We're Officially Waiting!!

Today was the day.

August 31, 2012.

Our Dossier was FINALLY  sent to Ethiopia!! For those of you who have been following my blog, I have been talking about this day for a loonnnggg time!! Why? Because the day a family's Dossier (ALL of the paperwork we have been completing jammed into one envelope) is sent to Ethiopia, that family is officially placed on our agency's waiting list! Before now... we were simply collecting tons and tons of paperwork to make us eligible for a referral. Finally - we are here!

Most popular questions:

"So, now how long?"
Right now families with our agency should expect an 18-24 month wait before a referral.

"Whaattt???"
Yep :(

"Do you really think it will take that long?"
Unfortunately, yes. At this time I do not anticipate a referral outside of this time frame. This time frame is subject to change (for better or worse) so I will be praying over the months to come for the process to speed up!

"Will you have a waitlist number?"
No. Our agency does not give out waitlist numbers. There are different methods of "anticipating" approximately when we might receive a referral, but unfortunately even with agencies who have waitlist numbers - it is still a guessing game. It is all completely in God's hands.

"So how will you keep up with where you are on the waiting list?"
We will use several different means to estimate this.
1) the 18-24 month time frame. Example if we have been waiting 2 months and the time frame is still 18-24 months... I probably don't need to start painting the nursery right away. However, once we have been waiting 19 months and the time frame is still 18-24 months... we can start getting some things ready for little man to come home.
2) We will get updates every month on referrals that went out that month. Along with these referrals are the family's DTE date (Dossier to Ethiopia). Our DTE date is today 8/31/12. So once we start seeing referrals go out for male infants/toddlers with DTE dates of June or July 2012 we will know that we are getting close.

It is all quite complicated :)) I will do my best to keep you guys as informed as possible! Thank you so much for your continued support. Please continue to pray for us. We have a long wait ahead of us filled with ups and downs. Please continue to pray for the Lord's financial provision. HE has provided so much this far! Lee and I are amazed that in 7 months the Lord has provided approximately $12,000. Yes. Just seeing that number amazes me! Thank you so much to all of you who have given!! We still have anywhere from 13 to 20 thousand left to raise.

Malachi... sweet boy... I say this all the time... you.. are.. worth.. it.. ALL! Every blog post. Every dime. Every piece of paper we fill out. Every day we wait. We would do it all over again at the drop of a hat. We are coming for you! You will not be fatherless. You will be ours.

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
John 14:18

We have embraced today.

A few precious sentences from the email I received from our agency today:
I teared up re-reading the email time and time again.

It was titled: DOSSIER TO ETHIOPIA!
"Welcome to the Waiting Stage of your adoption from Ethiopia! You have successfully completed the paperchasing process..."

"Remember that the whole adoption process is a journey, and the steps toward bringing a child home have begun!"

One last thing I want to share.
One day this week I was talking to some co-workers about our hurting world... from sex-trafficking to orphans. A coworker said, "you know... that's what happens. Once our eyes are opened to the hurt... something rises up in us and there is no way we can ignore it any longer. We have to do something about it." It was as if her words pierced me. I am in no way perfect or even coming close to meeting the needs of a hurting world. However, every once in a while the Lord is gracious enough to remind me of the journey He has taken me on so far. When she uttered the words "our eyes are opened and something rises up in us. There is no way we can sit back and do nothing" my mind flashed back to the months when Lee and I were praying about whether or not the Lord desired for us to adopt. Our eyes were opened to the fatherless. I distinctly remember nights when I LITERALLY could not sleep. One night in particular I rose with my stomach churning and heart aching. I said to God, "they are hungry, please Lord give them a bottle. Help them." The thought of a child being without a bottle haunted me. The thought of a child being without a mother, or a father.. a home.. a bed.. clothes.. Christmas. It all haunted both of us. We are thankful because our eyes were opened and our lives will never be the same... Praise God.

Some blogs I read leave me thinking... aching...
I read this blog yesterday. She is yet another example of the Lord opening someone's eyes and their life will never look the same. Check it out if you have a minute :)

The Boy With The Finger
Have an awesome weekend!!

1st Saturday of College Football tomorrow! :))