WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!

Baby "G", here we come!



We received a call from one of the Ethiopia case managers on Friday afternoon right around 1:00! Our case manager "B" was out of the office that day so I had just accepted the fact that we wouldn't hear about a court date this week, but my God is a God of surprises and goodness! So "K" called on "B's" behalf to tell us she had some good news---we had a court date! February 9!

That means we need to be in the country by Sunday, February 6th, we will meet baby "G" the following day spending the 7th and 8th with her (changing, feeding, bathing, and bonding with her), and then we go to court on the 9th. We will then leave for home the 10th. I am SO excited. It is really happening! So....8 weeks from today we will be in Ethiopia. And in 8 weeks and 1 day I will be holding my baby girl. (I'm teary eyed typing this because I can't believe I'm actually typing this!)



We've already been on the phone with our travel agent, and we already have some KLM tickets held. Our itinerary needs to be approved by AGCI before we can book them, so I'm anxiously awaiting Monday so we can finalize our travel plans. We actually might leave a few days early so we have just a little extra time to explore our daughter's birth country and make memories for her that she otherwise won't have the chance to do. I want to be able to tell her about where she came from because I experienced it for her, not because I read it in a book somewhere. Does that make sense?



Thank you all so much for your prayers!
*We have a court date: now will you start praying for that court date? That everyone and everything (people and documents) that needs to be there, WILL be there, that the judge will feel he/she has complete information to make a decision immediately and won't need to issue a continuance, and for peace and comfort for "G"s birth mother throughout this process?

*Please continue to pray for baby "G"s health, growth, strength, and protection.

*Please pray for our family as we prepare for a big life change with the addition of a new little one who is going to need a lot of her mommy's time.

*Please pray for safe travel, and for health and joy for our kids who be staying at home with family (I've never been away from them for more than 2 nights).



"The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy!" Psalm 126:3

WE GOT THE CALL!!

I'm warning you: this post is long, but I don't want to forget God's goodness!

The call came! It really did! I wish I could have posted a little sooner, but it has been a whirlwind since it happened. This is the story....
On Monday morning, November 22, I woke up to the alarm on our cell phone which happens to be the same ring tone as the one I set for our All God's Children case manager, "B." I had changed my ringtone to a specific one for her, so I would stop jumping every time the phone rang. I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be a sweet sound to hear that ringtone later today?" Little did I know...

As I got ready for the day, I was thinking from time to time, "This could be the day." I kind of had this feeling--and then I'd think, "but probably not," so I wouldn't set myself up for disappointment. As the day went on, I got busy with our routine.

I picked up Qdoba early because a new store was having a grand opening special of buy one get one. I NEVER get take out for dinner, but thought I would pick it up and warm it up later to treat our family that night--the special was too good to ignore! :)

Then I had to pick my daughter up from preschool at 11:30 a.m. I brought her to the doctor's office for a short visit. I also had my son and my nephew with me because I had planned to meet my sister at home after the doctor. We had planned for her to come to our house over the weekend, but she had to cancel twice and asked if she could come today instead.

On my way home from the doctor's office, I thought, "Wouldn't today be a perfect day to get the call? I already have dinner made and wouldn't have to worry about cooking and my sister is going to be there....(for taking pictures, watching the kids during the call, etc)" And then I thought, "No, it'd be too good to be true."

Well, after being in the door about 20 minutes, at about 1:15, my sister and I were in the middle of making lunch for the kids and all of a sudden, the RING TONE!! I froze, and checked the caller i.d. to make myself believe that it was "B" from AGCI, and then started screaming, "It's the call!" I tentatively said, "Hello?" And "B" said, "Hi Susan. How are you?" I told her I was fine--she asked me how my weekend was and I said fine, my voice trembling by this point. And then she said those words I have been longing for 9 months to hear, "Do you have a few minutes? I have a little girl I'd like to talk to you about." And I said, "YES!" but I wanted to quick check with my husband Aaron to see if he was able to listen in on the call, or if it was okay with him if I took the call and the information. I hung up the phone and started screaming, "They have a little girl they want to talk to us about!" My sister and I started jumping up and down holding onto hands and screaming! The kids were looking at us like we were crazy and started laughing at us!

After trying to call Aaron 2-3 times, he finally called back. It felt like eternity and I'm thinking, "Hurry up, so I don't lose this little girl!" I could barely get out, "They have a little girl they want to talk to us about!" Unfortunately he was with a patient and couldn't listen to the call but gave me permission to take the call as long as I waited to see her pictures with him for the first time.Excitedly I hung up and dialed "B" back right away. Thank goodness she picked up on the first ring. She proceeded to tell me about a precious 6 week old baby girl, born October 5 named, "G". As she went through her history and information me, I felt so many different emotions from joy, to disbelief, to grief (for what she had experienced already as well as the decision her birth mom had to make), to excitement and more. I cried as I listened to the birth mom's wishes for her precious baby girl, and vowed I would fulfill it. I thanked God for His goodness--His unbelievable and ever perfect timing--His providence over our family's life and this precious baby girl, and her birth mother. God's timing IS perfect! Do you believe that God kept changing my sister's schedule so she had to be at our house on Monday? I do!! Do you believe that God put the idea and desire in my head to buy Qdoba (on a Monday morning for goodness sake!) so I wouldn't have to worry about dinner that night? I do!!! Do you know that the call came the day after Aaron's birthday? Do you know that until about a month ago I had no idea that my mom has been praying we would get our referral by Thanksgiving? God answers prayers people! God is listening! God's timing is always perfect! It HAD to be this way so we could have precious "G" in our family. He continues to be more real to us day after day as we travel this adoption journey.

Okay...so again perfect timing: Aaron walks in the door as soon as I hung up the phone with "B". I was so thankful I didn't have to wait another minute to see her face for the first time. We equipped my sister with our video camera and camera, and then....opened the email with her pictures only to see the most precious and perfect baby girl. Her huge brown eyes looked back at us. She was so bright eyed and alert and looked like a fighter despite her rough start! In a couple of her pictures she even had a little smile with dimples! I kept telling my sister and husband, "If I could have drawn the images I was trying to make in my mind of what I thought she'd look like, this is it!" She's the most petite little thing--a tiny nose, dainty mouth, and then big brown eyes to go with it! I would love to share her pictures with you, but in the interest of her safety and well-being still being in custody of the Ethiopian government, we are advised to not post her pictures online anywhere. We would love to share her pictures with you in person anytime though!

The rest of the afternoon and evening was filled with celebration--eating our Qdoba!-- and contacting our international pediatrician so she could do as complete a medical review on little "G" as possible with the information we were given by AGCI. I didn't expect to hear back from the pediatrician until the next day, but was good to us again and she called at about 6:30 p.m.
What she had to tell us was not easy to hear--our little girl has had a hard start. It was hard to come back to reality. I won't tell you that Satan didn't try to put doubts and fear in our heart and mind. He is the master of this. But I will tell you that our God is not a God of fear. And I will tell you that during the middle of the night on Monday when I was battling insomnia laden with this fear, He spoke His truth to me. I struggled with true surrender--knowing that fully saying "yes" and starting to love a little one halfway around the world would put me in such a vulnerable place. Knowing that saying "yes" could mean making sacrifies I've never dreamed of making or asking my family to make. But God said to me, "I rescued "G". Now you rescue her. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God--and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." I knew at that point that this was our little girl. God told my friend who was praying on our behalf, "I matched her with them." And as she asked again if this litte one was meant to be ours, He just said, "But I matched her with them!" Of course He did! He timed everything exactly right so she would be placed in our path, and us in hers. WE got the call for "G" because God chose her for us!

And....so now we wait. Again. We wait for our court date so we can see and hold our daughter for the first time. I long for that day.

I do not know what the future holds for this little one or our family, but I do know that God's plan is good! And I do know that the best place to be is in complete surrender to His plan. And so...we surrender. We surrender everything to you Lord Jesus so that you will be glorified--so that your name will be praised--so that you will receive credit for the amazing work you are doing and will continue to do in our family and in our little "G"s life. You are Holy. You are in control. You deserve honor...and glory....and praise. You have dominion over everything seen and unseen. And so we give our lives to you. We give our family to you. May you be glorified now and forevermore.

Just Waiting For a Call!

Hi Everyone!
So we are waiting (unofficially)at #1 for our baby girl and #4 for siblings! Is it possible to be peaceful and on edge at the same time? Because that's how I feel! I finally changed my ring tone to something different for our case worker so I wouldn't jump every time my cell phone rang.
I did pretty well with the waiting earlier this week, but truthfully, it's getting harder now each day as I wonder what our baby girl (or our kids!) look like--I want to trace the outline of cheeks and fingers, and look into their eyes. I want a name or names to pray for. I'm ready to move on to the next step of our journey. But...it's not my timing is it? It's HIS and HIS alone. God knows best, and sees the big picture that I cannot see. Aaron is now "officially nervous." :) I cannot wait to post about "the call" and celebrate with everyone who has been praying us through this journey. The strange thing about adoption though, is that our celebration is another family's sadness as they are giving up something absolutely precious and priceless to them. I just know that somehow this is part of God's big picture and that He will be glorified in it. I just know that this is an earthly picture of what God did for each of us as spiritual orphans, and I am without words to express my gratitude to Him for allowing us to be part of it.
So...hopefully the next time I talk with you we'll have news to share. Blessings to you all!

MOVEMENT!!

I apologize it's been forever since our last post but this has been one crazy fall season for our family! Our official October numbers were: #12 for girls, and #13 for siblings. But there has been some major movement and a flurry of referrals in the past 2 weeks, so as far as we can calculate we should be....#7 (yes 7!!!) for girls and #10 for siblings! Those are "unofficial numbers," but we don't care! (This just means that we haven't gotten our official update from our agency yet). The sibling list has been moving pretty slowly and the change in our numbers on that list is due to the families who were on a single child waiting list receiving their referral, not because siblings have been referred. It's not looking terribly likely that we'll receive siblings at this point, but we know that God knows best for our family.

We continue to ask for your prayers. That God will continue to grant us patience and trust in His timing... That God will begin to prepare the heart of our little one for her new family...That our little one's birth family will fully experience God's presence and peace in their decision... That the entire referral and court process will be smooth...That our current children's hearts will be prepared and ready to love and welcome a new sibling...That no matter what, God will be glorified!!!

Here we come baby girl!! We pray for you daily. For your health, for your safety, for your mom's safety, that you will know the love of Jesus from day 1, and that you'll be safely in our arms as soon as God sees fit. You are loved. You are a daughter of the King. You have a purpose. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May He grant you peace.

Families Needed for Older Ethiopian Waiting Children

I just received this email from a Christian World Adoption staff member of the need for families of some older waiting children. If not adopted soon, these children will be removed from the adoption program in the orphanage they are staying at. Please, please, if you have ever considered adoption, or can think of anyone who has expressed a heart for adoption and would open their hearts and homes to these children, spread the word!!

Here is her email:

Dear Families,
My name is Emily Beddingfield and I am Christian World Adoption's Ethiopia Waiting Children Coordinator. I am sending this email to all of you, in an effort to find homes for some older children who have been waiting a long time for a family.
I have been informed that some of these children will be removed from the adoption program soon by the orphanage unless a family can be found. If you are interested in older child adoption, please see the brief descriptions below and let me know as soon as possible if you would consider any of these children.

#1) A sibling group of 2 boys: Ages approximately 11 and 8. The older boy has had epilepsy and the younger boy has vision problems. There is an adoption grant available for their adoption.

#2) A sibling group of a boy and a girl: The boy is approximately age 11 and the girl is approximately 7-8 years old. No known special needs.

#3) A single boy: Approximately age 10. No known special needs.

#4) A sibling group of 4 girls: Ages approximately 10, 8, 7 and 6. The older two girls have Hepatitis B. I have been informed that if a family wanted to adopt just the 2 younger girls (or just the 2 older girls), they could do so. The hope is one family for all 4, but if there were 2 families who would each take 2, the orphanage staff is okay with that. (In addition, these girls are half siblings to #3, the single 10 year old boy).

#5) A sibling group of 3 girls: Ages approximately 11, 9 and 7. No known special needs.

#6) A single boy, around age 6-7 years old: Has had epilepsy and a difficult past.

#7) A sibling group of 2 girls: Ages approximately 8 (or older!) and 7 years. The younger girl has crossed eyes. The older girl has been diagnosed as having thoracic hypokyphosis.

If you are interested, please email me at emilyb@cwa.org. If you have not done so already or are not a current client of CWA, we will need you to complete an Ethiopia Program Questionnaire and a Referral Confidentiality Agreement. These can be found on the home page of the Ethiopia Hope Project or I can email them to you upon request. Once these are returned to me, I can send you photos and information on the child(ren) you are interested in. (Please keep in mind that only one family may consider children at a time, so if more than one family is interested, I will maintain a wait list. Because we have only a very limited time to place most of these children, each family will only be given a short time period to consider the children.) Please note that this email is coming from a “Do Not Reply” email address. Please make sure to address your email to: emilyb@cwa.org.

