Update and Specific Prayer Requests

Well, there's not really much to say because we are still waiting. The phone is still connected to my hip in anticipation of the big moment when the call comes. As each Monday rolls around, I wonder if this will be our week and then when Friday evening comes, I breathe a sigh of relief because I can stop wondering if I'm going to miss the call for some reason.

The big obstacle that we are facing right now is court closure. In Ethiopia, the courts close for the months of August and September, so while families can still get referrals during this time, they cannot pass through court and travel to get their children. During our agency's last conference call, we were told that if a referral was received by the end of May or the first week of June then a court date should be obtained by the court closure but if any later than that, then we would most likely not be able to go to court until sometime in October or November. With a court date in the fall, it would mean not traveling until very late this year to pick-up our child. My heart aches with the thought that we could get our referral even next week and have to wait all of June, July, August, September, and some or all of October to hold my baby - that's 4 or 5 months that we will be missing out on her life! I cannot even begin to tell you how much I have pleaded with God that we would not get caught-up in the shutdown! In my mind and heart, I know that God's timing is perfect, but the message is not getting to my aching arms who want to hold and rock my daughter!

What can you do to help right now? Please pray for the following things:

• Ethiopian government to complete the investigation of abandoned children so the children are protected and true orphans can be adopted
• Our agency staff at America World who match children with families and prepare all the tedious paperwork
• The Judges so that they can work efficiently and have a heart for orphans
• All the families who are currently waiting for court, to travel, receive a referral, and paperchasing
• Our child - that she will feel loved, have a full tummy, and be healthy
• Our child's parents - they are making the ultimate sacrifice of love
• Our family - peace as we continue to wait

Of course, the desire of my heart is that we get a call tomorrow and we successfully pass through court BEFORE the closure at the end of July! God tells us to pray specifically, so that's what I'm definitely doing!

The number of people following our journey and praying for us is amazing - believe me when I write that we feel your prayers! Thank you!

An Explanation of Court:

After the above-post posted, I received some private inquiries about how court works, so here's the best explanation I can provide.

Once a child is matched with a family (this is called a referral), the call is made to the family to determine whether or not the family accepts the referral. If an acceptance is made, then paperwork is prepared for court. Court is held in Ethiopia but we are not present. A representative from our agency attends court on our behalf and requests that the child be placed in our home. If the judge finds the evidence that the child is truly an orphan (meaning the parents are deceased or the child was abandoned and no family has come forward to care for the child), then the judge grants the adoption - this is called "passing court".

Sometimes families have multiple court dates because every judge is different and wants different paperwork and often the necessary info varies from case to case. Currently, about 30% of the cases must be heard more than once before the child is adopted. Frequently, the judge requests that if the family members are known, that at least 1 family member must come to court and testify that no one is capable of caring for the child. Many times, people have to travel for hours or even days to come to court, so this can be a rather time sensitive issue. Also, sometimes the judge wants to hear testimony from the police officer who found an abandoned child.

Once the judge grants the adoption, then we will be the legal parents of our child. It is at this point that we can post pictures of our child. We cannot post identifying pictures of our child prior to court passing because the child is not legally ours until the judge "signs on the dotted line" per se. We will travel about 2-4 weeks after passing court. Once we arrive back in the US, then we will begin the procedure of readopting our child so that she can have a US birth certificate and we can change her name, if we want to.

My Reoccurring Dream

I keep having a reoccurring dream in which our stateside family coordinator, Terra, and the in-country Ethiopian coordinator are on the phone talking to each other. Both ladies are surrounded by and staring at stacks of dossiers for families that have already been at least preliminarily matched with children, but they can't make any referral calls because of the investigation so now they are trying to shuffle referrals that can be given out. All of a sudden, the in-country Ethiopian coordinator's water breaks (she is actually pregnant right now) and unfortunately our dossier is in the pile on the floor at her feet and gets soaked and I then I wake-up - I know, it sounds crazy but this is true! No offense, but as much as I respect these two ladies, I will be so glad to stop dreaming about them in this manner!

