Our Meeting with USCIS

Well, our prayer for news from the embassy was answered on Tuesday afternoon. We received an email from the embassy in Guatemala requesting a new I-171H that includes our address and number of children approved for. This is the same I-171H that Samantha came home on, but apparently, the embassy won't accept it for Giovanni. So, we made an appointment to go visit our friendly local USCIS office. Our previous experiences with them have usually left us frustrated with our government who claims to work on our behalf, but doesn't really appear to do so. To make a long story short, we left with exactly what we came in with! The only person in the office who knows anything about the form we need is at a week-long training and won't be back until Monday. So, we have an appointment for Monday at 9:15am.

The only thing keeping me from screaming in frustration is my firm belief in an all-knowing, all-powerful, God. The timing of this does not surprise Him. He has a perfect plan to glorify Himself that extends far beyond my little family. We are thankful for being chosen by Him to walk this road and participate, in whatever small way we can, in bringing Him glory.

Again, my readings this morning ministered to my heart. From Psalm 37, God spoke these words to me:

Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, and the justice of your cause
will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.
Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

As I read the entire Psalm, several times, my heart rested on His promise to make our innocence in this situation as clear as the dawn and to bring justice that will shine like the noonday sun. It is not my job to prove our innocence or bring justice, it is my job to be still in the Lord (not to fret or to worry away my weekend) and wait patiently for Him to act. Now, I have a part in that, and will walk into our USCIS office on Monday to present our case. And, I believe that He will grant us what we need and we will proceed. Until then, there is nothing else to do.

While we wait, I am comforted in knowing, God sees our son, sitting in an orphanage in Guatemala. His eyes are upon our precious Giovanni. I'll close with this poem:

He has for thee:
A light for every shadow,
A plan for each tomorrow,
A key for every problem,
A balm for every sorrow.

Trusting in Him,