Court results....

Okay all, prepare yourselves.

Curve ball about to be thrown.

Our rescheduled court date for Baby H was today. We were hoping to find out as early as Tuesday when we would travel for our court date. However, we got the call from our agency TODAY with the results. It was not the news we were expecting.

Sweet baby H's mama decided that she was going to take her back and parent. In fact, the agency told us that the mother has already come and taken baby H from the foster home.

Shocking.

Our agency program director was shocked as well. They have been working in Ethiopia since 2006 and have placed almost 500 children for adoption. In that number - this has only happened three times. THREE. Our case is the third one.

So you might find yourself asking.....are we devastated? are we in shock? what happens now? can you still see God's hand in all of this?

Good questions, my friends.

Are we devastated?  No. Disappointed? Of course. However, we had total peace about this court date - and it wasn't a peace like all was going to be rosy and fine. It was a peace that we would get a definitive answer either way. Either this was our child or it wasn't. No more waiting. We were going to know after today. And we found out. This is not our child.  Honestly, we want her to be with her mama if that is what is best for her.

Are we shocked? Yes. Definitely didn't see this coming. Typically this does not happen.

What happens now? We are back to square one. Well, kind of. We will be issued a new referral soon, our age range is still 0-24 months - so our new little gal could fall anywhere in that spectrum.

Can we still see God's hand in all of this? Absolutely!
-In the peace we felt about this court date before it happened about whatever the outcome.
-In the speed at which we were FLYING through this process with Baby H (it had been less than 2 months since referral), we could have easily waited 4 or 5 months until our 1st court date to find out that we lost our referral.  
-In the fact that Jason arrived home at 2:15pm today (he got an EA at work - he is NEVER home at that time) which is the EXACT time the agency called to tell us (which is the first time they've ever called). Amazing.

Please be praying for our family and for our child we've yet to see. Especially be praying for Jake, Tori & Joel who had become quite attached to sweet Baby H.


Romans 8:28 And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Psalms 27:13, 14
"I am still CONFIDENT of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord."