The Good, the Bad and the...Hope

By Maddie

GOOD = Our application is officially in the hands of the US Government

BAD = I called the Immigration Office and they said the processing timeline for the Los Angeles Field Office is 7 (Yes SEVEN) Months.

HOPE = When we logged in to the Website with our receipt number from Immigration, it said the wait was more like 5 months.

I think God is reminding me who is in control and who’s timing I need to be following. We are soo excited for this to happen and have waited so long to be parents together, that I think it is easy to forget who is really in charge. With God, anything is possible, so government timelines really don’t mean a thing.

I can see and say all of this now, but on Monday, when I heard 7 months, I was bummed, sad, semi-crushed. I had to leave work early (yes, I had a headache, but I had a heartache too). This morning, Jeff sent me a verse and I think it was just what I needed. This verse has always touched me, but it is so true for where I am right now.

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:11-12

Once we know more, we will be able to get a better timeline from our caseworker. We have great friends that have already volunteered to write letters and call our Congressmen and Representatives to help push our application through. It never ceases to amaze me how God puts the right people in your life, just when you need them. I have so many wonderful friends and family that have given our family support. I cannot name them all, but Christine, Cindy and Krista have been great through this. I love you all so much and am excited for you to meet your new niece(s), nephew(s) or both! 

Exciting News!

By Maddie
We’ve got some exciting news! Jeff and I have decided to begin a new phase in our family. We are moving forward with adopting a child from Rwanda! We just sent off our home study and application to the Department of Homeland Security this morning. We are hoping to have a new little one running around the house within the year. Andrea & Joe are both very excited to have a new brother or sister.

Adoption is something that Jeff and I talked about before we got married. We always thought that it would be something we did in addition to our own biological children. We are following God’s lead and starting with adoption. We wanted to wait until our home study was complete and on its way to being processed by the US Government before we made the announcement.

There’s still a long journey ahead of us, but we’ve made it over the first few hurdles. It’s amazing to think that our baby is out there, just waiting to be matched up with us. We pray that they are safe and warm, fed and loved, but most of all, ready to be part of our family.

We’ll let you know as we find out more information. Our current prayer is that our application moves smoothly through the process of review by the US Government and does not get hung up for any reasons. Thanks for coming along this journey with us!