Waiting Again.

Well, yesterday's email from the Embassy asked for a police letter with certain details. And today we've been told that the new policeman at the police station that dealt with Ezra's abandonment has agreed to write a letter. Please pray the letter he writes will contain all the information the Embassy is asking for!! The Embassy also requested some other information regarding Ezra's history that the orphanage where he was for the first few months of his life is going to try to provide. Please pray they can provide those details in full as well! And all of it in a timely manner!

Would you also lift up the McAlpines and the Kopps when you pray for us? They are 2 other families with CWA who are struggling right along with us. Their story is much the same as ours.

Wordless Wednesday

The Response

Honestly, we are frustrated to say the least. We seem to be caught in the middle of some sort of battle between the US Embassy and the Ethiopian government.

CWAE's representative who carries the paperwork to the Embassy on Tuesdays was enquiring about our case this afternoon while she was there. We will hear what she found out tomorrow. The information they are requesting seems like information that should have already been there so we're not sure what they want. We are praying for a clear answer tomorrow.

However, we are standing strong. We know the Lord has a reason for all this. Nathan sent me this verse while he was at work today...

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

The kids Hymns CD was playing this afternoon and while they are all excellent, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, was very encouraging and really hit home. 


What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!

1. Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations?
   Is there trouble anywhere?
   We should never be discouraged—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Can we find a friend so faithful,
   Who will all our sorrows share?
   Jesus knows our every weakness;
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
   Cumbered with a load of care?
   Precious Savior, still our refuge—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
   Take it to the Lord in prayer!
   In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
   Thou wilt find a solace there.
4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
   Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
   May we ever, Lord, be bringing
   All to Thee in earnest prayer.
   Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
   There will be no need for prayer—
   Rapture, praise, and endless worship
   Will be our sweet portion there.

We will get through this. We will make it to the end and be reunited with our son! Thank you all for your prayers. You honestly have no idea how much they mean to us. We are standing strong because of your faithful prayers. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

THE Email

Yes, we received THE email we've been waiting on. However, it was not the response we were praying for. The US Embassy in Addis has asked for more information along with the Visa 37 that we already knew about. We aren't exactly sure what is going on because the information they are asking for seems like it should have already been included in what they received. It's not hard stuff that they are asking for, at least in our minds. We have emailed CWA and are waiting for them to open to see what is going on and what happens next.

The Latest: Updated

We received an email about 15 minutes ago from the US Embassy in Addis in response to the email we sent last week. Our case is still being reviewed and they are missing a document. It's a document related to something we had done at the US Embassy in Nairobi. Nathan has already been in touch with them and they are supposed to be forwarding the document via email to the Embassy in Addis ASAP. We pray it is done ASAP. We know how things happen in African countries. Please join us in praying we will be approved soon!

Tuesday Morning Update:

Just when you think you have all this adoption stuff figured out, they find another hoop for you to jump through. We are receiving conflicting reports of where to get the Visa 37 cable that the Addis Embassy is missing from our paperwork. Hopefully we will figure it out today. The good news is that CWA says it's going the way it should. The Embassy just has to receive this Visa 37 cable (which is part of our approval to bring an orphan to the US) and hopefully approve us. Please keep praying!!

Tuesday Morning Update Updated:

We just received an email from the US Embassy in Addis, and they confirmed where we are to get the document from! Praise the Lord! Nathan had already requested it from them yesterday so we are on the right track! Pray they send it soon; it's sent via email. Thank you for your prayers!

Singing in the Rain

While we were eating dinner this evening, it started raining. The kids finished their dinner and went outside to play in the rain. They really enjoy putting on their boots and have a reason to get out their umbrellas. :) What cuties!  

Updates

Nathan is doing much better. He saw the doctor last Saturday, had a few more tests done, and ruled out more serious things like malaria, typhoid, and salmonella. He finished up his meds and is feeling much better now. Hopefully all the critters are gone from his tummy!

We also went to look for a new water tank last Saturday. We got the measurements and prices and came back home to see which one would fit. Except it had quit leaking. Praise the Lord! However, we are still going to go ahead and get it fixed before we are gone for a few months. The current tank is old and rusty and needs replacing. The landlord has been contacted and is going to pay for it so we're going ahead with the job. Nathan is going to purchase the tank this morning, and then it's going to be installed on Monday. They will have to cut a hole in our bedroom ceiling to hoist it into the attic since the little door is much too small. Fun, fun. :)

On the adoption front, we are still waiting. We found a blog on Wednesday morning that said the US Embassy in Addis is open to emails from adoptive parents. Something we didn't know. Nathan emailed Wednesday morning to ask for an update on our case. We are still waiting for an email. Our case was submitted on Monday. It passed the initial review at the first window which is better than it did the last time they submitted it. However, it can still be rejected and more information requested. The time frame for a response on your case is 1-2 weeks. But we are hoping for a response to our email on Wednesday before then. And are praying it's accepted! Please pray with us!!

