Two Steps Forward

Well, good news! We were submitted to the Embassy this past Tuesday and our case was screened by the Embassy today. These are two big steps forward! I am hoping for no more steps back and a quick and easy process from here on out! Next step: The Embassy does their own investigation of our case. There is an interview that needs to take place in Ethiopia with some people from our daughter’s past. It appears that it is taking about 3-4 weeks (from being screened) for that interview to happen. IF all goes well with that interview, it appears most families get cleared quite quickly and are able to go and pick up their children just a few days after. In other words, if all goes well, it appears we could be bringing our daughter “home” in March! I can’t even tell you how excited we all are about this ~ but ofcourse, we are a little cautious as well. With international adoption, you never know what is challenges may occur in your case and you have no control over any of it. I am optimistic, at this point though, that we will have our daughter “home” and in our arms before the beginning of summer! I can’t wait to have three kids to hang out with this summer. It’s going to be awesome!!

So, next we will hear is the interview date in Ethiopia (that we do not attend). When we do - I'll let you all know!!

PRAYER REQUESTS

-          For our travels – that we would be safe and healthy the whole time.

-          

    For the next part of the process (the Embassy phase) to go quickly so we can bring our baby girl home!

Thank you all so much! We are very blessed by each of you!

The Thomas Family

Who Knows?

Want to know whats new with our adoption lately - yeah, so do I - but who knows? Our agency has been closed due to inclement weather all day. . .

On Tuesday, we received an email saying that we had been submitted to embassy but our case was rejected because we were missing a document that needed for one agency to upload it for a different agency to see. I spent Tuesday afternoon and evening on the phone, begging and pleading people to take care of the paperwork quickly.

On Thursday, we received word that the document had been located and we should, hopefully be submitted to embassy on or before next Tuesday. Then, yesterday (Thursday) afternoon, we received another email saying that a different document may be out of date and they may not be able to submit us in the next few weeks after all. I called and emailed yesterday, but couldn't get a hold of anyone. I called today and the office is closed because of inclement weather. So, now we sit this whole weekend, uncertain of if we have been submitted to embassy or not yet and if we will be in the near future. . .

As you can imagine, it's been a rough week of setbacks for us. Neither of us are having an easy time dealing with it at all. We are both so anxious to go back and pick up our girl. Waiting is hard, having no control is hard, missing her is hard... It's all hard these past few days.