We are SO close y'all! So close to seeing this beautiful face again!!!!!
Tomorrow marks 7 out of the expected 10 week wait! We received some good news this week! Embassy has completed our screening and is on to the next step of our case. This step could take a few more days or at the most (hopefully) a few more weeks. A few families from our agency have actually cleared embassy this week. They will go get their babies next week!!! We met a couple of these families on our court trip and are rejoicing with them! God is so good!!! One went to court right before us and the other went to court with us, our clearance could come any day! While we are praying our clearance comes soon and isn't held up, we also know our case requires a certain medical test result which we are not expecting before October 4th. So as long as we have that "clearance" pending medical results by then, we should be good!! We are hoping and praying all goes according to plan... Especially since we couldn't take it any longer- WE BOOKED TICKETS THIS WEEK!!!!!! We leave October 7th and will arrive in Addis Wednesday, October 9th. In less than 3 weeks Eliyas will be in our arms again!! I can't even handle it.
October is historically a good month for us. Chase graduated boot camp on October 7, 2005, we [technically] got engaged the same October, we closed on our first home October 9, 2009, and Chase showed his first furniture designs at market October 2012. And now we get to add "bringing Eliyas home," to the list!! The best October yet!!! (And I just so happen to LOVE Anne of Green Gables & she also loves October. :))
More good news: we have decided it is best for our family for me to stay home with Eliyas for at least the first year! Saturday is my last day at UFCU! Bittersweet, as it has been a great place to work. I will miss my regular members and good friends I have made during my time there. I talked to one of my dear elderly members today, he insisted I take his number and call him from time to time to catch up and asked if he could take me and Chase to dinner sometime soon. :) It's a blessing to work in a place where you truly make a difference in people's lives! God certainly put me in the right place at the right time, I have developed lifelong friendships with employees and members alike. I have been blessed to work at a branch that is right in the midst of a large Ethiopian community. I have made several Ethiopian friends that I am so thankful for, we are really excited to have him around people who know his culture and speak his language!
And lastly, even more good news! The site for 14:Hope is up and running! You can now purchase one-of-a-kind, handmade scarves & paper bead jewelry made at our son's orphanage. Click here to shop! The coolest part about this is not only are you getting a beautiful necklace or scarf, you are supporting single moms who are trained in a fruitful trade at our son's orphanage to help them keep their families together. Read more about 14:Hope here. There are 27 necklaces left on the website until we receive our next shipment. You can also see the scarves & necklaces in person at Che' Bella Boutique in Round Rock! Please check out our Facebook page by clicking here and share with your friends!
We appreciate your prayers for the weeks ahead. We especially ask that you pray with us that our travel dates work out with an embassy date while we are there. If all goes according to plan the timing will fall just right, but we know that this might not happen. We are praying we don't have to extend our trip while we are there! Pray for Eliyas' heart as he soaks up these last days in his home country. Pray that the Lord prepares him for his trip to America where life will be completely different! Thank you for all your love and prayers, we are in the home stretch and are beyond excited to be with our boy in just a few weeks!!!