So, there you go. For anyone who is wondering! ;)

Thursday Thoughts

John calls breakfast "breafkast." Adorable.

Even after living here 3 years, I still find it funny that when you great a Kenyan with a "hi" or "hello," a common response is "fine."

Our kids are at the ages where they ask questions all.the.time. At first it drove me bananas. But then I started thinking about it. They are only asking because they don't know something. Most of the time, that is. And who would I rather answer those questions than Mommy and Daddy. "Why?" drove me crazy. But then I realized, I'm their Mommy, the one they look to for almost everything right now. I need to be the one they can come to with all their questions. I hope that's always the case. And even if I don't have all the answers for them, we can go looking for the answer together.

Ruth asked to go swing out front. Meaning she wanted me to come push her. I asked her to put a jacket on because it was kind of chilly outside. She said, "Ok, I don't want to get chili's on me." So cute. Made me laugh out loud. They are beginning to learn there are more than one meaning to some words.

I really like when Hubby and I are on the same page. I was thinking something this week and before I could even talk to him about it, he had already started working on it. It's great when you've been married long enough that you are both on the same page without even having to talk about it!

Paint with Water

Some time back I saw this idea here and thought it would be fun for the kids. Well, I never did it. I saw it again over the weekend, and when they asked for something to do yesterday, I thought painting with water would be great! They all had a great time and even asked to do it again after naps! 

Eat it All

I normally cut the kids apples into pieces for them so they don't get wasted. But one day last week they asked to eat them whole. I told them they had to eat all of it. Meaning, not leave a lot on the core. Well, Ruth went about eating her apple and when I saw her, this was all that was left! Guess I should explain myself a little better next time, huh? :)

Wordless Wednesday

Could it be the Day?

The additional paperwork the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia requested is being submitted this morning. Please join us in praying they accept it and clear us to travel to pick up Ezra!!

2:15p.m. update: The paperwork was submitted. Now we are waiting on the outcome. Not sure how long it will take.

5:30p.m. update: We totally forgot one part of this waiting process: the time in between our case being submitted to the Embassy and the email from the Embassy asking when we want to come. Our case manager says expect the wait to be between one and two weeks. We are praying for sooner. But still, our case made it past the preliminary person inspecting it at the window! So, we are pleased about that! Just keep praying!!

What a Day!

Yesterday Nathan came home not feeling the best. He had a horrible night with chills and sweats. He stayed home from work today and we decided to have a stool specimen checked with the tropical medicine center. As I was getting ready to leave to take it, I noticed a drip, drip, drip in the upstairs ceiling. Not a good thing. The water that feeds our home is stored in a tank in the attic. We knew something was wrong but weren't sure what. I brought the ladder upstairs for the Nathan to check on it while I was gone to drop off the specimen. But the kids were napping and that didn't get done. I got the specimen dropped off with instructions to call back in a hour, left, picked up a couple movies for the weekend, and headed back home. Traffic was h.o.r.r.i.b.l.e. But I managed to take the back roads and it wasn't too long getting back home. The kids were getting up by the time I got back home. So, Nathan climbed up in the attic and found a big puddle of water sitting on our styrofoam ceiling tiles. He decided to cut a hole in the foam and let the water drip through. Meanwhile, I started calling to figure out what we needed to do. The lady in charge of AIM housing is on vacation so I called Sammy, plumbing guy. He was working on a job, but said if I would come get him, he would come look at it. The kids and I loaded up in the van and went to pick him up. Thankfully traffic going that direction wasn't too bad and we were back home in 15 minutes. We dropped him off, Dinah, Sammy, and his helper hopped out, and Nathan showed him what was going on while John, Ruth, and I went back to the tropical medicine center to pick up a prescription for Nathan's critters living in his tummy. We talked to the doctor for a few minutes, and she seemed to think he needed something more than the meds she had prescribed for parasites and an amoeba. She said the fever and achiness wouldn't be caused by the parasite. So, he may go in tomorrow to see the doctor. Well, we hopped back in the van and headed to the chemist or pharmacy to pick up the meds. The first chemist didn't have both of them so we had to make another stop. Then we were on our way. Finally. Oh yeah, while we were in the last chemist, Nathan called to let me know we had gotten an email from CWA that said our paperwork was ready to be resubmitted to the Embassy on Monday morning. Whoohoo! So much going on all at once! John, Ruth, and I made it home, made grilled cheese for dinner since there was no time for the pizza I had planned. And finally enjoyed a relaxing evening. What a day!

