The Eve of Nothing, It Turns Out

Great day today. Sold our minivan to a very sweet family. Got to spend the afternoon with Brian's parents at the Grapevine Mall Aquarium and then his middle brother and family joined us for dinner. Was so precious to see the five cousins playing together. They wrestled and giggled so much in Nana and Paco's hotel bed. We were lucky to not get in trouble with the rowdiness!

Now I'm listening to my mom read to the kids. Bittersweet day and night. I'm so thankful for so much...which makes tomorrow's goodbyes so hard to think about. Brian's parents head back home in the morning and my mom decided to go with my dad on a work related trip and they scheduled their departure for the same day we were supposed to leave. So, it turns out, we're just sending off our loved ones on the day they were planning to send us off. It may be easier this way.

If all had gone as we planned, we'd be on a plane in less than 12 hours. If visas truly were issued within five business days as the South Africa Home Affairs website would like you to believe, we'd be on a plane in less than 12 hours. Instead, the SA embassy has given me a nice little cold sore and high blood pressure this week. After trying to get through to them for three days last week (phone lines were not working), I finally got someone to give me a working email address and we found out last Friday that I made a mistake in my interpretation of the website from Hades. So, we over nighted the missing info and it got there early Monday morning. But, as of late Tuesday, it was still sitting, unsorted in the mail room of the embassy. The fax I sent Monday afternoon also did not go through...even though I had a confirmation it did. The emails and phone messages I left went unreturned. I was told Tuesday morning that our five visas were being worked on so I got all hopeful and such. And then those hopes were dashed at 1:00 when we were told they did not have the fax or the over night mail in hand. By late afternoon, the embassy dude told me it was impossible to get these to us in time for our Thursday flight. It seems the accounting office goes home at noon. So...

Here we are, on the eve of what we thought would be our flight to SA. Things have turned out differently than we planned but I have so much peace now. We will get there in God's timing. This is no surprise to Him.