Also, I want to share some photos but I cannot find the cord to connect my camera to the computer. It is seriously driving me crazy. I have looked through boxes and boxes but I still can't find it. I am worried that I left it with my mother-in-law in a bag that I forgot in Winston. I'm planning on checking with her tomorrow!
For today I will share about what we are waiting on with our adoption process since many people have asked about that. So here's a good recap!
While we were in Ethiopia, we officially became Lucy/R's mommy and daddy! On Monday, August 5, 2013 we heard the words, "She's all yours!" We were and STILL are beyond blessed and thankful and amazed that we have a sweet baby girl on the other side of the world. While we are her legal parents in Ethiopia, we still have to wait on the US Embassy to do their part.
Basically, they wait for the staff from our agency in ET to submit her new birth certificate and other paperwork that takes a little bit of time to get together to the US Embassy. That usually takes 1-4 weeks. So far it has been right at 3 weeks so we are HOPING and PRAYING to hear this coming week that our case has been submitted.
After the US Embassy in Addis Ababa has our case then they get to look over it and decide what they need to do. Sometimes they request more information, interviews, etc. and sometimes they just go ahead and clear the case without further information. We have NO idea what they will decide. We don't really know how long that could take but once they have all they need and do decide to clear the case then they will schedule OUR interview. At that point, we will go ahead and book our flights to head back to Ethiopia.
Once we get back to Ethiopia, we will be with our sweet baby girl and spend time with her and then head over to the Embassy for our interview and they will issue her visa so we can all travel home together. Our trip should last about a week.
So, we were told that GENERALLY speaking (I stress generally because in the adoption world NOTHING is certain and things can change at the drop of a hat) we can expect a wait of 5-8 weeks from the time of our court date (which was Aug. 5th) to the time we get to go back. Either way that puts us somewhere in September! So we are PRAYING that we get back to our baby girl by then. We miss her SO much. Our family just feels incomplete without her. Isabel is aching to hold her and see her in person. We know that God is working on her behalf just like He has been all along and that He will finish what He started!
Please pray for:
*The process to go smoothly with the US Embassy.
*Lucy to continue to be in good health.
*Our hearts to be knit together and attachment to go well.
*The finances for our last trip (the first trip cost WAY more than we expected).
* Isabel's heart as she gains a sister and after 7 years is no longer the only child...that's hard!
Thank you all so much for your prayers in our journey. We truly don't know how we could have gone through this long road without you all! We are so grateful! God will finish what He started!
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23
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