The Longest Two Weeks EVER!

I knew that these weeks were coming.  It was a feeling of dread deep down in the pit of my stomach.  It would wake me up in the middle of the night, and I would spend the next few hours in prayer trying to find peace and comfort.
We have had Silas for almost a full year and I can't picture our family, lives, home without him.  When we first got him we were told that we needed to run an ad in the local newspaper.  For whatever reason, we didn't.  We waited.  
When we were in Kampala car shopping we met with the lawyer that is going to be handling our case.  He told us that we needed to run the ad so we could move forward with getting legal guardianship.  Running the ad proves that we did everything to try and find any family of Silas's.  
So we came home and I talked with the caseworker and the lady that runs the baby home where Silas came from and found out what I needed to do.  
We ran the ad.  
It started on Thursday, along with my anxiousness. 
Friday morning Colin's cell rang.  It was probation.  At that moment my heart was in my ears and my stomach was somewhere in the driveway.
I answered and found out that someone was claiming to know or be related to Silas.  It wasn't clear which one it was.  At that moment I wanted to just curl up with my knees in my chest and bawl my eyes out! 
Instead I grabbed Silas and Colin and cried while clutching them, my sweet boys.
My head was spinning and I was trying to figure out what possible family it could be.  I called the lady that runs the baby home where Silas came from and she was a wonderful voice of reason.  She called the caseworker and he went to probation to sort out what was going on.
Thank you LORD for their willingness to move fast on this. 
I was also so thankful for my wonderful husband.  Even in the midst of my panic, he was my rock.  "God always works ALL things for good.  Even if we can't see what the good is yet." he told me as I cried on his shoulder once again.
I emailed family and friends and told them to please be praying for us.  One of Colin's cousins and I email on a regular basis and she and her husband are currently going through the long steps of an overseas adoption.  She had emailed me the night before the ad was suppose to run letting me know that we had been on their hearts and minds and they were lifting us up in prayer.  God is good!  Even before the ad ever made the page He had people that love us praying for us.  (I love that part of the story.)
I called a close friend here and sobbed to her over the phone.  Prayers were once again sent up and I am so grateful for this wonderful woman God put in my life.  
Colin was supposed to go and work in the shop in Obulle, but after the phone call from probation knew that wasn't going to happen.  He called Dan and told him what was going on.  I love Dan, and his whole family.  I just love every one of our friends in Obulle!  Dan told us and the whole church that Sunday that he cried to God for us.  Real tears from a very loving man.  He said that he had a dream that I was also crying and he cried for me.  Just thinking about that makes my heart swell with joy.  (Another part of this story that I treasure) 
We loaded up and headed over to probation to see if we could find out any more information.
The caseworker and the probation officer were there and we were able to get some other information from them.  A man and a woman that at some point cared for Silas's birth mother were the ones that made the call.  They claimed that the mother was either dead or gone.  (Last year his birth mother was transported back to her home village up north so family could care for her.)
Probation and the caseworker assured us that they would not let Silas be taken from us.  So they went to meet these people and get their story.  
Colin, Silas and I went to buy trees.  We needed to do something as a family and buying plants seemed like a good idea.  Sitting at home wasn't gonna make the cut.  
We heard back from probation and we had a little more of the story.  
The man that called was an old "boyfriend" of the mother.  The other woman (the one that claimed to have cared for Silas's mother)  was currently living with the boyfriend.  And here comes the kicker...About a month before we ran the ad the man went and got the birth mother, and she was currently living with them.
It was decided that the mother would again be moved to her home village and probation would go with to see about any other family.  
All of this happened on Friday.  Saturday they traveled.  Sunday we heard nothing.  Monday we got the call.
This time Colin took the call.  
Once they arrived to the village they worked with the local officials to try and locate any family.  They found that both of Silas's grandparents died by cattle raiders years ago.  There were no clear family left.  Some were saying that they were related but could not give clear proof to the police and probation.  
So the local officials wrote a letter stating that we could proceed with our foster/legal guardianship/adoption of Silas. 
I have the letter.
He is ours.
Forever!
Yesterday was the last day that the ad ran.  No one else made any calls.  
We did have a good day yesterday.  We went to the baby home where Silas stayed for a few months and we got to meet with the police lady that found Silas almost a year and a half ago.  She was thrilled to see him and see how big he has gotten.  She said she never would have recognized him.  We talked for a while and I wrote down his birthday for her.  I thanked her and told her that we should make it a yearly visit so she could see him growing.  
Today is the 6th.  We are celebrating God's goodness and how He does work all things for good.  Silas is our son.  If ever you get to meet him, you'll see it too.  
So ends the longest two weeks of my life.  
God answered my pleas and cries the first day we got the phone call from probation.  There was a peace that settled over me at the end of the day Friday and remained for the rest of the two weeks.