Travel plans

So exciting!  I purchased our tickets today for Ethiopia!  Good grief it is so hard to believe that this is happening!  We will spend Valentine's Day on two airplanes.  One will take us to Washington DC and the second to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  I am working out the details on where we are staying but it looks to be Ethiopia Guest House. I have read so many wonderful blog posts I cannot imagine staying anywhere else.  They are involved in a great deal of ministry with orphans in Ethiopia.  We are hoping to partner with them with bringing donations on our first trip.  We are unable to bring donations of goods to Joshua's orphanage on the first trip because he is not legally ours yet.  It would be unethical to bring things and make it look fishy.

I have attached the symbol for our guest house.  Feel free to give it a peek!

What about the girls?  Well, for the first trip, the girls will be staying at home and going to school and all of their other activities.  Thankfully we have moms that will take care of them.  Donna and Ricki will be coordinating their care.  As for the second trip, we will see how the first one goes and then decide.  ;-)

Please continue to pray for our Joshua, his caretakers and our file that is in the courts of Ethiopia.  We are praying that we are granted custody on February 21st.  If so, we will be able to bring Joshua home soon!  If there is a delay......there will be a greater period of time in between our first and second trip.

COURT DATE!!!!!

It is with great joy that I share our Christmas miracle with you... We received our court date at 10:30 am this morning!  We will appear in front of the Federal Court in Ethiopia on February 21st.  Our travel dates are yet to be decided.  We will get those here shortly...

I will then be contacting our two choices for guest houses...YGF and Ethiopian Guest House.  I have read wonderful reviews on both.  Both will provide meals, a place to sleep and drivers and translators.  My guess is we will travel on the 18th and be gone for a week or so. 

It breaks my heart to know that our little Joshua will not know the warmth of his mom, dad and sisters for his first Christmas but I am so hopeful that he will spend his first birthday with us!  (April)  :-)

Please give thanks to the Lord for his son this holiday season.  I am so thankful for our Christmas miracle that we and many of you prayed for.  Please also pray for all of the orphans and their caretakers around the world.  I am called to also pray for our Joshua's mom.  Without her ultimate sacrifice.....well tears....


Merry Christmas Everyone!

Vaccination Week!

Wow!  Len is now the proud owner of 6 band-aids on his arms!  I received 5.  We both get to take Typhoid medicine for the next week.  It is amazing to me how doctor offices operate.  It took Len three hours and me two!  I sat in the room forever!  Funny thing was Len did too!  Completely separate offices and on different days.  Truly amazing!

We have prescriptions for tummy issues if they occur as well as Malaria medication in case we get the opportunity to leave Addis to visit the area Joshua is from.  We know a bit more about travel and are beginning to get VERY anxious about a court date.

We are praying to have notification of our date by Christmas.  Once we have a date we can start planning and packing!  Woo Hoo!

An Answer to Prayer!!!

One star.....one month......waiting patiently

Well we have been waiting one month since our referral of our precious Joshua.  He is already growing in our hearts.  The answer to prayer you ask?  We received an update today with two NEW pictures.  He has gained 3.7 pounds since October 24th.  Praise God!  He is now a little over 12 pounds!

We are so happy to see his little, now chubby face!  We are so sad at the same time...he is growing up without us.  Please pray for a court date soon!  We are so hopeful that we can go to Ethiopia in February to see him and stand in front of the judge.  We cannot take him home at that point but he will legally be ours. 

We received another update from Dove today talking about 4 weeks inbetween travel dates.  I would be shocked if that were true.  The last we were told was 8-10 weeks.  If it is four weeks.....I might need to stay in country and take care of my little guy and bring him home after his US Embassy appointment.  We will cross that bridge when we come to it.  After all, why travel twice and pay for all of that airfare.  :-)  I am always up for an adventure.  That, like all of this, is in God's hands, not mine.  Thank Heavens!

Please continue to pray for our little Joshua, his caregivers, those that handle our paperwork and for a court date.  Thanks for all of your prayers.  It is making a difference in my son's life.  Wow...that was the first time I remember saying that.  :'-)

Michelle