We have a COURT DATE!!!

After 5 months of waiting on a court date and many paperwork glitches and unknowns...it is true- we are FINALLY headed to Ethiopia for our COURT DATE!!! It is quite unusual but we were notified and told the judge would see us on short notice due to some other personal circumstances. SO...we leave in FOUR days!

Last week at this time- there were so many unknowns I just didn't know what to expect. Even though I have been CLAIMING to have given this all to God way back in November...the truth was...I don't believe I really released it to Him until last Wednesday....the same day I laid a chik-fil-a sack filled with strawberry cheesecake and a glass of water (his request) in front of a homeless man that I have seen around the area for the last 6 years. Is it possible that only last Wednesday- I finally understood what it means when Jesus says....what you have done for the least of these you have done for me? I walked away from that moment with peace in this whole situation....almost as if I had a moment with HIM that allowed me to understand what He has been trying to say for five months.

So instead of praying our boys would come home...I began to pray that God would have the victory. After a very real phone call with a woman God connected me with through Bible study this past September...I felt a huge burden released. We talked REAL...not "oh it will happen"....because, you know, sometimes things DON'T happen the way we want them to. But, we may never know what role those things play in the eternal...we never know when what does or doesn't happen has a larger impact that we may never know in our time here. I also heard this last week and it spoke so clearly to me..."The more we REST in HIS presence...the more we REST in His presence." Say it 10 times fast and maybe it will sink in. I know I had to. I began to do just that...Rest in the idea that He sent us on this journey for a reason....and I actually got EXCITED to see what the conclusion would be....even if it was totally not what I THOUGHT. And then yesterday....we got the news and our feet hit the ground running to leave for ET in 4 days!

The actual phone call was so unexpected....I had to go outside our front door because my littles were inside screaming about who knows what...when I came inside I was yelling and jumping around...Little Man asked "Mommy, why are you going WOO WOO WOO?" So I explained what had happened and he said, "But mommy, if you are so happy why is water coming out of your eyes?" So sweet. And would you believe that we were actually waiting on some friends who were coming over for a play date...so I was immediately greeted by three wonderful and close friends who have been praying with us for the last 5 months...my head spun most of the time they were here and I was probably very poor company- but they were so sweet and excited for us!

I know, I'm rambling...quite frankly...I'm overwhelmed and scrambling...because you know- we want our first meeting with our new children to be PERFECT....but I know in my heart- it will be- no matter what I forget or don't have a chance to do before we leave.

So....right now we are praying that the judge shows favor on our case and that our first meeting with our sweet children will go smoothly and God's presence will be felt through it all!