Chapter Twenty-One: PRAYING for PASSPORTS

One of the big steps to bringing the boys home will be getting their Ghanaian Passports.

Lately there has been trouble getting passports for anyone in Ghana.

Some say it is due to passports that were stolen a few months back. (Check out this link for the stolen passport story: http://allafrica.com/stories/200808190664.html). We have heard that although they recovered the stolen passports, that until the investigation is finished they won't be issuing anymore passports.

Some wonder if it is not due to upcoming elections and the impact it is having on government offices (slowing things down etc.).

We just know that passports are not being handed out. Only a few are being trickled through and there seems to be little rhyme or reason to it.Whatever the case is, we can't bring the boys home unless they get theirs. We are praying desperately that they will get them soon, and that there will be no hang ups or waiting until the passports come through. Maybe we are getting a little ahead of ourselves on this topic, due to the fact we still have not sent our dossier (we are in the process of putting it together) or even have gone to court. But for some reason this issue has been laying heavily upon our minds.

Your faith and prayers that the boys will get their passports soon would be much appreciated.

We love you boys!!!

Chapter Twenty: YARD SALE The Sequel

Last Week's Yard Sale was such a hit, and we had so much left over, we decided to do another Yard Sale. Several people contacted us to let us know they still wanted to donate more items. During the week we continued to recieve these items and prepare for the next sale. This time we changed locations. Friends of our friends volunteered to host the sale in their front yard. In fact, we want to send out a special thanks to Kay and Kay Long for loaning us their yard! I also want to thank June and Kristin for helping us again with our yard sale.

The morning started out quite chilly. But gradually warmed up.
It ended up being quite a nice day.

The amount of clothing donated was phenomonal!

We hope to send some of the leftovers straight to the orphanage for the children.

More large pieces of furniture were donated later in the day.
These are just a few of the pieces we started with.

It was still quite early when these pictures were taken. But we had hardly started laying out things (at 7:30 am) when we had people already showing up to shop!

This is June (left) and Kay (right). This is my dear friend Kristin.
You may be wondering what we are doing. The glove that Kristin is trying to shove her hand in was donated; the lining of the glove had been pulled out seperately than the outer shell. We were trying to line the fingers of both pieces together. All in all we were able to raise another $595.36.
Again we want to thank everyone who was able to donate items and those who were able to come and purchase items.
We feel truly blessed by the Lord through the hands and hearts of others!

***Insert***: Just a Reminder

Just wanted to post a reminder about our Yard Sale ...Tommorrow!!!!

* We will continue accepting donated items at 652 West 800 North, Provo - until 9 pm tonite. (We need to have time to mark and transport these items for tommorrow)

* The actual Yard Sale info:
Date: 25 Oct. 2008
Time: 9:00 am
Place: 337 North 800 East, Orem

We hope to see you there!

Chapter Nineteen: Homestudy Approval & The I-600A Run Around

We have been pulling our I-600A together for a while now. We had just to wait for our homestudy approval. We finally recieved that on Friday the 17th. Pabbi and I were so thrilled! It came the day before our Yard Sale. By the end of the weekend we felt so elated from our success and from having the homestudy done!

We could now set up an appointment for the I-600A and our fingerprinting.

Our appointment was for 7:40 am Tuesday. We stayed up the night before reviewing all the paperwork and requirments over and over. (Here one can see our neuroticism and perfectionism especially when dealing with Immigration Offices -we have had to in the past and we get such mixed results...we don't leave anything for chance). We felt prepared! We had our paperwork fully done and we set our checkbook with the paper so as to not forget it.

We pulled ourselves out of bed, bright and early to make the 40 minute trek north. We arrived about 30 minutes early (again - neurotic). We waited patiently and we were promptly called to the window at our time. The man who helped seemed like he too had been pulled out of bed early and did not seem to happy about that. He barely glanced at our paperwork and then asked for the money order. In the paperwork it says we could use a moneyorder or a check - we had chosen to go with the check. He looked at us and said "Money Order only." We were dumbfounded. He stamps our appointment paper, hands us back our paperwork, and said "Come back when you have the money order."

We left a bit shocked. It was not even 8:00am and where were we supposed to find a money order that early!?!

Not far was a grocery store...their counter did not open until 10:00am. We looked in the phone book for a Western Union. We found one about 10 minutes away. We drove all the way over there only to be told they don't make money orders from personal checks or Visa's. Only Cash. But there was an ATM across the street we could try.

We ran to the ATM across the street and started pulling money out. It soon denies us from withdrawing (We now know that our bank protection against stolen cards and large ATM cash withdrawels work). We were unsure what to do. We aren't too familiar with the area and unsure where to go. We go back to Western Union ask if they would cash a check. They will cash a personal check - for 5% of it! That was out of the question.

Then an idea! Where is the nearest Wal-mart? Not too far actually. So we ran over there and with no trouble or questions, they use our Visa and make us a money order! (I know some of you readers are anti-Wal-Mart but sometimes they can be quite the lifesaver)!

So we run back to the Office and we wait a few minutes before we are summoned back to the window, and to the same man.

He takes the check and paperwork while we stand silently. Then my eye catches something. Right there on his desk is paperwork with personal checks attached.
WHAT?!?! Others can use personal checks but we had to take over an hour to hunt down a money order. I try to keep a smile on my face...don't want to upset the man who stands between us and our future!

We wait while he keeps typing away at the computer in silence. After a what seemed like forever, he talks to a co-worker about how he can't find Pabbi in the computer. I try not to get to nervous. Finally, he finishes and hands us the paperwork for the fingerprinting...I look at the time and date...November 5th!!
Ugghhh!!!

