Dossier

Dossier
This is the package that carried our hearts through Paris, Dubai, and on to Ethiopia :)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Several weeks ago at the end of a Sunday morning service, Pastor Danny annointed us with oil and prayed over us. People close to us laid hands on us and prayed as he prayed. He prayed that God would give us a child soon - whether through our adoption going through quickly, or through a pregnancy. Well, since then several other couples in our church have gotten pregnant... but not us. We also have heard no new news on the adoption. Tough stuff to understand. I heard God whisper to my heart this morning, "I have something better for you". Wow. Not that what He has for us is better than anyone else, just better for us as a couple.
God, I know your ways are better than my ways, and your plans are better than my plans. Help us as we try to be happy for everyone else, and wait on what you have for us, because we want what you want. Amen *tears

Monday, April 18, 2011

Hope

Since my last post (where I had planted sunflowers and they were destroyed in a storm), we have planted a full garden. It is extremely therapeutic! I would encourage anyone who is going through something emotionally difficult to plant something. There is something about planting a tiny seedling and seeing a green sprout pop through the soil that puts a smile in your heart. Shane built an above ground garden bed and then we planted together tomatoes, squash, peppers, cucumbers, cilantro, and basil. I had already re-planted some sunflowers in little pots and then transplanted them to the front of our house when they got too big for the pots.












Many of you have asked us if we have gotten any new news yet. Right now our agency is telling us that we will just have to see how things play out over the next couple of months. (Blah) Referrals are still being given and families are passing court, but they just don't know yet if wait times are going to increase for those of us without referrals yet. Keep praying!
Our garden is growing, and with that our hope.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

So, my sunflower plants were completely washed away in a horrible storm while we were out of town last week, and then symbolically with that my hope was washed away today when we read this:

Ethiopia
April 5, 2011
Notice: Significant delays remain likely for cases presented
to Ethiopia's Ministry of Women, Children and Youth
Affairs after March 8, 2011
"The Government of Ethiopia's Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs (MOWYCA)
told the American Embassy officials that adoption cases presented to the Federal Court of First
Instance prior to March 8, 2011 will be processed expeditiously. However, cases presented to the
Court after March 8 will be processed in a more deliberate manner to allow greater scrutiny and
oversight. Based on their March 8 announcement the American Embassy anticipates that
MOWYCA will process these cases at a rate of approximately 5 per day.
It is unclear whether there will be an official announcement from the Government of Ethiopia
regarding the plan to reduce the number of cases adjudicated daily.
Prospective adoptive parents who did not reach the court summons stage before March 8, 2011,
should expect significant delays in the progression of their paperwork through the Government
of Ethiopia. Prospective adoptive parents should be in close touch with their adoption service
providers to confirm the status of their cases.
The U.S. Embassy continues to work with Ethiopian government officials and adoption agencies
to gain a clearer understanding of these procedures, and will continue to post information as it
becomes available.
The Embassy's Adoptions Unit can be reached at consadoptionaddis@state.gov.
Please continue to monitor http://adoption.state.gov for updated information as it becomes
available."

Please pray for our hearts...how much hurt can one take? We have been through this cycle of hurt-pain-hope, hurt-pain-hope over and over in the last 2-3 years.

Re-planted my sunflowers yesterday, and praying that as they grow, so does our hope.