Discouraged

Hi friends and family.  I know I haven't posted on here for awhile, and people have been asking us about our adoption a lot lately.  So  I figured I should update everyone on what is going on. 

As I posted previously our dossier got to Ethiopia in December and we became an official waiting family.  Our first number on the wait list was A LOT bigger than we had originally hoped.  This is mostly due to the slow down in Ethiopian courts processing orphan's paperwork.  As I mentioned a while back Ethiopian courts close for rainy season from August to October.  However, for some reason, this year, the courts never resumed processing orphan paperwork after they reopened in October.  Therefore, there have been NO referrals since July!  I guess that the orphanages in these areas have gotten really crowded again, with no kids leaving them.  I have also been told that the orphanages are now talking with the courts and putting pressure on them about processing paperwork too.  So all in all, we have hope that soon paperwork will be trickling through the court system and referrals will resume again.  However, with each passing month it just gets harder and harder.  The wait that I thought would originally be like 18 months, now seems like forever.  It could be over 2-3 years or maybe longer at this point.  I know in reality there is no way to actually predict the wait time.  But right now it seems like it will be forever. 

Caleb told me the other day that he wanted to live with me forever, even after he grew up...I was like no way kid!  You are out of here when you are an adult!  Then he asked about baby sister and if we would get her before he was an adult and moved out.  I had to answer him "man I sure do hope so"!  But right now it seems like that won't be the case. 

Please pray for the orphans of Ethiopia.  Please pray that true orphans will be matched with forever families.   Pray that people in charge will see that children are better off in loving families and not being raised in orphanages.  Please pray that courts will speed up their paperwork processing and that referrals will resume in full force.  Please also pray for my emotional state!  As you can see from the title, I am very discouraged and sad right now.  I knew that adoption was hard and I knew the wait was going to be hard.  But it sucks to be on the long end of what seems like a never ending wait! 

On a happier note I did register for an adoption seminar weekend at the end of February at a church in our area.  It's a huge event with lots of different speakers and breakout sessions.  I am looking forward to learning more and connecting with other adoptive parents and future adoptive parents.  However, it's also hard too, knowing that it may be years before I will actually need any of this information!  Part of me has just gone numb.  It's easier to not think about it.  But I don't want it to be that way.  I want to be thinking and praying for my daughter daily, and preparing for her so that we are able to love her completely when she comes, and equipped to handle any challenges that come our way post-adoption. 

I know God's timing is perfect.  I have to remind myself that constantly.  When we are through the tunnel we will look back and understand.  But it is impossible for me to understand right now. 

Also don't forget that our Amazon link (to the right) is still working.  We will be using it until we have brought our daughter(s) home (who knows, if it does take years and years, Amazon may fully fund our adoption!!!  How sweet would that be). 

Blessings to you all and thanks for listening to me vent yet again and for praying for us!!