It's a "No Go"

This is an email another member of our group received today (wishing we had heard something as well - we've been sitting here all day waiting to hear some news):

We just spoke to the team in Ethiopia, who had a meeting with the US Embassy today. They discussed the extended time frame it was taking the US Embassy to issue invitations for Embassy appointments to families. It was a very positive meeting, with the US Embassy being complimentary about our Lifebooks and desire to complete ethical, transparent adoptions.

They did indicate, however, that we should no longer rely on them taking only 1 - 1 1/2 weeks to review
cases after submission (our team in Ethiopia currently submits the case at least two weeks prior to the family's
intended Embassy date, as soon as they have the required paperwork (birth certificate, passport, etc.) in order to do so). The Embassy could not provide a specific time frame that their review would take, but families would need to, instead, wait until our staff received the "okay" for the
family to travel before starting to plan for a specific Embassy date.

Please inform your families that we do not, at this time, expect that they will be able to travel for the Jan. 4 Embassy date, as we do not know when the Embassy will issue this "okay" to travel. The US Embassy is closely reviewing each child's documents, which takes time. The US Embassy pointed out that this is in the child and the family's best interest to ensure that ethical adoptions are being completed.

God only gives us what we can handle

I'm trying to believe in this as I sit in my cubicle at work stalking my email waiting for some news.  We would be at the airport at this time tomorrow.  I can't believe we don't know yet.  Trying to have faith that it will all work out............

Is this labor?

Okay, since I've had a baby before, I know this isn't what labor is really like but waiting to find out if we can leave yet 45 hours from now to bring our son home is similar to labor pains!  I'm feeling sweaty, nauseous, shaky, nervous, anxious and have no question that an epidural would help make the "pain" go away right now.  I remember counting my contractions on a newspaper the night before I had Kendal and I think that counting down the clock until tomorrow morning when we "may" find out if we can get our son is similar.  It hurts more and more the closer it gets.  "H" we are coming, we promise.  Trying to remember scripture that reminds us that things are in God's hands and that He has a plan for us. 

Wanting to Cry

We have been "patiently" waiting to hear if we have been invited to come to Ethiopia to the Embassy date on January 4th.  We would leave on Wednesday around noon from Grand Rapids (along with a few other couples in the same boat).  We were told we would get word today and no word.  A representative from the Bethany office in Ethiopia is meeting with the Embassy tomorrow to see why there is a delay.  All of the couples from Bethany have not been invited.........We are really struggling to deal with this.  We have plans for Kendal and Remington and now we may have to change all that.  No one has any answers and it's so frustrating.  I can't imagine not having our little boy any longer.  Now that we are this close, it's so much harder to wait.  So, we may get some great news tomorrow (there has not been any timeframe this short by the way) or we may have to wait who knows how long to get our son.  Please pray that we can all travel on Wednesday to get our children. 

Great News

We received an email today giving us an unofficial embassy date for January 4th!  We would leave on December 29th and return Janurary 7th!  January 7th happens to be Ethiopian Christmas.  Wouldn't this be the best Christmas present ever?  We're still trying to grasp the fact that we would leave so soon.  We are still trying to get used to the time change!  I do have the babies suitcase packed mostly already.  If anyone can think of anything really cool that a one-year old can play with that is quiet, let us know.  We have a long trip home.  So excited.  Can't believe he could be home so soon!  The last two weeks flew by so these next two weeks will be nothing.  Baby "H" will be HOME soon!!!

Happy Birthday "H"

Today is his first birthday.  Definitely bittersweet.  We can't be with him but we know he is taken care of and is a healthy, happy baby.  He did officially become our son last Friday, December 3rd.  This was a very emotional day.  Waiting for the judge seemed like an eternity, especially for my stomach.  She asked us seven questions which all of our answers were, "yes" and then she said, "He is yours."  The best three words I think I've ever heard.  We have been on this journey with six other couples and it was such a blessing to have this connection.  We should travel again in about six weeks to get him.  We are waiting for his birth certificate and passport to be processed.  When we return we will be there from a Thursday to Thursday (along with travel).  We will travel to Awassa to hopefully meet his mother.  This will be an emotional trip for sure.  We want to go there anyways to see where he is from.  The big city of Addis doesn't give a picture of the whole country.  We then will get him on the Monday and go to the US Embassy on Tuesday.  His paperwork should be processed then and be ready by Thursday and we will leave that Thursday night.  We will keep you updated on the progress of his paperwork.  Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!

Ethiopia

I hope this works. I tried to update the other day from my home email and it didnt work. Our son is the most beautiful gift ever. We got to spend about 2 1/2 hours with him the last two days. We have lot and lots of pics and video. He is such a good little boy. A lot of his personality reminds me of Kendal. We are loving this country.  It's obviously very different from the US but everyone is so laid back and wonderful. Everywhere we have been has been great. It's crazy just to see a cow walking down a busy street. The guest house we are staying in is very nice. The food is beter than we have at home. The noises are so different. At night we hear dogs, cows, Muslim chanting on a loud speaker. The smells are so different too. We got terrible news in the Chicago airport that no one going to court on Friday would pass. We all just sat there and didn't know what to think. It was due to licensing in some of the orphanages here. We got word today that one hour before our training at Bethany that the licenses were renewed! So hopefully tomorrow will go well at court and we will pass. He will then be officially our son.