Still here.....

Well, we're still here - waiting.

This past Saturday, our local Social Worker came over for our Home Visit. We still have a few pieces of paperwork to wrap up and then she can complete our Home Study (again). Then we will send everything on to the USCIS for re-approval to adopt and another set of Federal Fingerprints to be taken. We hope that we can send in our USCIS request in early March.

We recently had the opportunity to have a family over for dinner who has adopted from Ethiopia. It was a visit that was good for our souls! To see this child in her forever family, adjusted, healthy and happy - it was just beautiful! It was a glimpse of the future that our tired souls really needed to see.

We seem to be no closer right now to our referral - and if we wrote a few weeks ago that we are weary.....well, we are even more weary now and at times we are having a hard time with some anger and other emotions that we are feeling. We are leaning harder than ever into God and His promises - but also spending some time questioning, wondering, pondering and pleading. We continue to always come back to the Call that we feel God has placed in and on our hearts to this adoption. "Caring for orphans is about obedience and expressing the heart of God" (Moments With You by Dennis & Barbara Rainey). We want to be obedient to God and what He wants us to do --- sometimes He just makes waiting a part of that obedience. We would appreciate your prayers that we can stay focused on God and His call to us.

We do have another favor to ask. Would you please go to this link and sign this petition for our family and hundreds of others who have been called to adoption? http://www.change.org/petitions/make-adoption-costs-fully-refundable-in-the-2012-2013-tax-years This year and following, adoptive families will get less and less of a tax credit (soon it will be no tax credit) when they adopt. And - at international adoptions rounding out at about $20,000 (and we are finding that to be a pretty low estimate in our experience so far) tax credits count! Please sign this petition and help send a message that ADOPTION MATTERS and makes a difference in our world.

Please pray for our child(ren) in Ethiopia - that they have food, shelter, care and comfort this day.

Thanks for reading our blog - it is so encouraging to us to know that people take the time to care!