While we wait.......

While we wait....I have decided to go to HAITI!!! Another crazy bloggy mom gave me the idea! Her church is going on a missions trip to Haiti to distribute food. Ever since the earthquake my heart has ached to help in some way. This is giving me the opportunity! Along with me will be my sister Jodi and 11 others. I am so excited to see how it all turns out. This came up with only 24 hours notice! Within seconds of reading my friends facebook post I KNEW I must go!!! Crazy I know!! I love how the Lord makes you do crazy stuff! Isn't that what being a christian is all about?! Going where the Lord leads you....He clearly wanted us both to go...there were no spots left but at the last minute they made room for both of us! I am nervous and excited!!! It will truly be an experience to remember! Please pray for us as we go to lend a helping hand! If you would like to help in any way feel free to comment and I will give you my email! Also pray for my husband and children as I leave them for almost a week!

1 MONTH DTE.....9 months since we started

Our paperwork has been in Ethiopia for 1 month now...Since we have been added to the waiting list NO children have been reffered out to thier families. Each month usually many families are "matched" with thier child or given thier refferal as we call it! In January 17 children were reffered to families...In February..NONE....March...NONE(so far). We are unsure of why the slow down, we believe it is partly to do with the new guidlines the courts and the Embassy are following now. 1) Families are now required to travel for thier court apperence(previously it was done by Power of Attorney) 2) the embassy is now taking at least 8 weeks to issue the Visas our children need to travel home. So we wait!!! We are still way down on the list so we are praying for some movement!!!!
While we wait we are working on getting to house ready to accomodate 2 more children...we painted the kids rooms and put in new closet organizers and made room for the crib in the boys room! NOW BRING ON THE REFFERALS!!!

Another obstacle to test our faith..

As of March 1st all families adopting from Ethiopia will be required to travel TWICE! First time about 4-8 weeks after we recieve our referral ( for 5-7 days)and then again about 10-12 weeks later when we go to pick up our children. I am excited that we will get to see our children but we will then have to leave them again. The problem is this is going to add quite a bit of money to our total..probably another 5-7,000 dollars! My hope was to be able to take all of our children with us when we travel to go get our children but this extra expense changes alot! It also requires another week away from our jobs and our children. I know in the end it will all work out but lately I have been waiting for some good news..we have hit road block after road block!

Update

So we have been on the list for a short time now even though we have been in the process for almost 9 months!!!! According to the Unofficial list we are in 4th place for a sibling referral and tied at 10th for a boy referral. What does this mean?? 3 more families have to receive thier sibling referral before we can....how long that is the real question! Until this month multiple families per month were being matched with thier children, 17 children found forever families in January alone! February..ONE!!!!!!! None so far this month:((( So we wait..and wait and pray for some movement soon. It is exciting to be officially on the list but I will not get excited till we start getting closer to the top. At least I will try!