Thank you for your time and God Bless!

Emily Beddingfield
Christian World Adoption

If You'd Like to Help...

As many of you know, Ethipia recently passed a new requirement that adoptive families will now need to make 2 trips in order to complete their adoption. This is a long story which I'd be happy to share with any of you, but this was somewhat disheartening as we thought we were almost to the end of the road with our saving and fundraising--instead of being about $5,000 away from that goal, we are now approximately $10-12,000.00 farther away from that goal because of the huge cost of airfare. We will now need to purchase 2 pairs of airline tickets to Ethiopia probably within weeks of each other once we get that far in the process which we're praying (Lord willing) will be anytime from late fall to early winter. So...back to strategizing and coming up with creative ways to save pennies! We would covet your prayers that God would continue to provide in this journey--we know He will, but maybe even prayers that we would be continually reminded of that!

During this process, we've had some people ask us if there is any way they can donate towards our adoption fund but also get a tax credit at the same time. At first we thought no, but we have come to learn otherwise!! A small group of members from a local church, Heritage Christian Reformed Church (actually the church I grew up in), has started an orphan care/adoption ministry called Commission 127.
This ministry is named after the passage James 1:27 in the Bible which states: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Commission 127, under the umbrella of Heritage CRC (as a non-profit organization) is able to accept donations on the behalf of adoptive families and provide tax write-offs in return. Their passion is to make adoption costs more affordable for families by providing this service. This is how it works if you would like to make a donation towards our adoption fund:

1. Write a check to Heritage CRC with it clearly designated to Commission 127--this designation can be done in writing as well as written in the "memo" section on the check. Do NOT however, write our family's name anywhere on the check itself.
Heritage's address is: 3089 - 84th St. SW Byron Center, MI 49315

2. In a separate note in writing to Commission 127, let them know that your desire is that the check benefit the Aaron and Susan Bailey Adoption Fund.
3. Commission 127 then will notify us that funds have been received for our fund and will write a check directly to our adoption agency on our behalf. They can also write a check to a travel agency as we get closer to our travel time to help with the cost of our flights.
Note: You may choose to remain anonymous or let us know if you provided this gift to our adoption fund--just clarify that in writing along with your other notes of designation.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 616-877-3763 or email me at baileyplace1@charter.net.

GARAGE SALE COMING UP!!

I am planning another garage sale coming up next month on July 29 and 30 as part of our neighborhood sales. All of the proceeds of course will be going into our adoption fund. If you have any items that you would like to get rid of and that you think would sell well at a garage sale, please feel free to donate them to us! I can pick them up if necessary. Spread the word too please!!

Latest Numbers!

Many people have asked what our "numbers" are lately for our waiting process:
So...our official June numbers are: #16 for siblings, and #28 for girls!

Unfortunately we have not seen much movement at all for the last month or so--there is a lot of speculation that this has something to do with the new "2 trip policy" being implemented in Ethiopia in May. I am trying so hard not to get impatient, knowing and continually reminding myself that everything and I mean EVERYTHING happens in God's timing. Things have to go this way so that the little one/s he's picked out for our family end up in our family!

Please pray with us for our little one's health and well-being, and for her mother as well--that she would feel God's peace and presence as she needs to make such a hard decision, or that if she is sick and losing strength, that God would reassure her that her baby will be part of a loving family. This things are so hard to think about, and sometimes I don't want to think about them, but I know it's necessary. My heart breaks for the countless orphans and mothers in such a heart-wrenching position--but if my heart is breaking for the things that break God's heart, that is where I want to be. God has called us to love and care for the orphan through adoption at this stage in our life--how has He called you?

New Numbers!! AND we received our FDL!!!!

So we received our new "official" waiting list numbers for the month! We are now #40 on the girls list and #18 on the siblings list. Since February, we've dropped 10 numbers for girls, and 2 numbers for siblings. What I love about these new numbers, is that our girl number was a direct answer to prayer. I was guesstimating that we were about 41 or 42, but a couple days before getting our new numbers, I was talking to God, and just said, "You know Lord, it would be really great if we could be #40..." and He answered! God is good, isn't He? He's listening people!!

