Traveling!

That's why I couldn't be happier
No, I couldn't be happier
Though it is, I admit
The tiniest bit
Unlike I anticipated
But I couldn't be happier
Simply couldn't be happier
  Well - not "simply":
  'Cause getting your dreams
It's strange, but it seems
A little - well - complicated
There's a kind of a sort of : cost
There's a couple of things get: lost
There are bridges you cross
You didn't know you crossed
Until you've crossed
And if that joy, that thrill
Doesn't thrill you like you think it will
Still -
With this perfect finale
The cheers and ballyhoo
Who
Wouldn't be happier?
So I couldn't be happier
Because happy is what happens
When all your dreams come true

We are traveling to Ghana the day after Thanksgiving, and we don't have to cancel our tickets! That is the good news.

But I chose this song above because it is perfectly my emotions today. We have an appointment with the embassy to file our I-600, just got it today for next week at 2:00pm. This is what we were waiting on, because we were told that our decree was issued, just needed to be signed, and that would be done this week.

The birth certificate is recommended, but not required to file, and this will save us money from not canceling, even if it possibly delays the process.

Last we had heard, we would get to have her with us the whole week. We were thrilled and scared all at the same time. Today, as I confirmed with our contact that we would be coming, and asked how we would get to have her with us, I found out that the situation has changed, and we have to just visit her at the orphanage- up to two hours a day.

We still can do our paper filing as needed, we still get to see her, hold her, play with her etc. and we were not sure if we could take her with us in the first place, until this same contact, a few weeks ago said we could. 

Honestly, I think it is because of

 "There are bridges you cross
You didn't know you crossed
Until you've crossed."

 For various reasons, this contact was not supposed to be our primary contact. We (I) made the conscious choice to talk to this person instead of the "normal route" because this contact was responsive and able to answer our questions, where the people we are supposed to contact have let me down in terms of communication, with delayed, inadequate answers that ultimately would have to be relayed to this contact, then back to our people, and then to us.  When I found a way, I chose to eliminate the middle man in the situation. In retrospect, I am not sure this was wise, but a determined mom will do what she feels she needs to do...

It started with very positive conversations.  But my second to last contact with this person showed their irritation, and I think I somehow pushed it over the edge. My last words from this contact were (to paraphrase) use the correct route to communicate with me in the future, no more direct contact. I also suspect this is the reason for the "situation change."

I think it takes a lot of additional effort on the part of this contact to get permission for us to take her out, and he might have been willing to do that for us at the beginning of the conversation, but now...  sigh.

I should be thrilled, jumping through the roof happy. But I'm not. I'm frustrated with myself that while we are able to go, and able to keep our tickets, I lost a great contact, and lost the opportunity to have her with us for the week we are there. More than that, I hate that I so frustrated and irritated the person who has been one of the most helpful for us, and is definitely the most important in getting things done for her to come home.

I see those suitcases full of things for her, and while I am sure they will let us change her clothes while we are there, read her books etc., there are a lot of items we wouldn't have bought if we knew that it was just visits.

Maybe it isn't all my fault, and maybe something really did change that was out of my contact's hands...but as I reread our conversations, I can see this contacts' responses continue to shift downwards in attitude towards us. I don't know.

I know we are going, and as far as my facebook will say, I will keep just the positive, because the fact that we can go at all is amazing, and something only God could arrange. Hopefully, I can smooth things over with this contact when were are there, in person. If not, I will count my blessings that I get to see her, and get the paperwork filed, and start the waiting till she gets home stage.

Thank you for your prayers, and for your positive thoughts. Please continue to pray for this trip, and also that I get back on this contact's good side when we are in Ghana, oh and that he is not so frustrated that we cannot contact him in Ghana, because that would be bad. Anyways... I have paperwork to gather, lesson plans to make, bags to pack and a house to clean for Thanksgiving, I just had to get this out.