that I've traveled a bunch and my idea of traveling is never to find the "little America" inside whichever country I'm visiting.  My travel motto for sure is, "When in Rome, do as the Romans," so I was excited about this authentic meal!  M. ordered everything so I have no idea what it was I ate, but man was it amazing!!!  This was Munni's first time in a restaurant.  She just left the place she's known as home for the last 3 years with a white stranger and someone she has seen on occasion.  I thought to myself, "This could have potential for a real meltdown."  Something else you should know about me is that I worked in the restaurant business for 20+ years and have ALL kinds of "terrible kids in restaurant" stories.  Yes, your waiter/ess is talking about your child's behavior.  We all do.  With that said, I was very curious to see how she would act and wondering if I would be forever banished from the camaraderie of my fellow servers.  Well, Munni passed the test!  She was perfectly behaved!  I'm sure that a lot of that came from the shock, wonderment, or whatever you want to call the new experience.  She might be saving it all up for one grade A meltdown later.  Like on the plane....
Anyway, it was interesting to watch her eat.  Sometimes she would use her fork, other times she would eat like a Mexican, tearing the Indian version of a tortilla off into pieces and dipping it into the different chutneys.  The Spanish teacher in me was proud :)  She LOVES spicy food!  She also knows what she doesn't like, which she displayed over the 3 days I had her.  I was happy to see this, that she just didn't eat everything handed to her or gorge herself as many children in orphanages do.  It was a sign to me that she is being well taken care of in her orphanage.  Then she did something really interesting.  She picked up the water bottle, held it about 6 inches above her head and I got a little nervous but M. told me to just watch.  Munni poured the water directly into her mouth and didn't spill one drop.  I don't think I could do that!  It was incredible to see her fine motor skills and hand eye coordination!  In the orphanage, they are not allowed to put their mouth on any shared item.  There are 300+ kiddos where she is so you can see they do everything they can to keep illnesses at bay.

She looks so unsure in this picture...
We left the restaurant and went back to the hotel.  As soon as we arrived, it was as if we were royalty.  Everyone came to us and were saying hi to Munni.  It did make me feel good that they were so nice to her.  She had her little pink sunglasses on as if she was used to the paparazzi :)  Then the hotel manager asked if she could have Munni for 5 minutes to show her around the pool.  I thought this was crazy!  I told her that I just got Munni and we were going to the room.  She was pretty insistent and said she would just have her for a little bit.  I told her we were just going to go to our room.  I told M. I couldn't believe she wouldn't take no for an answer!  M. agreed and thought she was too pushy.  We got to the room and I got some games out for her.  I showed her the Magnadoodle and she LOVED it!!  It was a huge hit!  We played for about 10-15 minutes.  I felt like she was comfortable with me, so I decided to give her the lice treatment.  I just started putting it on her when the doorbell rang.  I thought it was M. so I ran to the door and opened it.  It wasn't M.  It was the hotel manager.... and a rolling table with rose petals scattered all around a cake that said, "Dear Munni- welcome to the family!"  Ah!  The manager was stalling for time! No wonder she was being so pushy about showing Munni around the hotel!  They wheeled the table in and got a picture of Munni cutting the cake.  It was such a nice gesture and Munni loved it!!

I had the lice treatment sitting on part of her head so I hurried them out so I could finish it.  One thing that really caught me off guard was a significant scar on her scalp.  Every picture I've seen of her was obviously from the front.  On the crown of her scalp is a burn scar the size of a grapefruit.  No hair grows there and since they keep her hair so short, it's really noticeable.  Again, I wasn't prepared for that and it brought up all kinds of rage inside me.  I really, really have to constantly pray and surrender this to the Lord and trust that somehow, justice will prevail.  Because when I see the scars on her that tell a very tragic and unjust story, I feel a lot like David when he prayed the imprecatory prayers against his enemies.  I'm just being honest.

