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.