My Heart Stopped

Yesterday, I had a moment in which it felt like I couldn't breathe and my heart wasn't beating - my office phone rang and the caller ID showed "America" ***. At first, I didn't notice the 2nd word on the screen as my eyes were glued to the "America" portion. I thought, this is it, I'm going to hear my baby's name for the first time! Once I snapped out of it, I realized that the 2nd word wasn't "World" at all. I answered the phone and realized that it was a client calling from her new job. While I'm ecstatic that this individual has gotten a job, I was rather disappointed that it wasn't Terra calling from our agency. Oh well, maybe the next time this pops-up on my caller ID, it will say "America World"!

10 Months Since Paperwork Shipped to Ethiopia

Well, it has been 10 long months since our paperwork was sent via FedEX to Ethiopia. Looking at the overall picture, the Ethiopian process has really flown even though it hasn't always seemed that way. Maybe this week will bring our referral?

This past week, God provided me with some real comfort about our Ukraine journey. I received a Facebook message from a friend who traveled to Ukraine a short time after us and ultimately visited the same children who we visited and also had to refuse the referral due to the health of the children and he sent me a link to a blog for the couple who adopted the girls! They look so happy and peaceful and seem to fit like a glove per se with the family. The family also has 2 other children adopted from Ukraine and the kids all favor each other! I have prayed and prayed that these children would find a forever family and it is so encouraging to know that God has answered these prayers. I still have the 2 pieces of packed luggage from our Ukraine trip but I think I can really unpack them now. My heart just swelled with joy as I read the blog and realized that God was saving these children for the perfect family! It was like God was saying, "Look, Erica, I told you that I take care of My children. These girls are just fine and now, it's time for you to move forward and get ready for the child that I have just for your family!" I will always pray for these little girls and will remember our visit with them, however it is now with joy that I remember their little faces. What a wonderful God we serve!

On Sunday, Jason and I ate lunch at O'Charley's and guess who our waitress was - Julianna! We both looked at each other and smiled. Sometimes it's the simplest things like a name that blesses and encourages us. Our day IS COMING - that we know for sure!

We're #1

Yesterday afternoon, I left court and hurried to pick-up Ashton at PaPa's house so we could get to a T-ball game. I had just enough time to check the internet to see if any referral news had been posted on the Yahoo board and guess what - the last family in line ahead of us for a little girl received a referral for a 4 mos. old! I think my heart literally stopped when I saw this: Redd Referall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew that meant that we are now the King and Queen of the Waiting for Referral List!

My Dad knew immediately (probably from the loud gasp) that something big had happened, so he started looking over my shoulder at the screen, then he just kinda chuckled when I told him what this post meant. I immediately called Jason and asked him how it felt to be a King. His back was really hurting him yesterday, so he wasn't in the best of mood, so he abruptly stated, "What are you talking about?" I went on to explain that the Redd's had received their referral so that moved us up to #1 which meant that we are the new King and Queen. When reality sank in, I could hear his smile through his voice.

Well, fast forward to today, and I woke-up feeling so chipper and excited yet a little nauseous at the same time. It is so surreal to know that I can't stalk the Yahoo board for news of little girl referrals because everyone else is going to be stalking it for news of our referral so that they can move on up the list! I've got my cell phone with me and my mini tape recorder ready to go for when our big moment comes. I e-mailed Terra about 2 weeks ago and kindly asked that if she called on my cell and she could tell that the phone had been picked up but no one said anything, for her not to hang-up immediately because I was probably trying to run out of the courtroom so I could answer. She was very kind and stated that she would oblige my request ;)

On the way to daycare this morning, Ashton and I always call my Dad. I told Daddy that today could be our referral day, and Ashton started clapping and cheering, "Yeah, Referral Day!" I hung-up and then asked Ashton if he knew what a referral was and he said, "No, but it sounds good." I asked, what do you think it means? He said, "I'm going to see a picture of my sissy, Julianna." and I said, "Yes!" We talked about it a little bit more and then when we got to school, he said to be sure I came and picked him up before we saw her picture so he could see her too. I asked him what he was going to do when he finally got to touch his sister, and he said, "I'm going to eat her up just like my Granny used to do me."

