We're not sure yet if it because we live so close (35 miles) from the national processing center, or if it is because of my slip up with the signatures on the initial application, but we received of CIS approval on Tuesday - that's right just one week after our fingerprinting! So all that blah, blah, blah I said about having a few weeks to see what happens in Ethiopia because we can't move forward without the I-171H form just flew out the window because I have the form in my hand and its a lovely thing to behold.
So I spent most of yesterday afternoon tracking down, printing out, and getting directions to obtain notarized and certified copies of our remaining documents - which includes another doctor visit to update the medical letter that has expired, printing out photos of our home and family, and it looks like we'll be making a trip over to Jefferson City next week to get fingerprinted (Again?!) by the state police. If all of these fingerprints are electronic copies I'm sort of at a loss at so why all of the different entities don't just share the database, but it won't be a wasted trip by any means since we can take all of our notarized documents to a government office in Jefferson City to be certified the same day. And once their all certified their ready to go! (first to be authenticated, and then to Ethiopia!)
I talked with our wonderful social worker again today. I'm am so thankful that God brought such a kind, level-headed, encouraging and capable person into our life. She has been a blessing at every stage of this journey. We don't have enough good things to say about her or our agency, Children's Hope International.
She again had cautiously optimistic news for us regarding the policy happenings in Ethiopia. While nothing is official yet, things are looking like they will turn out far more positive than we even hoped for after hearing the first news of change. We, I especially, feel ready to keep moving forward. God's hand has so evidently be with us every step of this journey. He has stirred our hearts and called us to walk by faith. He has provided financially above and beyond what was required at every stage of our journey. He led us to Children's Hope, and has brought so many people and stories into our life over the past 9 months to spur us onward in our obedience to his calling. And we trust that, having begun this good work in us he will carry it on unto a completion that magnifies his glory according to the promises we cling to in Christ Jesus.
Rejoice with us in the step we are about to make! Though we can't see what lies ahead, we know the presence of the One who walks alongside us.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Choosing to See Hope on the Horizon
I suppose the best time for life to be put on hold is when your not in a place where you can make a decision to move forward anyways. And so it is with us as we wait in this holding pattern, still holding out hope for an Ethiopian adoption, while not yet being quite to a place where we have to show our cards.
We had a good, honest conversation with our social worker yesterday. Although nothing officially has changed regarding the recent changes to the adoption procedure, we were reassured to learn that much is going on behind the scenes and that the coming weeks still hold much promise for producing a stronger intercountry adoption program in Ethiopia.
So we're still holding out hope, waiting in a stage of the process where we can't yet move forward, so we might as well wait out the developments of the coming weeks.
Our CIS fingerprinting appointment was this morning at 8AM. We arrived early, parked in the employee parking, were told to move, welcomed through security, waited about 30 minutes, showed our appointment notices, filled out some forms, chatted with a worker whose wife is from Bulgaria about our time in Macedonia while he pushed our fingers down onto a little pad, and walked out the door. Now we just wait to decided what, who, or where we'll be waiting for.
Thanks for lifting us up during this crazy time.
We had a good, honest conversation with our social worker yesterday. Although nothing officially has changed regarding the recent changes to the adoption procedure, we were reassured to learn that much is going on behind the scenes and that the coming weeks still hold much promise for producing a stronger intercountry adoption program in Ethiopia.
So we're still holding out hope, waiting in a stage of the process where we can't yet move forward, so we might as well wait out the developments of the coming weeks.
Our CIS fingerprinting appointment was this morning at 8AM. We arrived early, parked in the employee parking, were told to move, welcomed through security, waited about 30 minutes, showed our appointment notices, filled out some forms, chatted with a worker whose wife is from Bulgaria about our time in Macedonia while he pushed our fingers down onto a little pad, and walked out the door. Now we just wait to decided what, who, or where we'll be waiting for.
Thanks for lifting us up during this crazy time.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wounded Waiting
What do you do when you watch what you have been working, praying, saving and striving towards for nearly 9 months beginning to disintegrate?
I've heard stories and known dear friends who have lost babies in the last phase of pregnancy. I know other friends and have heard the stories of others who have had foster children taken away or watched helplessly through bureaucratic maneuverings as the child that had been referred to them ends up placed with another family.
I've gone through a miscarriage myself and the darkness from those days when a hopeful future turned black taunts my soul.
The hopeful what-ifs and too terrified to be whispered aloud prayers swirling in my head until the receiving the definitive word of termination.
We still don't know what exactly is going on in Ethiopia - the exact reasoning behind the proposed changes (to go into effect today) or how our adoption will be affected. We have avoided chat rooms or any information other than what our agency is giving us so that we don't stoke the fires of panic that are beginning to glow in our hearts. I have even resisted calling our social worker. We are not yet on the waiting family list. I'm sure she's dealing with families who are in this a lot deeper than we are and I like to think she would have no more information than what has been made public through agency emails, so I'm telling myself that, along with avoiding definitively bad news, I'm just being one less person she has to worry about in this stressful time.
We are scheduled to get fingerprinted with CIS on Tuesday. As the Dept. of Homeland Security has already cashed our sizeable check, we've decided to keep moving forward with our application to immigrate a child. Hopefully in the few weeks it will take to get our approval form we will have a better idea of what will be our next step.
Please pray for us, for the Ethiopian officials making these decisions, and especially for the children who will go to sleep tonight without being cuddled in a mother's arms, sung sweet lullabies by their daddy, and without knowing that they are loved, safe, and home.
If you haven't already, please go to this site to sign the petition on behalf of Ethiopia's orphans.
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html
I've heard stories and known dear friends who have lost babies in the last phase of pregnancy. I know other friends and have heard the stories of others who have had foster children taken away or watched helplessly through bureaucratic maneuverings as the child that had been referred to them ends up placed with another family.
I've gone through a miscarriage myself and the darkness from those days when a hopeful future turned black taunts my soul.
The hopeful what-ifs and too terrified to be whispered aloud prayers swirling in my head until the receiving the definitive word of termination.
We still don't know what exactly is going on in Ethiopia - the exact reasoning behind the proposed changes (to go into effect today) or how our adoption will be affected. We have avoided chat rooms or any information other than what our agency is giving us so that we don't stoke the fires of panic that are beginning to glow in our hearts. I have even resisted calling our social worker. We are not yet on the waiting family list. I'm sure she's dealing with families who are in this a lot deeper than we are and I like to think she would have no more information than what has been made public through agency emails, so I'm telling myself that, along with avoiding definitively bad news, I'm just being one less person she has to worry about in this stressful time.
We are scheduled to get fingerprinted with CIS on Tuesday. As the Dept. of Homeland Security has already cashed our sizeable check, we've decided to keep moving forward with our application to immigrate a child. Hopefully in the few weeks it will take to get our approval form we will have a better idea of what will be our next step.
Please pray for us, for the Ethiopian officials making these decisions, and especially for the children who will go to sleep tonight without being cuddled in a mother's arms, sung sweet lullabies by their daddy, and without knowing that they are loved, safe, and home.
If you haven't already, please go to this site to sign the petition on behalf of Ethiopia's orphans.
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html
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