Psalm 46
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. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come and see the works of the Lord,
the desolations he has brought on the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
This is one of God's many promises that I have been clinging to throughout the past year and a half. Thank you ,God, for being my strength and for providing the peace I need during so many uncertain times in my life. As we go through the waiting of adoption, as we pray for a dear friend who is fighting cancer, as we struggle with our relationship with our oldest, God is with us...carrying us through most of the time. He is my strength when I am weak; He is my fortress when I feel the walls crumbling around me. Thank you, Lord Jesus!
I haven't been on here in such a long time, and there is so much to share.
First, we passed court on March 7th!!! Finally...after 3 tries and 6 weeks after our first court date. It was on a Monday, so we knew that sometime while we slept on Sunday night, our case would be opened once more in Ethiopia..not sure I slept much that night. With news that Ethiopia may drastically slow down adoptions, we anxiously waited for our agency to open Monday morning and hopefully have some news. Thankfully, B called as soon as possible. Rejoice! Praise God, we passed!
Second, more good news came on Tuesday, March 22. B called to let us know that all our paperwork had been submitted to the US Embassy on Monday. Wow! That all happened so quickly, and we felt the we were finally on our way to bringing our little girl home!
Third, B called on Wednesday, March 23 to let us know that the US Embassy did not clear us and wants clarification on one of Sunshine's documents and wants to meet with Sunshine's birthmother. Disappointment and tears soon followed that call....not only for us (another delay, I think we've hit every delay possible) but also for Sunshine, who doesn't need to be in an orphanage any longer (she has been in an orphanage now for at least 9 months), and also for Sunshine's birthmother. I can't imagine how she must be feeling through all of this. A meeting with Sunshine's birthmother was scheduled for Monday, March 28th...which was yesterday. We have prayed that God would protect her heart and provide her with His peace, that she would be able to travel to the US Embassy quickly and safely, and the Embassy would be able to get all the answers they need to clear our case.
So today I'm praying we hear some good news soon and we'll be able to bring Sunshine home. I don't have a time line, as I've learned throughout this whole journey that my timeline is not always God's, but I continue to trust Him. Thank you, Lord, for being with us through it all!
