Thursday, January 31, 2013

Day One - Saturday, January 19

Friday was my last day of school for a few weeks. There had been a concert on Wednesday, Thursday was a normal day, and Friday was spent talking the students through the next few weeks and making final preparations with a very capable substitute teacher. It was the strangest feeling to walk out of school Friday afternoon knowing that the time had finally arrived to go on the adventure of a lifetime.

That evening, we packed. And not just me, everybody. While I was preparing for Ghana, Rebekah and the kids were planning to spend the next couple of days at her parents house. Rebekah would have some extra hands available to care for the kids and to keep the home school train rolling. While she is a completely capable mother, I couldn't help but feel a lot better knowing that she wouldn't be home alone.

We woke up Saturday morning and loaded the car. The kids were still in their pajamas and we had skipped breakfast when we pulled out of the driveway headed for the grandparents' house (Oma and Pop Pop). Upon arrival, Henry announced that he smelled bacon and, as expected, breakfast was served.

Rebekah and I did not stick around. We dropped off the kids and I hugged them all one last time. The hugs were good and long since they would have to last a week. We headed toward Pittsburgh with some extra time to spend together before needing to be at the airport. We did some shopping at IKEA and had lunch at Mad Mex. I tried to savor every bite since I fully expected to eat mostly rice for the next six days.

At the airport, we checked the bags and said goodbye. I was travelling with two bags this time - one for me and Hugo, and one that was staying in Ghana. Our friends and family had helped us fill the second suitcase with tons of things that could be used at the orphanage - towels, soap, little toys for the kids, and, believe it or not, a couple of musical instruments. I was taking a long a trumpet, a trombone, and a pair of crash cymbals. They required a bit of repair work to make them playable but they were now in perfect playing condition and would be a great addition to the band at the orphanage. A local music store had also donated some items to keep the instruments in good shape.

Knowing what to expect from Ghana this time, it was hard to imagine going without my wife. When we were there a few months before, the situation was completely overwhelming and we relied on each other to get through each moment. This time, I was going alone. I tried to imagine returning to this same spot the following Saturday, with Hugo in tow. Hard to believe this was happening.

I found the gate, walked around the airport, and kept myself busy while waiting for a 3:40 p.m. flight to JFK.

Travelling can be so unpredictable. We boarded the flight on time, taxied to the runway, sat on the tarmac for 30 minutes, then returned to the airport. It turns out that traffic at JFK was so heavy that they had no place to land the plane. We unloaded and several of us watched the Penguins game while we waited for the announcement to load again. On the second try, we made it off the ground and on our way to New York. Traffic was still heavy when we arrived in New York so we circled Manhattan for a long time before they allowed us to land. My next flight was not until nearly 10:00 p.m. so I was not concerned about making the connection.

I sat on the flight from Pittsburgh with a man named Mike. He was an engineer for GM (or was it GE?) on his way to Frankfurt, Germany to work for a few weeks. He asked why I was travelling and I filled him in, showing him the pictures of Hugo on my phone. Mike was a seasoned traveler to Africa having visited there several times on mission trips to Sierra Leone. His first visit there had been shortly after a war ended that had spilled over the border from neighboring Liberia. The conditions had been terrible and the danger very real. He showed me pictures of his own and I could tell that he spoke about his time there with a mixture of pride and heartbreak. He said something that I would remember frequently throughout the rest of the trip.

"When you find yourself involved in God's will, things may not always be comfortable or safe, but you wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Thanks, Mike. I needed that.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Beginning of Trip #2

Since we arrived home from the first trip back in October, we have had lots of practice at waiting. There was some activity at first as we answered questions for friends and family, shared pictures, and told the same stories many times over. We thought about Hugo constantly....at first.

As strange as it is to write this now, we had to learn how to not think about him. There was nothing we could do to hurry the process and there was no way to stay posted on his daily condition. We trusted the Lord to take care of him and waited for the next development.. Really it wasn't hard to do...there had been so many miracles along this journey already that we were convinced that the Lord would see it through. Plus, we also recognize that being close to our children does not remove the need to rely on the Lord. Near or far, our children need Him.

As we prepared for Christmas, we wondered if he would be home in time to celebrate with us. We got him a stocking and hung it on the mantle. We purchased presents but waited to wrap them. I wondered if I would get a call to go get him and miss Christmas altogether. If it came to that, it would be an easy decision - I'd go get him in a blink.

Sure enough, just before Christmas, we got notification that his I-600 petition was processed and all that remained was to schedule a meeting for the visa interview. The interviews take place at the US embassy in Accra, Ghana and can only be scheduled on Mondays and Tuesdays. Christmas was on a Tuesday this year so that week was not an option since the embassy would be closed. Same deal for the following week since it was New Year's Eve and New Year's day.

The first available date to schedule the interview was Monday, January 7. This created a small dilemma since I am a junior high band director and my students' concert was on January 9. As much as I wanted to get Hugo as soon as possible, I also felt that I had a responsibility to my students who had worked so hard to prepare for their first performance of the year. With a little sadness, I requested an interview on Monday, January 14.

And then waited.

I couldn't book a flight until the date was confirmed and since it was over the holiday, confirmation did not come right away. When it finally did come, it was not for the 14th. The interview was officially scheduled for Monday, January 21 at 7:30 a.m. I booked the flight as soon as I got the email confirmation. Then the date changed again. Whoever confirmed the date, remembered that January 21 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and since it is the US embassy, they observe all US government holidays. The embassy would be closed that day and the meeting was rescheduled for the next day. I called the airline, explained the situation, and they allowed me to change the ticket without penalty.

There were plenty of preparations in advance of the trip. Rebekah had been busy for months trying to get ahead of schedule for our kids' homeschooling. The plan was to take some time off when Hugo came home and she was trying to make up for future lost time. I had to prepare plenty of stuff at school in anticipation of taking some time off. There was his room to organize and some supplies to purchase.

That's how we got to day one of trip #2. Following this post, I will document the trip day by day like I did with the first trip, starting with the very long flight through New York and Amsterdam. And I promise to include pictures. Stay tuned and welcome back.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Home

Hi friends and family!

I haven't posted since October because really there was nothing to report. But now....


He's home.

There has been plenty to report the last few weeks but I didn't want to announce to the world that I would be away. I'll start posting more regularly now and tell you the story of how it went down. But for now, we're going to enjoy our new boy and help him adjust to his new family. So far, things are going very well and we are so thankful to the Lord for bringing him safely home. Thanks to all of you for your prayers.