Liberian Time

Before the Embassy Appointment

After the Embassy Appointment Time works different here. The wonderful people of Liberia have learned not to worry too much about tomorrow or even the next hour. I've come from a country where we dream about our kids going to college before they are even out of the womb. We worry about retirement and whether we have a rock solid portfolio when we are 40. I've come from a country where 'things' can be fixed when broken or can be replaced with a new 'thing'. Liberia barely has an education system, they have no retirement plan, and if you get to be 40, you are not at mid-life you are old. They've learn to make due with whatever is available. If it's broke and you can't fix it you better learn to live without it because chances are there is no store to buy another or even if there was, you probably won't have the money to afford it. Life's priorities are different here. We both have the same basic needs - a job, food, shelter and a good education for our kids. But those very basics are attained with much difficulty here. So as a result, Liberian Time is very much controlled by taxis that breakdown, meetings that are not on schedule, by electricity not coming on at certain times, by loveds ones ill by a various many diseases, by gasoline running out at the gas station, or your own vehicle choking on watered down gas. So things just get done in a Liberian minute.


I've had time to evaluate my situation a little more, and I'm doing much better. The selfish part of me wants to be home with my wife and kids and to just be "done" with the adoption. But from day one, this adoption has never been about me. And so I've been trying to really see what God is trying to teach me through all of this. The obvious is that nothing is under my control but everything is under His. But there are others like learning true dependence on God, and not psuedo dependence of what I can accomplish in the name of God. And there will be more that I'm still trying to process.


So I tried to focus on the positive and see good in what has happened. Today was an absolute great day with Gabriella. She is really starting to open up with me. She's "jibber-jabbering" much more. Some words I think I make out and others I may just be inferring. But I enjoyed reading books with here and eating cheerios. She's certainly letting me kiss her cheeks and head more, and to touch her arms and legs and feet. We have a routine with nap and bedtime now that I really love about the day. I stand up holding her as I rock back and forth with her head on my shoulders. After a few minutes of that and a song or two, I lay down with her on my belly and her head still on my shoulder as I gently caress her untill she falls asleep. I love this precious girl and she's worth everything it costs.


So I took a gamble and rescheduled my flights for Friday night. The Embassy is going to try to fax a letterhead document to the DNA lab, and hopefully they will accept that and get it back to the Embassy today. If that happens then I would be able to go back to the Embassy on Thursday and get the necessary clearances by Friday, fly out Friday night and be home Saturday night. If that doesn't happen, then I'm stuck waiting on DHL, which means new Embassy appointment next Tuesday and flying home next Wednesday. So I'll be praying to for God's mercy in working that out.