We Need Your Prayers

My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord - how long? Psalm 6:3

The one year mark in our adoption journey is turning out to be a bitter sweet experience. There was no guaranteed time line when we started, only estimations, goals to reach, and paper work to be approved. As of now, we have no time line and the uncertainties in our journey continue to grow.

This past week our adoption agency informed us that the Ethiopian government has decided to process only 5 adoptions per day instead of 40. The reason for this is not quite clear, but according to an alert from the US Department of State the agency in Ethiopia responsible for processing adoptions has cited the need "to work on quality and focus on more important strategic issues." There are many blogs as well as orphan and adoption advocacy groups that are speculating about why this has happened. I will not give any credence to them here simply because they are only guessing at the reasoning behind the decision. Even the State Department has said they are working with the Ethiopian government to learn more about this change in procedure. The only creditable article I can find so far that isn't speculative is from the Associated Press and posted online by the Washington Post. The one thing that is for certain is that we no longer have any idea when to expect a referral or how long we will have to wait for a court date in Ethiopia to finalize the adoption and bring the next two Wheeless babies home to be with their family. This is a major development that not only impacts our family but more importantly it impacts the well being and futures of the estimated 5 million orphans in Ethiopia.

Sharon and I feel helpless and heartbroken over this situation. We have discussed what this means for us and our adoption journey and have talked with our adoption agency about our options. They have been wonderful and very understanding. Here is what we are certain of at this time:

First, God has called us to adopt. The way that God led us to this decision makes that very clear to us. The love God has given us for the people of Africa is also very strong. That was one of the major factors that led us to pick Ethiopia. We can't just walk away from this call in our lives.

Second, the door to adoption through Ethiopia is not closed. The current situation simply means that there are more unknowns than when we started. Will we be matched with boys, girls, or one of each? What situation caused them to be orphans and how do we deal with that? How is God going to provide the funds we need to complete this adoption? How are Evey and Dash going to adjust to having two new siblings? The list goes on and on. We just simply added "How much longer will this take?" to the top of our list. Unless God closes the door to Ethiopia we will not pursue another route. We truly feel that our children are waiting for us there and we will get to them eventually. So, we will continue to walk by faith and trust the Lord.

As I said before, we feel helpless in this situation. However, we are not hopeless. Our Father, Who has adopted us, is all powerful and He works through the affairs of man and governments to accomplish His eternal purposes. Our hope is in Him and we are praying that He will be glorified through this. We want to ask that you join us in this prayer. Here are some things you can specifically pray for:

1. Pray for the orphans in Ethiopia. Above anyone else this impacts their precious lives. If this decision by the Ethiopian Government is what is best for them then we want God to bless it. If this aggravates the horrible conditions and situations of the orphans then we want God to change the hearts of those who provide leadership in the government agencies overseeing the care of orphans.
2. Pray for the other families who are waiting to adopt from Ethiopia. We are not the only ones experiencing the stress, anxiety, and heartbreak of this potential delay and complication. Ask God to give them peace and for His grace to fall on them as they wait.
3. Pray for the adoption agencies and our State Department officials as they interact and discuss this with the Ethiopian officials. Pray that God will give them all wisdom to discern what is best for the orphans and the future of international adoptions from Ethiopia.
4. Ask God to plant churches in Ethiopia and to train and equip believers in country to care for orphans. God has called the local church to care for the orphan and adoption is only part of that ministry.
5. Pray for our two children who are waiting in Ethiopia. We haven't met them yet, but our hearts are heavy at the thought of what they might be going through. Pray that God will make a way for them to be brought home quickly and safely. Pray for their protection and health. 
6. Finally, please keep Sharon and me in your prayers. We need wisdom and discernment in the midst of all the emotions and uncertainty we are facing. Pray that God will give us understanding and insight into what he is doing through this. We want nothing more than to glorify Him. I am sure there is much for us to learn as we wait.

In the end, we trust that God will take care of his children...us and His orphans in Ethiopia.

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home...(Psalm 68:5-6a)



Photo above taken from Children's Hopechest website