God's Plan.... Lessons in Lost Luggage

After our amazing visit to the orphanage to meet our little guy and play with the babies, we had lunch at the Golf Club then went to the airport to retrieve our luggage.  Our guide had learned our luggage had arrived however we needed to pick it up.  So, in we went.  We quickly found all four items and headed for customs.  We (and many others- THANK YOU) have been praying for our donation of shoes and our ability to get through customs without a tax or major hassles.  So, Wes loaded the two 50lb. tubs of shoes into the x-ray machine which I was praying and praying to God that this would work out. We got to the other side to pick them up and the man there said- what are they?  To which I replied- 'Donations- we are adoptiong".  He asked if we had a letter.  Thankfully, last week I had our social worker write a letter stating we were donating shoes to local orphanages.  So, I showed the letter to them.  The one gentleman generally skimmed the letter then passed it to the other worker.  The second man read it and read it and read it.  He appeared very serious.  I kept saying things like for the children and donations.  They asked if our agency would be selling them.  I said no- donating directly to the children.  It seemed as though, we needed both gentleman's 'ok'.  Since we didn't yet have a yes vote, they sent me to visit the man in the office.  Wes stayed with the luggage and I went to plead our case.  I attempted to speak with a tall older gentleman who didn't seem too concerned about our case.  He told me 'the system is closed for the day- come back tomorrow'.  To which I kindly yet firmly replied 'no- we can not.  Our luggage was already delayed a day.  We can not come tomorrow."  By now, we are all huddled back at the luggage where the Ethiopian officials begin discussion.  They open the containers and begin digging through the shoes.  I kept grabbing pairs of the littlest shoes saying- children, little, for children, donations.....  At this point, Wes and were starting to feel like our hopes of simplicity were diminishing by the second.  The one gentleman seemed slightly more compassionate so I told him - we went to the orphanage today.  We visited them today.  We will take the shoes to the children tomorrow.  Tomorrow we will deliver them.  Then, I said 'Do you want to see the orphanage we visited today?"  He said no but I was starting showing him anyways.  I showed him the building and Kaleb.  After about five pictures he said, 'Go, you go'.  We thanked him very much and got out of there quick!
You see.... it was God's plan.  We firmly believe that had our luggage arrived on time, we would not have gotten the shoes in without a tax.  It was God delaying the luggage, our social workers' letter and the tipping point- pictures from the orphanage which got the shoes in.  Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord!!!!!  God heard the prayers of so many of you and blessed those shoes in return.  Thank YOU!