The best news of the year

I am bursting with happiness right now.  I just got the best news I've had the entire year.

I wrote about my frustrations and anger about not getting Laila's things back a few months ago.  I was given a contact number for the head of the SVU department.  I called her and left a message for her.  Time passed and I finally got a message from her saying that she was looking into the case.  Then we waited.  Mike and I discussed what we would do if the answer was no and decided that we would talk to a JAG officer on base to get some advice.  They told us that they thought we could pursue the items because they were holding them because of a policy, not a law.  They said that they could not represent us but they could write a letter to the DA in our behalf requesting out things.  We hoped that if they wrote the letter they would see how serious we were about the items and give them back without us having to go any further.  The JAG officer said that if the answer was no that they could help us find a lawyer if we decided to go that route.  We decided to give it a little more time and then see how we felt.

I called the head of the SVU department again and left another message kindly asking if they had any further information for us.  Then Mike and I circled a date on the calendar for the day we would proceed with the letter from the JAG if she hadn't responded.  All week I just kept hoping she would respond and that we wouldn't have to do anything--that she would change her mind.  I just kept thinking that when (not if) she said no, then Mike and I would have to do some serious praying and fasting that the letter would change her mind and that her heart would be softened.  I just didn't think I could go through more of the emotions and disappointment.

The day we had decided to talk to the JAG officer came and Mike said he'd go talk to her but then he got really busy and it completely slipped his mind.  A few days passed and his days still continued to be packed full of things, preventing him from going to see the JAG officer.

Today I got a phone call from the head of the SVU department.  She asked me what things I was hoping to get back.  She told me that she had a meeting today with the detective that had interviewed Mike (the one that I had been emailing and talking to on the phone about all of this) and that they had decided to release her things.

I just about jumped out of my chair.  I was shocked.  I said, "Really?  Are you serious?"  She said that she was serious and I just couldn't stop gushing, "Thank you.  This means so much to me.  I can never tell you how much I appreciate this.  Really thank you."  You get the idea.

She said that it would take a little time--a week or so and then I could come and get her things.  A week!  I've waited over a year for her things, a week really isn't any time at all.  And truthfully, it's not about the things--it's about what keeping her things means.

Finally, some closure.  I'm so happy.  It will be a weird day when I go to pick up her things.  Honestly, we were told that it would be almost impossible to get her things back so this is shocking to me and so wonderful and truly gives me confidence again in our justice system.  It seems like a miracle to me and added proof that Heavenly Father loves me.

Such good news.