End of May: "Our Timeline"

Today is the last day of May.
Back in the day when we first scheduled our court date for Solomon's Ghanaian adoption, we thought, "We'll have him home by the end of May!"
Well...no.  That's not the way things are shaping up.  But guess what?  That's the way international adoption rolls sometimes!!  And even more than that, we have SO.MUCH. for which to be thankful despite "our" timeline fail:
Ghanaian Adoption Order in hand
Permission letter from the Ghanaian Department of Foreign Affairs allowing Solomon to apply for his passport
Assurance that Solomon's passport will be printed the first week of June
A fully funded adoption (WOOOHOOOO!)
Healthy boys
Trustworthy and hard-working social workers both in the US and Ghana
THE PEACE OF GOD THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING

Another little treat we receive this week were some updated snapshots of Solomon.  Apparently, he had just woken up and was a bit out of sorts....his little sad face makes our hearts aaaaaaaache.  Can you even believe those eyes and lips?!

Apparently, we are *not* a morning person...*grin*

Oh man....this boy needs to be home with his mommy and daddy and two big brothers so bad.  We need to fatten him up and put some LIGHT in those beautiful eyes!

Soon.

Soon.

We are still waiting for the US Immigration Officer to return our email and let us know if she has been able to review our case yet.  Please continue to pray for an efficient and positive investigation!  As soon as we receive our "provisional approval" for Solomon's US visa, we will be in contact with the US Embassy in Ghana to schedule Solomon's medical exam and interview.  Our prayer is still that we can travel to Ghana to bring Solomon HOME by the end of June...

Thank you again, friends and family, for your prayers and encouragement to our family.  We appreciate your cards and emails and words of support more than you know!

"May God's peace, which goes FAR BEYOND anything we can imagine, guard your hearts and minds in union with the Messiah Jesus."  Philippians 4:7

Cain Family (MINUS ONE!) enjoying a beach day in Southern California over Memorial Day Weekend

May update

Things are moving right along to bring Solomon home. We are still hopeful that June will be the magical month to welcome our third son home forever!

This week we received confirmation that the USCIS (US immigration) received our visa application and transferred it to the adoptions center. The officer handling our case is named Emily Rivera. Would you please pray that she will handle our case with favor, efficiently, and judiciously?  We may not hear anything from her until the first part of June, but we are praying that her review of Solomon's case goes quickly!  Today (Friday), we also heard from the Bethany team in Ghana that they received the letter from the Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs giving permission to apply for Solomon's passport. THIS IS FANTASTIC!  So they will continue to secure Solomon's passport over the next week or two. Lord-willing, we will receive his visa approval around the same time as his passport. 

If we are granted "provisional approval" for Solomon's US visa, we will then schedule for his medical exams, immunizations, and visa interview at the US embassy in Accra, Ghana. At this point, we *should* be able to make some travel arrangements. *whew*

Pray for all these last steps to come together in God's perfect timing. Solomon cuddles still feel really far away.....but we are confident that God will guide our family for HIS GLORY just as He has over the past year and a half of this journey!  Pray for our spirits to not be downcast...there is so much for which to be joyful!

Almost time, Solomon....mommy and daddy are coming quick as we can!

The Beginning of the End

Solomon is almost home.  Not yet.  But soon.

As you may remember, we had court on March 12 and were waiting to receive the Adoption Order from court that proved the Judge's ruling in our favor, making Solomon a Cain forever!  We were told that it takes about 14 business days to receive this document.

Well, welcome to Africa.  About 40 business days after court, that beautiful piece of paper was finally in our hands.  Part of the delay was because of a spelling error so the whole document had to be resubmitted.  The team in Ghana works so hard to retrieve documents in a timely fashion, but it just.takes.time.  Power outages and unreliable technology don't help.  But guess what?  God was faithful - the Adoption Order is in our possession!  WOOHOO!

