what are we waiting for?

well, the ethiopian courts shut down for a few months so we are waiting for them to reopen. they are scheduled to open again next week which means we are about to start moving again.

what's next, you ask:
1. when the courts reopen AWAA will begin petitioning for our court date. we are hoping they will set us a date next week but it may be two weeks before they set it.

2. at our court date - they will hear our case and all that wonderful paperwork we sent months and months ago will be important again. 60% of the families pass on the first court date and we of course are praying to be in that 60%. if we don't pass, they will reset our case for another date and we will try again. not passing is more of a hassle than a worry.

3. once we pass court - DAVID will be officially ours and we can begin our plans to travel. it is typically 2.5-4 weeks after we pass court before we travel so it will move pretty quickly.

what are we praying for?
1. for the AWAA staff both in the states and in ethiopia. the ministry that God has called them to can be difficult, tiring and frustrating yet they continue to be positive. they have a heart for God's orphans and i so appreciate all that they are doing to care for David while we wait to go get him.

2. for the people of ethiopia. the poverty is unthinkable to us in the united states. most of the children being adopted were given to the orphanages because the family had no means to care for them. these are not easy decisions to make.

3. for the moment we first meet David. we are madly in love with our son already and are so anxious to get to hold him. we talk about him as if he were here and dream about him when we sleep. so we pray that we will be patient and understanding when the time comes for him to meet us and he isn't madly in love. God has brought us together and we have no doubts that we will all bond just fine but those first few days may be a little rough.

4. that God would call more families to adopt and that they would be obedient to that call. there are 146 million orphans around the world that need homes.