Fiancee' Visa!

ITs completed, copied in triplicate so there can be no missing components at the Visa interview, all the i's are dotted and t's crossed. Proof of Malachi's US citizenship, proof that he and Sopheak have indeed met and have a relationship (no mail order bride thingie goin' on here!!) his written chronology, photcopies of his passport pages with all the Cambodian visas from his trips, and photos of them together in Cambodia and in the USA, even a photo of her with all of us for good measure, and a letter from my missionsary friends for whom Malachi worked in Cambodia and who watched the relationship grow from "Linda, I think maybe Malachi kind of likes our daughter, no, maybe our other daughter, but then he acts like nothing that any of the girls have to say or do are of any interest to him and sometimes, he makes a comment that leads me to think that he might just like Sopheak........" to "We are seeing romance in bloom between Malachi and Sopheak." (Of course THAT narrative is not part of their letter head documented verification, but "we know.....") and a letter which Sopheak wrote to Malachi. Both of their biographies (G-325 A forms to be exact) are written out, passport sized photos for the FIANCEE VISA are signed, both have written their letters declaring and stating their intention, each to marry the other within 90 days of Sopheak arriving in Cambodia. Tomorrow he will buy the USPS money order to pay for the processing of this life changing paperwork. We are all praying that the processing takes no more than 7 months as Malachi is planning to go to Cambodia for about two months, spend time with friends and with Sopheak and her family, hang out in Cambodia because he loves Cambodia, and maybe make some plans for when they return to Cambodia after he graduates form college. The BIG HOPE is that the visa appointment (which takes place at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh) will be during the time he is in Cambodia so that they may fly back to Oklahoma together. It will be shortly after they return that there will be A WEDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Exciting times ahead, and what will undoubtedly feel like a very long wait for Malachi and Sopheak.
I could not be much more thrilled for both of them. WE love her so much and are very pleased that the sweet young woman we met 4 years ago when Esther and I traveled to Cambodia for Leah and Rachel's adoptions, who translated for us between the children and us ,who went with us all over town, who became our friend, is going to become FAMILY! I knew that God had put Cambodia deep DEEP in Malachi's heart when he and I traveled there in February 2004 for Isaac's adoption. I saw God calling him into fulltime service there, sensed it so tangibly; he was 15 1/2 but he and I both had no doubt that God had shown Malachi a major part of his future. It was no surprise that he wanted to go back in summer of 2006, and again in September 2007. When God put Cambodia on mine and Charlie's hearts so many years ago, I KNOW I had NO IDEA what all God had in mind. I may still not!!