Okay, so I have been soooooo worried about this embassy meeting, and once again realized I wasted all that energy worrying over nothing. I think I pictured it kinda like I pictured the court hearing - very formal and us trying to explain why we don't make a lot of money, but are confident that we can provide for these girls (which we can, with God's help!). I came prepared with a copy of our home study, income records, I-800A approvals... I was ready for anything!
We walked into a small building and had to go through a metal detector, leave our cell phones there, and then walk to another building and go through another metal detector. Something on me set off the second metal detector, but nobody did anything about it... okay... Then we sat and waited for our number to be called. While we were waiting we got to watch a... uhh... "lovely" movie on American tourism, diversity, opportunity, etc., over and over (oh the joys...). The other family we were there with got called up before we were. And it only took them a few minutes... hmmm... not what I was expecting.
When we were called we took the girls up to the counter where there was glass between the lady and us. She asked the girls which one of them was which and then basically just needed Jon and I to answer a few questions. She had to make sure we realized that the girls are still legal wards of the Latvian court system and that they will be traveling to the U.S. on a 7-month non-immigrant visa. They cannot be enrolled in school and we need to have them back in Latvia by March 8th. She made sure we knew that this (us being able to take the girls back to the States with us before they're legally adopted) was only able to happen because of the special arrangement that Latvia and the U.S. have with the hosting program. So, yes, we agreed to all of that. Our plan is to be back in Latvia sometime in February to have this all completed. Jon will be back before that by himself for one more court date. Then, on the last trip, the four of us will be meeting with the embassy again - at that point when the girls return to the U.S. they will enter as American citizens.
So, tomorrow our lawyer is going back to the embassy to pick up the girls' passports with the visas in them and then bring them to us. We started packing up tonight - the girls were pretty excited to see the suitcases come out! We leave Friday morning and will return to the States by Friday night. My heart is a little sad for these girls to be leaving their country. But, I also know they have no future here. Kids age out of the orphanage system at 16. 16 years old and they are out on their own. I was reading an online article yesterday that said drug use has climbed 600% in Latvia since the fall of communism. One group particularly at risk in Latvia is orphans who have aged out of the system. They turn to drugs (and prostitution, according to other articles I've read) to escape the pain and rejection they have been through. I am so thankful that is not the future our girls will have. God had them born here for a reason, and I sure hope that whoever their birth parents are will know God's love at some point, and somehow know that we will take care of their girls. Maybe they can be reunited in Heaven someday...
I woke up this morning to a bunch of comments on Facebook, about a status I put up yesterday, that blew me away. I mentioned that I wasn't looking forward to jumping back into scheduled life. In response, we had families offer to mow our yard, bring us dinner this weekend, and go grocery shopping for us. It brought me to tears... we are so blessed to be in such a loving community of people who really are the hands and feet of Jesus. Thank you (you all know who you are) - we really are humbled and appreciate the help. God is so good to us, and I only hope that I am as willing when I see needs arise around me for others.
Two more sleeps: America!
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