ummm...Happy Birthday!

So...It is two weeks until the next adoption travel group heads to Ethiopia.

Are we in this travel group?

--NO ONE KNOWS!--

The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia has not assigned any Holt families to the next visa interview date

(July 13th). Micah called the agency this morning and they said no news yet. The understanding staff there did say we could keep calling if it gives us peace of mind. HA! They are so gracious, we are thankful for this agency!

......HOLD THAT THOUGHT......

This was the blog I was in the middle of writing when Micah called me to say, "Happy Birthday, check your email." I opened an email to read...

We have received a visa interview date for your travel group of July 13, 2010 and you are travel group # 13 for calendar year 2010!!!!!!!

(exclamation points mine)

Ok, well I better get busy it looks like we are taking off 2 weeks from tomorrow! This is the culmination of a long, exciting process and we are so blessed by the parts that you have all played! Please continue to take these things before the throne with us:

Reasonable ticket rate, safety, health, that A. will be ready to receive love and warm up to us quickly, smooth adjustment time as a family when we return home.

Update

We received confimation that our approval is at the Embassy this morning!!!!!

"Though it tarries, wait for it..."

It's pretty quiet around here...

except for the sound of a mouse click checking my email every 15 minutes...
other adoptive parents, I'm sure you understand.
One place that it is not quiet is inside my heart and mind! This last leg of our adoption has been the hardest to be patient through. All of our homework is complete: our son and our travel to embrace him are now in the hands of others.

Here is our current situation:
Passed Court: 4/20
Immigration approval sent to Ethiopia Embassy: 5/14
Waiting: ongoing
Travel: unknown
Micah called our agency today just to bug them check on our status. The wonderful staff member at Holt was very patient and just told us that they haven't received confirmation that our immigration paperwork has arrived at the Embassy yet. As soon as they receive this confirmation they will send over our file and we will be eligible to receive a travel date. She did reassure us that no one has been assigned travel dates in July yet and we are among the top of the list. Micah and I would desire to have an embassy date on July 13th--approximately leaving on July 8th. Would you pray that the embassy would contact our agency with the confirmation very soon?

It is amazing the toll something like this can take on you. This is the first time that I have felt real stress related to waiting! We saw new pictures last week from a family that traveled to Addis and took some snapshots at the Children's Academy. We have sifted through about 600 photos and found about 6 that Andinet happened to be in! Seeing how much he has grown and seeing his smile for the second time has made us all absolutely heart sick.

Do not fret--it only causes harm Psalm 37:8

"It's easy to say, 'Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him' Ps. 37:7 until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and agony...Worrying always results in sin...Fretting rises from our determination to have our own way. Our Lord never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans but to fulfill God's plans." --Chambers

Lord, give me YOUR vision.