Things Fall Apart

I wanted today's post to be a rejoicing one, full of good news, sunshine, and bright days ahead.

It's not.

Instead it's called Things Fall Apart.

Starting with last night, when our escort sent us an email saying she had the flu, wasn't going to Ghana after all, she was the one with the backpack we sent and the necessary form was in her name, and there was no way for the backpack to get to another escort even if we were able to get another form for another person. Things fall apart.

So before we went to sleep, we talked in length about in what circumstances we would want her to go, and which ones we would go. Turns out, didn't matter, for now.

This morning, we woke up, and first thing checked for our e-mail about the visa. It wasn't news that we passed. Things fall apart.

It wasn't news that there is just one little form or some document we need to get to them, and everything will be better.

It's worse.

Background- there are two types of visas (I always get the numbers mixed up so I won't say them). One of them is for families that saw the child before court, one is for families that meet the child after court. The first visa makes them a citizen immediately on arriving, the second requires a readoption in the U.S. to become a citizen.

We saw her first after court. We needed the second visa. We filled out all our information to match that truth.

Today's e-mail, instead of saying that we passed, said that the embassy wanted proof that we had seen her before court! Um... we can't do that. Because we didn't. Because our passports are clear we went in November. Because our tickets and everything will just confirm that we didn't go until November! Things fall apart.

So I wrote back that we hadn't seen her before court, and that we needed the other visa, because, you know, we didn't see her before court, and at this point, I am waiting for his response on where we go from here.

Just as I told everyone... all our plans were contingent on IF we passed. At this point, we haven't. So, we are back to the great unknown of when she can come home.

 My biggest disappointment is that no matter how it happened, it means our precious Grace is stuck longer in an orphanage while we try to figure out how to make this right.

My hope is that we can convince the embassy to simply grant us the other visa.