Praying JLuke home

I want to give everyone an update on the adoption because PRAYER is needed!

Last week we got an email from our agency that informed us on closures to some of the state ran orphanages in the southern areas of Ethiopia. The reason given for the closure was poor living conditions for children. When a child is given up for adoption, they are placed in a state ran home before going to the orphanage that they will be adopted from. A few days later our social worker called and told us that JLuke is from one of the southern orphanages that closed and at this point, they are investigating to see if any illegal matters were taking place. She told me that it shouldn’t have an effect on our case but that she wanted us to be aware. I asked a lot of questions, like what kind of illegal matters, but she didn’t have any other information. On Monday she called and told me that this issue is bigger than they thought and the southern government would like to see all children who originally came from the southern orphanages to be replaced in state ran homes and for all adoptions to be postponed, if not terminated. On Tuesday, she called explaining that they may be able to place the children whose families have already made the first trip but because we have not made that trip yet, that doesn’t include us.

Jeff and I know that God is in control. We don’t understand why things happen the way they do, but we know that His plan is better than our plan and that we will continue to trust Him through this. It is hard to look at the pictures of this little guy, thinking that he is ours and then not knowing what will happen to him.

I know that our prayers are bigger than the Ethiopian government, so today, please take time to say a little prayer for JLuke and for the government officials who are making all of these decisions. In the email from our social worker there is a quote from Almaz (she runs Hannah’s Hope Orphanage) stating the meaning of JLuke’s Ethiopian name (Mintesnot). Mintesnot means God is there, there is nothing that God cannot do. There is truly NOTHING that God cannot do and I pray that He will make a way for us to bring our little guy home.

Thank you for praying and supporting us through all of these challenges.

Praying JLuke home!