MORE WAITING and PRAYING

MORE WAITING...

Two months have passed since I last updated this blog.  I apologize to anyone who has been eager to hear about our trip and has waited for an update.

I have found that writing on this blog is tough for me when nothing is really happening to move us forward in our process.  But we did go to Korea and we did meet Jonah Mingyu and we did fall in love with him and his sweet little personality.  So, let me give some details that I have not been able to share with all our friends and family.

We left Saturday, June 8th and arrived to Korea Sunday evening Korean time (14 hours ahead).  The traveling was exhausting but we got through it (Nashville to Chicago to Tokyo to Seoul).  
We got up first thing Monday morning and went to meet our case worker, who took us to the foster mom's home.  It was there that we met Jonah Mingyu.  He was adorable!  He reached out for me, hugged me when I held him, and laid his precious head on my shoulder. He loved on Drew in the same way.  He interacted with Bennett and played with him.  He laughed a lot at Bennett.  That thrilled Bennett.  We ate a snack with him, which happened to be watermelon, grapes, and bread puff snacks.  He likes to eat!  

We said our good-byes after about an hour and went on our way.  The rest of that day we spent time with Drew's Korean friend from graduate school.  This friend was so kind to take us to lunch and talk Korean "culture" with us for most of the afternoon.
 
On Tuesday, we took Bennett to the Children's Grand Park.  It was amazing!  First of all, it is a FREE park with a very nice and well-kept zoo, botanical garden and playground.  It also had a Children's museum for a small fee and Bennett absolutely LOVED it!  He was also completely exhausted by about 4PM that day and crashed in my arms and I could not wake him up.  The jet lag had caught up with him and the excitement of the day had worn him out.  
On Wednesday, we did a little more tourist activities and then had a meeting scheduled to visit Jonah Mingyu at the Adoption Services office.  This time, while in the office (toy/play room), the foster mom left him with us.  He did notice that she was gone and occasionally went to the door but he was so easily comforted and us and distracted by playing with all of us.  We have some hilarious videos of that hour together.  He was so sweet and I can't wait to show his precious smile on this very blog after we get him home.  
 On Thursday, we (along with several other couples) went to the courthouse for our court experience.  I was quite nervous about this part of our trip.  Not knowing what the judge would ask and knowing that we were under a microscope was intimidating.  But it went well and the judge appeared pleased and satisfied with our answers.  
After court, we received bad news that because this judge is new, she is requesting longer between court and visa interview (the second trip to gain custody of child).  This broke my heart!!!  I had hoped to have Jonah Mingyu here in our home in March or April. Then after changes in the court system, we were unfortunate to get the new judge and she was slower.  Other families submitted to court with us in February, had their kids home in May.  And now we had to wait even longer.....probably even August.  I was crushed.  I believe I cried on and off for about a 24 hour period.  I have gotten attached to Jonah Mingyu in the short time with him and grieved the time apart.  
 We then traveled back and returned home a couple days later....jet lag had us thrown for a few days after our return.  

And now it has been exactly 4 weeks since we were in Korea.  We have gotten bits of information from our agency that one document is causing our wait to be extended.  
I have personally struggled more this week with my vulnerability and emotions.  Other couples are getting their dates to go back and we still wait.  The whole process is a true test of my faith, trust, and hope in our Lord.  Some days I fail miserably.  So I pray earnestly that the Lord would supply what I lack in faith.

Prayer is always my request from anyone reading this.  Pray for Jonah's transition into our family and culture.  Pray for bonding to occur with each of us and Jonah.  Pray for SAFETY during all the traveling.  
 
I will post our custody/visa interview dates on here when I receive them.  It shouldn't be long.

Kenna