Holding on to the faces of HOPE!

We received an update last week on the situation that looms in Ethiopia on the future of adoptions.  We have been in prayer since the original statement was made by MOWA that they would be decreasing the number of adoptions by 90%.  My heart was heavy and my burden felt huge ... especially coming off of a two week trip of being there, loving on children who needed a Mommy and Daddy.  I heard the news and while my heart sank into my stomach about what it would mean for our "story of Levi", I sobbed big ol' fat tears for some precious kids who stole my heart and whose hope rests that one day they will have a family.  Opinions swirled about the possibilities and reasons, but my heart would just take me back to this!  The faces of HOPE!  Here's are a few of those faces.  It's not quite as easy to dismiss the possibility or sit idly by when the % becomes a child, with a name, with a face, with a story that you have come to know.  These are just a few that keep me waking up each night and getting on my knees to pray.  They are worth every prayer!

BUT ... in the two weeks since, the Lord and I have had some AWESOME prayer time.  Read the post below about our nightly "date" and then let me add something fun.  So, after a week of 3:23 wake ups, I was startled one night to awake at 4:05.  WHAT?  Something just wasn't right.  I did though what I had done on all other nights ... prayed, chatted, and just sat with the Lord.  I didn't think too much about the time, though I do remember being a little sad that my 3:00 hour no longer meant the noon hour in Ethiopia.  Maybe it was just a number "3".
The next day as I was getting ready, something dawned on me.  We had "Sprung forward" in our time change and in fact, that 4:05 would have been a 3:05 the week earlier.  Silly I know ... but it dawned on me and made me giggle a little.  I then posted something about my new "wake" time with the Lord to discover from friends that NOPE ... Ethiopia doesn't change their clocks and yes, 4:05 was still the noon hour in Ethiopia.  Yep, my God had all those details again ... down to changing the time he awakened me.  Now my biggest question is, what in the world goes on at the noon hour in Ethiopia?  Only He knows ... but apparently, it's prayer worthy.

Later in the week we did get some great news.  This e-mail came from my family coordinator on Thursday.  While nothing is concrete, it seems as though those prayers are working ... so keep them coming!  Levi, I don't know how this story will end or what day you will be in our arms.  After hearing the original news I put a hold on "creating your room".  I decided to hold on to some furniture I was going to give away and keep a TV in there and make it into the kids little playroom (since we just converted the playroom to your sister's bedroom).  That was the plan until Today (3/19/11), when your Daddy decided that keeping that furniture was throwing in the towel on our dreams of you.  SO, with that, I'll be getting to work soon on making a room and preparing it just for you!  It makes me think about how the Lord tells us that he too is preparing a place for us.  While you can't see it, we are ... and we can't wait for your arrival, whatever day that might be ... we'll WAIT!

We are writing to update you on the current situation in Ethiopia.  While meetings between Ethiopian government officials continue, we have seen positive steps.  Within MOWA, there have been significant and positive personnel changes which have resulted in overall staff turnover and changes in the adoption unit.  This unit is now called the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs (MOWCYA).  We are hopeful and expectant that the new leadership will not only support processing an adequate number of favorable recommendation letters, but also implement policies that will best serve the children.  Due to the staffing changes, we anticipate much transition over the next few weeks.  However, we expect that once everyone is settled into their new positions, MOWCYA will work to process a higher number of recommendation letters than they currently are able to process.  

We have continued to receive optimistic feedback and have seen how the Ethiopian government is very committed to adoption.  I hope this information is an encouragement to your family.  We will continue to update your family with any confirmed information we receive.