Still waiting but definitely not idle

So, we are still awaiting a referral for our children. Every month I dial into the Gladney conference call to get the country program update. We have been on the wait list for 10 months now. I am desperate to see and hold our children. I have an emptiness in my heart that can only be filled by them. The Ethiopian courts will close for the rainy season in August and September. That means no cases will be processed during that time and when court opens back up there will be a back log of families waiting to be processed. I am still hopeful that we will get our referral this Summer and travel this Fall to bring them home. However, as time passes, it is becoming more and more realistic to think they may not come home until after the first of the year.

This is a whole new experience for us. Our first two children's referrals came to us rather quickly and both adoptions were completed in under a year. This long drawn out wait is so hard. God is testing us. He is testing our patience and obediance. I am not very good with the patience thing but leave it to God to use our weaknesses to refine us. We pray nightly at the dinner table for their safety and health and mostly that they will know they are loved and wanted. My heart aches for them.

We have definitely been kept busy with our two littles at home. After 4 months, Josh is finally potty trained. Yeah!!! Em graduated pre-school and has now started an Early Start Kindergarten program to get her ready for Kindergarten that starts in late August. She LOVES kindergarten!

Please keep us in your prayers as the waiting is the hardest part.