We took a shower to clean her up and get the treatment out of her hair.  WOW did she LOVE the shower!!  I've heard that some kids are afraid but she loved it!  I brought one of net loofahs in bright pink.  We put some great smelling shower gel on it and I sudsed her up!  She was giggling and laughing the whole time.  She kept stomping her feet the way kids do in rain puddles and it was cracking my up:)  After the shower, I let her choose her jammies.  She loved the elephant ones and squealed when I put them on her.  It was adorable!  I let her have a piece of her cake and she was really happy. 
After that we skyped with my family.  Skype is seriously the BEST INVENTION EVER!!!  It was so great for them to be able to see her and for her to be able to see them!  Many tears of joy were shed :)))  After the skype calls, I brought out the puzzle my friends gave me.  She loved it! It was so fun for me to watch her figure it out, analyzing each piece.
Finally, we went to bed :)  I can't even tell you how great it felt to be snuggling with my little girl!  I kept pinching myself because I couldn't believe it was real.  We said our prayers, giggled a bunch, and eventually nodded off into a very sweet dream land!


Friday, December 28, 2012

Part 1: The Day We Met

The day I had been waiting for almost 3 years had arrived, it was Monday morning December 17, 2012.   It seemed so surreal that I was finally going to meet my Sweet Munni!  I woke up feeling great- I think all the sightseeing I did the day before helped me sleep really well because I felt energized and refreshed.  I had breakfast with M., my in-country coordinator and social worker, and we discussed the upcoming events of the day.  I was really starting to get excited and a little bit anxious as I wanted it to get going!
    After breakfast I went up to my room to finish getting ready and to make sure I had everything I wanted to take to the orphanage.  My good friend J tracked me down in my hotel room!  When the phone rang, I thought it was M.  Imagine my surprise when it was J calling me from the USA!!!!  It was so great to talk to her right before I left.  She prayed for me and calmed my nerves :)
     I recorded a video for Munni because as she gets older, I want her to know just HOW MUCH I love her, how long I'd waited for her, and how many people had been praying for us and encouraging me along the way.

     I met M. in the lobby of the hotel.  The hotel manager came up to me and asked me something about Munni; I don't even remember what it was but it was enough to start to the tears flowing!  I think she thought I was going to pass out because she asked me if I wanted water and if I needed to sit down.  I assured her they were happy tears, that I was just completely overwhelmed because I couldn't believe that I was about to finally meet Munni!
     The car arrived and off we went.  The orphanage was about 15 minutes from the hotel.  We pulled in to what looked like a compound.  The offices are up front and then you take a long dirt road back to where the children live.  All along the road there were TONS of dogs just lying in the sun.  We pulled up to the orphanage and got out of the car.  You have to take your shoes off to go inside so there was a big pile of sandals and flip flops.  We walked in and M. started talking to the head lady in Hindi.  I kept looking around wondering where Munni was.  Turned out, she had an exam that day so they sent her to school lol!  They sent someone to go get her so while we waited, M. was able to get the list of questions I had about Munni answered.  My questions surrounded how she came to the orphanage.  It was very difficult to hear the details but I am thankful that my questions were answered as going in, it was a slim to none chance that they would be.  I also wanted to know as much as possible because I feel it will be very important to Munni as she gets older and starts discovering her identity.  I'm glad she was at school because it took me awhile to get myself together after hearing that information.
    Back at the hotel, I gave M. a mini-lesson on how to video on the iPad.  I wanted the moment to be captured forever!  One of the caretakers makes saris so she was showing M. the new fabric she had just bought.  It was beautiful!  Everyone was absorbed in looking at the new fabric when I heard someone say, "Munni."  I turned around and that little peanut was standing there with her HUGE backpack, holding the hand of her caretaker, smiling.  I couldn't believe it!!!  She looked so small!  I quickly handed my ipad to M and ran around the table to Munni.  It all seems like a blur- I was so overcome with joy!!!!!  I was on my knees in front of her and told her how much I loved her and how beautiful she is.  She just smiled at me :)
Somehow, the video didn't get turned on and these are the only two pictures I have of our moment.  Even though they are blurry, I love that you can still see the emotion!!  What's even better is that if you remember when I talked about the due date I had prayed for almost 3 years earlier and December 12 came into my head immediately.  Look at the clock.  It was exactly 12 when we met!!!  I didn't notice this until about 2 days later!  God is so funny :)
I took both of her hands and kissed them.  She giggled :)  Then, I asked if I could hug her and motioned as if I would.  She just smiled so I went for it!  She is so small!!  I stood up and sat on the chair and she sat on my lap.  I pulled out the pink sunglasses I had been saving for her.  She LOVED them!!  She started reciting her numbers in English for me.  She counted all the way to 100.  It was so cute because she was looking at me the whole time and I could tell she was really proud to be able to do that :)  Then I busted out the Gummy Bears.  Huge hit.  Orange is her favorite color.  We sat there for about 10 minutes until the photographer came to take her picture for court and her passport.  For the court picture, I was allowed to hold her.  I can't even put into words how AWESOME it felt to hold her!!!

