He's coming...for really real!!

I know I said he was coming for real last time, but this time it's for really real! Not only does he have his visa in hand, he also has a plane ticket. He'll be leaving April 1st AND arriving April 1st as well (leaving right after midnight from Togo and getting here in the evening)... less than three weeks! Obviously, we are both super excited and can hardly wait for time to arrive for him to finally step off the plane. Fortunately for both of us, we have a lot of things to get done in the next few weeks, so the time will probably pass extremely fast.

And just so that our adjustment too him being in the States isn't too easy, I've decided (after much deliberation and some bargaining... Africa taught me some very useful skills) to accept a new job starting two weeks after he arrives. Crazy me! Oh, it gets better: the job is teaching 8th grade writing! I know it's a little insane to start teaching junior highers in their last quarter before graduating, not to mention that I've never taught junior high before (except for many days of subbing, which is why the principal thinks I can handle it)! I definitely didn't apply or ask for this job, but somehow it was dropped into my lap (divine provision...or a move of insanity??). Initially I had declined the job offer, but ended up accepting it as I saw that I might potentially be put in that position as a permanent sub anyway (with half the pay and none of the benefits). Although it might make our lives a little more stressful, with Koudjo adjusting to life in the States and with us attempting to plan a wedding (and us just wanting to spend time together after another couple months of separation), but I'm also excited about it and believe it to be a great and unexpected provision for us. I would appreciate your prayers for tremendous amounts of wisdom, patience, and love...maybe sanity as well... as I take on this task.

Can't wait for all of you to meet Koudjo... and for him to meet you!!! Three weeks 'til I see him, three months until you meet him (if you're in Chicago, you'll get to see him next month, too). Just to get your prepared for how cute he is, here's a little picture for you. :)

He's coming... for real!!!

It finally happened today: Koudjo received his visa, for real this time. On his sixth visit to the U.S. embassy to pick up his visa, he was finally handed a document we applied for 9 months ago. We are both super excited that it is finally official! Tomorrow he'll buy his ticket, and assuming that the one he reserved today is still available tomorrow, he'll leave April 1 (and that's no joke!) and arrive here on the 2nd. He's coming in less than a month!! Yippee!!! And then you'll get to start meeting this mystery man none of you have ever met (with exception of you, Jessica, to whom I owe meeting him in the first place!). Maybe one reason we had to wait through these frustrating few weeks of him not getting his visa was so that he could find out about Royal Air Maroc flying out of Togo. One of the guys waiting for his visa today told him that this airline also flies out of Togo to the U.S. It is MUCH MUCH cheaper than Air France out of Togo or even British Air out of Ghana. So, this way we save a lot of money and he gets to fly out of Togo (instead of Ghana) so that his family can see him off. Worth three weeks of frustration!! (If only we could have known that at the time :)).
Yeah, he's coming...for real!!!!!