Thursday, November 9, 2017

Homeward Bound


Our facilitation team pulled out all the stops today!  They went to great lengths to get Mary's passport picked up from the city, registered in her region and then driven back to the city so we could have our embassy appointment THIS AFTERNOON because tomorrow is a holiday and the embassy is closed.

We are homeward bound.





Tomorrow night this little girl is going to step down onto U.S. soil, and I will take my first breath since starting this process back in January!!


I can't wait to breathe again.


We are going to go home for a few days, and then on Tuesday we will begin getting her the medical attention she desperately needs.

On our way back from the embassy today, we were telling our driver about some of the lousy times we've had in airports. One of the worst happened in Istanbul almost three weeks ago. We were standing in a bottleneck, trying to help Aaron and John through a long line, when an airport worker came up and grabbed our wheelchair. We liked him fine at first; for he helped us cut in line. But then he led us to a holding area, took John's boarding pass, and told us to wait. Then he disappeared, stretching a rope across the gate as he left.

For the next half-hour or so, we got a small taste of what being in a Turkish prison must be like! There was no explanation of why we were there, or when we might be released. Our fellow prisoners, also wheelchair-bound, were complaining that they had been through this before-- and that the workers' "help" had made them miss their flights! It was only with help from an interpreter that we finally won our freedom.

Remembering all that, Istanbul was the last airport we wanted to use tomorrow. So guess where we're headed? Where else but Istanbul?

It's going to be a long day with many adventures. We are praying for a good sense of humor, a lot of patience, strong arms, calm children and no holding pens. 

We close this report with another plea to the plumbers of this country. Let's talk about hot water heaters. Now, I would never say that the hot water heaters here are the size of thimbles. A coffee cup is more fair. Fortunately, plumbers have found a way to compensate for this small size: by jacking up the temperature. A little bit of hot water goes a long way when it's hot enough to melt glass! But this is precisely why we need to know whether hot is on the left or right. It can mean the difference between a cold shower and third-degree burns. So please, plumbers, can you choose one and stick with it?






8 comments:

  1. That is amazing that you are headed home! Praise God!

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  2. Praying for a smooth flight home with no delays and quickly to get through Istanbul. Praise God your all heading home tomorrow. Yay for your family.


    Erika

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  3. Hurray! So glad you'll be home soon. Sending best wishes for an easy journey and traveling mercies.

    Wish I could be part of the welcoming committee at the airport tomorrow evening, but I'll be there in spirit, welcoming Mary and her family home.

    Susan in Kentucky
    Cousin to 2 from U.

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  4. Praise the Lord!!! Praying for you all. I think we will all breathe along with you once you are tucked away in your own home with ALL of your kids! :-) Love you guys!

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  5. Yeahhh!!! You are going home!!! So happy for you!
    Kate Germany

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  6. We are so very excited and grateful!! Thank you Father! And than you team!

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  7. Prayers for safe travels and Mary's first days home.

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  8. So happy to hear! Welcome home! I well remember the wait for passports. Praying for rest and peace in your home the next few days.

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Loving words from kind people make our hearts glad!