Our last update before Africa!!!!!!!

Wow! What a day! A change of events I was not expecting...  I awoke this morning to a message that we needed to move up our court date due to unforseen circumstances or we would have to postpone it and cut it close to the court's closing for holiday in July. So after a mad scramble to find available flights that didn't triple or quadruple (or even worse!) our prices...we have new tickets.

Thankfully, we had previously booked humanitarian flights that can be cancelled, because there was no availability on that airline.  Minus penalties of course...a whopping $400 per person.  But, praise God, we get at least part of the money back...we could be out the whole amount!

And our new tickets were only double what we paid before.  But, praise God, there was an available flight to get us there in time!!  And praise God that we were able to absorb the extra cost.

So as I have been counting down the days with our son..."___ days to Africa!!!!"...we just cut that down really quick (time will tell if he just learned to skip some numbers as he learns to count backwards!)

And here we are...TWO days to Africa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our son seemed very excited to hear the new countdown. :)

Also, thankfully, I had already packed (I'm a little anal about these things) and have gotten most everything done or I would be REALLY stressed out right now.  I was trying to allow a few days for us to "rest" and "relax" before we left, but it looks like God had other plans and wanted us to do that elsewhere...namely ten hours in the Cairo airport, or in Uganda with the rest of our family!!!  And I must say, I think all of this will work out much better in terms of flights and flying with a three-year-old (more time for sleeping). :-D

We are also hoping this new court date might help expedite the ruling and bring us home earlier.

My takeaways for today...

1. As always, God knows what I need even before I do!

2. His ways are better than mine, and not just better, but the BEST way!

3. Sometimes He asks us to wait, and other times He says "hurry up"; either way, His timing is always perfect!

4. The Lord never ceases to AMAZE me!  I have been anxious lately, and today I was reminded not to worry, to "cast your (my) cares on the Lord and He will sustain you (me)..." (Ps. 55:22).  For instance, yesterday, when in His goodness and perfect timing, He sent a friend to speak His word over my anxiousness.  She gave me a lovely gift to take with me on our trip, it was a reminder of His promises for me...and it has been such a blessing already. :-)

So now, I'm just plain ol' EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!! (With a few butterflies in my stomach!)

Over the next few days and weeks, we ask you to please pray for the following:

• safe travel to Uganda
• traveling with our son - that he (and we!) will be able to sleep on the plane, and that he would be a good listener and compliant as we take him halfway around the world :)
• meeting our newest children - that they will love their new family, and be able to bond with us and their brother quickly
• our court appearance on July 2, for the judge's favor and a quick ruling
• for the Ugandan government's favor in getting the children's passports, and quickly
• for the US government's favor in getting the children's visas, and quickly
• for ministry opportunities in Uganda and us to be bold witnesses for Christ
• and full-circle to traveling with children, this time 3! - that they (and we!) will be able to sleep on the plane, and that they would be good listeners and compliant as we take them halfway around the world! :-)
• and then an easy transition for our family as we begin our life in the new normal!

As things proceed, I will try to keep you updated while we are in Uganda.  Thank you all so much for praying!

Mweraba!!! (That's "Farewell" in Lugandan.) :-D