     After the pictures were taken, her caretaker took her in the back to give her lunch and change her.  M. left to go to the office to see about Munni's file because they couldn't find it.  I was left with non-English speaking people.  I waited about 2 hours until M. returned with bad news.  She said they couldn't get the person to sign off on her file and we would have to wait until about 5 or so.  I was disappointed.  All I wanted to do was get Munni and get out of there to start our time together!  M. and I got in the car and decided we would get lunch and run a few errands to pass the time.  As we were almost to the front of the compound, a beautiful lady on a cell phone waived the driver down.  M. said it was the head lady and she told M. that they got the signature!!!  WOOHOOOO!!!!!  So we went into the office and I wrote a letter stating that I was taking Munni and would return her after the court hearing.  We jumped in the car and headed back to the orphanage.  It took about 5 minutes for the caretaker to bring Munni out.  I couldn't believe it - we were leaving TOGETHER!!!!  She took my hand and we headed to the car.  She sat on my lap and enjoyed looking out the window :)  She didn't get car sick once!  We went to get lunch and start our time together.  I was more in love with her than ever!!


Friday, December 21, 2012

She's Mine!!!!!!!!!

I have so much to process about this trip and will definitely be blogging about it in sections but for now the most important thing is that we passed court and Munni is officially MY DAUGHTER!!!!!!!!
On the way home from court!!! Mother/Daughter or as Munni says, "Mommy Munni!!!

Before court, wearing her traditional Indian dress :)  She was so excited about it!!
I love her so much!!!!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Almost Famous

Today I had nothing to do. I didn't want to sit around the hotel because that's not my traveling style.  Plus, I would have driven myself crazy knowing that Munni was only 10 minutes away!  I dont get to meet her until tomorrow morning so the best thing was for me was to stay busy.  After the most amazing breakfast ( I had orange juice that really tasted like fresh squeezed clementines!) I went to the front desk and asked them to get me a driver for the day.  They gave ideas of places to go and set it all up.

25 minutes later I came down to lobby and it was as if a transformation had happened. I felt like I was famous. Everyone was calling me by name, opening doors, a bunch of "yes ma'am's" it made me feel like royalty!

Raja was my driver and adventure buddy for the day and he knew how to get it done!  First stop was the Birla Mandir temple. This is absolutely breathtaking!  It's made out of all marble like the Taj.  I had to take my shoes off and go through it barefoot. I wasn't allowed to bring my camera in which was a huge bummer because the detail of the carvings are incredible.  My blue eyes continued the famous tend I was feeling because whenever anyone looked at me they did a double take and giggled. Then some people started following me around. We went to where they were giving the blessings with incense but I got denied. I guess blue eyes can only get you so far;). After the blessing, which Raja received, we walked out and he told me to take this stuff that looked like rock candy. He said it was sweet blessings and you are supposed to eat it.  I wasn't sure if I was allowed but he said I could so I did.  It was sweet!  When we got back outside, I started taking pictures with my real camera. That's when even more people started paying attention to me. Then they asked if they could get there picture with me- see why I was feeling famous?

After that we went to old Hyderabad to see Charminar. This section has a large Muslim population so the prayer calls were sounding while we were there. Between those calls and the crazy, crowded streets, I felt like I was in a Jason Bourne movie-I kept waiting for an awesome car chase to bust out of nowhere! We climbed the monument and the staring continued. I had my camera and was taking pictures the whole time. People kept following me and watching what I was photographing. It was a little weird. And then more people asked to have their picture taken with me. Every now and then someone would get the courage up to say something random in English to see if I understood. When I replied, they would giggle and run away!

