Long, Long Ago...

A prayer from Ephesians 1 from my dear friend, Rebecca, this morning...

"Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!

He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possible need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth."

Several months ago, a wise Newsonger, Jaipaul Swamidass told me, "There's nothing like adoption that's more like God." This morning, I understand that more than ever. And we're off...

**If you'd like please post PRAYERS as your comments to this blog. It'll serve as our strength, perspective, and focus as we go WITH our community to meet our children.

A Million Details. One Purpose.

Since we found out 6 days ago that we'll be leaving for Ethiopia in 2 days, we've been at Mach 2. Immediately 5 pages of lists started forming to get "things-to-do" out of my head and onto a checklist.

"Overwhelmed" doesn't begin to describe how Brian and I have been feeling. Overwhelmed at what we need to do to get on a plane. Overwhelmed to figure out work stuff while we're gone. Overwhelmed at the reality that we'll be holding our babies a couple months sooner than we anticipated. Overwhelmed at how God's re-written systems and policies enabling us and other families to be united with their babies sooner. Ovewhelmed that we might have a Christmas miracle in the form of the kiddos home! Overwhelmed at the prayers, comments, texts, calls, tweets, and messages from people like you exclaiming celebration, hope, prayers, and belief. Overwhelmed at a few incredibly sacrificial gifts allowing us to travel without any debt. Overwhelmed at the manna God's providing us every day. Overwhelmed at ridiculous offers to help us get outta here and get the kids' room ready. Overwhelmed that this is REALLY happening!!!

We are taking off for our trip on Thursday, and if you'd like to pray us through the journey here are a couple ways:

• Our court date on the 10th - pray that all that needs to happen in court on that day would be successful and that'd we'd become Lil' A and Baby T's legal parents that day.
• Bonding with our kids - we get to spend a few hours on a few days with our kids. Pray that God would knit our hearts together and allow that time together to to begin connecting our family together.
• Stayover in Germany - Brian and I have been gifted with a couple days to spend in Germany after Ethiopia. We hope to use those couple days together to celebrate, rest, and process our time in Ethiopia with our kiddos. Pray this time would be well spent, fun, and enlivening as we officially begin our journey as co-parents.
• Smooth Logistics - this isn't the most important thing, but obviously problems with flights, hotels, transportation, language, or courts could be really discouraging and unnecessary in our trip. Pray that satan wouldn't have a foothold in any of that stuff and we could have a smooth trip.
• Health and Rest - I've been fighting a cold for the past several days. Both of us haven't been sleeping well. We've found ourselves wide awake in the middle of the night. Needless to say, we're tired and a little under the weather. Not the best way to start a 24-hour trip to Ethiopia.

We hope to post while we're in Ethiopia. See ya on the flip side! :)

Court Dates :: a good change!

If there's one thing that I've theoretically learned in the past 19 months of our adoption, it's that nothing is "for sure" in the timing. Multiple times we've been surprised by the delays in our process. Since we've received our referral, we've been delighted at some unexpected changes in the time line. Thus is currently the case when it comes to our court dates!

Past Tense ::
Prior to our referral and up until this past week, we were expecting 2 separate Ethiopian court dates and a U.S. Embassy date.

• 1st court date :: We do not travel for the 1st court date; it is for any biological family members or Ethiopian officials. This court date is to affirm that our kiddos are legally approved for adoption. The time between 1st and 2nd court date is typically 4 weeks!
  
• 2nd court date :: We travel for the 2nd court date, which is when the adoption becomes legal in Ethiopia's eyes. Between the 2nd court date and Embassy is the transfer of documents to the U.S. Embassy and legalizing the adoption in the U.S' eyes.
  
• Embassy date :: The embassy date usually takes place 4-8 weeks after the successful completion of the 2nd court date. We also travel for the embassy date, and this is when our kiddos get to come home with us!

Present Tense ::
We got word on Thursday that the Ethiopian judge who hears cases for the 1st court date has decided to combine the 1st and 2nd court dates into the same day - NOT WEEKS APART! They will do the 2 court dates in the same day!!!!!!!

• Morning :: judge will see any bio family or Ethiopian official
• Afternoon :: judge will see us and approve the adoption and Lil' A and Baby T could become legally ours that day. The only way this would not happen is if the bio family/Ethiopian official doesn't appear in court that day. However, our part of the process would be completed. We'd just need to wait for the approval from the bio family/official.
  

This streamlining in the process is HUGE! This could allow us to bring our kiddos home a month or so earlier than planned. For the families that have already received 2 court dates, they are also combining them! So a couple families I know are traveling with a week's notice to that court date. They are elated and overwhelmed. This also seems to me that more court dates are open sooner than later, which leads to some prayer requests...

PRAYER REQUEST :: God would give us our court dates this week, and we could have our 2 successful dates by the end of '10. We've been asking that specific request for over a month now, and it seems like God's creating a new path so this could be possible. With the old way, that request was quickly evaporating between our fingers. Who knows!?!?!?

One of my favorite passages is Isaiah 43:18-19. It's a reminder that God is all about restoring newness from the dry and broken and worn out....

But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Confession. Theoretically, I know that God's in control of our adoption and bringing our babies home. In real life, I'm a slow learner and dumb sheep in believing that God can do whatever he wants. Continually I find myself mentally resorting to Plan B, doubting that God will pull it off. This recent news has been yet another lesson that God knows what he's doing. He can be trusted. And he wants our kiddos home more than we do. Oh ye of little faith...Forgive me Father. I know. I trust you. You're right. Help me be faithful.