We passed!

My Montage 4/25/09

Court Date- April 27th

Our court date is Monday, which means that we should all go to bed praying Sunday night. There is a 7 hour time difference, so court will be going on while we're sleeping in the wee hours of the morning. We appreciate all your prayers for God to grant us favor.

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages..."

We're praying specifically for these things:

1. For the birthmom to show up at the hearing

2. For all of our paperwork to be in order and present

3. For the judge to grant us parental rights

4. Ultimately for God to orchestrate all events and show us His favor

BLESSED

The girls from my care group at church hosted a baby shower for me and it was full of BLESSINGS. They gathered blessings from family members and close friends to compile into a beautiful Blessing Book that is now on my coffee table. To make matters more emotional, they read these blessings aloud during my shower, followed by a prayer time.

Okay, I was a mess. I cried as my grandmother and my mother shared their testimony of adoption. Then a friend started reading a blessing written by my father. I started to melt into a puddle on the floor. This progressed with other readings from siblings, parents, close friends. Wow.

I've know for a long time that God has graciously blessed me with precious family and friends, but this was almost more than I could bear. I am so unworthy of God's goodness toward me. The Blessing Book will be a treasure to me for years to come. It goes so much further than the tangible goods brought to the party.

Don't get me wrong. We needed those baby items, and many were kind enough to bring humanitarian aid items as well. God faithfully provided for our needs. But, again, the Book will continue to bless me and my children for years to come. Thank you to all who were involved. I love you dearly, and thank you for your kind words of love, affirmation, and BLESSING! Here are some pictures.

3 Weeks and Counting!

My cuties!

Oh yah- a man after my own heart!

Grace saved up and bought some new outfits for Felicity off Craig's List. So cute!

In 3 short weeks, we will have our courtdate over in Ethiopia! We are so excited to see what God will do! Please keep praying that we will pass on the first date. We know that God is working on our behalf behind the scenes and that brings us such peace. His will be done!

IF we pass court, we could be travelling 2-4 weeks later. That means we could be travelling next month. Wow! After more than a year of waiting, we are within reach. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Well, on the one hand it is the end of waiting and on the other hand it is the beginning of a new season. There is MUCH to come. This waiting has just been a small part of our family's journey. We want to get our hands on these little ones and help them feel loved, nurtured, and part of a forever family.

My mom is coming this week and my sweet friends are throwing me a baby shower. I'll share pics soon.