Having this piece of paper means a little bit more right now because the adoptive process is changing dramatically in Ghana right now.  In short, since September 2012, the new Minister of Social Welfare in Ghana has been trying to "clean up" or reform the adoptive process to ensure ethical practices.  So much easier said than done - especially in African countries where the government is not a particularly strong entity in general.  Her efforts have resulted in the US Department of State issuing this statement:

Alert: Government of Ghana Suspends Intercountry Adoptions

The Government of Ghana has temporarily suspended processing of all adoption cases, including intercountry adoptions, pending Ghana’s review of its current adoption procedures. The U.S. Embassy in Accra is seeking further clarification of the scope and duration of this temporary suspension by the Government of Ghana and how this suspension may effect pending adoptions.  The U.S. Embassy will continue processing adoption cases already approved by Ghanaian authorities.

*sigh*  These types of road blocks and setbacks are heart wrenching because they essentially mean children stay orphans longer.

But here's the good news: after a conference call with our agency this morning, it does not seem as though this alert will affect us and our ability to bring Solomon home.  SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.  Regardless, however, would you pray for the many other families trying to adopt from Ghana and the tricky waters they currently have to navigate???

Where are we now?  What's next?  And the one everyone wants to know: When is Solomon coming home?

1.  Where are we now?

The beginning of the end.  Really.

These are the last steps to bring Solomon home.  Last Friday, we mailed off all the paperwork for our I600 approval.  This is point where the US steps in and determines whether Solomon is, in fact, an "orphan" according to their standards.  The I600 will allow us to receive a US Visa for Solomon so that when we land on US soil and go through US customs, he will automatically become a US citizen.

2.  What's next?

Everything on our end is done.  We mailed off the I600 forms and will just need to wait until the US Immigration Office either approves our visa application or requests further documentation to prove Solomon's orphan status.  Furthermore, we already mailed off all the documents needed by the US Embassy in Ghana to actually print Solomon's visa.

The team in Ghana is currently working to secure Solomon's Ghanaian passport.  First, they need to receive a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra that grants them permission to apply for the passport.  Then, they can actually apply for the passport.  Since we already have Solomon's new birth certificate (YAHOO!), we are very hopeful that the team in Ghana will be able to round-up Solomon's passport without incident.

If all goes to plan (please God!), we will hear some sort of response (hopefully an approval!) from US Immigration by the end of May.  We will then schedule for the team in Ghana to pick up the medical forms from the US Embassy in Ghana and the final "interview" about a week later.  Interviews are always on Mondays or Tuesdays and visas print on Fridays.

3.  When is Solomon coming home?

See?  We are close to end.  But there are still a few steps for which we only have tentative timelines.  Our prayer is that we can have speedy I600 approval by the end of May/beginning of June.  If so, we *should* be able to bring Solomon home about two to three weeks later.  Best case would be a home coming trip by the end of June.  AAAAAHHH!

Some other questions you may be asking:

*What can we do now?

Pray.

"Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:17-18

*Do you need any more travel funds?

NO!  You all helped us max out our matching grant with LifeSong for Orphans (*high fives all around*) and we have been able to stash away some extra bills during the last two months.  Although plane tickets are significantly more expensive during the summer months, we estimate that we will have enough to cover our final trip to Ghana.

*Can we help in any other ways?

Always.  The orphan problem is such much bigger than just our little family.  If you are interested in donating to help other families in the adoption process or helping to sponsor a child for school, please ask us.  We can connect you with people that are making big strides to revolutionize the lives of children in need.

If you feel lead, you can also give money to us to spend on donations for the orphanage in Accra where Solomon has been living.  We hope to buy a large quantity of baby formula and diapers to give the Head Mistress.  In an effort to stimulate the Ghanaian economy and cut down on shipping costs, we plan to purchase these donations in Accra during our final trip.

"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28

This journey has been a GOOD path to walk....God has taught us so much about ourselves and opened our eyes and hearts that He could not have done any other way.  We praise Him for the good work He is doing in us, in Solomon, in Ghana, and in YOU as you walk alongside us.

"From the beginning to the end, I can trust you!"

doing what we can...while we wait!

Today marks day 29 since we left Ghana and 22 business days since we had court when Solomon was legally declared our son!

And no, we still do not have the Adoption Order from court in hand.  This is way things work in international adoption!  *sigh*  We *did* find out that the judges in Accra all decided to take recess last week...because, you know, they can.  So they did.  And our paperwork was left on a desk somewhere for another week.  *double sigh*  On the positive side, it is SO NICE to have "a reason" for the delay.  When you're not really hearing anything other than "its not ready yet," your mind starts to wander towards "there's a problem!"  But we have hope and GREAT peace knowing that God is truly the One who is orchestrating every part of this journey to Solomon's home-coming.

