Clearance!! We are coming, girls!!

Last night was a night of no sleep.  I was wrestling in prayer for a meeting halfway across the world.


I didn't know if we would find out the results over night, or if we were in for more days of waiting.  But this morning at 5:20AM, the sweetest email was viewed.  FISH Family clearance!!  We are coming girls, we are coming!  


What a Christmas present.  :)


Reading a blog this morning, I came across this quote.  It's everything I've felt wrapped up.  Thanks, Sara from everythingbitterissweet.com


"Adoption is for the hungry. If you want to know more of Jesus and are willing to get a little undone in the meantime, sign up. You can’t pursue a child without being consumed by His pursuit of you."

Scenario 2

A lot of you have been asking, and I haven't updated.  Sorry!

We found out last Friday that the Embassy is requesting another interview that will hopefully happen on Monday the 19th. 

Please pray that they will get the information they need, so that we can be cleared to pick up our girls.

Submitted!!

So, we were submitted to the Embassy today.  I know all of you already know, as I've been shouting it from the rooftops!!  :)  Just a little excited. 

What's next?  One of three scenarios:
1.  We are cleared very quickly with our current file.  This could happen in a week or a month.  :)
2.  The Embassy asks for clarification/more paperwork/interviews.  If this happens, it will likely delay our clearance for 1-2 months.
3.  The Embassy decides they can not clear us, and we are sent to another office to have them review our paperwork.  This is recently common, and delays us more...

Obviously, we are hoping for scenario number 1.  :)

Also have to add...  I joined Pinterest today.  You know, one more time waster, as I wait for emails.  :)  What should appear on the first page I looked at?  A pin for Exodus 14:14, of course!  Lest I forget:

God, you are good, and I'm trying really hard to be still.  :)

Catchup to today - Part 6

What relief we felt when we knew the girls whereabouts were known.  They were to be moved over the weekend.  The weekend was LONG...  Monday came and my phone was silent.  I must have checked it one thousand times!!  I finally got an email around 12p that they had gotten no word from Ethiopia that day.  :(  Unfortunately, our agency is 11 hours behind Ethiopia.  Basically, by the time they come to work in the morning, Ethiopia staff are home for the evening.  It makes for a 24 hour lag...  Which is really frustrating when you're waiting to hear about the safety of your children that have been missing for around 3 weeks!

I admit, I lost my cool.  Our agency wanted to wait until Tuesday.  Not happening!  I called and pretty much demanded they call the staff at home.  I know, I know...  It doesn't really make any difference in the whole scheme of things.  But I had to know!  They were finally able to get someone and let us know that the girls had been "on the way" when they left the office.  At least somewhat comforting.  :)

Tuesday, we got the happy call that they had arrived Monday evening, and seemed to be doing well.  Next steps were more paperwork for the Ethiopia staff and then Embassy submission! 

Thanksgiving came and went.  We were so, so thankful to know that our girls were safe.  We had a wonderful time celebrating with Mark's family here in Iowa.  Then Friday, the kids and I packed up and drove to meet my wonderful sister and kiddos in Kearney, NE.  (the halfway point between her and I).  She had graciously volunteered to take our big dog, Max, for awhile, as we have heard over and over that dogs are terrifying for most Ethiopian kiddos.  I was so grateful to have one less thing on my plate!  We had a great time together.  The kids swam, we ate out, we went to see The Muppets, we gave Parker her bday presents and both she and Jack their Christmas presents.  Then after less than 24 hours, we parted ways.  It was so fun and way too short.

We now are in the next wait for Embassy submission.  We found out Friday that both girls now have passports!  So, we are really hoping to be submitted this next week!  Embassy clearance timing is random, so we will wait and see....  But the time is finally coming soon!

 Can't wait for some more of this...

 And this...

And I even can't wait for this!!  The girl has some spunk.  Love it!  :)

Sunday and beyond - Part 5

God continued to show himself to me daily.  Just when I was loosing hope, He would provide again and again.  I've never felt God so near, never has He spoken so clearly, never have I waited so expectantly for Him to show up!

Moses and his story has been continually brought to me.  Moses felt sure he wasn't the one, felt unqualified, scared, unprepared.  But through that, God showed Himself qualified, mighty, and so prepared!  We teach Sunday school and our lesson that week, not suprisingly Moses.  God is the deliverer.  Exodus 14:14 has shown up over and over.  Carson's memory verse at school and Carson's memory verse at church!  Are you kidding me?!  I guess I need a lot of reminding.  :)

Other verses that have spoken to me:
1Thessalonians 5:24 - The one who calls you is faithful, and HE WILL DO IT. 
Psalm 112, Psalm 73, Psalm 34

And the amazing part is none of these verses were found by me.  God provided them all!!  All by different ways - my devotional, my friends and family, church lessons, kid's lessons, etc.  Isn't God good.  I would wake in the morning asking God to meet me that day.  To provide for me each moment, and He did and so much more!

Friday the 18th was just another day, I really didn't feel like we would hear anything until the next week.  I got a phone call at 1pm that day that the officials had been arrested and agreed to take the police to find our girls!  Praise God!  A weight was lifted...  He had delivered, while we were still.  :)

This picture isn't the best quality, but shows my utter joy to be with these precious girls...

Part 4

Friday night was a long night.  I had nightmares all night about the girls.  I dreamed they were found and then Mark and I went to get them and after Mark left (the original plan) the people that took them came back and beat me up and took the girls again.  I dreamed this over and over.  I woke up so discouraged.  I felt like even if the girls were found, what was to keep these evil people from doing it again and again.

I went to my bible, the best comfort.  I was prompted to read Isaiah 43 again.  It had so encouraged me on Friday...  Friday, I had only read through verse 7.  Saturday, I decided to read the rest of the chapter.

Again, God showed up, big time.  This day it was verse 13 that spoke to me:

¹³ Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
   When I act, who can reverse it?” 

Only God can deliver!!  And when He acts it can't be reversed!!

I of course want you all to know, there were LOTS of tears these days.  I was so comforted and felt the Lord SO near, but I struggled so much with anxiety, fear, sadness, etc.  My children, that I had held in my arms had been kidnapped!

I also want to document here how held up we were by our family and friends.  My sister-in-law got me out of the house on Friday night, dear friends brought food and hung out with us Friday night, amazing friends took us out to eat Saturday night, and so many people prayed, sent us encouraging words and scripture. Someone even bought a birthday present for our son (his birthday was the 13th), because we weren't prepared.  I've also made a group of friends online that know exactly what we are going through, because they are too.  15 children from our agency have been held up in orphanages longer than necessary because of this mess.  These families have become friends, and I can't wait to meet them someday when all of our children are home.

the story - part 3

November 11, 2011, I was driving home from my friend's house, when I heard a devotional from Max Lucado about hard things that come into our lives.  He talked about how nothing happens to us outside of God's love for us and His protection of us.  Exactly what I needed to hear.  The scripture he quoted was Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters,
   I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
   they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
   you will not be burned;
   the flames will not set you ablaze.

When I got home, I decided to read the rest of Isaiah 43 and was blown away.  I read through verse 7 and was particularly fond of the last 3 verses.  :)


Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
   I will bring your children from the east
   and gather you from the west.
⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
   and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
   and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
⁷ everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.”

Does God care?  Absolutely!!  His word is alive and active.  Amazing...

 Zoe late October 2011

 Etta late October 2011

Also, have to interrupt this story to tell you the girls are in Addis, safe and sound, and will hopefully be submitted to Embassy soon!!  The rest of the story coming soon.  :)