My Penpal

It's like the Embassy is my penpal. I wake up with a new correspondence from them everyday now.
I kind of like it! It seems that they email step-by-step what they are doing. (If I were to assign a gender to the Embassy, I would make them female---they are detail oriented for sure!)
Today, they are seeking an interview with Melaku's finder. This person is in Hawassa, Ethiopia.
Our agency is in charge of setting up the interview and if they are timely and successful in doing this the interview could happen as early as next Monday.
In all honesty, I don't expect this to happen unless God works a miracle. Mostly because I know our agency is closed until January 2nd and Kwanza began in Ethiopia on December 26th, so things are probably slow there too.
BUT God can work in a big way and this "Finder" (It's like we're in a fantasy novel or something.) will be at the Embassy next week.
If this happens and they can meet with the "Finder" then this eliminates the need for a "prolonged field investigation" (their words).
We ask you pray, pray, pray, pray that the "Finder" finds his way to the Embassy in Addis sometime next week. It doesn't have to be Monday, it could be Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday, or Friday, but next week nonetheless!

Have a great Friday! We love you all and are thankful to have you on this journey!!
We are SO CLOSE!! Can you feel it?! Are you getting excited? All of us are so close to being able to see him and hold him and have him in our lives on a daily basis!

Grace

We got another email from the Embassy in Addis this morning stating that they had completed a preliminary review of our immigration forms and were now starting the official review of our case.
This is significant because we were told last week that the Embassy would be closed this week and wouldn't review any cases until next week.
I don't know if they're closed or if they're just reviewing our case. Either way, I feel very blessed that they have started reviewing it.
One day closer to bringing Melaku home.

We covet your prayers and LOVE having you on this journey with us.

Stay tuned! lol

While We Were Sleeping

Our case was submitted to the U.S. Embassy December 26th. It happened while we were sleeping due to the eight hour time difference between here and Ethiopia. What a nice surprise to wake up to?! An email telling us that our case had been received (and a lot of other stuff, too. lol )
Now the Embassy will begin their own investigation to determine if Melaku is indeed an orphan or not. If they determine that he is indeed an orphan, they will approve our case and we will travel to get him.
If they cannot determine that he is, they will send our case to Nairobi, Kenya to the USCIS Field Office and they will investigate further.
We now have approximately 3-7 weeks to wait to hear something from the Embassy. (Or longer)
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of this journey with us.
We are one step closer to the end of this process.
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and will enjoy the New Year's festivities!
We have been overwhelmed with blessings---so many people stopped by yesterday to visit and bless us!
Our cup is running over with blessings!!

Any News Is Good Newa

We heard today that our case should be submitted to the Embassy next Wednesday, December 26th. We are thankful the Embassy is going to take it next week. They don't have to, but have agreed to.
Merry Christmas!
Thank you for praying and traveling this journey with us!

A Thousand Years is like a Day (to Him)

Several weeks ago we had received word that our case would hopefully be submitted to the US Embassy on December 18th and then after that we would probably wait 3-7 weeks to hear when we could travel to bring Melaku home.
We were notified today that Melaku's passport has not been received and we will NOT be submitted to the US Embassy tomorrow. If his passport comes in the next day or two, our case manager in Ethiopia is going to take our case to the Embassy later this week. Apparently, submission days for our agency are only on Tuesdays. (I believe this is an US Embassy assignment, not our agency's thing.) Our case manager in Ethiopia is going to take our case anyway and ask the Embassy to take it anyway, IF the passport comes in time.
Additionally, the Embassy will close next week for the holidays, so even if they took our case this week, they wouldn't begin reviewing it until after next week. Our prayer is that the passport would come in the next day or so and that the Embassy would take our case this week even though it's won't be submitted on the right submission day.
I would like to emphasize that this is the US Embassy we're dealing with, not the people of Ethiopia, so it's not the Ethiopians who are placing regulations on when cases can be submitted.
Additionally, I know the US Embassy does more than process adoption cases and they of course receive a pretty bum rap due to other immigration issues and concerns in this country.

God is not constrained by time. A thousand years is like one day to Him and vice versa. In situations like this when I feel disappointment and a little out of control of things, I remind myself that God is always good and He does what is best. I have to ask myself when I wonder why things aren't going like I think they should "Do I believe God's Word? Not just part of it, but all of it?" The answer is yes, I do and I know He does what is best always!
Thank you for being on this journey with us and we covet your prayers that our case will make it to the Embassy this week and that they will begin the review.
Have a great week!