“ You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.” ~ Psalm 30: 11-12
Deep exhale. I’ve been waiting a really long time to type those words on this blog. 1 year, 1 month, 2 weeks and 2 days since I saw my precious son’s face through a computer screen his Emigration Permit (Exit Permit;EP) has been submitted to the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare TODAY…on Good Friday. Praise God!
How it went down:
We had heard that our agencies submission was going to happen on Friday. Yesterday being Thursday I had no reason to believe that we would hear any news so I was just going about my day. At around 2:30 Reagan walked in the door from school and was begging me to let her play “Plants vs. Zombies”…which really means she gets frustrated and makes me play.. So, YES…I was playing a zombie game when I got the news (this is real life people….) Anyway, my phone rang and it was my neighbor, Lynn. She was matched through the Korea program last year also and her son is just a week younger than Maddox. She said (in a shaky voice) something along the lines of “Did you get an email about EP??”
…..Well, no.. you see I’m playing plants vs zombies..and….
What I actually said was “WHAT? DID YOU? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? A GENERIC EMAIL? I HEARD THEY WERE SUBMITTING TOMORROW? IS THAT WHAT IT SAID??”
All the while she was saying, “Mine must be a mistake? THis can’t be right? IT’s not time for us yet? I need to call them”
and during that time I had jumped up and ran to my phone that was charging in my room and low and behold…there sat the email I had been waiting on all this time. We did a few squeals…and then I cried..and screamed. I was blown away. Talk about taken by surprise. Never in a million years did we think we might end up in Seoul together? I told her to call the agency bc I knew she was dying to confirm and we hung up.
And the story from there involves lots of calls,tears, and text messages…and a little floating.
What happens now-
This permit is the one that Maddox needs in order to leave the country. He needs it in order to be issued his visa.
So, what will happen is the ministry will spend the next 4 weeks working to approve his paperwork. On the 4th week, we should be notified that his EP is approved (another big day).
Once this happens he will be cleared by the government of Korea to be adopted internationally and then the agency will schedule an “Embassy Appearance” (EA) and he will then get his Visa issued (VI). This part of the process varies and it could take anywhere from 1-4 weeks.
Maddox will also need to go in for a Visa physical (VP). Thankfully, this can be scheduled while he is waiting for his EP to be approved.
SO, based off of the we could leave for Korea in the next 5-8 weeks? EEK.
I’m still walking around on a cloud. Praise God! When I think about the timing of this…it’s right. Everything is perfect. If you told me last March we wouldn’t travel until late Spring I would never have believed you…and I wouldn’t have believed that I could do it. But we made it. This has been the hardest thing I have ever done but I’m so thankful that the Lord has walked this road with me. I could have literally not done this without Him. There is so much more I could write about this…and I will but today on this precious, Holy, Good Friday I just want to Praise Him for all He has done for my family! Thank you, Jesus!
Hold on baby boy, mama is almost there and we will be a family forever more. Just you wait. It’s going to be GOOD!
To all my waiting mamas-
You are not forgotten. My heart aches for you because I know the pain you are feeling today. I know how hard it is to watch your baby grow up in pictures. To memorize every inch of that photo and wish you had more. I know what it feels like to be left behind. To feel like it will never happen. To feel discouraged, and tired, and anxious.
But, sweet mamas….it WILL happen, it IS happening. Your babies ARE coming home. Hang on! When you feel like you can’t wait one day longer, like you can’t even get out of bed…press forward and look UP! God sees you. He is hurting for YOU.. He will answer you!
I had a very precious friend during this process who was able to meet our Maddox while she was in Seoul. Her words spoke light into my darkness. I want to share something that she shared with me
Tracey, if I were there with you, I would come over…in my PJ’s, so we could hang out together, and cry together, and I would take your face in my hands, I would look into your eyes, and make sure you were looking at me and I would say…. TRACEY MATTHEWS DANIEL…..God sees you, He loves you, He knows you and HE HEARS your hearts cries for your little boy….I don’t understand His plan right now, but I trust His heart for you and those you love. And I KNOW that BY GOD’S POWER, YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS, IT Won’t be EASY, it won’t be QUICK, (and it’s going to hurt), but God will use this mess for good. It will become HIS message. I know you won’t be foolish, or naive, for I see the strength of character God has already placed in your heart. It doesn’t mean that you have to be strong all the time either, but PLEASE don’t despair. For with GOD’s help YOU will, I KNOW you will get through this. This Test is His TESTIMONY!
And sweet mamas, if you were here in front of me I would take you by the hands and say these exact words to you (although mine would be much less eloquent) because my friends this is TRUTH! It’s coming, it’s His plan, and it’s perfect!
I’m praying for each of you! AND if I can pray for you specifically please PLEASE let me know because it would be my absolute pleasure! You are not forgotten!