Week 22.... In need or is it just want to be able to check this off?

So I must admit I've hesitated to write for the last few weeks.  I kept hoping if I just waited this finalization of the homestudy would happen.  And then I wondered if I could pester it into happening and this weekend God reminded me ... this is His time frame in this journey and if He wants me to wander in the desert who am I to complain.  Just because the Israelites wandered didn't mean they were outside of God's will or His direction. We've been studying Moses leading the Isrealites and it struck me that God's presence was seen as a clear physical sign while they wandered.  They still complained and I must admit I've had my share... glad for God's grace.

  At times I feel that being stuck somewhere is a waste of time in my journey.  I often get caught up about where and when I can reach the journey and still have to be reminded that its about the faith and relationship during the journey that God focuses on.... guess I don't get to check it off yet but I know I am faithfully getting things done and doing things as God leads so that I can be grateful for.

I've been working on collecting the paperwork needed for the Ethiopian dossier.  I have gotten vital records we needed from outside the state and thankfully the last one came back from out of state with a state seal.  It took a month for one of them to return so I'm glad I did it ahead of time and don't have that holding me up later.

At this point we are waiting for a staff member to give their final approval.  Then it gets signed and notarized and sent to the state DSS office for their official review and then its released to the immigration office. I file a form called a I 600A.  We wait for them to review it and make an appointment to get our fingerprints done then wait for them to confirm pre-approval for citizenship for a future adopted child.  They then take a few weeks for background checks on fingerprints and send us a form we need to get state sealed.  After we get that back all the south carolina forms need to be taken to Columbia for a state seal and then we can submit it to Bethany.  Bethany reviews it and forwards it to Washington DC Embassy for Ethiopia who confirms it then its sent to Ethiopia.  Their embassy in Ethiopia then recieves it and reviews it.  Once its submitted through their review we go on the waiting list to be matched which may take up to three years....
 
Oh the places we must go to get there...

While we wait... we are beginning to learn more about the culture.  We had fun going to eat Ethiopian food with friends near my birthday a few weekends ago.  The food was delicious!  If anyone wants to go back to eat with us family style again let me know. :)  I guess while I'm waiting I've been blessed with friends who excitedly ask for updates and pray with us and participate with us.  We are really blessed even though I don't have that check mark life has been blessed.

We learned a typical family basket to put food bowl on and sit around and share and chat

This is all that was left... mostly collard greens and a little of the bread called injera

We had friends go with us and Karyn sat beside Karen

Kayla & Sergio went and I am impressed how willing they were to try stuff we couldn't name

My cousin Dave, his wife Karen and their daughter came Kierra ate "green berries" and told us  "Spicy" imitating us... too cute!!!

This was the food when it arrived and came with baskets of injera (the bread rolled in the basket) You take a piece of bread to scoop up a bite and eat with your hands.