God is my refuge and my strength

This week has ended in a whirlwind and strangely, I am at peace.  We just got word from our agency that the Ethiopian government is now requiring adoptive parents to make two trips to Ethiopia to complete their adoption instead of just one.  That is one of my biggest fears - leaving our first four children at home, while flying half way across the world to bring home our child from Ethiopia.  Going through this process is growing my faith more than I ever imagined.  There is nothing in my control.  There are bumps in the road that I am not able to go around.  There are changes in the rules - which I can't argue about.  I have to totally rely on God. 
Thank you, God, for your Word...for the hope and encouragement in your Word that You knew I'd need. 
Thank you for friends and family who are there to pray for us and with us.  Thank you for the many families who are going through all these changes along with us and have been such an encouragement to me.  You have put all these people in my life with just the right words to give me peace...Your peace.  Bless them and give them peace.  You have given me so much in Your Word to draw strength from during this wait.

Psalm 46:1-3,7  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  The Lord Almighty is with us;  the God of Jacob our fortress
John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.
This world is so far from perfect.  Even in the worst storms of our lives, God is with us.  He is in control. 
Hebrews 13:5b I will never leave you; never will I forsake you.
He is always with me.
Jeremiah 29:11 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.

Lord, You have a plan for our family.  You would not have led us down this road of adoption to fail.  Somewhere in Ethiopia is the child you have chosen for our family.  I will trust You through all the trials and trouble we might have to go through to get to our child. 

I'm choosing to focus on the positive.  We did get our numbers call last night!!!!  We are #38 for a little girl and #15 for siblings.  Our CM did say that we are more realistically #36 for a little girl as documentation for 2 families accepting referrals for little girls are coming in this week.  So we are getting closer!!!  I'm getting more things checked off on our list of things to do.  I talked with our pediatrician and she is comfortable with doing our child's first post-adoption exam and actually has experience with that.  I contacted the international adoption pediatrician who will review the medical information we get when our referral comes and he is more than willing to do that and was even born here.  I just finished getting certified for CPR and 1st Aid.  Now, I need to gather information about vaccinations as we need to start that soon.  Yuck!  That's one thing I am not looking forward to.

Ethiopian Dinner

I've been sitting by my phone for a week now, waiting for my CM to call with our numbers update.  I have a feeling I will miss it as I have to leave the house in just a little while.  But on the bright side, I am almost positive that we are out of the 40's!!!  I really would like to talk to my CM.  I know there are so many more important things that they have to do...such as make referral calls!!  And I'd much rather they do that than give me an update on my number.

 Anyway, I thought I'd write about our first experience with Ethiopian food.  Bill googled a recipe..looking for something that our kids might try and found a recipe for Ethiopian Beef and Peppers.  Our 2nd daughter loves to cook so we headed to the grocery store to get all the ingredients.  I'm not sure about most people, but we did not have many of the spices for this recipe around our house...fresh ginger (which the kids loved smelling and seeing), cardamom, and tumeric (all very strong spices).  We also made Injera (a flat bread).  The meat dish was very interesting.  It ended up having a green paste covering the beef.  I think we will have to try another recipe....everyone ate it with a smile (except for the 17 year old who's going through a wonderful phase when it comes to getting his picture taken).  They were so brave.  Ha! Ha!  They did all like the Injera and the fact that they didn't have to use utensils.  It was fun, but I think I'd like to try an Ethiopian restaurant...maybe when we go to Chicago sometime.