Lots to Be Thankful For!!!

We were hoping to get our Embassy birth mother interview scheduled for the day of or at least week of the first court date that also involves the birth mother.  After our power of attorney requested a certain day next week, the embassy responded that they were booked through Dec. 2 and that would be our birth mother interview day.  I could roll with that!  That still wasn't far away.

Well....in comes SUPER SUE our agency director.  She contacted the embassy explaining that the birth mother has gone missing a couple of times and asked if there was any way they could move it up.  Guess what God did????  Our Embassy interview was moved up to next Wednesday, November 27!!!!!  

First Court Date, Tuesday, November 26

Birth Mother Interview at Embassy, Wednesday, November 27

What a Thanksgiving we will have knowing these two appointments are done! If all goes as planned and follows the approximate time lines of the families in front of us in the this new process, OUR court date would be about 6 weeks after the birth mother interview!  Again, this would all be based on these two appointment needing no extra documentation, paperwork being correct and all parties being present!

Please continue to pray for the birth mother.  Even though she gave him up right after he was born, I really imagine that she still thinks about him every single day.  After reading an interesting article on adoption yesterday, my perspective of these two dates totally changed.  These two dates represent a separation of a family....a mother and child.  It is hard to rejoice in that.  We know that was all part of God's plan for Endale's life.  We certainly would never want a mother to give up her child, but we are so blessed that God chose us to be his forever family.  

We have a big week ahead.  If you think of us, we welcome the prayers on behalf of this birth mother, the courts and embassy and our baby boy, Endale. 

God continues to add pages in Endale's story....

We got exciting news this morning that the 1st court date with the Ethiopian Court is scheduled for November 26!!!!!  That's next week!!!!! We also found out that the orphanage had sent out a social worker to meet with the mom.  It seems she's moved several times since Endale was born.

Our agency is working with the US Embassy to try and get the birth mother interview rescheduled (the one she missed last week).  They are hoping to schedule it on the same day as the court date.  This would be huge in our timeline of going to get him to get both of those knocked out in one day!  God is able!

 Please join us in praying in some specific ways:

1)  Continue to pray for this sweet birth mother.  I cannot imagine the fear, confusion, etc. she is dealing with.  Pray that the social worker can explain the process and that she will feel a unimaginable peace straight from God Himself.  Pray that she can make it to the court date easily and with no issues.

2)  Pray that the US Embassy would be able to accommodate this birth mother and schedule the birth interview on the same day as the court date.  This would be two huge steps marked off of our process and get it all done in one day for the birth mother.

3)  Pray for our agency.  We have been blessed by the people that are tirelessly working to get our baby boy home.  Pray that they are blessed abundantly for the work that they are doing in matching orphans with families.

4)  Last, but certainly not least...continue praying for our baby boy.  Our family is anxiously awaiting his homecoming.  We are trusting the Lord's timing as He's writing each chapter of Endale's story, but this mother's heart cannot wait to get my arms around him.  It's hard not to think of every day and the milestones we're missing.  Help us to be patient...it's so hard!

Here again is the order of our process...we're hoping to get two more things marked off by next week!

• Apply with agency
• Home Study Process
• Home Study Approval
• File USCIS Paperwork
• Complete USCIS fingerprinting and biometrics screening
• Assemble International Dossier for Ethiopia
• International Dossier authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Accept Referral of our baby boy
• File PAIR agreement
• PAIR letter submitted to Ethiopia
• Embassy Birth mother interview
• Court issues first court date for birthmother
• First Court Date with Birth Mother
• Embassy issues PAIR approval letter
• Approval Letter Authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Submit case to Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs in Ethiopia
• MOWYCA submits letter of favorable determination
• We get issued OUR court date and make arrangements to travel.
• We meet our boy face to face!
• We go to court.
• Our case passes court.
• Court issues adoption documents
• Our agency applies for new birth certificate and passport for our boy.
• He has a medical appointment by an Embassy approved physician.
• Submit case to Embassy
• Clear Embassy
• GO GET OUR BABY BOY AND BRING HIM HOME!!!!

Story of Endale....by God

Thursday morning (9:30pm Wednesday our time) was our scheduled birth mom interview with the US Embassy in Ethiopia.  We had been told that the orphanage could not find the birth mom earlier this week.  There was some thought that she was afraid someone might make her take the baby back and she was fearful of this appointment.  

We received an email through the night letting us know that she did not come to the interview.  So from here.....our power of attorney will request another interview time and date and they will continue to try and find her.  If she cannot be located, at some point, they will request that our case turns into a case of abandonment of the child versus relinquishment of the child.  I don't know yet what the time frame looks like for that.  

We are super disappointed.  This interview would have put us with a possible first travel date in December.  We are obviously looking at a longer waiting period.  I was able to speak with our agency director last night and ask her all the "what ifs".  It seems like worst case scenario, it just means that it will take longer.

