He is ours!!!!

We passed. Which means he is ours.

We actually were able to sleep Wednesday night and awoke Thursday morning with a sense of anticipation. To be honest, there wasn't a bone in my body that thought we were not going to pass. After those scriptures God gave me Wednesday night... I had such a peace! We dropped the kiddos off at my mom's house, enjoyed breakfast with her, my grandma and the kids, and got in our car. I picked up my cell phone (while still in the driveway) and realized we had missed a call from our agency. It was only 9:30. I had it in my head that we wouldn't hear anything most of the day- and possibly not until Friday. We put the phone on speaker, dialed, and our case worker greeted us with the news- he is ours!!! As we began to process, I couldn't help but think of the beauty of the moment. We were at my parent's house, which obviously is a bittersweet place, and we received some of the sweetest news we will ever hear. I have no doubt that dad was there with us- and just as thrilled as we are.

We will know our travel plans next week. More than likely we will travel the second week of October. Until then, we will rejoice in the knowledge that our little man in a Wilkening, and we will praise the Lord for the way He is showing Himself so faithful in the midst of the most difficult season of my life.

Court date in a matter of hours...

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile :).

While we were vacationing in Cannon Beach, OR, I received a phone call from our case worker with CHI. We had been playing at the beach and I left my phone in the hotel room. I checked my voicemail and heard something like this: "Hi Kelsey, this is Mike calling. I have very good news for you- you have a court date. Call me when you can." I freaked out. Called back right away- but it was 10 minutes after the agency closed for the night! The next morning I called literally two minutes after they opened and got Mike on the phone :). His news brought me to tears, right in front of the Cannon Beach Bakery where my kiddos were enjoying a maple bar while Daddy was in rehearsal. Our court date was scheduled for August 20th. Whoo-hoo!

Fast forward to right now. August 19th (which just so happens to be little man's 19 month birthday), 8:41 pm Seattle time, 6:41 am Ethiopia time. Which means our case will be heard sometime while we are sleeping (yeah right) tonight. We are hoping our agency will be able to let us know the results sometime on the 20th- but at least by the 21st.

It has been a rough 11 days, as my dad was called home to be with the Lord a week ago Saturday. To be quite honest, my walk with God has been sporadic as I have processed all of this... I have been praying, but have not opened the Word in two weeks. Tonight, as I sat in the office listening to some music and praying over the court case, I was convicted that I needed to be feasting on His Word. I opened my Daily Bible to August 19th. Thank you Lord, for how You ministered to me and met me in my depeest of needs through Your Word. Here is an excerpt of what He gave to me-

Job 5:8-18 (English Standard Version)

8"As for me, I would seek God,
and to God would I commit my cause,
9whoA)">(A) does great things andB)">(B) unsearchable,
C)">(C) marvelous things without number:
10he givesD)">(D) rain on the earth
and sends waters on the fields;
11heE)">(E) sets on high those who are lowly,
and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12HeF)">(F) frustrates the devices of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.
13HeG)">(G) catches the wise in their own craftiness,
and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
14They meet with darkness in the daytime
andH)">(H) grope at noonday as in the night.
15But heI)">(I) saves the needy from the sword of their mouth
and from the hand of the mighty.
16So the poor have hope,
andJ)">(J) injustice shuts her mouth.

17"Behold,K)">(K) blessed is the one whom God reproves;
thereforeL)">(L) despise not the discipline of theM)">(M) Almighty.
18For he wounds, but heN)">(N) binds up;
heO)">(O) shatters, but his hands heal.

Promise to update soon...