…And waiting, but with hope and ends in sight. We can’t believe it has already been nearly six weeks since we received the call matching us with our baby girl. She is over five months old now, and it has me thinking back through those stages of Emma and Asher’s lives and imagining her reaching milestones like learning to sit up and giggle. The ache to hold her and have her with us grows by the day. We are currently waiting for our court date to be assigned so we may travel for our first trip to Ethiopia and meet with the court there to communicate our heart and intent to adopt our baby girl. The courts in Ethiopia are shutting down as of this next week for the annual rainy season closure, and will remain closed until at least the end of September or beginning of October from what we are being told. Yes, this is disappointing, but honestly when we started the process to adopt we knew it would be an exercise in surrender. We have little to no control, and as challenging as that is to walk out day to day, it continues to be a gift. Our lives have already been refined and changed if by nothing else, than by the discipline of letting go. We won’t be receiving any updates on our case until the courts reopen, and are praying these weeks pass with grace. Thank you for your continued love and prayers – they fuel us in the weary times!
We also wanted to share a link to something our agency, Children’s Hope International, posted yesterday. A group of families who were just in Ethiopia for their court hearings had the opportunity to serve the children and staff at the transition home where the children live while they are waiting for their adoptions to be finalized. Our daughter is one of the babies living there right now until we can bring her home with us. The families who were there last week were able to paint twelve rooms at the transition home, giving them a cheerful face-lift. Our agency posted a slideshow of the rooms that were being painted, and I think I have watched it through a dozen times just taking in the walls that surround our daughter. Even though it isn’t photos of her specifically, they are sweet to me – just to lay eyes on the same sights as she is. Another thread to weave us together. Here is the link to the blog post about the project and the slideshow, or you can click the image below. Enjoy, and love to you all!
-S
Betty Richmond - I was so happy to see these pictures. Thank you Sarah. Our granddaughter is in a much happier environment than I thought. It is a really pleasant place. We will see her right on time. Our God is never too early and never too late. We have much to be thankful for. Love….Us