Finally it's here!

I can hardly believe that in the morning we will be heading to Ethiopia!!!  In 3 days we will be hugging our boys for the 1st time.

We will be leaving from Springfield Airport Monday morning and flying to Chicago (please pray for the weather...there is gonna' be snow in Chicago).  From Chicago we leave Monday afternoon for Frankfurt, Germany and then on to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  We will get there Tuesday evening (Tuesday morning in the USA).

Once we get there we will be able to skip the line for Visa's because we got a 2-year visa.  We will head to baggage claim and look for our AWAA representative to pick us up!  We will get our bags (all 11 plus carry on's) and head to our Guest House.  We will be staying at the Yebsabi  guest house.  www.yebsabi.com
The guest house looks really nice!  We will stay there until the 25th of January. 

We will get there in the evening and hopefully be tired enough to go to bed (9 hour time difference).  The next day (the 19th) we will go to AWAA Transition Home and meet our sweet boys!!!  I can't wait to drive through the gates and stand on the all to familiar porch and have our boys brought out to us...WOW!

Our court date is the 24th which is overnight the 23rd for all of you!  Please pray that our court date goes well.  We are already approved to adopt.  They just need our consent and in order to pass they need a letter from MOWA (Ministry of Womens Affairs).  Right now, MOWA is very hit or miss in writing these letters.  Sometimes they are there...sometimes they are not.  We right now are planning on not passing court the 1st time...but, are praying that we do.  If we do not pass the 1st time they will re-schedule a court date (we do not have to be at) and will see if the letter is there then.  Once we pass court we will wait for an Embassy date.


Embassy:  The Embassy date is when we will get the boy's passports and visa's.  If we pass court on the 24th it could be within 3 weeks.  If we don't...it's up in the air.  AWAA has given us a tentative date of March 2 for our Embassy date.  We have tickets booked to leave ET March 5 and arrive home the evening of March 6.  But, all of that is up in the air as of now.  Please pray that if we have to change tickets that there will not be a huge increase in price for our tickets!

On the 25th of January Darren will help us move all of our stuff to the Fortner's home (BBFI Missionaries in Ethiopia).  We are so thankful for this sweet family.  We are excited to get to know them better when we are there.  This will be our home while there!!!  We also might spend a few nights with the Dyson's towards the end...the Fortner's have a group from their church coming in the last part of February!  The Dyson's are also BBFI Missionaries and live very close to the Fortner's...we will be hanging out with them a lot while there!!!

Blake, Meagan and Ben!

The Dyson's

Darren will fly home on January 26th and the kids and I will remain in ET!  Depending on when we pass court will decide when we bring our 2 boy's to stay with us.  We want at least a week or 2 of just visiting them so they get used to us.  We think it will be the best for all of us.  Then if we've passed court and we feel it's ready we will bring them to stay with us at our friends home. This will be all too exciting!!!! :)'

From the 15th of February to the 18th Darren's sister, Shelly, will be stopping in Addis to see us.  She is heading back to the states from her home in Tanzania and will have a layover in Addis to hang with her niece and 3 nephews!!  This will be a great time...family is always good!!!

Aunt Shelly

Please pray for us as we remain in Ethiopia without Darren.  Being apart from him will be hard!  But, we are excited for this African adventure and getting to know our boys/brothers!!!  The kids are just so excited!  Darren plans to fly to Germany and fly the rest of the way home with us...this will help tremendously!!! 


I will be having Darren update our blog while we are gone.  So, check back often and see what we are up to in Ethiopia!  We hope to update you as to when we will be flying in...we are excited to have an airport gathering for our boys!!!  It will be great for them to see how welcomed they are!!!  We'll let you know when!


Things you can pray for:


1.  Safe flights and no major delays.
2.  No sickness.
3. Our court date...pray on the 23rd...because we will be at court while you are sleeping!  Pray that our letter is there and that we pass the 1st time.
4.  Our stay away from Darren and Darren's safe return home.
5.  Our time bonding with these incredible boys!
6.  Darren' flight to Germany to meet us and that that will work out.
7.  Our flight home with a not quite 2 year old...YIKES! lol!
8.  All of us adjusting.

Thanks for all of the support and love.  Thanks for all of the prayers and tears.  Thank you, Thank you!!!