Prayers answered, Passports, and Packing

About a month ago, the orphanage owner, who we're friends with, asked if I would travel to Uganda with her on her next trip. In July? I asked for prayer in knowing what to do...and that tickets were higher than normal, and not sure what to do.

Well. Here's the story of how we made the decision to book a round trip ticket to Africa, last night. :) :) :)

That Wednesday, that L asked me, I talked to Beau and he initially didn't say "no", like I thought he would. He just mentioned that we're not fully funded for the adoption and we should take that into consideration. Never once, was I upset with Beau, or wanting to convince him otherwise. I wanted to be unified in our decision. We sought wisdom and council from others, and God's word. We just, prayed. I had a peace either way of going or not going.
That same night Lise asked us to pray about the trip and that she too would be asking the Lord to provide for her ticket, since they were exceptionally high ($2,600).

I also knew that I would NOT go to Africa if her trip fell on a week that I was working. I couldn't justify taking work off to go. So Thursday morning, on the way to work, I prayed, "Lord, would you just make her schedule her trip on a week I AM working- so I don't even have to consider the possibility of going?"

That Thursday night, L called me at 10:30...."Kendra, you'll never believe this. I found out today, I'll be receiving a refund check for about the price of the current tickets! It should be coming in July rather than September! So, it should come the second week of July, and I'll probably book my ticket around July 10th for the last week of July into August...."

You have got to be kidding me. The family I nanny for, will be gone for a solid two weeks for various reasons starting July 26- August 7th. (the last week of July into August!) The thought, "Serioussssssssly, God?"

Now I felt like not only did God NOT answer my prayer, but he was very specific in not answering it- with the timing of the exact dates I was NOT WORKING. Crud. But hello, how are we going to pay for this ticket? SO WE PRAYED SOME MORE. "Lord, please provide if you want me to go. I want to do your will. Just make it clear please, you know I like GREEN MEANS GO answers, BLACK or WHITE, no GRAY....ha!" My friend Laura even said, "Soooo, we too, should pray for a surprise check?" My response was, "Uh, ya. Good luck with that. That's not possible!"

Fast forward to Monday....Beau was gone on a business trip that week, we knew that meant more time to ourselves and away from each other, and encouraged one another to pursue the Lord in his Word and prayer to see what God might reveal to us about this. Anyway, he called me late that night before bed. Out of no where he casually says, "Oh ya, I remembered that I'm due for a bonus. If you make the bonus they are in January and JULY. (not October, or December, etc.) It will be about the cost of a ticket." SAY WHAT?

This. Was. God. I knew it in the deepest part of my being.
This was the Almighty God.

Later that week, I decided to go run some errands. One of the things I decided to do, was make color copies of our passports. They were needed for our dossier paperwork that we will later submit...just thought, might as well get it out of the way. No reason really, and I typically am a PROCRASTINATOR. Well, after they handed me the prints, I realized, and when I say realized, I mean like sick to my stomach, that my passport still had my MAIDEN name on it. Ugh. That doesn't work. OH MY WORD WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!?!?!?!?!?!?!? (all at the printing counter) More money. More time lost. What a headache.

Then it hit me. Was this "random day of errands" not random at all, and very purposeful in this quest of wondering if I was to go to Africa? Nah. It couldn't be. Either way, MY PASSPORT IS WRONG, I CAN'T BOOK TICKETS WITH A WRONG PASSPORT. So I called to see how long it would take to get it fixed...the dude said "Three weeks." I said, "Excuse me, how long did you say?" He said, "Three weeks m'am." Three weeks from when I sent in my passport to be fixed, was July 10th....the day Lise would book her tickets......not such a coincidence in my errand run and deciding to make color copies wayyyyyy in advance, at all.

HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, LORD. (I'm such a doubting Thomas)

I don't know why You want me to go. But I'll go.

Well, the last three weeks a few things have changed. Lise is no longer able to go in July, and is postponing her trip until September or October. Not such a terrible thing, that may be a crucial time for our adoption process in Uganda around then- it would be great to have someone from the states, over there. A friend approached me and said, "Kendra, would you have pursued this trip if Lise hadn't of asked you?" The answer to that was, NO! She offered the inclination that the Lord may have known, that's what it would have taken for me to even consider this, and for me to GO.

Also, Beau realized that his bonus, after taxes, 401K, etc etc his bonus would be much much less. So bummed. I took these two things as, "Lord, do you NOT want me to go now? These things seem to be saying different? This is turning gray. I hate gray. SHOW ME." (seriously, I'm so desperate for his guidance, it's not even funny.)

I was sharing with someone about the bummer (still thankful for) of Beau's bonus that wasn't what we were quite planning on. This person said, "WOW, well that's great! (uhhhh no it's not?) because my wife and I have been praying about helping you with your ticket. We think you should go and have been praying about it. We'd like to give a portion to your ticket...and with what you've told us, our portion and Beau's bonus- would be the price of your ticket!"

ohhhhhhh myyyyyy lannnnnnta.

So, here I am- all "ready to go"....waiting on my passport. I began thinking if my passport doesn't come on time- I maybe shouldn't go.
My passport came yesterday. July 9th. I JUMPED UP AND DOWN in the street! Ripped that baby open, and knew- okay Lord, I'll go. Now please go before us and help us find a reasonable ticket. I was really struggling with the price of tickets when we looked. Last night Beau and I signed on, and first check- a round trip ticket to Entebbe, Uganda leaving on July 29th- August 7th for $1,212.94.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? (They were $2,600+!!!!!!!)

So there's that.

I will be flying to Uganda. I will be meeting our little man and our little lady.
I will get to hold them, hug them, squeeze them, kiss them, play with them, pray over THEM,  snuggle with them, and LOVE THEM by the time July is over. Praise the Lord. Beau and I are both so united in this, he of course, is so bummed about not getting to go- but glad one of us does! 

I've somewhat struggled a bit with this trip too. Although I get to SEE THEM, and meet our attorney, deal with some paperwork things, etc.....they aren't coming home. A wise adoptive friend/momma told me that even if I didn't get to meet with the attorney, to GO FOR BONDING. 100% Go for the bonding experience, start that attachment and bonding process.

Here I am Lord, send me.

Future little Christiansen's, here I come. :) Momma loves you. Daddy too.