God is just wonderful! Last week we got word that our little boy Merga (he is about 6-7 months old) is already at the Transition House in Addis, the capital city. This is wonderful news. The Transition House is specifically for children who have already been matched with their families and are just waiting for court. Abdi (our 2 year old) is still in Kamashi, about 14 hours outside of the capital city. When I asked our case worker she said that they probably couldn't get him moved to the Transition House until mid March. They are waiting for families to come pick their children up, and thus make room at the Transition House. Many families have a March 11 embassy date. I prayed yesterday morning that the Lord would move and that somehow Abdi would be able to come to Addis, even if he wasn't able to move into the Transition House just yet. We are still waiting on a full medical report for Abdi. This is very important before we go to court, for us and for the court. When I prayed that prayer yesterday morning, little did I know that God had already provided an answer. I opened my e-mail just minutes later and Sue had sent me a message. Sue said that Abdi is supposed to come to Addis today and he will immediately go to get his full medical exam. Our case should be submitted to court on Monday! Oh me of little faith!
Here is how you can be praying over the next few days:
--That God would indeed make a way for Abdi to get to Addis today to get his medical exam and be ready to go to the Transition House with his new brother, Merga.
--That the medical exam would go well for Abdi, proving him to be a healthy boy ready for adoption, and that we would get the results soon.
--That God would protect Abdi physically and emotionally as he is moved to Addis.
--That our case would be ready to be submitted to court on Monday!
--That God would provide for us for the remainder of the adoption.
Thank you so much, once again, for your prayers, encouragement and support.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Child's Process
Here are the steps our children go through:
1. Child arrives at an Orphan Center
2. Child goes to the doctor for a medical examination and blood work (when the next vehicle is available)
3. Child is available to be referred to a family who has completed their Dossier (immediately)
4. Legal documents are gathered on the child (unknown amount of time…depends on availability of electricity, birth parent, etc… )
5. Sole, surviving birth parent goes to court, if parents are deceased the Orphan Center’s director serves this role.
6. Child’s paper work is submitted to embassy for passport and visa. Embassy appointment given to family.
7. Child goes home with family.
At this point in time, our agency is gathering legal documents for Abdi and Merga so that their cases can be submitted to court. Merga is at the transition house in Addis (the captial city). We are waiting for Abdi to be moved to the transition house, he is still in Kamashi right now (about 12 hours away from Addis). Our director said it could be mid March until Abdi can be moved to the transition house because it is full of children waiting for their embassy appointments.
1. Child arrives at an Orphan Center
2. Child goes to the doctor for a medical examination and blood work (when the next vehicle is available)
3. Child is available to be referred to a family who has completed their Dossier (immediately)
4. Legal documents are gathered on the child (unknown amount of time…depends on availability of electricity, birth parent, etc… )
5. Sole, surviving birth parent goes to court, if parents are deceased the Orphan Center’s director serves this role.
6. Child’s paper work is submitted to embassy for passport and visa. Embassy appointment given to family.
7. Child goes home with family.
At this point in time, our agency is gathering legal documents for Abdi and Merga so that their cases can be submitted to court. Merga is at the transition house in Addis (the captial city). We are waiting for Abdi to be moved to the transition house, he is still in Kamashi right now (about 12 hours away from Addis). Our director said it could be mid March until Abdi can be moved to the transition house because it is full of children waiting for their embassy appointments.
Friday, February 12, 2010
The Process Now
For those wondering what is going to happen next, below is a list of the process from here on out. This list is from our agency, Celebrate Children International. Please know that the time frames given are just general estimations, and may not be accurate for our case. Our case may take longer. They can never know for sure. We hope to bring our boys home at some point this summer, probably late summer. We are certain that God is in control of the timing.
1. Receive referrals.
2. Dossier is translated and authenticated in Ethiopia (2 weeks)
3. Your dossier goes (3-6 weeks)
4. CCI’s in country representative submits your case to court for a court date (1 week)
5. Your court date is given (4-6 weeks later)
6. Court takes place with an in country representative from CCI acting on your behalf by Power of Attorney to complete the adoption (same day). Sometimes it takes several times in court for a case to pass.
7. File goes to WACM to get letters needed to have a passport and birth certificate created (1 week)
8. Case is submitted to American Embassy for embassy appointment (1 week)
9. Embassy appointment is given
10. Family travels to Ethiopia to pick child up and to go to the embassy appointment (3-6 weeks after exiting court)
1. Receive referrals.
2. Dossier is translated and authenticated in Ethiopia (2 weeks)
3. Your dossier goes (3-6 weeks)
4. CCI’s in country representative submits your case to court for a court date (1 week)
5. Your court date is given (4-6 weeks later)
6. Court takes place with an in country representative from CCI acting on your behalf by Power of Attorney to complete the adoption (same day). Sometimes it takes several times in court for a case to pass.
