US Consulate Visit

This is Rob posting. I spent a good chunk of the day in the US Consulate and found a sympathetic woman named Brook, who evidently heads up the adoption visa process. She said that almost any time adoptive families have issues like ours, they are with our adoption organization, which wasn't encouraging. She did say though, that they understand that it isn't the adoptive families faults, and we have payed the organization so much money, that to be treated like this isn't right. She said they will do all they can to get our visas issued by the afternoon of the 29th, but she can't make any guarantees, and wanted me to understand that if it doesn't happen - its not the Consulate's fault.

Thanks to all who have been praying for us - please continue, and please also pray that we will rest in God's ability to work things out for good in His time. We are so ready to be home, but at the same time, the time we have been forced to have here as a family of four - with no distractions - has been wonderful. A lot of the families are taking tours of the area and shopping etc...but financially we just aren't able to, so we end up in the hotel room for most of the day. We eat either instant noodles (Ramen style) or peanut butter and jelly for lunch every day, and try to find something local for supper. (The two photos above are the grocery store we bought our noodles and bread in - we stood in line to pay for 20 minutes).

Abraham is still doing an hour or two of school work each day, and then enjoys running back and forth playing basketball in our hotel room with a rubber ball another family gave him.

Today, Erin and Abraham did laundry in the tub, while I was at the Consulate. We did venture out for a decent Chinese attempt at burgers and fries tonight - it was a nice change, but I can't wait to get back to some beef from my dad's farm - that's real beef.

Tonight as Erin and I were getting ready for bed, we kept hearing Abraham and Eden laughing. She was propped up on her elbows looking at him, and babbling at him, he would babble back at her and then she would crack up - which made him giggle. It went on for 10-15 minutes, until we finally shut them down. It was precious to see him finally enjoying a sibling.