We were praying that we would receive a court date for before Christmas but after reading other adoptive family blogs yesterday I started getting somewhat discouraged that a before Christmas date was not in our future. It seemed like so many families had been waiting for weeks and months to hear word of a court date. So yesterday while driving to the hospital I just came to peace with the fact that we would not be traveling until January. It wasn't that I was running out of faith but more that I was trying to think about things realistically. The Ethiopian courts are not what they used to be in terms of processing time. I told myself that January would be better because the airports would not be so crowded with Christmas travelers. I told myself that this way Andrew and I would have a bit more time to raise more money for our trip. I also told myself that God was in control and that I would stop worrying about the date.
Well, God IS in control and He is faithful! At 8:30 this morning I woke up to AGCI calling my phone. I leaped out of bed and answered my phone while trying to sound semi awake! I heard K's voice on the other end and she sounded very excited. She quickly said, " How would you like to go to Ethiopia to meet your boys???" Wow! Another shocking moment in this journey of adoption! I could barley believe what I was hearing! After yesterday I was fully prepared to play the waiting game for several more months before hearing word of a court date and within just hours of giving it all to the Lord we get our date!
Our court date is just as we prayed for. Before Christmas. The date is December 14th!!!! We will be arriving a few days early to spend time with the boys at Hannah's hope so we will most likely be leaving Seattle Dec. 10th!
Prayer requests:
***The boy's birth mother has her court date on Dec. 1st and she needs to attend this date in order for us to keep our date. Please pray that she will be able to make it as she has to travel a long ways. Also pray for her heart as this has got to be the hardest thing a mother could ever do.
***Pray for all our travel arrangements too (we are leaving in 6 weeks)! We need to find the least expensive airline tickets.
***Continue to pray for the boys as they are adjusting to being a Hannah's Hope. Pray that God would be preparing their hearts to meet us too!
Thank you all for your continued prayers and for rejoicing in this great news with us!
What wonderful news! So happy for you that you will be able to meet your boys before Christmas. Praying that everything works out.
ReplyDeleteI think mid Dec. is much better. Last year I went in January, and airports were closing down a week prior here due to ice. It made me nauseous... The weather should be nicer in mid Dec.
ReplyDeletePlus... Then you can worry about the ice when you return late early January to go to embassy. :-) (hey, let's be optimistic)