Ethiopia Court uncertainties

So today and this past week, 6 families with our agency were seen in Ethiopia court. I have talked to some about court and the possibility of not passing. Many have said - "oh no that won't happen, how can that happen?" - I have to put my guard up when I hear this because I know it CAN. God knows when these children will come home but Roscoe and I will PLEAD that Micah can come home at the earliest and we pass court the 13th of March.

The Blackwell Family are now
"official" parents of Rahel Scout - she is a doll!
Two other families also passed this week. (do not have their blogs)

I had posted earlier about a miracle that was needed for two famlies, the Kulps and Semlows. Please continue to keep them in your prayers for they are more than weary.

Another family today did not pass court because the judge wanted more paperwork done due to some recent event. Each case is so individual and the court really is putting the child first to ensure a scenario in which the child indeed is eligible for adoption. It is still so hard for adopting families, even though we all know this.

So why do I post this? To reiterate to others that it is NOT just a formality to pass court - we need everything to be in place and ALL the bases covered. So far in 2009, we are about (I say about as these are families I know about from online chat group) 6 out of 11 (with our agency) in passing court (55% pass rate). This is why our travel dates are tentative and not set in stone. Please pray with us as plead with God for this. Our court date is so far away (March 13th) but who cares - we're praying now and until then anyway :)

On another note: Five families have court next week - we will be praying for them as well!

2 Families traveling this week!

The Taylors
The Violettes

check out their blogs! They have posted on their trips to Ethiopia. They see their kids tomorrow for the first time :)

Donations

So as we plan to travel, we are also taking with us many necessary items to leave at the home/orphanage where Micah is staying now. It is particularly hard to get qualityformula and infant vitamins in Ethiopia. So we are focusing on bringing these items for the bulk of our donations. Many have expressed the desire to contribute - we welcome this although are not pressuring you to do so in any way.

Formula - In Ethiopia, American formula is NOT available. The formula available there does NOT have the essential fatty acids needed for optimal brain and eye growth - DHA and ARA. Micah and other babies are currently taking American formula (thanks to previous donations). Some inexpensive formula (generic brands of Similac, Enfamil standard formulas) can be found at Target, WalMart or CostCo. These formulas are literally about half the price of name brand but the same quality (check out ingredient for ingredient if you are curious). Some babies need higher calorie, higher protein formulas as they come to the orphanage very underweight - a formula for this is Similac Neosure (Micah will take this formula when he arrives home)

Infant Vitamins Vitamins for infants such as Polyvisol are not available in Ethiopia.

Other items we will take to even out the weight of our donation tubs may include:
Diapers/wipes
Bottles/nipples
preemie/newborn clothing

Tentative Travel Dates

We received our tentative travel dates today! If we pass court on March 13th, we will likely travel to pick up our son the week of

March 29th - April 3rd

Our agency stresses that these are tentative dates subject to:

Passing court on March 13th
Getting all the post court paperwork completed

We are still so excited!!

Our Smiley boy!

We received an email today with our January update! There was the most precious photo of our Micah smiling so big with such bright eyes! Perfect for my mommy heart! It was the first big smile I've seen from him! He is on his own curve as far as growth - gaining a bit (not as much as recommended per month for his age but gaining nonetheless) and growing a wee bit in length (again not as much as recommended but still a curve when I plotted it on the growth curves). I'm happy with a curve and not a horizontal line :) His head circumference is the best of the three measurements which is great news! He's on an "American formula" and so I'm sure the EPA and DHA are doing their thing! Go fatty acids! LOL

His personality is said to be "starting to come out" and he is "smiling more often." His nanny describes him as "happy and content baby" :) That's all I want for my boy - well a little fat roll here and there too but happy first of all! I wish you could all see how happy our tiny boy is! It melts my heart! I just want to scoop him up and give him lots of hugs and kisses!

Our adoptions will move forward by prayer

This is a hard weekend. Two families, friends of ours, our pleading to God on behalf of the children referred to them. The Kulps and Semlows need a miracle in order to pass court and bring their children home. Our God can do this!

Job 42:2 I know that you can do ALL things and that NO purpose of yours can be thwarted

Our prayer is that the officials in ET will change their hearts and decisions regarding this adoption and grant the recommendation letter needed for this adoption to move forward. Our prayer is their (ET govt officials) hearts would know the love of the Father for these children. Our prayer is the the officials will know that hand of God is at work on behalf of the orphan in ET!

So we pray and plead with God for mercy for these children in ET. As A.T. Pierson wrote "God has compelled His saints to seek Him at the throne of grace, so that every new advance might be so plainly due to His power. That even the unbeliever might be constrained to confess: 'Surely this is the finger of God.'"

So we pray for the Glory of God in our adoptions from ET. "When [adoption] moves forward by prayer, it magnifies the power of God. When it moves forward by human management, it magnifies man." John Piper was talking about missions here, but we can easily see how this can apply to international adoption.

James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress...

For your Glory God, Bring these babies home to the Kulps and Semlows!

This is a video of a song that our worship pastor, Clarence Church, at Vineyard Columbus wrote. He performed this with our worship team and choir at our Christmas Eve service in 2008. It was so powerful. There were lyrics "oh come you longing arms, your wait is over." I can't help to see parallels of our christian life and adoption by Christ with our adoption of our son.

Ethiopian food and a high chair

So two posts in one :)

Well last week we ordered Micah's high chair - ok well I ordered it and filled Roscoe in that our high chair was coming and he would have to put it together for me :) Here's a pic - it's a perfect match to our kitchen dinette!



I thought I'd share some pics of an evening out at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant, Abysinnia Cafe. We were out with friends who are also adopting from Ethiopia but have not received their referral yet. Here are pics of the food and fun!



Roscoe is eating RAW MEAT here! YES! It is not cooked - very raw! He was fine the next day :)... and loved it!

We have a court date!

We got an email yesterday from our agency informing us of our court date

March 13,2009

PLEASE pray we pass the first time so we can pick up our son late March, early April. 70% of families pass the first time - the odds are for us BUT we must pray!!

Two families passed court!

Two AWAA families passed court this week

The Taylor Family
The Violette Family

Go check out their blogs to see their beautiful children!

They will travel Jan 17 to pick up their children :)