After we left there, we went to Chowmahalla Palace. This place is so cool! It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and the official residence of the Nazim. First, the architecture is amazing. The grounds are huge and there are a lot of places to check out. They also have tons of artifacts from the royal family which I though was very interesting. One of the main entertaining rooms was so stunning. It was made of all marble and then had about 20 of the biggest, most elaborate glass chandeliers. The way the light came into the room made the chandeliers reflect the sun rays in an amazing way.

From there we headed to the Golkonda Fort. This was a serious workout!! The steps were so narrow, steep, and SO MANY of them I had to keep stopping on the "landings." People were still laughing at me but for some reason at this point I think it had more to do with my heavy breathing than my blue eyes :). We finally got to the top and I was doing the rocky balboa and gave Raja a high five, this made people want to know what was up so again, I had more followers! Then, four 20 something guys got the courage to ask me for a picture. It was hilarious because they were giggling the whole time and switching out who was getting their picture taken. Raja was acting like my bodyguard, which added to the Almost Famous element. After the photo op, they shook my hand and thanked me. I wonder what kind of story will be told about those pics!

Our last stop of the day was the Qutub Shahi Tombs that had the bodies of 7 of the last 8 sultans from that dynasty. The architecture is very cool as it is a mix of Persian and Hindu styles. It is a very peaceful place and the perfect way to end the day. I took so many pictures as today was a photographer's dream!! I was a little frustrated when we were driving because there were so many shots I missed. If we would have walked through the streets, I would have been in heaven! I am thrilled with the pictures ingot but wild have lived some more photojournalistic shots of the day.
To all you Hyderabad mamas out there, I really encourage you to take the time to see the city. It brought up a whole range of emotions for me from sadness, to thankfulness, to joy. I also found myself thinking about MG's birth mom a lot and the circumstances surrounding her, there were so many babies and little children I saw today with their families. I wonder a lot of things about her birth mom and today, it took it to a whole new level. I am very glad that I had the time to see what I saw as I think this will be important to MG as she gets older and has questions about India.
Tomorrow morning I finally get to meet her. I don't know if its because I'm so tired or if this whole thing just seems surreal, but I can't even imagine what it's going to be like! I'm hoping that be ause I'm so tired that I will sleep really well. And you know what's better? This is the last night I will be sleeping alone because tomorrow tha sweet pea will be right next to me!!!!!!!!!!
the time to see the city


















Saturday, December 15, 2012

I'm here!!!!!!

I made it!!! And I know your prayers worked because through the whole flight I had an amazing sense of peace even though it was a recipe for major anxiety!
I got to Chicago fine and the layover wasn't bad. The airline lady hooked it up and made sure I had a window seat with an empty seat next to me:)

That made up for the little girl behind me who kicked my seat the whole time she wasn't sleeping. But before that, they taxied out onto the runway and then sat there for about 20 minutes. Then they turned around because they said there was a loose panel and they had to fix it. Say what ??? I really should have gotten those anti-anxiety meds!
An hour and a half later we finally took off. About 20 minutes in I pulled out Big Blue and started inflating him. My seat mate didn't even flinch but the flight attendant did a double take! I was definitely pleased with this purchase because i was able to manipulate it to whatever position i needed. I was able to sleep about 2 hours before they served dinner. My dad definitely could not eat the food on this flight because it was spicy!! I'm glad I like spicy food! I got the veggie option and it was good. However I worked in the restaurant biz long enough to know to stay away from produce so I didn't eat any of that. So far, so good.

I ate and went back to sleep. Then we hit turbulence. I kept praying and that's when the little girl behind me yelled out, "it's scary!" Her mom said something to her in Hindi and the little girl said, "BUT IT'S SCARY!" I was thinking the exact same thing. I was also very happy in that moment that back in CHI town they decided to fix that loose panel:)

We arrived in Delhi for the layover only those of us who were traveling on to H*derabad had to stay on the plane. So they cleaned and restocked while we sat there. I was able to catch up on the Jason Bourne series.

I was starting to get worried because I knew my last flight was about 2 hours and it was already the time the hotel was expecting me at the H*derabad airport. The repair in chicago really out us back. I kept wondering if they would wait 2 hours for me?

