We're Ready!!!! Africa Bound!!

Sweet Treats for our babes staying home.  It helps count the days until we return in a fun way!

(Bags are Ethiopian Flag colors, separated by orange, then American flag colors)
With donations, an extra traveler and bringing home 2 new Donaldsons, our back is full!!

New Life:  I love this next picture of new life.  A robin made a nest in my Easter wreath and today we found this:

We are so excited for the gift of new lives joining us.  Welcome Abel and Feven!!!  We hope you love your new nest.  ~Mama and Daddy

Abel and Feven Faith We Will Be There in 4 Days!!!

    
Recent pics taken last week from a traveling family.  We sent them a care package and they know we are on our way!!!  When they saw our picture they said,"Mama, Daddy, Mama, Daddy", and kissed the paper!!  Melt my heart!!!  Yes sweet darlings, Mama and Daddy will be there soon to scoop you up and enfold you into our family.  We can't wait!!

We Get to Go...Finally

Found out yesterday that Embassy has our visa 37 and they confirmed an Embassy appointment for Wednesday, May 4th.  We leave next Sunday!!!!  Abel and Feven, we are almost there!!

He Paid the Price

Thank you Jesus for the price you paid.  God help me to live daily in light of your mercy and grace.

Thanks Emily for posting this.

Adoption Update:  Our Visa 37 was sent yesterday.  Great News!

Check out this Fundraiser/Raffle

A local family who has 3 bio kids & 3 adopted children from China is in process to bring home another Special Needs girl from China.  They are having a fun raffle for an I-Pad 2 to help them with their dossier costs.  Check out their story here: www.mattmandi.blogspot.com


Our homefront news:  Looks like we will be leaving next weekend, not this weekend to unite and bring home Abel and Feven Faith.  So I will be praising God for my redemption here in FW, not Rome or Addis, then busily getting ready to leave and hopefully come home Mother's Day with our precious additions.
 Check out this update from a family who is there now and yesterday delivered a care package for us:  Rachel wrote:

"Packages have been delivered, cards translated, video and pictures taken, and your photos LOVED ON! They are just thrilled! Internet is slow and poor but will talk and send them when we return."

So excited to get our arms around them!! 

Another neat post from a family who recently traveled to meet their girl for the first time.  I love how she shares the why for adoption for many people.  : www.sandersonadoption.blogspot.com/

We Have Our Updated I-171!!!!

We were delighted to find in our mailbox today our updated I-171 immigration form!  We can now  make an embassy date and get tickets to FINALLY bring our treasures home.  WOOHOO!!!

Other fun news:  Doria participated in her first track meet this week.  Good job D!!

Delighting in Embassy Clearance

This morning we were surprised and delighted to find an e-mail from the US Embassy notifying of us our clearance to travel for our visa appointment.  This means we can go get Abel and Feven Faith and finally bring them home.  Our last hold up is waiting for our immigration update, and we pray to have that soon.  This segment of our journey has been the toughest by far, and we are so glad to have resolution.  Thank you for your prayers and please don't stop.

Other delights:
Dave and Drake completed the "Becoming a Man Series" at church and it was a wonderful experience for both of them.  They concluded with a night of paintball:

We just returned from a week in FL for spring break.  Great family time and so fun connecting with old friends!!  We love you all!  Thank you God for these blessings.

Just a little sea fog the whole day on our last day, but we still had fun.