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!