Nothing Seems to Surprise Me....Anymore!

(I love Calvin & Hobbs, so I thought this picture was appropriate of Hobbs scaring and surprising Calvin. Kinda symbolic of all the surprises that have come our way through this adoption process.)

We got more details yesterday as to why we did not pass court of Friday. From what we were told everything with our paperwork was a go. Before the dossier packets go to court to be approved, MOWA looks through all the agencies and pulls out the packets to agencies whose license has expired. Well, they included Hope Adoption in that list, even though their license wasn't expired. The judge, knowing that MOWA made the mistake ordered them to get the packets reviewed and to court. There were nine families affected from our agencies. On Monday the lady that was supposed to bring the packets over from MOWA to the courts decided she was going to school that day!! Imagine that! So again, the cases weren't there to be heard. Shimeless assured Lisa, from our agency, that our case should be heard within a week or two.
At this point all this information is kinda ironically funny. No, I am not going crazy, but I am learning about how different cultures work. From what I am told, Ethiopian culture is very laid back and if something better comes up than what they are doing, they will just go and do the other. They are not detail-oriented and things of importance, well......will eventually get done.
Because I am detail-oriented, it was good to hear this kind of information and know that they are trying to get these cases through. Ultimately, I have to trust the Lord that this time of waiting isn't being wasted and that I can grow and learn about patience, and trusting fully in God's timetable and that He will work out the details. Psalm 135:5-6, "for I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all Gods, whatever the Lord pleases, He does." We are not just waiting for His will in an abstract way, but trusting Him to accomplish His pleasure. (per Jason)
I am also experiencing first hand that our culture is maybe somewhat unique from the rest of the world and that God created all of us differently, even our cultures. So I am trying to learn to embrace the differences and rejoice with God's creativity. I am not saying it's right how some of the cases have been handled and have not gotten resolved, but I can take the good and rejoice in that.