So for now, we continue to wait with the rest of the immigration paperwork ready to mail ASAP...keeping ourselves busy with the work at hand!

Two of Three Cain Boys....waiting for baby brother to come home!

Please continue to pray with us:
1.  Our patience as we eagerly wait for the Adoption Order and immigration paperwork to come together.
2.  Solomon's safety and provision while he is still at the orphanage in Ghana.
3.  Our family as we prepare for Solomon's homecoming.
4.  Praise God for the ways He has provided for our family's financial and emotional needs through every portion of this journey.

If you're wondering about how you can support us during this phase of Solomon's adoption, here is a FANTASTIC read from a lovely writer and fellow adoptive parent, Jen Hatmaker: How to be the Village

the waiting....

It has officially been 25 days since we left Solomon in Ghana.
Not that anyone's counting.
Ok...we totally are.
And we realize that when it comes to the waiting part of adoption, we are really spoiled.  With both Josiah's domestic adoption and during the matching phase of Solomon's international adoption, we really only waited days...weeks.  Not long AT ALL compared to families we know that have been waiting YEARS just to be matched with a child.  We really have nothing to complain about.
And we aren't complaining.  Really.  But we don't want our boy to spend a day longer than necessary in an orphanage away from his family...we want him home.

We are still waiting for the official Adoption Order from the Ghanaian court to magically appear in our inbox.  Technically, it is "supposed" to take 14 business days from our court date.  That was last Tuesday.  Its cool....we get African time.  But we are really really really really reeeeeeally hoping to get our hands on it this week.  All the other documentation required for our I600 (US Visa request) is ready to go.  As much as we *know* in our heads that God's timing *is* perfect and nothing surprises Him, there is still not disconnect between your head and your heart.  Your emotions catch up and overwhelm you sometimes despite your theological knowledge and trust in God's sovereignty.  Our arms ache to have our Solomon home...

Some really great news: the very first family in Bethany's Ghana program are currently in Ghana with their newest son!!  The visas are printed, passports ready to be stamped, plane tickets booked!  Such a great time of rejoicing and HOPE that God is indeed working and moving in Ghana!

More great news:  the interns at the Ghana Bethany Office visited with Solomon two weeks ago and sent us some new pictures and video.  SUCH A TREAT!!!!!  He looks so much older already. *wink wink*

Big boy crawling!

And, we have even more to be thankful about...our LifeSong for Orphans matching grant is almost maxed out!!!  If you remember, we received a $4000 matching grant from LifeSong.  As of last week, we have received $3621 in donations from family and friends!!  EEEEEEK!  LifeSong matches every dollar so that really means we have $7242 to help cover the cost of our two trips to Ghana.  WHEW!  It is still overwhelming to see God's provision through the soft and generous hearts of people like you.  THANK YOU!  If you feel lead and would like to help us raise the last $379 in order to take full advantage of our matching grant and cover our final travel expenses to bring Solomon home, please follow these steps:

1.  Make checks payable to LifeSong.  Write "Cain #3379" in the memo section of your check.

2.  Mail checks to:

          LifeSong for Orphans

          ATTN: Cain/#3379

          PO Box 40

          Gridley, IL 61744

Please continue to pray for Solomon's safety and well-being as he waits in the orphanage for us to return for him.  We trust that our Heavenly Father is holding him tightly in His everlasting arms...

GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD, PROCLAIM HIS NAME; 

MAKE KNOWN AMONG THE NATIONS WHAT HE HAS DONE. 

SING TO HIM, SING PRAISE TO HIM; 

TELL OF ALL HIS WONDROUS ACTS.

