Questions we've been asked

We've been asked a few questions about Bereket and/or our adoption process, and I thought I'd attempt to answer them here in one place. Please don't let this discourage you from asking more questions!

In no particular order...

Are you disappointed your referral wasn't for siblings?  Most of you know that we had been hoping we would be referred siblings.  However, we trust that the Lord has a plan for our family.  We have seen his hand on our adoption process too many times to doubt this.  Indeed, we sort of had an accidental "head's up" a few months ago that we would likely be matched with a six-year old boy.  It was a bit of a shock at the time, but with time to consider things, we determined that this could be just the right fit for our family. :)  The very day that we first heard about this possibility, Thomas randomly said "I hope one of our Ethiopian kids is 5 or 6... Like a twin for me!"  Anyway, we now see how the Lord perfectly worked it out so that we had time to "get used to the idea" before we officially were matched with Bereket! It's entirely different once you are matched with a particular child... We are so excited for him to become our son!

What do you know about Bereket's history? We don't know tons, and some of what we do know we are choosing to keep private at this time.  Here's what we are happy to share with you:  Bereket was born in Adama/Nazret to a very young mother.  He came to KVI Adama in October 2012.  Sometime between then and now, he was moved to the KVI Addis Orphanage.  Thanks to friends who visited the orphanage recently, we know that Bereket is friendly but shy, has a gorgeous smile and likes to chew gum! Haha, just like Thomas. :)

Is it official?  Could things still go wrong? It is not official until after we pass court.  That said, it is very rare that we would not pass court.  In our 6+ years of following the Ethiopian adoption scene, I have only seen two families "lose" their referrals.  That is so very sad when it happens, but very rare.  Still, we ask for your prayers that things unfold according to God's will, whatever that ultimately looks like.

Why are you bringing Faith and Thomas? When we began this process, the kids were very young.  Our plan was to leave them with grandparents, as we didn't think they'd enjoy the travel, or get much out of visiting Ethiopia.  Now, though, at 6 and 8.5, we feel they are old enough to handle the travel (they still might not enjoy it!) and think they will really benefit from seeing Ethiopia in person.  They will also get to meet Bereket with us, and I think they will all benefit from meeting before he comes home.  As well, we hope to be able to visit our Compassion Child, Ayantu, with whom Faith has been writing for the past 3 years. We know the trip might not always be "easy" or "fun" but we think it is in their long-term best interest. We will also try to take a little "mini-vacation" in Ethiopia and see some of the more touristy historical sites.

What is next? First, our dossier needed to be translated and authenticated.  I think this usually takes 3-4 weeks, so it should be done soon.  After that, our file will be submitted to court, and we will be assigned a court file number.  After that, there will be a court date that is attended by the authorities in Ethiopia (MOWA) and/or members of the birthfamily.  Once that passes, we will be told the date that we are required to appear in court.  The timeline for that seems to range from 5 days to 4 weeks.   Because of the timing of our referral, we will be very nip and tuck in terms of getting a travel date before the court closures (August - September).  We have noticed that in past years, things do seem to speed up as the closures approach, as they try to get as many cases through as possible.  Basically though, we do not "expect" to get through this summer, but we are hoping and praying we will!  Please pray with us!  Pray also that we have peace either way, and that Bereket is well cared for while he waits for us.

Ok, I think that's about it for now... If I think of things, I guess I'll post again! :)
Thanks for reading!
Heather