18 Months DTE

We have a couple changes in our numbers this month.  Up and Down.  We are encouraged that there have been a few referrals given over the past month, and one of these days it will be OUR turn!!!!!

Siblings 0-5 years

Child 4-yrs and older

Boy 19-47 months

Girl 19-47 months

Siblings 0-4 years

Adoption Updates

Pam ~ I thought that it was probably about time that I give you a few adoption updates :-).

I-171H ~ Our I-171H expired on May 22nd.  This is the document that we received from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) basically giving us permission to bring a child or children into the U.S.  It is a VERY important part of our paperwork and has to remain current until the moment that our child(ren) step onto U.S. soil.  We knew that the expiration date was approaching so we started the process to fill out the paperwork needed to update the document the beginning of last March.  However, we ran into a couple of "snags" and were unable to finish the paperwork.

Fast forward to the end of April.  We NEEDED to get the paperwork submitted, so I finally got busy working to get everything corrected.  It was a headache, but we have an AWESOME social worker and family coordinator at our agency, and they worked together with me to figure out a solution to our problem.

We mailed our paperwork on April 24, and sat back to wait for our updated I-171H to arrive in the mail.

We waited and waited and waited and waited.  I have to admit that once May 22nd (the expiration date) came and went and we STILL did not have our updated document, I began to really worry.  I finally e-mailed our family coordinator and asked her what we should do.  But she was out of the office for a few days, then a weekend, and I finally heard from her this past Monday.  She told me not to worry and then gave me a phone number that I could call to find out the status of our "application."  I came home..............

AND IT WAS IN OUR MAILBOX!!!!!!!!!

This simple, one-page document is ESSENTIAL to our adoption process and it finally came.

We scanned it last night so that I can e-mail it to our family coordinator and have her check it to make sure it is accurate.  And then, as I carefully put the paper in a page protector, I saw it.

They made a typo on one of the dates.

I don't know what will have to be done to fix it, but it probably will take a little more time, effort, and, unfortunately, worry from me.  But I know that God IS good and we WILL get it fixed.

Referrals ~ There have been a few referrals given over the past few weeks and that is always SUPER exciting as it means things are moving over in Ethiopia!!!!  Our day will come!!!!!

The Waiting ~ The waiting is HARD!!!!  When people ask us how the adoption is going (and we LOVE having people ask!!!) all we really can say is "We're just waiting."  We have been waiting for a phone call for a long time now, and we are really and truly at the point where we could get a call any day!!!!!  But we could also still be waiting for many more months.  Only God knows.

We have taken a step out in faith and I have not signed a teaching contract for next school year.  I hope to write more about that in the next couple of days, so stay tuned :-).

Please keep praying.  For us, yet.  But even more importantly, please be praying for our child(ren) in Ethiopia.  That God would have them held safely and securely in HIS arms and that they would feel HIS love and protection!!!!!