I Chronicles 16:8-9

A very Happy Resurrection Sunday and Easter from the Cain Family (minus one!)

me kwaa ba *ghana day five*

now that we've been back home in the united states and away from solomon for one long week, i'm ready to write about our last day in ghana.  i've tried a few different times to write it out, and it was a bit too emotional.  i'm not a particularly emotional person so thanks for letting me have my  moment...*grin*

wednesday, march 13, was our last day in ghana.  we had a really quiet morning sleeping in, packing up, enjoying a leisurely breakfast at the hotel (baked beans or spaghetti bolognese for breakfast, anyone?!).  our driver, samuel, came to pick us up about 11:45 am so we checked out of the hotel, paid the bill (thank you, God, for providing!), and packed all our goodies in the car.  after such a busy time the day before, we decided to spend the afternoon at the bethany office on the far side of accra.  the whole staff was already there, working hard, when we arrived.  we also had the great pleasure of meeting four very special people: a little boy who was the first child adopted through bethany's adoption program (he was staying home from school that day so he could go with the country director to pick up his visa packet at the american embassy!!  HOORAY!) and three interns from the US.  we had already met one of the interns, riley, the day before...she spent the day with us learning about court, etc.  the other two girls, kendra and becky, were lovely as well.  it was such a treat for me (ashley) in particular because i did my internship in ghana back in 2001....talking with them was like looking back at my younger self.  we were really excited to hear about what these girls are doing and learning and where they want to go in life after the graduate from college in may.

Music at the Bethany office

ben pulled out his drum and had a jam session with solomon, the program manager...it was a very relaxed and enjoyable time to just hang out with people that shared the same vision and heart as us!

we wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the super exciting things that bethany is doing in ghana.  the department of social welfare asked bethany to come set up a program in ghana after they watched the success of their foster and adoption programs in ethiopia.  so while bethany has yet to complete a successful intercountry adoption in ghana (the first little boy should be joining his forever family in the US within the next month or so!!!), they have already trained over 80 foster families.  there are many stories of struggling mothers who can received aid from bethany so they can get back on their feet and provide for their children. we have said this many times, but adoption is not the solution to the orphan problem.  it is the last resort!  having a strong foster program in country is a powerful way to help birthfamilies stay together.  we were both thrilled to see the work bethany is doing to improve life for children in ghana and are so very proud to have a small part in its success.

by the late afternoon, our tummies were rumbling and we were antsy to visit with solomon.  samuel drove us back to the osu area for lunch (which took forever!  restaurants are not fast in ghana.  ever.  i think that day felt particularly long because we were eager to spend as much time with solomon as we could before we left.).  by the time we arrived at osu children's home, it was about 5:00pm.  apparently, this is bath time for the babies in the nursery at osu.  so we waited.  a long time.  as we mentioned, there are about 50 children under the age of 3 in the nursery at osu...and maybe 10-15 house mothers to care for them at a time.  bath time, dinner time, bed time....it takes a long time.  we waited outside the administrative building for about an hour and a half.  it was difficult to be patient....knowing that solomon was officially, legally our son and yet being hindered in spending time with him...*whew*  reminded us how helpless we still were in our roles as mommy and daddy.  makes us ache to bring him home and actually have an impact on his precious little life.

when aunt nancy brought solomon out to see us, it was about 6:30pm and he was obviously ready for bed - all clean and cuddly.  we were only able to spend about 15 minutes with him...but they were precious.  ben rocked him to sleep.  we kissed his fingers and cheeks and whispered to him that we would not leave him an orphan...we would return.  we would come back for him.  in twi, you say "me kwaa ba"..."i will return."   to have someone so small trustingly fall asleep in your arms and then place him in the arms of a stranger to care for is difficult to describe.  we barely know solomon and yet we love him with all the might that we love our other two sons that we have known since before they were born.  words fall short in describing the ache you feel when you watch your tiny child carried away from you - not knowing just what kind of life they will have for a few months so far away from you.

but we have much to be thankful for.  we know that the house mothers love our little man.  you can tell that they know him as an individual.  they care about his well being.  these are the small comforts we have to rest in.  ultimately, our greatest comfort comes from looking back at how God has guided our lives together and trusting His perfect plan for solomon's life.

ida and samuel drove us directly to the airport from the orphanage.  i managed to keep my emotional composure...supernatural peace!!!!  our flight home was seamless, as easy as a 30 hour trek could be.

our family is divided across the planet. we missed our older boys more than we realized!  and yet, we both left part of ourselves back in ghana - with the little boy God brought into our life, with the people and culture we have come to love so much, with the bethany workers that have become dear dear friends to us.  pray with us that this last period of waiting will pass quickly and glorify God in the fullest!

