November 17

The last notification we had received from our agency was that Ethiopian officials had stopped all adoptions from the Oromia region (our little boy is from the Shashamene orphanage in that area) until a pending investigation was complete. We had no idea how long it would take for resolution or when that area would again have the "green light" for adoptions to proceed. Imagine our surprise today upon getting an e-mail from our case manager, informing us that we had been given a court date. It was so fast and unexpected...what an answer to prayer! Apparently, our paperwork had already made it through the system before things were halted. There will be no new referrals from the Oromia region until the issue is resolved, but thankfully, everything in process was allowed to continue. I had settled in for more waiting, but was also praying that God would speed this process so that we could get our little boy home as quickly as possible. Honestly though, I was truly planning for a wait. Oh..."ME" of little faith.

(For those of you following this blog in an effort to guess the timing of events in your own adoption journey, our court date assignment came just one month and one day from the time CWA submitted the documents in Ethiopia...a fairly quick turnaround.)

So, the court date is...November 17! This really is a big step. We have waited for so long and the assignment of a court date is a good reminder that we are almost there! Typically, about half of the cases make it through court on the first attempt. The other half are rescheduled for a later date, usually due to a request for more information. If our case does not get through court, then we'll do a bit more waiting as the needed documents are compiled. However, if all is approved, on November 17, 2009, the little one we have been calling Baby G will be officially ours! Once court approval is received, travel will hopefully follow approximately 6-8 weeks later.

It is so difficult to believe how quickly things are happening now. We still proceed with a measure of caution because the timing is so unpredictable. But a court date is a BIG thing...really...and our hearts rejoiced when we heard the news. We covet your prayers as November 17 draws near and also as God reveals the last phase of this crazy, mind-numbing, heart-wrenching, seemingly ceaseless, amazing...and most importantly...soul-growing...process.

Adoption Update

We received our referral in mid-September. Since being given a name and pictures of our baby boy, the waiting has gotten so much more difficult. He is there and we are here. Before seeing his picture, I could choose to either day-dream about him or get lost in the busy-ness of life, but I didn't know who he was. Now, he is mine. I see him. I see his face, his big brown eyes. I want to hold him and love him as every child should be loved...the way only a mother can. But if there is one thing consistent with international adoption...it is the waiting.

So we wait. Again. Our paperwork is collected in Ethiopia and our agency has informed us that it is ready for court. However, there has been a recent delay in the processing of adoptions for babies from the region of Ethiopia where our child is from. This happens occasionally as authorities in Ethiopia work to ensure that all is legal and in the best interests of the children. We pray that the wait is brief. A similar issue in another part of Ethiopia was resolved in a few weeks. But really, we have no way of knowing how long it will take. This adoption is happening in God's timing and most days, I am at peace with that. However, to know that our little man is living so far away in an orphanage, when he could be here, being loved on, is very difficult. We pray for swift resolution so that we can bring our son home as soon as possible.