Good things happen when you are away from your e-mail for a few days! Kevin and I had the DEEP Retreat this past weekend with our youth group, which was AWESOME, and also meant that I didn't check my e-mail for 3 days. Sifting through it all this morning, I see an e-mail from Ann, our social worker - YAY!!!!! Our paperwork was cleared in Washington D.C., came back to Grand Rapids, and was shipped out to Ethiopia on Friday 11/12. So.....we're going to Ethiopia! And by we I do mean our paperwork, but it is so exciting! Our next update will be sent when our paperwork has been authenticated in country, translated, and approved by MOWA (the Ministry of Women's Affairs).
We had lunch with Mary and Charlie yesterday and we were talking about the adoption. If we receive a referral on the short end of the waiting period, (5-6 months) that means that an amazing Ethiopian woman is pregnant with our future child at this very moment!!!! What an amazing thing! Please pray for her, the father, and the baby. I cannot imagine what they will go through in choosing to give the baby up for adoption. I pray that they will be comforted by the grace of God and know that he is always watching over them. I pray that they will know Him and live their lives for Him. I pray for their safety and well being. I pray that they will know what a blessing this child will be to us and the amazing love we already feel for him/her.
More to come.... :)
Wow, what an amazing love you guys have for this child and parents already. We will continue to pray. I can't wait to hold and welcome this little one into our family!
ReplyDeleteLove you guys,
Christi
Hey Laura!
ReplyDeleteLove reading about your journey. We joined a group through our church (ridgepoint here in Holland) for foster and adoptive parents (we were looking into fostering). Anyway, ALL the people in it that were adoptive parents had children from Ethiopia and some had several. So it must be a good country to work with right now! We'll keep you and your process in our prayers!!!
Staci