Thursday Thoughts

My hubby and I are having a debate: is it better to have your hair turn gray or lose your hair? What do you think?

I have not one, but three consciences daily asking me if I am going to exercise. :)

Our kids are learning the phonetic sounds. They like to ask what words start with. Even Ruth. She likes to ask what crocodile starts with. :)

Cooler weather is nice. Although warmer weather is nice, too. It's been fun to have some really cool days this week and some warmer days with the sunshine out.

I learned an important lesson this week. Take your shower during the day and not at night. Otherwise, you might find yourself standing in the shower shaving your legs in the pitch black and find your eyes getting wider and wider trying to adjust to see something, anything. Thankfully Nathan came to my rescue with a candle. And showering by candlelight is almost as nice as a bath by candlelight. :)

The Latest

This afternoon we heard that the first letters written had to be corrected. Hence, the reason it was taking so long. CWAE picked up the new letters today and they were being translated today as well. Normally translation takes a day. Normally. :) We'll see how that goes since nothing has been "normal" the past few months. After the letters are translated, they will be taken to the US Embassy and we will once again wait to hear if our case has been accepted. PLEASE join us in praying that the Embassy will show grace upon our case and accept it! We are sooo ready to go get Ezra!!

Wordless Wednesday

Thursday Thoughts

There are freckles coming across the bridge of Ruth's nose, and I think they are just adorable.

I think the guy who decided we should park the van outside our gate instead of inside is one smart man. ;) The kids and I have a great time playing with lots more room inside our gate!

Thursday lunches at the hangar with Daddy are one of the highlights of our week! Why didn't we think of this sooner?!

Our kids have great imaginations. They are constantly pretending together. I'm so glad that they are influenced by their books, Bible stories, and life events rather than television, movies, and video games. They know about Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia. They know about orphans and adoption. They know about children who are a different color than them. And that God loves them, too. They know about people who don't have enough food to eat. And I am thrilled the Lord has given us a different vision for raising our children.

I'm SOOOO happy Ezra's beautiful curls are coming back! :)

Saturday as we were going out to get our groceries, we noticed traffic was a bit backed up. We thought about going another way, but we realized there was an accident and traffic seemed to be moving ok. We kept going and as we got closer realized there was a man laying in the middle of the road. There was a group of people off to the side just looking at him. As we drove by, we diverted the kids attention to the middle of the car as Nathan could pretty much tell the guy was dead. It was quite sad that they just left him in the middle of the road. I wonder if they ever thought about covering people up.

I'm pretty sure voluntary kisses on the cheek from our son are some of the best.

I enjoy being able to call our local movie rental shop on Friday morning and have a movie delivered for Friday night! We can even call for pick up!

Dinah is getting to the age where she likes to help me do things around the house. She will come ask me how she can help me on her own free will. I'm really enjoying this age!

New Pictures of Our Little Man

Here are a few of our monthly pictures of Ezra. Looks like he's growing. And so is his hair! YAY!! :) 

Please continue to pray with us. We heard yesterday that the orphanage where he lived for several months before he came to the CWA transition home is writing a letter of all that has been done to this point to find out any information about him. And a guy from CWA is also writing a letter to ask the Embassy to please review the case and accept it with the information that they have. We're really not sure what is taking so long to write a couple of letters, but I guess since we live in Africa we understand a bit more that things take longer than they do in the normal western culture. So, we are trying to be patient. We are trying our best to stay upbeat and busy. We are supposed to be informed when these letters are taken to the Embassy. So, please, continue to pray. 

Wordless Wednesday

Growing Up

This morning, the kids and I loaded up their bikes and helmets and drove over to our old neighborhood. It's only about 2 minutes from our gate, but they now have a smooth road. It's much easier for everyone to ride over there than on our potholed, half-paved road in our neighborhood. 

 Dinah decided last Friday afternoon that she was going to ride her bicycle without her training wheels. 

 She climbed on John's bike and pushed it around all afternoon, but never quite put her feet on the pedals.

 Saturday morning Nathan took her training wheels off. And she was off. Guess it just clicked in her mind. Or she was determined not to let her little brother show her up too much longer. :) 

 She is all over the place. She is taking some tumbles, but only has one scratch so far. 

 They are all doing so, so well on their bikes. Ruth rides around just as many times as Dinah and John. She can go fast enough that I can jog along with them if I choose. 

 We lost count of how many times we went around today. But it was at least 6, I think. And 4 times around is a mile.

 My goodness. How they've grown.

 And here are a few of our determined girl...

 From behind.

 And the side.

And there's that tongue. :)