We need your help!

Things are getting exciting around here!  This is where we need our friends and family's help.  Our documents were Authenticated by the State, and back at our door by Wed, January 16.  It's amazing how fast things are moving!  Next step is taking them to D.C and the Embassy.  We were advised to use a courier service for the next leg of the trip, which thankfully to our case worker's recommendation we found one!  

This is where you come in.  We are in need of funding.  After this next process we need to pay the remaining fee to our adoption agency, the translation fee, and also the orphanage fee.  OUCH!  We have some of the money, but not even half.  Because of this, we are selling shirts!  We are asking $20.00 for each shirt.  We know that God will provide, and we have been praying for months about this big expense that is rapidly coming our way.  

Women's Pink shirts~ we have small - X-Large

Men's Navy shirts~ we have medium - XXL


Thank you for supporting us!!  Buy some shirts before there gone!

Authentication...here we come!

Our dossier has been officially approved by our caseworker at CWA (dossier is the stack of paperwork that we have been working on for the past 5+ months)!!  We were given approval to notarize our official last document, the cover sheet.  Next step in the process is authenticating a few documents, which were already authenticated/sealed by the county today!   Basically authentication will tell the Ethiopian Embassy & court that our notary is official, and that we did not falsify the notary info in any way.  Tomorrow we'll be stopping at UPS so the documents can make the trip to Columbus to get authenticated by the state!!  After State it goes to Washington, and then off to the Embassy! 

Please keep praying as we keep working our way through the process.  We are still in need of funding, but we are confidant that God will provide.  Keep praying for the baby & her biological mommy.  I can't imagine what she will be going through giving up her precious child, that we are excitedly praying for. 

 Our latest project that is displayed on the pantry door in our kitchen as a constant reminder where our future girl is! The girls had fun making it, especially the hand prints with gooey paint.  It has definitely helped our 4 & 6 year old's see exactly where Ethiopia is.  Right now they are into learning all about the African culture, which is exciting because Mom & Dad are learning right along with them!

For everyone who participated with Mary Kay in December, Thank You for your generosity!!!  It is truly appreciated!

Melkam Gena!

Merry Christmas, Ethiopian style!  Jews, Muslims, & Christians in the capital city of Addis Ababa celebrate Christmas (Gena) in Ethiopia on January 7 (which is actually December 29 on the Ethiopian calendar).  The holiday begins at sundown on January 6, when they attend a very long church service.  Christmas signals the end of a 40 day fasting, which begins on Advent and ends on Christmas Eve.  Ethiopians fast, but are able to eat vegetarian meals and bread during their fast. After the church service, they go home with their family and friends to a feast of chicken, lamb, or beef. Often small gifts are exchanged. Many Ethiopians are unable to buy gifts, so the gifts are usually in the form of a new sewed school uniform, soap, etc. They holiday is to celebrate the birth of Jesus! 

At this time, there is nothing new to report with our paperwork.  Were waiting for our caseworker with Christian World Adoption to approve the remaining paperwork before we are able to Authenticate the required documents with the state of Ohio!  Getting so close to being done with our Dossier!!!