GOOD NEWS

HALLELUJAH!!!  We finally got the news we have been waiting for!!  We found out yesterday that we received the final signature required in order to bring our kids home!!  Tears of joy flowed freely!!!!

Ryan was out when he got the call so he rushed home and shared the news immediately.  It was a huge surprise because we have been hearing "not today" regularly around 10am each day for several weeks.   (Ethiopia is ahead of us by 7 hours so if we didn't hear good news by 10, we knew it wasn't happening that day.)  However, for whatever reason, our caseworker called around 3:15, shocking us all.  I had just picked up the kids from an overnight time with their Nana and Papa so thankfully the kids were home too.   It was perfect timing that we were all together!  (We were grateful to all be together when we received the referral call as well.)

We will find out Monday (hopefully) when our court date is.  At this point, we are hoping we can make one trip, staying in country and bring the kids home after about two weeks.

Our hearts are overjoyed.  Praising God that our prayers were answered!

March Update

Typing the word "March" feels surreal - especially since I'm writing it without having the kids home or even having a travel date set for our family.  We've had three 'due dates' now, all of which were supposed to be dates that we would get a letter of consent.

Last week was especially difficult for me.  Our agency was extremely hopeful that we would get this last signature.  Day after day we waited on pins and needles, hopeful, only to have our hopes dashed each day by another day of 'no signature'.  It has now been over a year since we were referred these two children.  We wonder why we've hit so many roadblocks.  We wonder why we've been passed by other people in our program time and again, who have sailed through with no hiccups.  We wonder why these kids are spending unnecessary time in an orphanage when we already love them and are ready to take care of them (if only we had the ability to bring them home).

I've been asking many questions to God of 'why?', but I know I won't get an answer any time soon.  I believe that some day it will all make sense, but for now, I'm doing my best to hang on to hope.  It's not easy when we've been disappointed every single day for over a year.  But --- we know that He is faithful and we believe that His plans are greater than our own.  I just need to remind myself of that every minute of every day.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."