Adoption Update

We are quickly getting all of our paperwork switched over to Ethiopia. So far it has been very little trouble, just a little extra time. The main paper we are waiting for now is the INS approval for Ethiopia. It took us 2 months to get this document approval for China but we have been assured the new approval should take a lot less time, since we have already been approved once. Our goal is to have everything done and sent to Ethiopia by the end of December. Our hope is to have a referral (be matched to a little girl) by summer and have the court date by September before the Ethiopian courts close for 2 months for 'vacation'. After receiving information about the girl we have been matched with, our agency takes care of getting the birth parent's rights relinquished through the courts. This court date has to take place before we get travel approval. If this is not done before the courts close in Sept. we have to wait until the first of December before they open again, pushing us back quite a bit. We have been praying for our baby so much lately, as we believe she is probably in the womb. I pray for peace for the mother who has to make the decision to give up her child so that she can have a life. I can only imagine how difficult the process is for her. Robb and I are preparing our hearts since we will have the opportunity to meet the birth parents, if they are still alive. This will be very difficult, but so necessary. They are blessing us with a priceless gift that we are forever grateful for. All of this to say that things are moving along, never quick enough for me, but we are making progress.