Please be praying...

Hi friends and family,

It has been a crazy week since we got our referral. Things are still sinking in. A few things I want to share and then a long list of prayer requests. Since last week we have found out more information... First a fun fact: Ayantu means "blessed for the future" which I think is so cool! Now onto info: it looks like the courts will open back up in mid-October, our case is already filed at the court house and we have a file number. When the courts open back up we will get a court date. I know of another family with our agency who got their referral at the end of July and have a court date set for early November (and remember the courts are shut down August/September/and 1/2 October... so that's not a lot of wait time in between referral and court)! As we realized our court could be as soon as December, January, or February we also realized it will just be Aaron going. Which means Sophie will come home on a different visa since we are both not going to be present in court. Well... this means we need to do more paperwork and foster home licensing here in IL. Which means more chances for hold-ups delays. This whole process is making my head spin, and I am trying not to worry about all the millions of things that could go wrong, so this is where I need prayer!!! Lots of prayer!!! Here are some things to please be praying about:

-That our extra paper-work/licensing here in IL would go smoothly and quickly and not delay anything.
-That our court date would not coincide with my due date (we obviously want Aaron here for the birth).
-That there wouldn't be any complications to my not being able to be present for court.
-That Aaron and I would both trust God's plan/hand/timing in all this.
-Ultimately: that God's plan in all this will be accomplished and to His glory!

Glorious day!!!!

It's been pretty quiet on the adoption front since all the major delays happened in Ethiopia back in March... We continued to pester Radu every month for information, but it was slow coming. In June we were told that the orphanage possibly had a child for us, but it was early in the works... We waited... In July we were told the orphanage did have a child matched to us, but still needed paperwork on her... We waited... In August we hear NOTHING! We waited... 2 days ago I emailed Radu, pleading with him for any information or possible timeline on our case... ANYTHING!!! Yesterday I checked my email every 5 minutes hoping for a response... nada! At around 1:30pm today my parents and I headed to Aaron's school to meet his 4th grade class. When we pulled into the parking lot I glanced at my phone and noticed an email... from Radu.... I opened it quickly to see what it was regarding and the first line read: "see attached: your child information." STUNNED!!! That's the only word to describe how I felt/feel. I didn't look at it any further as we needed to get into Aaron's class. Waiting impatiently for Aaron and his class to return from the library, I tried to process this huge thing. As Aaron's class filed in I quickly and quietly told Aaron what I had received. Aaron looked like I felt, and said "that's a lot of information to take in..."  We spent a fun 1/2 hour doing Q&A with Aaron's students, in the back of my mind I still could not even take in what was happening. Once the class got on the buses we pulled up the information on my phone... Little Ayantu, 3 months old and not even weighing 8lbs. I can't even explain what it was like to look at this precious baby who will be our daughter!!!! She is beautiful and perfect in every way. I wish I could post pictures for the whole world to see her adorable face! (Unfortunately I can't post pictures until we go through the legal court process, but let me just assure you that she is PERFECT in EVERY WAY!).

What's next? Well right now the courts are shut down in Ethiopia for the rainy season, as soon as that ends we will be added to the cue, and find out how soon we can go through court (I am sure this will be after the New Year). Once we travel and go through the Ethiopian courts we will come home and wait to get an Embassy date. We will go back for the Embassy hearing and (Lord willing) bring her home with us!!!! I am hoping that we will have Sophie Ayantu Bernadine Owens back home with us before this time next year!
P.S. Most of you know, but just a side note, Sophie Ayantu will be a big sister when she comes home. Her little sister Claire is expected Christmas Day of this year. They will only be about 7 months apart! We are still in so much shock... I will post more info soon, but for now I just want to say Glory to God in the highest, He has a plan for this family and He is faithful and will carry it to completion!!!!