The next great news we received on Friday, April 9 was our FDL (favorable determination letter)notice from US Immigration. This is our go-ahead and permission to bring an orphan/s into the United States.
Thank you Lord for such quick timing! We submitted our application for this around February 10, were fingerprinted at the USCIS branch office here in town on March 29, and then received our FDL on Friday! All in all, this only took 2 months, when average is 3 or more months. We are so thankful that we have this document in hand and won't have to worry about timing. The reason this is so important is because we need to have our FDL in order to be able to eligible to accept our referral when that time comes.
THANK YOU JESUS!

Changes in our Adoption Process

We received some pretty unexpected news today....as many of you know, currently with Ethiopian adoptions, families are only required to travel once. You pass court before you travel, and then go once to Ethiopia to pick up your child and bring them home.
As of this morning, a new policy was passed in Ethiopia in response to some recent occurrences of some 41 failed adoptions because these adoptive families (NOT from our agency!) decide their child is not who they thought they were! Yeah...don't get me started on that one!
But anyway, starting immediately, all families will be required to take two trips to Ethiopia. The first will be 3-4 weeks after you receive your referral. That trip will require the presence of both parents to meet and bond with your child, and then sign the adoptive contract in person. After that time, the court proceedings will take place. Once court has been passed (they're estimating 6-8 weeks after your first trip), another trip will be needed to bring your child home. This trip can be either one or both parents.
I know this in the best interest of everyone, but purchasing airfare two times in a matter of a couple months to Ethiopia...ouch!
As some of our fellow adoptive families from our agency have said though, we'll now have two chances to bring donations to Hannah's Hope, and get to meet our child that much earlier. I'm trying to look on the bright side of things!
Our agency has been awesome at keeping us updated about everything.

"Thank you Lord for an agency that cares about its families, the children they're serving, and the God in charge! Bring our baby/ies home soon." Amen.

Our New Official Waiting List Numbers!

So we received a call from our caseworker yesterday and we received our latest wait list numbers. We are now officially.....
#46 for Girls
and
#20 for Siblings

Yeah! We're praying the numbers keep on moving!

Scrapbooking/Craft Fundraiser: "Croppin for Adoption"

Okay Ladies....So here they are! The final details for the day away I was telling you about!I have been so blessed by a friend who has been helping me (or I should say, I've been helping her!) organize this super fun day. Below is all the information on the flyer we've been hanging several places as well, but if you have any more questions, feel free to call me: 877-3763 or email me at baileyplace1@charter.net

SCRAPBOOKING FUNDRAISER
“CROPPIN’ FOR ADOPTION”
Please join us as we help Aaron and Susie Bailey raise the funds needed to adopt a child from Ethiopia. They are very excited about this and can’t wait to give a special child a forever home.
When: Saturday, April 17, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Corinth Reformed Church: Ministry Training Center: bldg on hill behind church)
129 100th Street SE, Byron Center, MI
(Just east of 131, off 100th Street Exit)
Cost: $25.00 Fee
Your $25.00 will get you ample space to complete your pages and enjoy your friends. Every participant will receive a goodie bag. Breakfast, lunch, and supper will be provided. We will have a Creative Memories Consultant there for your needs. We have a fun-filled day complete with food, friendship, trivia, games, and lots of door prizes (gift certificates, scrapbooking items, etc.). You are welcome to come and work on other crafts/catch up projects if you don’t scrapbook. Bring a friend and join our fun while helping to give a child a forever home. You don’t want to miss out on this event. You may want to bring your quarters as you will need them for the games for the door prizes! 

Please RSVP by April 1, 2010 to Michelle Bosse at 616-877-3089 or Susie Bailey at 616-877-3763.

Remember! Even if you don't scrapbook, you're welcome to come and stamp away, or work on any other craft projects you enjoy such as sewing, knitting/crocheting, or anything else. Or...maybe you want to make a dreaded project like catching up on filing something fun by spending a whole day with women with games and awesome door prizes---no cooking involved!!

Hope to see you there!

ADOPTION NEWS!!!

YIPPPPEEEEE!!!!
We are so incredibly pleased to announce that we are now OFFICIALLY on the waiting list for our agency, All God's Children! We just received word this afternoon that our dossier had been reviewed, and everything looked fantastic. THANK YOU LORD for answering our prayers that everything would be done correctly and no "re-do's" would be necessary!
So....our first official waiting list numbers are...
#50 FOR THE GIRL WAITING LIST AND #22 FOR THE SIBLING WAITING LIST!!!
(The un-technical side of me is coming through with our daughter's picture being sideways--I could not figure out how to flip it for anything! :) Apologies!

