Praise the Lord

Good News!!!! After an interesting day yesterday...the passports are in our hands! Yesterday was quite the rollercoaster. So I had been checking the tracking number all morning like the consulate lady told me to and the record showed nothing all day. I tried to call her again during the one hour you're allowed to call the consulate and wasn't ablt to get through the whole time. So now I'm freaking out again after having an encouraging day the day before. I checked at 7, right before dinner and it still hadn't been sent according to the internet so I went to dinner pretty shaken up. We had a time of prayer there after dinner for the 5 passports still missing and truthfully, I really wrestled with the transition from the good news the day before only to be let down afterwards. I was pretty angry (which presented itself in crying much to my dismay).

Anyway...we got back to the hotel at about 10 and I had a homework assignment due at 11 so I went to the room while everyone else played games downstairs. I felt like I wanted to check the tracking number again but talked myself out of it because I was tired of bad news. So I finished my homework and before I went down to join the group for the late-night games, I decided to check. AND AT 10:45PM THE TRACKING NUMBER SHOWED UP ONLINE AS BEING SENT! I can't even tell you the sense of relief. So I got to go down stairs with great news of answered prayer for those kids that had been praying for and with us. Now we just needed to see if it was approved. Rick wasn't at the hotel for our news and had the surprise of getting them at the post office this morning. He quickly drove over to the hotel to deliver our passports, with visas stamped in and approved. What a whirlwind!!!!!!!!!

Through all this, I'm sad to say I wish I had more faith. There was no other way this would've happened if it weren't for a string of miracles....all the way from our delivery date being posted earlier than we sent it, to the consulate actually bending the rules for us, to the late night post office update, and a one-day delivery back. I wish I could say I expected it instead of just hoping for it. Anyway, thanks so much for praying...you prayed us into Brazil!!!!!!!!!