Update and Adoption agencies... It is like flying coach with Garmin

This is a 2 part entry... first to our family and friends... then to others on the adoption journey...

For our family and friends, there has been no update from our agency about the two trip rule. While we continue to pray that it is just a rumor and that it won't happen, we brace ourselves for the blow we expect to come... by the time our little one is ready for court we will have to travel twice. Yes, this would add 5000 to the adoption cost. Yes, Brandon would have to take off another week of work. Yes, we will get to meet our little one sooner. Yes, we would bond with our sweet baby and LEAVE without our baby. Yes, we would have to wait a few months to be reunited. Yes, we are still praying that whatever is happening will take a LONG time to happen and we will get through with one trip!

Here is the link from the US government about Ethiopian adoption guidelines. This is the latest news directly from the government. When things are official, this website lets us know. You will notice that the two trip rule is not official, so we can keep praying and petitioning our Great King!
http://adoption.state.gov/country/ethiopia.html

OK, this is for others on the adoption journey with us. Others of you may find it interesting as well!
Throughout the past few days MANY other agencies have been having conference calls with all their clients. Agencies have been sending many emails and keeping those in the process up to date with whatever they have heard. I listened to an hour long conference call from another agency. We didn't chose this agency. This agency sent us lovely information, all flowery, shiny, and beautiful. This agency loves Jesus and began the conference in prayer. This agency is holding hands with its clients. This agency is "first class" in flying terms. This agency charges 5-10 Thousand dollars more than our agency, and the extra money goes to the US part of the agency not the overseas orphan care part. So, for our family, the cost outweighed the benefit and we chose our agency.

We chose the "coach" agency for sure! We knew going into it that the flowery, shiny paper would not be coming our way. We also knew that our agency cares deeply for orphans and does much humanitarian aid in Ethiopia. Almost all our money goes to Ethiopia. Our agency has very few US workers and keeps the US cost way down. At the end of the day (or year or years) we will be on a plane with our baby sitting next to people with babies from other agencies. We will all be parents! I CHOSE to go without the flowers and I am living with it, filled with joy. I trust the people working at our agency. I can't imagine what they are feeling right now. I am guessing SO MANY are calling, complaining, demanding answers etc. I am praying for these lovely people. Please join me!
I have another comparison for you all. We recently became Garmin (GPS) fans. We no longer have to look at maps, just plug in Garmin and we will hopefully arrive safely at our destination. Well, Garmin is very interesting. If we are on non-confusing roads Garmin will tell us when to turn with lots (half a mile) of lead time. When we get into a city Garmin knows there are lots of lane options and we could easily turn too soon. I panic in the car, wondering why Garmin isn't telling us our turn is coming up. Usually Garmin tells us when we are only .2 miles from the turn, which seems to be cutting it close, but you see, if Garmin had told us to turn earlier we would have been in the right lane too soon and we would have taken the wrong exit. When I look at what our agency is doing (or not doing) with the current developments in Ethiopia I am thankful. You see, they are not saying anything until the US government makes it official. While part of me wants them to say something NOW, I can see that it would only lead to confusion. Upon spending time (OK WAY TOO MUCH TIME) reading what other agencies are saying, I am struck by how many different versions there are. Each has a different start date. Each has a different rule. I am content to wait until something is set in stone to learn what I need to learn!
Today friends I challenge you, lets spend most of our adoption think time praying for our agency and its workers. Pray that we will love them like Jesus through these things that they also can't control! Pray that we will trust them to make the decisions that are best for us and our children! Pray that God would be glorified in your/my life today!