Even though the numbers appear very different from one another,the sibling list tends to move a lot more slowly than the single child lists. With our sibling parameters being so limited (0-20 months), it will be an act of God if we end up with siblings. But....the Lord knows, and the Lord will do what He wants to do! We rest in that.

We can't tell you what a relief and what a feeling it is to FINALLY be on the waiting list. After hours of paperwork, education, standing in lines, sending emails and forms away....our paper chase is DONE (at least for the time being :)
We can now sit back, and anticipate meeting our new child/ren in the coming months. Although there is no way to know how long it will take for us to receive our "referral" (the term used for your adopted child when you find out who has been selected for your family), it is not unlikely we will be waiting at least 8-12 months before this will happen. Then comes having your court date in Ethiopia scheduled, passing court, and then finally travel. So it will be a little while before the new little Bailey(s) come home!
Please join us in praying for our child/ren and their birth mother and family as we wait. We pray for their health,for peace, for love and comfort, and that the hand of our Father God will be upon them.

LADIES DAY AWAY FUNDRAISER COMING UP!

So... a wonderful friend of mine has offered to help organize our next fundraiser. If spending a whole day away with other women, having all your meals cooked for you, having access to delicious snacks throughout the day, and having all the uninterrupted time you want to work on your scrap booking, stamping, craft project, filing, or ANYTHING else you want to catch up on sounds like a fun day to you....this day is for you!
On April 17 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (location TBA), we will be hosting a ladies day away. This day will not disappoint you! You will have the whole day to spend time with just women working on any special project you may have in mind. Door prizes and games will be just part of the fun! More details will follow in the near future including cost. You won't want to miss this day! Mark it on your calendars and start spreading the word!

What's next for fundraising???

So we're trying to stay creative with our fundraising endeavors, trying our best to save whatever we can, working extra hours,etc. to continue to fund our adoption journey.

We have however, come up with a couple ways in which our friends and family and others can help us if they have the heart to do so. One is through our own coffee shop through Just Love Coffee Roasters. Check out the link in the top corner of our blog, or follow the link below to enter our own coffee shop where only free trade coffee is sold. Basically we will receive $5 for every bag of coffee sold on our site, and you get wonderful coffee in return (some from Ethiopia!)This is a really neat organization!

http://www.justlovecoffee.com/BaileyBeanery

Next...keep your eyes open for a ladies day away for a scrapbooking/craft day (hopefully coming up in April). If you are a Creative Memories fan, love to scrapbook, stamp, sew, knit, or do anything else crafty, this will be day for you. Enjoy fun and fellowship with other women as you have an entire day to work on your special project/s with all meals provided! More details to follow soon!

ADOPTION UPDATE, ZUMBATHON RESULTS!

Now that the Zumbathon is done, I may actually have time to keep our blog updated a little more frequently. Our Zumbathon was a great success--so completely evident that God was present and so behind it. The instructors that helped us out that night were absolutely fabulous. God certainly hand-picked each and every one. My family was the most incredible behind the scenes team I could imagine, keeping everything for the auction side of the night going so smoothly, the food table stocked... And....with everyone's support, we raised just over $3,000! GOD IS GOOD!

As far as our adoption progress, here goes: Well, we finally received our home study today, only to find some type-o's that probably need to be fixed before we can actually use it. OOOOHHHHH, this has been such a long wait already, and I'm trying to stay patient, but it's getting so hard when I keep seeing families being added to our agency's wait list. I want to be on that list so badly. I know everything is in God's timing though, and I'm trying to remind myself of this aloud, because when I don't, I get incredibly impatient. We had originally expected to have our final draft of our home study at least 2-3 weeks ago. That is the last piece we need to be able to send our dossier in to our agency.
Once that occurs, and everything has been proofed/approved, we will be put on the waiting list and on our journey to find out who our new child/ren will begin! Because of the ages of our biological kids, we've been approved for a baby girl, age 0-12 months at the time of referral, or a sibling group, ages 0-20 months at the time of referral. So we'll just wait and see what God has chosen for us!
If you would like to keep us in your prayers, we ask for the following:
1. That our home study would be fixed as quickly as possible so we can send our dossier in no later than the end of this coming week.
2. That everything will be completed correctly and no mistakes will be found in our dossier when it gets sent to Portland.
3. That we will get our fingerprint appointment quickly and that our USCIS approval will happen quickly once we've been fingerprinted(important piece of government approval necessary before we can be eligible to accept a referral).