According to my sister, today is going to be a good day for my family...we'll see! I'll keep you posted!

Status Update

Adoption:

We are still holding at #2 in line for an infant girl. My previous post was an e-mail that was sent by our agency that may be the cause for why we are still waiting. Referrals are still being given out for children who were relinquished by the birth family, though, so our call could still come at any time. Actually, I am calmer than I have been in weeks and I'm not jumping every time the phone rings - that's definitely a good thing. Another adoptive mom posted on our agency's yahoo chat room wall the following (in a nutshell): "Remember, your children will not stay in Ethiopia one day longer than God has planned. Also, these children are His children, not ours. We are their caretakers, but in the end, we all belong to Him." I read her post and peace came upon me.

Jason:

He is feeling better as the inflammation is subsiding and the bruising is finally fading. Of course, he still can't bend, twist, and reach but he is moving around better and his mental status and mood are much improved. Now, we move on to the chore of dealing with the short term disability carrier. Nissan hasn't given us any problems but it looks like we're really going to have to stay on top of the case manager. Jason will be off from work until the middle/end of June. Please continue to pray for his healing.

Also, under the FMLA guidelines, Nissan will very likely allow Jason to take off at least a week or two when we need to travel to Ethiopia! Right now, we are focusing on his healing and trusting that God's timing is always perfect. He's meeting our needs and we have ultimate faith and trust that He's going to continue to carry us through!

Daddy:

My dad is doing awesome! We are no longer having to pack and dress the surgery incision because it is healing just great! The infection was contained to the incision site, so this is a HUGE praise! He still tires quickly and is moving slower than previous months, but his personality is back and it is so good to see him smile and hear his laughter!

News from Ethiopia

A summary of our latest e-mail from America World regarding Ethiopians Adoption:

An investigation has been mandated by the Ethiopian government that safeguards the well-being of the children - for which we are very thankful. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of orphans in the main city of Addis Ababa and the government just wants to make sure that the children who are being brought to the orphanages are indeed orphaned. As a result of this investigation, there is going to be a slow-down in the court process and most likely referrals until the investigation is complete. America World assures us that they do not have any concerns about the children that they have referred, however our agency must wait with the rest of the agencies when it comes to completing the adoptions of these children.

Please be encouraged by the words of David in Psalm 27: 13-14 “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

My Heart's Desire

Between Jason's back injury, a very heavy court docket and Mom's 6 month death anniversary, this week has been a long one. I need some really positive news to help cheer me up and get me pumped. I am totally dreading Mother's Day on Sunday because I miss my Mom so much and because my heart longs to see my daughter's face. I never dreamed that our adoption would take almost 3 years and would be so full of bumps and humps, but through it all we've learned to deal with the punches per se. I SO want to get that call in the next 30 minutes. It's 3:30 CST as I write this entry and our agency closes at 5:00 EST - that's 30 more minutes. It would be so much easier to sit in church on Sunday as everyone is celebrating family and Moms and be able to focus on the blessings of my 2 children! As of 30 minutes ago, there is now only 1 family in line ahead of us and I'm hoping that changes by the end of the day and we're all rejoicing!

Have a great Mother's Day!

We love you, Mom!

Update on Jason

We were very blessed to be able to get an appointment with an ortho. physician for tomorrow at 1:00 CST. He specializes in spine and back injuries, so hopefully all will go well. We were referred to an ortho by the ER doctor but after making some inquiries this morning with some friends who do a lot of workers comp and personal injury law, I wasn't too sure that we should go with the ER recommendation. When I did more research, I found out that the recommended doctor specializes in sports injuries, so that just didn't seem like a good fit anyway.

Say lots of prayers that tomorrow's appointment will go well! Right now, Jason is on pain meds and grouchy.