But before I can say anything he says, "Go to the [fingerprinting office] and tell [so-&-so] that I sent you, and that you should get printed today. Otherwise you would have to wait until November 5th." Such relief flooded through me - I didn't want to have to push too hard for early fingerprinting. I was worried about poking the snake...who turned out to be quite nice..most likely just tired.

We drive over to the office and are fingerprinted in no time at all. I thought it was weird that they set up appointments etc. because they are busy...yet there was NO-ONE there to be printed except us!

After we were printed and climbed into the car, Pabbi looks to me and says, "Do you realize that filing the paperwork and getting printed took less than an hour and yet we spent over an hour just tracking down a money order?"

The irony of that one!

All in all...we are done with this step and are now ready to put together our dossier! I wonder what new adventures this next set of paperwork will present. We will be sure to keep you posted!

Chapter Eighteen: YARD SALE SUCCESS!!!!

We had had the idea to have a yard sale to raise money for our adoption process a couple months ago. But I have to say I thought we were being overly ambitious...as neither one of us have ever held a yard sale...nor did we have that much to sell. We kept mulling the idea over with friends and family who rooted us on. We planned to have it on the 11th of Oct. but were snowed out of that idea. Then we planned for the 18th and we were blessed with incredible weather.

Because we had never done a yard sale we asked a good friend of ours to help. We want to give our thanks to Kristin, and her parents June and Henry, as well as Stacy their grandaughter, for helping pull this together for us. Not only did they collect donations from their area, but they spent all day Friday bringing donated items they collected to our place, and then they sat and helped us price everything! It was tiresome work, and seemed never-ending because the donations kept coming in all day long - which we are ever so grateful for. Then despite a late night of working they showed up super early the next morning to help run the sale!

Without them we would have never been able to manage.

In addition, we would be negligent if we did not add another dear friend who came and ran a refreshment table as well as stayed late to help clean up. Thank you Katie!

We also want to thank two families who volunteered their front yards to us to host this sale.

This is a picture of the carport early Saturday morning.

But the donations did NOT stop coming in.
They kept pouring in all day. I felt that just as we sold things, more things came in and filled up their spot.
If I wasn't so busy I think I might have broken down and wept tears of joy and gratitude.
But donations did not just come in the form of items to sell. I was shocked when we recieved monetary donations on top of items being bought. I want to thank each and everyone of you who not only donated items, but those of you who came and bought items, and those who donated money in addition.
Your generosity has truly been a miracle for us.
At the end of the day (7:30 pm...people just kept coming and coming) we raised twice what I thought would be possible. We were able to raise $2,326.56. I still can't believe such a large amount!!! The Lord has truly blessed us through the hands and generosity of others!

And... IT IS NOT OVER.
The pictures below are items we have left to sell. Not only that, so many have contacted us and told us they still have things they would like to donate.

So in all humility, and with much gratitude, we will be doing an other Yard Sale this coming Saturday (October 25th). A wonderful couple has volunteered their yard in the Orem area where we will be having our next Yard Sale.
YARD SALE

October 25, 2008
@
337 North 800 East
Orem, Utah
starting at 9:00 am.

For those who still have things they would like to donate, we will be receiving items until 9:00pm Friday, the 24th at our place:
652 West 800 North
We thank you for your generosity.

Again, THANK YOU Everyone!!!

Chapter Seventeen: Big Brother

Many of you already know we are adopting another child - a boy.

His name is Kofi and he is 6 years old.

He is such a beautiful and sweet child (according to those who know him.)
We have had the blessing of being able to talk to him on the phone (I of course wept most of that conversation). Just hearing him talk...melted my heart.

Look at this picture..doesn't he melt your heart too? We are both ecstatic to have the option to adopt more than one. We have always wanted a large family..and we hope this is only the beginning. The story of him joining our story is a miracle in and of itself. Much like with Sufi, we just knew that he was suppossed to join our family when we heard about him.
Here are the two brothers together!

Chapter Sixteen: Pictures of Baby Sufi

As was mentioned in a previous post, L.M. went to Ghana in September. While she was there, she was able to meet and play with the children at the orphanage. Of course she was able to spend time with our baby boy Sufi. Here are a few of the pictures she sent us.

Such concentration...
You can't hardly see, but he has two baby teeth on the bottom.

I wonder what he is looking at.
Isn't he so adorable?!?!!!
We were also able to learn when he was born for certain...he is a Scorpio.
With every picture and every step closer to bringing him home, our hearts fill with such an immense joy.
We love you Sufi!

Chapter Fifteen: Yard Sale

After a few weeks hiatus, we are back and ready to begin blogging again about our adoption process. Some wonderful blessings happened during this time that we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge them. We have been recieving more donations from some of the most unlikely places. We are truly truly blessed. Many who have donated are truly giving of the widow's mite (St. Mark 14:41-44). We are so grateful for their sacrifice. Thank you everyone who has been so kind and willing to help us!!! We have been blessed to raise over half of what we need to bring Sufi home. We are more and more amazed as we see the Lord work through others to bring about such a beautiful miracle.

We are continuing raising money by having a yard sale.
We were going to have it this weekend, but due to a potential 'snow' we are going to postpone it to the 18th. This will also give us more time to gather materials and recuperate from being gone. We have already had so many donate to this sale, and again we are ever so grateful. Many have even dropped things on our porch anonymously, while we were out. I don't know who you were, but we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!!!

For those of you who live in the area, we will be having our yard sale at:

640 West 800 North
Provo,

We will be starting at 9:00 am and going until everything is sold... or at least until late afternoon.

We will continue to recieve donated items until the end of the sale. You are welcome to drop items off whenever you can or schedule a time when we can pick them up from you.

Again THANK YOU for your support and love!