Our Future Part 1

In the past few weeks our family's plans have changed drastically.  One thing I can say with confidence though is that I feel like we are following God's plan for our family-even right now when it does not really make sense.  I feel a strange peace in all that is going on...and I'm a little hesitant to share our story with the world in totality just yet because I am still very emotional about everything-even though I know we are doing what is right.

So, for those of you who are not aware of the adoption process in Ethiopia, right now it is a little bumpy.  Adoptions are being slowed down drastically so that they can be done in a more detailed manner.  The government want to make sure they are being ethical about adoptions and adopting out only true orphans or children who were given up willingly, not just taken to an orphanage by some family member when in reality the mom or dad might be looking for them.  This is respectable...it of course makes me sad for the orphans who do have to sit and wait for families longer when they truly need homes but I like that they are being handled with care.  Finding this out was discouraging to us for a few reasons I won't share right now...then, we had some issues with our agency that were just kind of the straw that broke the camels back.  So, one night last week I had this confirmation that we were not supposed to use the agency we were going with, and that Ethiopia was not the place we are supposed to adopt from.  I wondered why would God have had us walk down this path if it was going to end like this.  Why did we "waist" a year, hours and hours of paperwork, doctors appointments and lots of waiting for what seems like nothing.  Then, as I was getting my hair cut and talking to my hair dresser she spelled everything out for me.  She said, "You had to walk down that path.  If you had not pursued adopting from Ethiopia you would not have been doing research on Ethiopian adoption blogs and you would have not seen the video that was the catalyst for Sole Hope."  Oh.  My.  Gosh!  She was right. 

At this point we are not pursuing an adoption through Ethiopia.  I still love that country and maybe one day we will have a child from there.  At this point we feel drawn toward doing and independent adoption from either Zambia or Uganda.  We have had several doors open for us and we are just praying for the right timing on everything.

If I had my way I would adopt this sweet boy below...

I've told you about Maybin in a previous post.  He has stolen my heart!  We were connected instantly and I knew there was something different about this kid.  He wants to be a doctor when he grows up and is literally thirsty for knowledge.  He is a double orphan and cares for his grandmother who is in her 70s.  When Maybin's grandmother dies he will have no one.  Literally no one.  He knows that he has our family now.  We are his distant adoptive family and he knows that we are here for him if he ever needs anything.  

(Maybin's grandmother, Madilina)

There are other big decisions that we are making right now that will come up at a later date and time.  :)  Sorry to leave ya hanging!