7. File goes to WACM to get letters needed to have a passport and birth certificate created (1 week)
8. Case is submitted to American Embassy for embassy appointment (1 week)
9. Embassy appointment is given
10. Family travels to Ethiopia to pick child up and to go to the embassy appointment (3-6 weeks after exiting court)
Friday, February 5, 2010
He has heard our prayer!
God continues to amaze me! For those of you who were praying for us this weekend...God surely heard!!!! I got a call around 1 today in regards to two boys. Both are from Kamashi Village, which is about 14 hours outside the capital city in Ethiopia. We were praying that the Lord would bring two boys to our case worker as she went to that remote village this weekend. Although that is not usually the way things work, we were praying for God to just do something big.
HE DID! As of today, we accepted a referral for a 2 year old boy and a 7-8 month old boy. God has brought us two little boys from the same village! Words cannot describe our excitement. I just can't believe I get to be the mother of these boys!! We have seen pictures of both of them, but we are not allowed to post them anywhere until we have passed court and they are legally our children.
The next step is for our case to be submitted to court. In all likelihood, our case will be submitted in about a month, and then we will wait for a court date for each boy (they are not biological siblings, so they will have separate appointments). Most of the time, people do not pass court the first time. Or, we could have one boy pass and not the other. In which case, we would have to wait for another court date to be given. This could take a few months.
Here is how you can be praying for us now.
-That our cases would be submitted to court in God's perfect timing, and that the court system would go smoothly for us.
-The paper work that now has to be done for these boys both in Ethiopia and the US.
-That the US would grant us the right to bring home the two boys we have been matched with.
-That God would provide for us financially. We cannot travel to pick our children up until we have all the money. We are still in need of about $15,000. We have applied for about 8 different grants but have only heard from 1. However, we are confident that God will provide to bring the boys home, and that He will continue to provide for our family once the boys are home.
HE DID! As of today, we accepted a referral for a 2 year old boy and a 7-8 month old boy. God has brought us two little boys from the same village! Words cannot describe our excitement. I just can't believe I get to be the mother of these boys!! We have seen pictures of both of them, but we are not allowed to post them anywhere until we have passed court and they are legally our children.
The next step is for our case to be submitted to court. In all likelihood, our case will be submitted in about a month, and then we will wait for a court date for each boy (they are not biological siblings, so they will have separate appointments). Most of the time, people do not pass court the first time. Or, we could have one boy pass and not the other. In which case, we would have to wait for another court date to be given. This could take a few months.
Here is how you can be praying for us now.
-That our cases would be submitted to court in God's perfect timing, and that the court system would go smoothly for us.
-The paper work that now has to be done for these boys both in Ethiopia and the US.
-That the US would grant us the right to bring home the two boys we have been matched with.
-That God would provide for us financially. We cannot travel to pick our children up until we have all the money. We are still in need of about $15,000. We have applied for about 8 different grants but have only heard from 1. However, we are confident that God will provide to bring the boys home, and that He will continue to provide for our family once the boys are home.
Monday, February 1, 2010
God is so good!
I am still amazed at God's goodness toward us. I was having a really tough day today. It has been a full moth since we have sent the dossier off, and still no referrals. I am not a very patient person, and the wait really takes it toll on me some days. I feel so in love with our boys, even though we do not know them yet. Today I just wanted to cry (which is something I never do).
God continually reminds me that I do not want to rush His timing. He knows perfectly well who are children are, and the right time to bring them home. I want to wait for God's best, but it is just a struggle some times.
This evening we received a call from LifeSong for Orphans that they will be giving us a matching grant of up to $3,000! LifeSong will match, dollar for dollar, any donations they receive toward our adoption. PRAISE THE LORD! If you are interested in learning more about how you can help in this way, please send me an e-mail at kristy@portermemorial.net. This is the first agency that we have heard from after sending out eight different applications back in December. What perfect timing of some good news.
Please continue praying for God's provision for us both spiritually and financially. Also continue to pray for us to be matched with God's best children for our family in His timing.
God continually reminds me that I do not want to rush His timing. He knows perfectly well who are children are, and the right time to bring them home. I want to wait for God's best, but it is just a struggle some times.
This evening we received a call from LifeSong for Orphans that they will be giving us a matching grant of up to $3,000! LifeSong will match, dollar for dollar, any donations they receive toward our adoption. PRAISE THE LORD! If you are interested in learning more about how you can help in this way, please send me an e-mail at kristy@portermemorial.net. This is the first agency that we have heard from after sending out eight different applications back in December. What perfect timing of some good news.
Please continue praying for God's provision for us both spiritually and financially. Also continue to pray for us to be matched with God's best children for our family in His timing.
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