Expect Delays (some emotional)

This week I got an email from our CWA case manager about where we are on the wait list and what the process looks like from this point forward...

Where are we on the wait list? Still #3...we've been #3 for 4 months. There's a family who submitted their dossier in August, and then I've "met" the other couple "ahead" of us. They actually submitted their dossier for 2 kiddos on the same day we did - they are adopting 2 boys!

After we accept our referral, how long until we travel before our first trip?

Once we have a referral, it will probably be about 3 months before you travel for your court hearing [maybe a long guesstimate here]. BUT the courts recess in August and September, so we definitely wouldn’t be traveling to Ethiopia for our first trip in August/September; therefore the court recess will back things up a bit – at least it has in the past.

How long between the first trip and the second trip when we bring our babies home? Once we’ve traveled for your first trip, it will be about 6 to 8 weeks before we travel for the US Embassy date to bring them home.

2 Realities plus a Bonus:

1. God is the God of all time, so he is not bound by these time lines and can bring home our kiddos whenever he wants!
2. God still works within the time confines of this world he created. Therefore, the time lines our agency has given for our adoption are realistic, too.
   
3. Since the 2 trip policy has just been instituted [beginning Mother's Day...go figure], they don't really know what it will look like.

Prayer Request: Again, I ask because my spirit can hardly pray this way without wrapping my will around the request, but I'm asking you to pray that we get our first court date BEFORE the courts close in August. It's against what would be typical, but God can do it. If we do not get the court date before August, it looks highly unlikely that we'd get our babies before the end of this year. [That's a hard reality for me to swallow].

In spite of the delays and God's tying our hearts to Ethiopia, and while we only see things in black and white, God's working in Technicolor! Thank you for praying and walking with us through the ups and downs of our adoption. Much Love!

Biological or Unrelated Siblings?

I've been asked lots of questions recently about our preferences for our kiddos, meaning what we've asked for in a referral. Our God-sized, mail order, ideal scenario would be...

Biological Siblings
Boy under 3 years old
Girl under 1 year old

But we are open for a variety of other referrals (unrelated kids, reverse gender order, 2 girls).

The biggest risks associated with accepting unrelated siblings and the new 2 trip policy is the following [from our agency's web site]:

When a family accepts the referral of unrelated children, every effort will be made to have those cases be presented to the Federal Court at the same time. However, families should also be aware that there are potential risks factors involved that are beyond CWA’s control. Those factors may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• One child’s documents may not be ready for court as soon as the other, delaying the court hearing for an indefinite period of time for both children
• One child’s court case may be approved and the other postponed for an indefinite time
• A referral of one child could be lost

Should any of these occur, a family could be faced with the option of either making two trips to bring home their unrelated children – or be asked to bear the expense of foster care fees of $450 per month until both children can travel at the same time.

In the heavens, we aren't sure what God intends for our family, but we certainly are praying God would simplify our process by providing us with biological siblings. Would you pray with us on that?
"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Matthew 6:30-33

God Found Us You

Last week has come and gone, and a referral wasn't a part of last week. Yet it is well in our soul. We believe in ever-deepening ways that God's in control of our adoption. It sounds silly to say because it's so obvious, but it resonates more and more within us...actually mainly me. Brian has an uncanny ability to trust God more with this than I do, believing in God's perfect timing. It's annoying to this wife of little faith, but comforting to that my man has that posture.

Last week, one of my dearest friends gave us this book, God Found Us You. She wanted to give it to me for Mother's Day, but she couldn't wait. Erin gets our process in ways that we so desperately need. It was a gift last week because we know that God's in process of "finding" our babies.

Thank you for your prayers and fasting last week! We have to believe that while nothing happened last week in terms of our referral, God's doing something to connect our 2 children to us. Last week we were bombarded with emails, conversations, and confirmations that God's not only growing our hearts for our kids, but he's growing our communities hearts for our kids. When that day comes, our babies will be bombarded with kisses and love. For that - and so much else - we are grateful.

Also, tomorrow marks 6 months that we've been on the wait list. Who knew it would take this long? But grace has sustained us this far, and will sustain us today.