Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Psalm 82:3

Monday, February 28, 2011

Moving Forward!

Well, we haven’t posted many updates lately because it has mostly been a month of waiting.  But we are happy to report that the last week has been a productive one!  On Wednesday the 23rd we received a draft of our home study report and by Friday it was approved.  It was actually kind of fun to read through the report and to see how our case worker interpreted some of the comments we made in the interview process.  Let’s just say we learned that we are both avid gardeners!  Yeah, we had to change that before the final version was submitted.  
While this last month has been frustrating at times because we couldn’t do anything to move the process along, God continued to show us that he is in control in a couple of different ways.  Our prayers were answered and he spoke directly to us on a few different occasions at church.  We know we are where we are supposed to be right now and we have found peace in that place.  Sure, we still have days that are challenging - just the thought of a few more months of paperwork, 6-8 months on the waiting list, and then 4 months or so before we can travel the first time makes it seem like having a child home and in our arms is a long way off yet.  But we just continue to remind each other to stay patient and trust...we know that you all are praying for that too and that gives us comfort.
So what is next?  Immigration and the dossier are our next tasks.  We actually mailed in the immigration package to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office today.  This whole process takes up to 8 weeks and includes fingerprinting, background checks, etc.  Hopefully all goes smoothly.  Our caseworker told us that during these 8 weeks we need to work on our dossier.  That will then be ready to go by the time our immigration approval comes back.  At that point we’ll be done with the paperwork (for now at least)!  Off to Ethiopia they will go and then we will be on the official waiting list.
One more thing - along with our home study we completed our preference sheet.  We decided to request an infant 6 months or younger at the time of referral.  We also stated that we’d prefer a boy, but we will accept either a boy or a girl.
It has definitely been a good week.  We are praying that things keep rolling from here!

4 comments:

Jill Sloothaak said...

Celebrating every little milestone along the way!

Kate @ When Hello Means Goodbye said...

i'm so excited to read this update! every day that passes is another day closer to your little one! we can't wait!
we're praying often!
robb katie and grayden

Anonymous said...

So glad things are progressing, even if its slowly, its still progress. Praying for you often.

Dad Zoet

don and sara said...

So glad for the progress! And thankful for the peace you've felt during the process! God already knows exactly who your little one is, and He'll make sure every detail works towards bringing you together at the perfect time!