Miles’ visa took eight months to get approved , and it just happened to be  approved one day before the list was released.One day. Many families had been waiting for months for Dictator, I mean, President Joseph Kabila of the DRC to reopen the adoption gates. Chris and Julie knew it was God that had squeaked that visa in at the last possible moment, and their Congolese son’s name was finally, FINALLY, on the list of kids that were permitted to come home.
Next up was to apply for and receive  visas to get into Congo so they could get their children out of foster care (tons better than the abysmal orphanages they’d been in, but still) and finally start life together, as a family!

They were approved in a reasonable amount of time, and Chris and Julie went ahead and booked tickets for a one p.m. flight! This was it! The only problem was, their visas had been mailed but hadn’t quite made it to them yet. 

The day before they were scheduled to leave, Julie was a bundle of nerves as she checked the mailbox. Still no visa. They mail came around noon each day, and tomorrow was the last possible day it could come, and even then they probably would miss their flight.

Julie sent out a big prayer request through her adoption group on Facebook: “We need a miracle, guys. We need those visas in hand, and we kind of need our mailman to come early. Please pray!”

We did.

The next day, with their bags were loaded in the car, they started anxiously out the window. “Please, God, please, God” was murmured too many times to count.

At 11:02, the mail truck rumbled by, an hour early, and Chris and Julie ran down the driveway. Sure enough, God has come through, and with their visas firmly in hand and tears of gratitude in their eyes, they were off to the airport to go get their kids!

Prayer: For God’s protection and wisdom during times of trial and temptation, starting with me!!

*Miraculous, complete and total healing for J and the lumps in her back.