We are Still Here!

Wow, I am behind on blogging, aren't I!! Thank you for checking out our blog and being interested in what is going on; we appreciate the time that you take to do that. I am sorry that I have not done a very good job the last couple of months updating things.

So, in April, I had my birthday, which was really fun because I received some really cool gifts that had a wonderful theme: Adopting from Ethiopia!!!! Kevin gave me a charm called "Chosen Hand: The Gift of Adoption." It is the sweetest charm that I can wear as a necklace. My friend, Melodie, had received one for her birthday, so I found out about it from her. You can check out www.sterlinggrace.net for your very own charm. It comes with the sweetest poem, which is written below.

For a child you prayed
He heard the request
And that of the birth Mother
who wanted the best
The prayers of each other
He merged together
Directing our paths
He broughts us together
From His own hand into yours
God created me
Then you chose to take me
A parents love birth deep
in your heart
Our lives are now blessed
thanks be to God
for knowing what's best.

My sweet friend, Melodie, also bought me a beautiful charm that means "mother" in Amharic, which is the official language in Ethiopia. She found it at www.dosbesitos.etsy.com. I LOVE IT!!! Then, my precious mother-in-law, Karen, got me a t-shirt online that has Ethiopia spelled out in the colors of the nation's flag. I love getting to wear all of this because they are a constant reminder of the precious child that God has chosen for us. It was a great birthday!

As far as timing on our referral, there have been some changes. In March, things were looking really good for us to receive our referral in June; however, since that time there has been a continual slowing for several reasons that I have listed below.

- it is taking longer for all the appropriate paperwork regarding the child's orphan status to be processed prior to them being eligible for adoption
- an increasing number of agencies are beginning to work in Ethioipia, so that, combined with several other country's adoption programs closing and having significantly increased wait times means a larger number of families adopting from Ethiopia
- Our agency just started adopting with their second orphanage, but there is an authority change occuring for this orphanage within Ethiopia, so that has held up referrals from that orphanage. They hope that this will be resolved soon and more referrals will begin to be processed from that orphanage.
- Now, this final reason is a wonderful reason that we are very pleased with and excited about. More family and child welfare aid is becoming available, so more families have the option of choosing to parent in Ethiopia!!!! That is awesome and an answer to prayer!

So, with all of this going on, then they are anticipating that we will receive our referral towards the end of the summer or later. Yes, on the one hand we are definitely disappointed. It feels as though the closer we get, then the further our referral gets. On the other hand, we can't be disappointed if more children have the ability to stay with their birth families in their birth countries! Now, we definitely know that there are MILLIONS (144 million to be exact) of children who need homes, so we know that God has a child ordained for our family, so we are doing the best that we can to wait patiently on Him. I guess what I am trying to say is that is difficult to be completely disappointed and impatient if we know that some things are actually being done to help children be able to stay with their birth parents. Now, the important thing and the challenge is ensuring that these families have what they need to appropriately and successfully raise their children throughout their lives. Most importantly, we are prayerful that believers will be supporters of such endeavors and active in going and sending others so that the world may know HIM.

Now, I am not going to kid you or myself and pretend that the waiting is not excrutiating at times. It definitely has it moments and its days, and I definitely struggle with will this ever happen or is this just a distant dream. The study of Esther by Beth Moore is being offered at my place of employment during lunch on a weekly basis. So, this week she talked about waiting on the Lord and not on the event. She talked about how waiting on the actual event will drain you and exhaust you, but that waiting upon the Lord will renew our strength. I thought it was an amazing distinction to make. All this time, I kept telling myself to wait upon the Lord, but I have been waiting on our referral. Now, I don't know what it completely looks like to wait upon the Lord in this particular situation, but I am asking the Lord to help me. He and I have had several conversations that He will have to teach me how to trust Him through this. Wow, what a journey!

Well, thank you for enduring all of this information; it is probably more than you bargained for, but that is the update at this point. I will do better at blogging more often, so the entries aren't so long! Oh yes, on a fun note, my brother and his family returned from Eastern Europe last week from their service. So, it is so nice to have them back home, and I will get to see them soon. I can't wait to squeeze my little newphews!!!!