Our adoption paperwork is done. It is hard to believe, since technically, we began this process almost three years ago before I was pregnant with our third child. We did put things "on hold" for a while...but regardless, this has been a long journey thus far.
Our Ethiopia paperwork is complete and is in Ethiopia. Our China paperwork is in China and we are waiting for confirmation. We have received approval from the U.S.C.I.S. for both adoptions. The next step will be a referral of a child from Ethiopia...a picture and some information about the next little one to be joining our family. We are hoping for a referral sometime this summer and then a trip to Ethiopia in late 2009. Receiving a referral from China will take several years, so we are focusing on Ethiopia first. The timing for both is completely out of our control.
We are excited about this next step and we are at peace with our decisions. However, there is definitely an element of unknown and if I am left to dwell on the "what-ifs," it can arouse serious anxiety in my heart. It is a major undertaking, embarked upon initially because God whispered - and it is a step of faith that is equally as scary as it is thrilling. We feel prepared and as ready as we can be, but we are approaching things with humble hearts because we know that we can not do it on our strength alone.
So for now, we wait...and I will update as things progress. We continue to covet your love and prayers as we travel this road of international adoption.
**If you have a heart for international adoption, orphans, Ethiopia or just want to help, here is one possibility. Our adoption agency, Christian World Adoption, is building a complex in Ethiopia. It will be called Acacia Village and will house a children's home, clinic, life skills school as well as housing for traveling families and those visiting on mission trips. To find out more to to donate to this project, please visit their website at www.acaciavillage.org
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