Have You Heard?

I suppose email might do just as well, but I have yet to send them out. Anyway, Chelsea and I moved a huge step forward on Wednesday as we had our official homestudy! I was far more nervous than Chelsea...not sure why, but I was. Regardless of my nerves, we were told that we had a successful homestudy! All we do now is wait for it to be typed up officially and sent to all of the different groups - us, KBS, CIS. I guess now we just wait patiently. We might be parents in 3-6 months time, assuming there are no real hiccups. It is a tremendous feeling...

We still feel like progress is made everyday. I don't know if it is because there is light beaming down on us, getting closer and brighter each day, or if it is a sense of we see the larger picture and it's becoming more complete. Either way, we are filled with great joy knowing we may soon have a little boy or girl to hold tightly in our arms, to share our home with, as well as our love. Along with this we continue to add to our understanding of Ethiopia. Currently we have bolstered our library to include children stories, history books, a phrasebook, stamps, as well as guidebooks. We know that some of the greatest learning, in regards to Ethiopia, will likely be during our stay there. However, we still would like to be aware of what has shaped this country and culture, as well as how we can give slices of our understanding to our child in due time.

It is a tremendous thought...knowing that life seems altogether different, in some ways clearer, and in other ways less complex. By that I mean it narrows things down to what's most important. Every time I think about the hope we have in Ethiopia, I cannot help but think of the hope we have in our Lord...the fact of Him giving life to all things...the reality that He made provisions for us to join Him...and the design of a God-fearing home...with a husband and wife who fear and honor the Lord, and children who are taught His ways...it brings great peace to my soul as I think of trying to wait patiently for this process, or I grow concerned of the world around us and what it may look like as our child ages. God gives us confidence in this endeavor, just as He has throughout each of our lives.

We continue to ask you to remember the families involved in adoption (those adopting, those who are orphaned, and those who choose to give their children up for a variety of reasons), as all involved have need.