A new couple boarded the plane and sat next to me. They had an adorable 8 month little girl named Minu. She was such a happy baby and I has so much fun with her! I had to seriously hold back asking if I could hold her. Instead we just played peek-a-boo and things like that. It made the flight go by so quickly.

We finally got to H*derabad! The airport is very clean and going through immigration was pretty quick. Getting my luggage wasn't. I was stressing at this point because I arrived almost 3 hours later than anticipated and wouldn't you know my luggage was the last to come off that plane? Anyway, I had to go through another immigration check point and then out to where they were supposed to be waiting for me. Only no one was there with my name on a card. The a very official looking man walked up to me and asked if I was Kristen? Turned out he had been waiting for me that whole time. I guess he ditched the name card when I was the last one out!

The ride to the hotel was great. It took about 35 minutes. Traffic is different for the US but still none of my travels have topped the craziness of the traffic in Mexico City! It was dark so I didn't get to see much of the city. The hotel is very nice and everyone has been awesome. The guy who took me to my room noticed my necklace, it's Munni's name. I told him I was adopting and we had a great conversation. He said he could tell that I loved her very much by the way my face lit up when I talked about her. I may or may not have doubled his tip for saying that :). He said
When I bring her back to the hotel we will celebrate with a high five lol!

I finally got to take a shower and man was that the best shower I've had in a long time! One thing that I wish I would have brought with me was the ocean nasal saline spray. My sinus were so dry from the flight.

So tomorrow I have a day to myself. I may sightsee or I might just relax depending on how I feel. I'm starting to crash so hopefully I will sleep really well tonight!
One final thing, I should have listened to my neighbor and brought compression socks. I look like an old nun. I have no ankle bones, just tree trunks. I've been elevating them so I hope it goes away soon or else I won't be wearing any of those cool bangles they have here!!!
Tomorrow I will be waiting for the social worker to arrive to find out when I can go and meet my princess. Please pray that it would be ASAP!!!!
Thanks again for all your prayers so far-THEY WORKED!!!!


Friday, December 14, 2012

Due Date :)

Exactly a year ago today on December 14, 2011, Sarah found my blog and contacted me.  She didn't even know me but told me she had a back up plan for me to be able to go through with Munni's adoption.  This was exactly one month after Agency A told me that they couldn't complete MG's adoption.  

A year later, December 14th 2012,  I will be boarding a plane to meet my daughter.

The time between when I received that email from Agency A and when Sarah contacted me, I was holding on to faith.  It was all I had.  Every time I would start to get discouraged or started thinking negative thoughts, I reminded myself of how I felt the very first time I saw Munni's face, the electrical current that ran through my body, and the confirmation in prayer when I heard the Lord speak, "yes- she is the one I have intended for you."  
I wasn't always good at staying in faith though.  One specific night when I was decorating my Christmas tree, before Sarah had contacted me, I was really fighting against discouragement.  I kept praying and praying.  I always play Christmas music when I put up my tree, you know, to help with the Christmas Spirit and all.  Well, at this particular time, I wasn't feelin' the Christmas Spirit.  I was feeling more like Scrooge.  And then a song from Handel's Messiah came on.  I must have heard this song hundreds of times growing up, but in that moment it spoke to me like no other.  It's from Isaiah 40:4

"Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain."

I started to cry because I felt like Jesus was telling me that HE was clearing the path for me to bring Munni home.

And look where I am today.  I get overcome with emotion thinking about it, thinking about all that he did - all the mountains he flattened, the low points where he raised me up, all the twisting and winding around that led me straight to Munni.  It absolutely blows me away.

To top things off, when I first applied for the Nepal program way back in January of 2010, I prayed that the Lord would give me a due date.  There were so many unknowns and I asked if he was willing, could he please just give me a date, something to hold out for hope?
December 12 immediately flashed into my mind.  I emailed my friend who had been praying for me since the beginning of my adoption journey and told her the "due date."  Well, August 6th, 2010 Nepal was closed for international adoption.  I remember that December was very dark and bitter for me.  I scoffed at God and thought, "Thanks a lot for giving me hope for nothing."
I was so short-sighted.
You see, He had intended all along for my due date to be December 12.  It just took Him time to soften my heart, and time for me to surrender completely to him- to be open to the child HE had for me instead of my ideas. 
If you would have asked me when I very first started out on this journey if I would consider an older child, I would have told you that you were crazy.  I'm being honest.  I was so myopic and selfish and  misinformed that I would have missed out on the most beautiful little girl.  In the last couple of weeks, I've had a complete emotional release because I still can't believe that God has blessed me so much that I get to be her mama.  
And God made good on his promise.  My due date is December 2012.  A December that I will never forget!




