now that my feet have finally touched the ground

i would like to go on record as saying that the events of march 10, 2011 were some of the most awe-inspiring i've ever been witness to.  our passing court (a day EARLY at that) still has no earthly explanation, which only confirms that that was truly a day of god's power and glory on display. 

i'm not sure how to properly thank all of you, the people who have become so personally invested in micah's story, for everything you've done for us through your prayers and encouragement.  in a matter of hours after posting the news, we got literally hundreds of emails, facebook messages, and calls from family, friends, and in many cases, perfect strangers who have now become perfect friends.  we learned that families and groups gathered in various states across the country to bow before the lord and to pray specifically for us to be passed miraculously through court.  three friends shared with me that they, too, woke up during the night on wednesday night with a sense of prayer urgency regarding our court case.  you prayed and god answered.  he answered mightily!  so from this momma's heart - a heart that has waited, celebrated, grieved, grown, and rejoiced - thank you so. very. much. for what all you've done for our family.  for micah.

it was physically impossible for us to respond to each and every message, but we are compiling them all into a booklet that will go in micah's baby book as part of his adoption story and as evidence of god's grace in his life.  we did want to take a minute, though, to answer some of the main questions that were asked and let you know what's up next.

1) so what happens now?
at this point, micah is legally ours but the US embassy in ethiopia is gathering some documents to finalize the adoption.  we're filling out a handful of forms, but for the most part, we're waiting. 

2) when will you travel back to get him?
hmmm...good question.  the guesstimate we have at this point is 6-8 weeks from now so we're planning to travel in may-ish (with the emphasis on ISH). 

3) where is micah?
the week before we traveled to ethiopia to appear in court, micah was moved from his orphanage to our agency's foster home for children who have adoptive families waiting to bring them home.  the facility is called acacia village, and it's a peaceful, amazing place that josh and i both fell in love with during our visits there in february.  micah is being well-loved, well-cared-for, and well-fed (as evidenced by his girth).  :-)

4) how can we continue to pray?
i'm so glad you asked!  the changes surrounding ethiopia's adoption system most dramatically affect the families waiting to get through court.  an estimate i read recently said that children could spend as many as SEVEN YEARS in their orphanages waiting for their adoptive parents to pass, and the collateral damage from these changes (such as extreme overcrowding in the orphanages and reduced adoptions because of the increased wait time) stands to have dire effects on the most defenseless of ethiopia's population.  sooo....

• pray for the officials who are calling the shots there to have a tremendous change of heart and for the lord to bend their hearts favorably toward adoption (see proverbs 21:1). 

also affected by these changes are the families who are through court but are waiting for paperwork (such as birth certificates) to be processed.  until that's completed, the staff at the US embassy can't finish their job.

• pray for micah's paperwork to be processed quickly and correctly so that we can bring our baby home.  this so-close-i-can-taste-it portion of the journey is proving to make us somehow both sweetly calm and sadly heartsick for our little guy.

the logistics of our expected timing could prove to be a bit tricky.  i'm shooting three weddings around the time that we think we'll probably travel, and telling a bride a couple of weeks before her wedding that i'll be out of the country is simply not an option.

• pray that in his ever-perfect timing, the lord will send us back to ethiopia during a period that a) won't conflict with my work schedule and b) will allow me time to get back on my feet before spending 10 hours a day on my feet with a camera glued to my face.  (speaking of weddings - and just because i ADORE them - check out this engagement session i just shot for one of the aforementioned couples.)

we love you, family and friends, and we're so thankful to the lord for not only bringing us all together to pray for micah, but also for showing himself mighty and faithful in the process.