Shine, Jesus, shine

I just wanted to let you know that yesterday morning, Jason fell about 11 feet off of a ladder and broke his back. After almost 7 hours in the ER and 4 trips to X-ray for CT scans and x-rays, we were told that he has a break in the lower back. This news was rather shocking because for hours we had been told that there was not a bone broken but then they changed their mind after another round of scans. The good news is that the break was clean and is unlike most other back breaks in that it does not require surgery or a brace. The doctor stated that Jason had the strongest bones that she had ever seen - the key here is DRINK MILK ALL THE TIME - and that his break will heal on its own in about 6 weeks. He is scraped and cut from the top of his head to his feet - literally. When he hit the ground, he said that he remembers not being able to breathe and apparently he passed out because when he woke-up his Mom's dog was standing over him with her tongue hanging out and her tail wagging. Jason said he's not sure if the ladder latch broke or came loose or what happened. When he fell, he apparently scraped down a tree and hit his head on large landscaping rocks. The bottom picture is just part of one of his bruises - he's bruised and cut and scraped from the top of his head to his ankles. He has all these weird lines running through the bruises that we're guessing are indentions of maybe the ladder, yard light that was busted, tree, or rocks that he landed on. I have never seen anything like this. I literally poured peroxide all over him last night in an attempt to clean the abrasions.

At this time, we are okay but definitely need your prayers. Jason can walk better than sit but he needs to rest. He is very swollen on his back and stiff. The ER physician stated that she works with Nissan a lot and that more than likely they will not put him on light duty but will force him to stay out the next 6 weeks at least. Jason is freaked out about this for a couple of reasons. Of course, with my business being so young, he is our main source of income and next, if he takes off on FMLA now then he may not be allowed to take any more FMLA time off later this summer or early fall to travel to Ethiopia to pick-up our baby. We'll have more answers next week when we actually talk to the plant personnel but regardless of what other people may say about Nissan, they have always treated Jason right when it came to leave (i.e. all the uncertainity of time off while we were in Ukraine). We are trusting that God will once again provide as He sees fit this time as well.

We have done a lot of praying about this situation, and for me, I feel peace in that I know that God is in ultimate control and that He will bring us through this time. Please pray that God can give Jason peace as well. He is a dedicated father and husband and he knows that this injury greatly limits his independence for a little while. At the hospital, the nurse stated due to the height that he fell and all that could have happened, he said that Jason is very lucky - I looked over and said, "No, he is very blessed." There is no doubt for any of us that God protected Jason yesterday!

I think God was preparing us (or at least me) for this. On Thursday, my daily devotion focused on when some basic need is lacking (time, energy, money, health), then consider yourself blessed as in our weakness, Christ's power is made perfect. It went on to say that awareness of our inadequacies is a rich blessing that trains us to rely wholeheartedly on Christ. The key verses were as follows:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2-3

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

On Thursday, God provided payment on 2 cases that I didn't think I would ever collect on - God was already providing for our needs that we didn't even know we were going to have within the next 24 hours.

Yesterday, my devotion focused on the fact that there is no randomness in our life and that we are on a path orchestrated by God. It stated that as we give ourselves more and more to a life of constant communication and reliance on God, then we will find that we simply have no time for worry which allows us freedom to let God direct our steps and enables us to walk along the path of peace. Was this not perfect for yesterday's trials? The verses were as follows:

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" Luke 12: 25-26

"[T]o shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." Luke 1:79.

Please pray specifically that God will work in Jason's life in several ways - in healing him and giving him peace that everything is going to be okay. He needs to feel God's peace and that will come with prayer.

Please pray that God will continue to bring new clients into my business. It is amazing how much God has already worked and provided in just under 2 years. Going out on my own was absolute leap of faith but not one month have the bills gone unpaid - He always provides when we trust Him. We are still proceeding with the adoption and trusting God that he will continue to meet our needs there. If we've learned nothing in the last 6 months since Mom's death, Dad's aneurysm surgery and infections, and now Jason's broken back it is to trust God in all things as He will never leave us but always provides for us! Our heartaches and stresses are the main ways that God's grace in our lives can be seen and recognized by those who do not follow Him. Shine, Jesus, shine!

Jason will go see an ortho doctor this coming week. Personally, I'm praying that the bone is healed without explanation - after all my own healing of my heart is proof that God can do the unimaginable! Please pray that God will soften the hearts of those at Nissan so that they can be kind in their dealings with all the paperwork and that everything will go smoothly with his job.

Thank you again for all your prayers!