Thursday, December 6, 2012

Hot Diggety Dog!

The last two days have been the best two days and the worst two days.
It started on Tuesday when my caseworker called me to tell me that they were confirming my court date Wednesday morning, that it would probably be XX of December but I need to wait for her confirmation before I buy the plane tickets.  One last thing, it could be very last minute, "Could I be prepared to leave on Thursday?"
I can't even begin to put into words the emotional watershed that came after that call.
I couldn't stop crying.  I wasn't sad by any means, just completely overwhelmed by emotions and the fact that YES, I was finally going to meet my daughter!  It was like exhaling after holding my breathe for close to 3 years.  
Then, I started to panic.  How in the world would I get everything accomplished before Thursday???
I called my friend Mer and asked her to send me a packing list.  I texted my friend Rudisell to help me with school.  I called my mom and asked her to come help me.  I called the travel agent to get prices.  It was a flurry of activity and my mind was on a sit-n-spin going 100 miles a minute.   I broke down and cried 4 times in Target while my mom hugged me.  It was the ugly, loud, sobbing kind of cry.  A gazillion thoughts were racing through my mind and no matter how hard I prayed or tried to focus, I just couldn't.  
It was a complete emotional release.
I woke up Wednesday to a raging migraine that lasted two days.  The kind that my prescription medicine didn't even make a dent in the pain.   I know my triggers well, and stress is one of them.  Even though this is such an amazing thing, my body reacted by knocking my butt out for 2 days.  I couldn't have prepared if I tried.  And the worst part is that I didn't want to be like this flying or meeting MG.  I am a sensitive person by nature, so I already know I'm going to have to pray extra hard that I don't lose it when I meet M.  I want the staff to know she's coming to a good home, to mama who loves her beyond words, but not to an emotional wreck.  
Wednesday came and went and still no confirmation.  I started to worry and panic- was this a false alarm? Again?  I was also stressing out because all of tickets I had been able to get were for Saturday morning in order to be there before the court date and to have some time to bond with MG. 
Today while I was lying in pain, praying that I would get confirmation so that I could leave on Saturday morning, my caseworker called.
She had my confirmed court date.
She had my confirmed court date.
She had my confirmed court date.
I couldn't believe it.  I think I'm still in shock!  But the most amazing thing happened; I felt completely bathed in peace.  All the panic, stress, uncertainty just left my body.  And about 45 minutes after that call, so did my migraine.
I was able to accomplish the major tasks today:
I BOUGHT MY PLANE TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will be able to spend 3-4 days with her, all by myself.  
I cannot wait!
When I put the tree up this year, it was bittersweet.  I remember last year I thought it would be the last year I did it alone.
And then this year, she still isn't here.  
But next year?  well, it's going to ROCK!!!

In the meantime, I'm concentrating on my daily lists I made. 
I'm a list person for sure.  I need the satisfaction of crossing things off.
I'm organizing all the stuff I'm bringing for her, and my mom and I found these awesome slippers the night I cried my way through Target.  They are so obnoxious I just had to have them.
I can't wait to see her sweet, little feet in them!

To top it all off, my kindred spirit Mer sent me the BEST news.  The visa re-entry policy that required me to wait 60 days before returning has been lifted!!!!!
What that means is that I could very possibly be returning to bring her home within those 60 days.
At court, I will receive verbal guardianship.  That paperwork has to be processed through the courts.  Once that is finished, the written guardianship is sent to my agency and her orphanage.  The orphanage will use that paperwork to apply for her passport.
Once her passport comes in, I get to take custody of her!!!!!
I'm praying that I will return for her by the end of January.  
If you think about it, would you please pray this same prayer?