For those of you who don't actually want to read the blog but clicked on the link just to find out what the crazy thing is...
I'll give it away right here at the beginning. I won't make you wait for it.
We are adding a new member to our family through adoption - a 9 year old girl.
For those of you who want to hear how we got to this point (and maybe to ensure we aren't adding anything special to our morning drinks ;)) You can read our story below:
If you had told me three years ago, when we first started the adoption process, that we would also adopt a 9 year old girl, I would have laughed in your face.
Not because I didn't like the idea of it. Simply because there was no way that I, a 24 (now 27) year old girl, was/am qualified to parent a 9 year old. I am not old enough, experienced enough, smart enough, brave enough, you get the idea. The idea of adopting an older child had crossed my mind but it was something I couldn't do until I had "more life experience."
God likes to call the "unqualified".
If you had told me last year, when I had touched down in Ethiopia that while I was here we would begin the process of adopting a 9 year old girl, I might have believed you.
You see, I had seen this little girl in the video clips we'd get of Tsega. I saw the special bond the two of them had/have. I saw the way they adored each other, loved each other, and genuinely sought out the company of one another.
One of the last videos we received of Tsega before I went out to Ethiopia was him learning how to walk. And who was it in the video teaching him, guiding him, and cheering him on as this clumsy little 18 month old tried to take his first steps but her, this little girl who mysteriously already had a piece of my heart.
I met her a few days after I first met Tsega, and I felt the Spirit so strongly tugging on my heart to inquire about her.
I called Barry and asked him to seriously consider and pray about what it would be like to adopt this girl. I am 100% positive he thought I was crazy but I am also 100% positive he was not at all surprised by my asking.
A week later we decided this was the direction God was taking us. And low and behold wouldn't know that the week after we accepted her referral, Ethiopia put a ban on International Adoptions.
Last year as you all walked alongside us as we battled ups and downs with this ban, my heart was breaking at the fact that now, there are two children we may never get to bring home.
As we saw God move mountains with Tsega's adoption and we were able to finally bring him home, we watched our little girl's process stand still.
Her process needed an extra approval that we didn't have to wait for with Tsega, and that department was refusing to sign them. When they did eventually start signing them they didn't sign ours. This past December parliament in Ethiopia voted to officially end Inter-country Adoptions. When this ban would take place and who it would affect was very unclear (it still is to be honest).
Even though her process has also been an emotional roller coaster, I have had this steady peace anchoring me down. I knew deep in my spirit that this is what God asked us to do, and we obeyed him. I knew that if he did it before with Tsega's adoption he would do it again with hers.
AND.
HE.
HAS!
In January we got the extra approval that was needed, this week we got the final approval needed to go to court. We will find out the beginning of April when our court date is and when we will be traveling back to Ethiopia.
We once again stand astounded and amazed at the goodness of God and they way He proves himself over and over again.
During this process we have been blessed to receive a matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans. If you feel led at all to give to us during this process you can click on the link below.
Online giving: www.lifesongfororphans
