Waiting, Trusting, and Praying

If there was one thing, one lesson, one description of our time here in Zambia so far, it has been one of waiting.  Nothing moves fast here.  And it is amplified to us coming from America, where everything is done in lightning speed and when something isn't done fast somewhere, we go elsewhere or when something isn't done fast, we figure out a way to get it done quicker.  Am I right?  Well, guess what, there is no way to make things move faster here.  The Internet is slow.  You have to drive slow on the roads because they are so terrible or there are so many people and animals you don't want to hit anyone. The grocery lines are long and then if you want to pay with a credit or debit card, they have to get a machine from someone else and get it to connect to the Internet, and well, see above comment.  Mail is painfully slow.  The Zoo-Phonics curriculum left America on December 17th and I have yet to see it here.  Our container left America last March and has sat in Mozambique since July (hello-it's February and it's only a country away), and still isn't here-many crazy holdups.
I just asked my hubby what else is slow here-his response, "What isn't slow?" 
Lol.  

And that just about sums it up...But the one thing that is really testing my patience right now, is the government offices being slow.  We have been trying to start the fostering process of our two boys for the last two months now and it is one hold up after another.  First, it was the social welfare officer in Chongwe who decided to go on a 2 month holiday so we had to find someone else to do our home study.  Second, it was trying to get permission from the mom's side of the family who lives in Kasama, about an 11 hour drive from here so we couldn't necessarily hop in the car and get there quickly, so we were trusting another family member to work it out and get the signature.  3rd, it has been trying to get the boys Under 5 cards (their version of a birth certificate) from the family in Kosama.  Praise the Lord our home study is now complete, we have signatures from both sides of the family, and we have their Under 5 cards.  But now, we are waiting on a signature from someone in government so we can begin fostering.  We were told it would be last Friday, then this past Monday, then he wasn't going to be in the office until Friday, but would surely sign it then.  Well, guess what????  Nothing today...we can't get a hold of our social welfare officer.  So, no boys yet and honestly, it feels like it is never going to happen.  One little signature is all we need.  How can it be so difficult?
We don't know if they are confused or what they are thinking right now.  They have been told we are trying to adopt them and the housemothers refer to me and Mickey as mom and dad, but then when we only visit once a week, we wonder what the thoughts are in their heads.  Do they think this is what adoption means?  That their mom and dad stop by and see them once in a while???  That might sound silly to you, but these two boys have grown up basically on the streets, with no one caring for them, no concept of family being taught to them.

We want to be their family.  We want to care for them and love them.  And it is difficult to understand why it isn't happening in our timing.

But that is just it-I have to remind myself, that God has the best timing, He has already designed the perfect moment, perfect situation, perfect place, perfect everything.  I can't see it yet, or understand it yet, but He's got this. 

He knows what I can't see.

So for now, I pray.  I pray that His will be done. I trust in who He is and what He is about.  I know He is good.
And I look forward with great anticipation to discover His purposes in this wait and to share the story of God's faithfulness with my two new sons someday.  

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."  Hebrews 10:23

Some pictures of our day with them the other day, we got to bring them to our hotel in Lusaka since Mickey's parents were here to visit.  

"E"

"J" and Daddy

Opa and "E"

I am in for a wild ride, you think???  :)

All the children tackling poor daddy-haha!