what's next?
the quick answer to our current situation is this: we have ghana's verbal permission to leave the country with solomon.  we need the official written documents (adoption order, letter from the ministry of foreign affairs, and passport) to back that up.  at the same time, we need the US' permission to enter the country with solomon.  even though ghana has already conducted its own social enquiry into solomon's abandonment and orphan status, the US does its own investigation before issuing a visa.  all told, it will be about 3 months before we can return to ghana and bring our boy home...that's if everything goes as fast as possible!!  eeek!  we can pray for any time frame we want, so we asking God to allow us to have everything in place to return in june.  would you pray to that end with us???

great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
of His greatness there is no end!
-psalm 145:3

a new son: COURT! *ghana day four*

mountain moved.
a big one.
a miracle came to fruition today and we were given the gift of our third son, solomon matthew ephraim cain.

in case you were wondering, solomon's given name was ephraim (EH-frem is how they say it in ghana) kwadjo (means monday born) otoo. since our oldest son is named ethan, we knew we couldn't keep ephraim as his first name...see? we told you the name change would make sense. and the name change was granted today by the ghanaian judge along with FULL ADOPTION rights!!! wooooohooooo!

the day started early. we woke up at 5:00 and were ready to be picked up at 6:00. really, we were out in the lobby waiting for the driver at 6:10 because, ya know, we have this african time thing down. ashley is fully convinced that she *is* ghanaian. anyway....:)
we eventually made our way to the children's home to pick up solomon for court. ida had spoken briefly with the manageress the night before, but we were not able to confirm whether there would be a house mother to accompany us to court or not. they are understaffed and undergoing training right now! so yesterday, we stopped by koala super market for some of the formula they give solomon and diapers....we did not want to be unprepared to care for our little man! especially since we did not know if we would wait one hour or four hours for our actual court hearing. fortunately, jane had just come off the night shift in the nursery and was willing to accompany us.

we arrived at the high court building in accra around 8:30 and waited for our lawyer (naa), the bethany christian services program manager (solomon obeng), and the representative for the department of social welfare (turned out that the head of social welfare for this region actually came!) to arrive. by 9:00, we were all seated in the small and very hot room of high court 12. the judge came in and heard 3 other cases before us. solomon (the program manager) told us that we would likely be heard by 10:00am or not until 2:00pm. since ben was in a suit and tie and poor little solomon would be ready for a nap, we prayed for the 10 time table. our little guy did well...we brought toys and let him crawl around a bit. but then, he was tired. this was when we were glad the house mother jane was with us.....apparently, solomon likes to rock himself to sleep, but if you hold him, he will cry himself to sleep. good to know!

jane took him outside the courtroom, but we could hear his sad, little cry. after just a few minutes, ashley went outside to help. she was able to quiet him down while jane prepared a bottle. within a few minutes of eating, the poor little guy gave up and slept all the way through the most important day of his life thus far. :)

God was kind and the judge invited us back to her private chambers just an hour after we arrived (about 10:00am). the room was small, but we managed to fit the judge, her clerk, our lawyer, the head of the department of social welfare, jane holding a sleeping solomon, ben, ashley, ida, and big solomon. whew! everything had been prepared very well by our team beforehand so the proceedings went quickly and smoothly. our lawyer essentially said that we, the applicants, had provided all the requested documentation and were eligible to adopt the child. then the head of social welfare said that solomon did, in fact, qualify as an orphan and had proper relinquishments by his birthmother, that solomon had special needs because of a hole in his heart, and that he felt we were well-suited, willing, and the best future for solomon's life.
wow.
after the judge heard both representatives, she spent a few moments writing her verdict before she shared it. as soon as she finished writing and we saw the big smile on her face, we knew that God had answered our prayers and given solomon to our family. the judge said it was her great pleasure to grant the intercountry adoption to us with full parental rights and the permission to leave the district with the child. WOOHOO! we shook her hand and held back tears as we left, holding the little boy who was now a cain forever.

********
the pictures below are of the judicial system high court building, ashley holding a frightened solomon in the car (he's only driven in a car a handful of times and his heart was beating so fast!), ben walking to court with solomon and jane, waiting inside the court, ida (our social worker) holding solomon after the hearing, and us with solomon, jane, and ida after the hearing!