It's funny how in my previous post, I expanded on God's ways versus our ways.  It certainly is easier on the other side of bad news to anticipate God's ways.  We don't understand the timing of all of this.  We don't know why God would get us to this point the way He has and then there be an issue we didn't plan on.  But that is why THIS IS NOT OUR WAY.   God is in control of this situation.  We know that He loves Endale more than we do and we are head over heals for this boy already!  God is the author of Endale's story!! 

His ways are good.  His ways are true.  We will put our hope and trust in Him.

In the mean time, my heart is anxious to get to my baby boy.  Please pray for the birth mom, Endale and our family as we wait to see God's handiwork unfold in the rest of Endale's story.

His Ways are not Our Ways

 

I love this verse.  I love that God knows exactly what He has in mind for us and we don't need to worry about it.  If I had chosen how my story would be written out, I would have missed out on times to lean on Him.  I would have certainly taken the easier route...avoiding loss of a job, infertility, loss of a baby, my husband having cancer twice, just to name a few.  If I had "my way", I would not trust Him the way I do and live for Him completely surrendered to what He has for me even when I cannot see what He is trying to do at the moment.

I am a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist.  I have been through so many stages of my life dealing with these two issues.  There was the stage where I thought because I was those things I was better than everyone else.  Then, there was a time where I absolutely hated (and I don't say that lightly) those two areas of who I was.  I still struggle with that.  Hating that part of me where my flesh takes over and says or does things that I am not proud of.

Even though I know without a doubt that God put the desire in my heart long ago to adopt a child with Down Syndrome, I still at one time was trying to take control and do it "my way".  About two years ago, I surrendered my way to God and asked Him to do it HIS WAY.  That is what is so absolutely beautiful about this story.  If I had done it my way, I wouldn't be planning a trip to Ethiopia in the near future!  If I had done it my way, I would have closed the door to any child that didn't look like my other children.  If I had done it my way, I might have said, "Not now."

What would I have missed out on had I tried to do it my way?  It makes me sick to think of that possibility.  I have seen God show up in a big way over the last 3 months.  We've been able to show our kids how God has provided for us in such a tangible way.  We've been able to see His love for this little child by the way He is making His way unfold before our eyes.

So, maybe instead of a recovering perfectionist (doing things my way), I would like to call myself a "REFINED and RENEWED" perfectionist and pleaser.  You see, there is only one that I want to please and I know His way is perfect for me.  I want whatever He wants for me.  There is much freedom in being in this place.

Isaiah 55:8-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Swim-a-thon

Camden raised $523 towards his plane ticket to Ethiopia during his swim-a-thon. Many people sponsored him by the lap and others gave him a flat donation.  It was so great for him to earn part of his way.  He swam 36 laps!!  He is so excited to go with us to Ethiopia to meet his new brother.

Great is Thy faithfulness

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

I spent some serious time in prayer this weekend about our baby boy, our situation and most specifically the finances that need to come about before we travel.  I cannot miss this opportunity to share what God has done.  How silly of me to worry.  I know that not only is He going to meet all of MY needs, but He will also meet all the needs of this little boy that I am so in love with across the world.  He cares for him.  He wants to see this adoption through.  He is going to provide all of his needs...and that includes making sure we can get to him and bring him home.

  

On paper, the cost of this adoption was IMPOSSIBLE. We needed to come up with $34,000 to cover our home study, USCIS fees, agency fees, two trips to Ethiopia and post adoption costs.  Oh and did I mention, we just started this process at the end of July and we are preparing to travel in the next 3 months??  

I've shared before about the phone call and how our lives changed that day.  You can read about it here.  We were challenged to live out our faith and our obedience to God.  We knew God had placed a desire to adopt a child with Down Syndrome in our hearts.  What we didn't know is that we would travel to Ethiopia to get him! 

It's been funny to see people's reactions and listen to their questions.  "Have you thought about this?"  "Have you thought about that?"  We realize raising this sweet boy will come with challenges.  We are ready and willing.  Our lives are not our own.  We've been bought by a price.  God has called this family to love this little boy.  We acted in obedience in saying "yes!" even though there was fear in how we would pay for this.  I can tell you God has come through over and over again in the last 3 months.  It has been amazing to see Him make a way for this little boy to come home with us.

I want to make sure that He receives ALL the glory.  This is all His doing. We are in awe that He has chosen us and that He has supplied and met all our baby boy's needs.  We cannot wait to see God's glory shine through Endale.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me

Just a little peek.....

While we'd love to show the world how incredibly adorable our baby boy is, we cannot do it publicly until he is officially ours; however, we can give you a little peek.  He is a cutie!  He helped us by covering up his face to not let people know his true identity.....in perfect super hero fashion.  Trust me, if you could see his face, it would melt your heart.  I can't wait to show him to the world, but for now you can adore his curly locks!