Cleared!

On Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. {Ethiopia's time}, Bek's grandmother appeared at the US Embassy to be interviewed. 

On Thursday morning at 12:00 p.m. {4:00 a.m. Central time}, we received an E-mail with this subject line:

CASE CLEARED

{cue Halleluah Chorus}

The Embassy asked for three dates of preference for our visa interview, so we E-mailed them our dates immediately and within 45 minutes, they sent us our interview date: Thursday, June 28th.

{time to snatch this little man out of the window sill!}

We had been on vacation in Gulf Shores with our friends Josh and Katie and their kiddos for the week.  We were blessed to have this time to relax and enjoy our friends and each other; our last hoorah as a family of four. 

So, we made our travel arrangements from our townhouse at the beach, packed up, and headed home.  We drove 12 straight hours {stopping only twice!} and arrived at 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening. 

Today, we will frantically shop and pack and get ready to get on a plane tomorrow headed for Ethiopia! 

In the next couple of days, I will find time to post what I want you to know about how we will assimilate Bek into our family...our version of cocooning...and what you can expect {or not expect!} from us in the coming weeks/months.  Please watch for that post; it's important to us that you read it. :)

In the meantime, please pray for us and for Bek.  Our worlds are about to collide {finally!} and with that will come some challenges.  Please pray for his comfort and peace and that somehow he will remember us and will be comfortable with us as his forever family.  Please pray for rest for us...it has been a whirlwind these days leading up to meeting him and we want to be rested and able to pour into him fully.  Please pray for our meeting with B's grandmother...that she will be pleased with the family that was chosen for her little grandbaby.  Please pray for Camden and Melia as they gain a new {active toddler} for a brother.  And, please pray for us as a family of five.  We are excited to be entering this new phase of our family life and are filled with hope at how God will continue to use us as a beacon of light to our world.

Thank you friends,