The Wait is Over!!

We got the call at 1:37pm from Jan, The Ethiopian Specialist at CHSFS that we have been matched with a beautiful little 5 month old girl. Her name is Hanna (which so appropriately means "gracious gift of God" or "favored by God") and her middle name, Tessema (which she shares with her Ethiopian father) means "He has been heard." She is absolutely gorgeous!

We have not been sleeping well the past couple nights - feeling as if it was any time now. Come to find out the referral was ready for us yesterday, but because of some logistical issues, the news could not be shared with us until today.

Our next step is to accept the referral (we have a call into our specialist now) and should be traveling in 12 - 16 weeks!

Its so awesome - we're walking around stunned out of our minds...

thank you for all of your prayers!

The View from the Top...

Another report came in of a referral from Tuesday. So, we are sitting at #4 on "The List". 2 people in front of us are waiting for siblings, so they really don't impact our infant wait. The only person in front of us had her paperwork in over a month before us, so we are beginning to wonder if they didn't get a referral and forget to report it to "The List" (since it's all self-reporting and not official).

Either way, we are #2 or #1 on the infant list. There have not been any referrals given out today to our knowledge. Tomorrow is the last day for referrals before the June 1 cut-off for court closures. All we can say is "in Your perfect time, Lord..."

Slowly....creeping closer

#5 on the List. (#3 for an infant...)

I don't even know what to say except that I am so thankful for God's peace. If it weren't for knowing He's in control of this whole thing, I'd probably be going nuts!

2 more days left to receive a referral before the June 1 deadline for court closures.

Climbing higher...

#6 on the list...and #4 for an infant!

Tick....tick.....tick....

New post on the forum. We are at #7! (#5 for a baby!)

The 2 people just in front of us on The List both got matched with babies this morning. Did I mention there's a small pit in my stomach? Kind of like waiting to go into labor (although you don't get internet updates with labor!).

Will this be the day?

#8 on The List this morning...

A restless night of wondering. We'll let you know if the phone rings...

Another step...

#9...we're in the top 10?!?!? Who would have fathomed?

Some sibling referrals came in today. So we are #7 waiting for an infant. Plus someone reported on the forum that they were talking to their representative and they said a batch of referrals came in today...

Could it be?!? Only time will tell!!!

Inching....

#11 as of late this morning....

I can't begin to express the crazy jumble of emotions this all brings...to think that, this week, there is a chance (slim, but still a chance) that we may find out the name and see the face of the little one that God etched on our hearts a year and a half ago, the one we've been praying for and thinking about and longing for...the overwhelming joy of the surprise that this could actually happen this soon, the sheer panic of "can we be ready if this actually happens this soon?", the ultimate peace knowing God is in control and will bring her home in His perfect timing.

Today is our anniversary...13 years ago, we walked down the aisle to start a lifetime of adventure together. That journey eventually brought us to parenting. How truly blessed we are to have been entrusted with the 3 amazing blessing that we have, let alone the prospect of yet another dear little one. God is too good to us. We are so blessed!

Keep praying for the Ethiopians! (See the post below)

Update on Malnutrition in Ethiopia

I just came across an article on the situation in Ethiopia from the BBC. Latest reports are that 6 million children are on the brink of acute malnutrition and 60,000 children require immediate feeding. It has been the "perfect storm" of sorts in Ethiopia over this last year as they have experienced drought and the increase in the price of food throughout the world. The problem is expected to intensify as crops begin to fail there.

Its hard to imagine. Its hard to conceptualize that this is our little girl's homeland that is experiencing this devastation. Its hard to come to grips with. It is so easy to lose sight of what so many in the world face and to focus on how expensive gas has gotten ($3.85/gallon here) or how the price of eggs keeps climbing. What about a country full of people who desperately need rain and food in order to survive?

Please join us in praying for the people of Ethiopia. Lord, send your rain...

If you are interested in reading more, here is the link to the BBC article... click here

ooching closer

#12....

(And the best part of this one is that it's because of a referral of siblings given to a family that's been officially waiting for 1 year and 18 days! Wow, may God bless their patience! I'm sure their joy is HUGE!!!)

Wow, we're close!

Well, as of today, we sit at #13 on The List. Four people in front of us are waiting for siblings, so that puts us at #9 on the infant list: 4 people in front of us waiting for girls, and 4 people open to either gender. We never dreamed that we would be in this place this early (if you've been following this journey, how oxymoronic does that sound?!? since we originally thought we'd have her home by now!). But here we sit.

Someone from the agency said they are hopeful for more referrals next week...the last week before the cut-off. To be honest, I didn't think there was any way we'd ever get a referral before the cut-off for court closures. I knew in the back of my mind that if God wanted it to happen, it would. But on the other hand, I didn't think there was any way... Now I stand corrected. There is the possibility...

So we are asking you to pray this week. If it's good to God, we would REALLY like to get a referral before the cut-off, and make it through court before they close. What an amazing move of God that would be! Even though we'd like that to happen, we are still totally comfortable with knowing that God is in control, that He will match us with the baby He has planned for us in the timing He sees best. We find peace in that. So, not our will, but Yours be done, Lord!

Watch the blog...we'll keep you posted.

Leaps and Bounds! #16!!!

We had heard a rumor (aren't forums great...?) that there was hopefully going to be a large batch of referrals before the June 1 cut-off date (when they no longer feel referrals will make it through Ethiopian court before it closes for the rainy season). And today it came! We jumped up The List to #16! We have not seen movement like that in the whole time we've been waiting! There are actually only 10 people in front of us on the List (remember, that's only about 40% of the total people waiting) waiting for infants, so that makes the list even shorter! Wow! And a few reports of referrals usually trickle in after a day of referrals like this because people take a day or so to decide to accept their referral (often waiting to have their medical evaluations reviewed). So we could possibly see even further movement!

We also saw the people 2 ahead of us on the list get a referral today. (things don't always go in order, depending on what gender you've requested, what medical issues you are willing to accept, etc.) It made us realize that this could happen to us any day (as well as not for another few months! The joy of adoption!) But we had not even thought about getting a referral before July. This is when I'm glad the timing is in God's hand, but also realize that with things being in His hands, ANYTHING can happen.

So we're asking you to pray. If it's good to God, we would REALLY love to get through court before it closes for a huge multitude of reasons. If it's not God's best, we certainly don't want it and will wait even if it doesn't seem best to us. But if it's good and pleasing to Him, we'd love for you to ask for that with us. Thanks!

Baby Steps

Well, we're sitting at #26. There are rumors of a large batch of referrals that the staff in Ethiopia are trying to prepare and get to the US staff before June 1. I doubt we'll receive one (of course, God can do what He wants!), but it will put us that much closer to the top of the list.

Just a quick update on the baby steps to our baby!

Another Bend in the Road

Well, if you've been following along, you know about the time crunch we are facing. The Ethiopian courts close for 2 months starting in August, and because they are closed, the referrals (matching a family with a child) stop too because they can't be processed through closed courts. The previous cut-off date for referrals was June 15. It was averaging 8 months to be matched with a child, and we cross into our 8th month on June 2. Hence, the crunch.

We received an email today that referrals that are made after June 1 will probably not make it through before courts close. (Add to the mix that most people on the top of "the List" are currently entering into their 9th month of waiting.) And it doesn't look like we'll make it through before court closes.

We are #31 on "the List". 8 people in front of us are waiting for sibling groups or older kids. That puts us at about #23 in line for an infant (remembering that the list only represents about 40% of the people signed on with CHSFS). Looking at trends, there should be a batch of referrals next week (but not 23 of them!), but they seem to come about once a month, and if that's the case, this would be the last batch before court closure.

So it doesn't look like we'll be traveling in Aug. or Sept. as it had seemed the last time we talked to our specialist.

They have decided to do something new this year. They will continue to give out referrals during court closure to those folks who want them. "Why wouldn't you want one?" you may ask. Well, it means a prolonged time between referral and traveling to get your little one. It means you sit for longer knowing the child you have been matched with. You sit on one side of the globe while a little baby sits in an orphanage on the other side of the globe...a little baby that is supposed to be (and eventually will be) in your home. You sit and wait while a child that will eventually join your family grows up in the care center. And all you can do is look at the one picture you've received that's now tacked to your refrigerator. (Just a little emotional glimpse there...as to why people wouldn't want to have a referral during court closures).

What will happen is that any referral that is accepted during court closure will be turned into the registrar and put on a waiting list in the order of when they are received to be heard once the courts reopen. These will hopefully be heard in the fall, and people will travel by the end of the year to bring the children home. Or you can choose to wait to get a referral after courts reopen, have it processed late fall, and travel at the beginning of 2009.

So, we continue to sit, with the "rules" of the game changing yet again, but knowing full well that God is in charge and that His timing makes perfect sense. In that we can find peace.

We continue to pray for the little girl that will some day join our family!