Since it has been awhile since I've been able to give an adoption update, I thought the Spring season would be a great time to give us a sense of renewed hope. Well, here it is....nothing is happening. We are still waiting. We are still the next in line to receive a referral through our agency. We pray everyday this will happen. The Ethiopian Government did state that the number of adoptions to foreigners will decrease, however they did not state that it will be abandoned.
So, here we sit waiting for our little girl. It is beginning to feel as if there is no end in site. In two months we will have been in this adoption process for two years. When we started the process, we knew there were potentials for bumps in the road, and that it could take longer than expected. What we did not realize was that every possible bump would effect our case with a devastating effect. Although we are currently feeling worn down and almost defeated, we still have hope. We are not giving up until the Ethiopian Government makes us stop. Families with our agency have gone through the new PAIR process, passed court, and have brought their little ones home, which is reassuring. However there is a lack of referrals coming though the orphanages. Without referrals, the process will eventually stop.
It is so sad & awful to think about all of the children sitting in a run down orphanage with no way to get out. The majority will age out of the system and will be forced into the drug & prostitution trade. What else is there for a kid with absolutely no education, no family, no home, and no food to do? This is the sad world we live in. It is a reality for those children sitting in orphanages all over the world. We often forget that people still live in mud huts with dirt floors, no electricity, no education, child brides, child soldiers, lack of medicine, and starving children. This life does exist in the world today. The sad commercials that occasionally pop up on our TV are still true in many cultures today. We just don't have to acknowledge it in our bountiful area of the world.
So, as Spring is upon us we celebrate Jesus. Jesus gave his life for everyone! For you, for me, for the children trapped in orphanages and prostitution around the world. God gave us freewill, which can lead to some very disturbing situations.
As I type this, our lovely three year old is standing next to me signing, "baby Jesus loves me, yes baby Jesus loves me, for bible tells me so" its her own version of Jesus Loves Me, but every word of it is true! Rock on sweet girl! Sing it loud and often for others to hear!!
Please pray for referrals to begin to move again. Not just for our family, but for those all over the United States who are in the same situation. Please pray for the boys and girls around the world with no families. We believe that everyone deserves a loving family, and it breaks our heart that so many are without.
