Immigration Paper Work -- Check!

Well, our agency received our immigration paperwork this afternoon! This is a HUGE step for us returning to Ethiopia to bring home our girl. Once our agency looks it over to be certain I filled it out correctly (I pray so - it took hours) they send it off to Ethiopia. Then we are submitted to the embassy. This part will probably take about 2-3 weeks. Once we are submitted to embassy, the US Embassy in Ethiopia reviews and investigates our case. Once that is complete, we will be free to go and pick up our girl and bring her home to her forever family!! In looking at other people who have been through this last part of the process in the recent months, it looks like it is taking cases and average of about 6 weeks to clear embassy. That means, we could be traveling back to Ethiopia in about 2 months!! I am so excited, I can hardly see straight! I understand and support the embassy doing their due diligence in this process, I am just praying that it goes by super quick so that we can get our girl home and start loving on her and bonding with her and all that great stuff that I've been looking so forward to for over three years now!! 

So, next we will hear is that we have been submitted to embassy. When we do - I'll let you all know!!

Patient

I am one of the least patient people I know.  This can be good.  I am a hard worker and my effort is usually consistent.  I remember signing up for the adoption process and asking our social worker how long it took the average family to complete their home study.  She said about 5-6 months.  I had ours done in 3 months. When I get an idea in my head, I will run around like a crazy person until it is completed.  

This can also be not such a great thing.  I can have too high of expectations of others and be judgmental or a big complainer when they don't get things done as quickly as I had anticipated.  I can also rush through things and I miss the forest for the trees - or really for the ground - because I've got my head so buried in the dirt and busyness that I forget to even look up and see the trees!  Also, when you have a lack of control over a situation and the process and the people take way longer than you think they should - it is hard to stay patient (even just a little) and press on.  It's hard to stand firm and wait on the promise. 

That gives you a little idea of where I am at lately.  Christmas is over.  New Years is over.  A big event at work is over.  I'm struggling with some things and praying about how to handle them.  And I'm having to wait and be patient ~ and I don't like it.  

Don't feel sorry for me.  I know I need to persevere and stand firm and wait for the promise.  Along the way, there are SO MANY blessings that I am trying not to overlook and miss out on.  I have two wonderful kids that bless my socks off seriously like 100 times a day.  I have the most amazing husband who I know loves me and prays for me all the time.  

I was struggling this morning with how do I fill the time until we get to go back to Ethiopia and bring our little girl home.  I was struggling with having no clue about how she is doing, what she is doing, what size clothes she wears, how often she eats, what she eats, what her sleep schedule is like...  And then I began mulling over everything else in life I have no control over and am impatient about.  Very fitting that I would then be praying and asking God to take away this worry impatience and replace it with steadfastness and perseverance. Open up my Bible and this is what I read...

James 5:7-11

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Ethiopia Trip One

We've been back from Ethiopia for one week now - feels like 3, but it's only been one!  I have yet to get back to my regular sleep cycle, but considering it's nearly 9:00 p.m. and I'm still wide awake, tonight might be the night!

We are still processing all that we saw and experienced in Ethiopia - our daughter's home!  The best part of the trip, of course, was spending time with our daughter.  We got to visit with her four times, for varying lengths of time each visit.  She was hesitant with us at first, but by the end of the third visit, we had her waving, clapping, giving hi-fives, playing peek-a-boo, and giving hugs.  It brought our hearts SO MUCH joy to see her smile, finally!!  She is SO VERY beautiful.  I can't show her face in pictures until after we have cleared Embassy, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  She has dimples and her smile takes my breath away!!  Here is a sneak preview . . .

What happens now? Now our agency works diligently and hopefully VERY VERY quickly to get us ready to be submitted to Embassy. This can take anywhere from 1-3 months. Then, the Embassy does their investigation and starts working on more paperwork. This could be an additional 1-6 months. Once we are cleared, we will be able to go back and pick up our daughter and bring her to her new home!!  I know, I realize that there is a large discrepancy between 2-9 months before we can return to Ethiopia, but it seems to be taking other families adopting through our same agency from Ethiopia about 4 months between the two trips. I am going to estimate 5 months for us so that I can be pleasantly surprised if it happens sooner. That puts us bringing her home in early May - spring - great time to add to a family!

More info to come... Stay tuned!!

We are going to ETHIOPIA!!!

I am writing with some FANTASTIC news!!  Last Friday, we got the call with our court date.  Our court date (in Ethiopia) is December 5^th!  We fly out this weekend and will be holding our girl in our arms next week!!  Needless to say, we are MORE THAN excited.  We have been busy these past few days packing and getting ready for Thanksgiving.  The days are going by pretty quickly!  

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving – and this just is such an unexpected bonus!  We really want to thank each of you, for your prayers and your financial help and your love and encouragement.  The past few months have been challenging, but your support has helped so much.  We return from Ethiopia the second week of December, so be watching your inbox for updates soon after we return!! Also, we can not post, publically, any pictures of Samara Naol until we get her home, but if you keep an eye on this blog while we are gone, we will post pictures of our travels!

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! They say it can be anywhere from 1-4 months after your first trip that you can expect to return to Ethiopia to get your child and bring her home. Lately, it’s been averaging families 3 months.

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

The Thomas Family

Bad News

Need prayers -- While the first court date went fine for our adoption -- there was a letter that was supposed to be submitted by that date (three weeks ago) and has not yet been submitted. PLEASE pray for that letter to get there TOMORROW as we NEED it in order to receive our court date and travel to meet our girl.

185 Days

It's been 185 days that we've been staring at a picture of our little girl that we have yet to meet. We've been ready to go and meet her for quite a while. Please join us in praying that we get the call and head out next week. The wait is getting harder by the hour.

Waiting STINKS!

So, another family working with our agency (that got their referral a month after us, but that's a whole nother story) got their call today at 1:00 p.m. They have a court date that they have to be in Ethiopia on Thursday for a Friday court date. That means they had to fly out at 7:00 p.m. tonight. Yep, they got SIX HOURS notice. As excited as I am to meet our girl - 6 hours notice might throw me over the edge!! Yikes!!

I am ready for our call. Please join us in praying that it will come THIS WEEK. We are ready.