Six Months

Six months ago today, Adam and I began our adoption journey. It is crazy to think how much has happened in just half a year.

We have:

-Been interviewed four times
-Written our autobiographies
-Read a ton of information on attachment
-Learned a lot about Ethiopia
-Completed our home study
-Finished HOURS of education
-Signed our names a countless number of times on a countless number of forms
-Been fingerprinted (and approved) twice
-Been billed by FedEx WAY too many times
-Collected evidence of our entire life on paper
-Made roughly one million copies (of everything)
-Had a yard sale
-Sold 155 t-shirts
-Received our first waiting list number
-Gotten six months closer to our little one
-Met some incredible people who share the spirit and call of adoption
-Grown together as husband and wife in ways we could not have under any other circumstances
-Cried out to God for guidance and strength more than we ever have before in our lives
-Learned that our God is absolutely greater than anything this world can throw at us

So, yeah, a whole lot can happen in just six months.

More than anything else, I think the last six months have taught us that our God is great and faithful and able. We have learned, in a very up close and personal way, that the Lord is absolutely sovereign over every single aspect of our lives. Nothing that happens to us or around us is outside of His control. I think that has been the thing that has kept us (or more accurately, kept me) from losing our minds. So much of the adoption process is confusing. Why do we have to be fingerprinted twice? Why does is take so long to be matched if there are 5 million orphans in Ethiopia alone? But because we know God, we know that all of this is part of His great and glorious plan for our lives. Is everything going exactly the way I want it to go? Umm...no. But it is going the way God wants it to go. And that is way better than what would be happening if I was in charge.

Thank you so much for following our journey. It is so incredible to know that we have people praying for us through this process. One thing that I have recently learned is that the court system in Ethiopia shuts down for the rainy season (mid-September to early October). That means that no adoptions are processed during that time. Well, the courts have just opened back up, so right now we are praying for a major gush of referrals for the month of October. We would loooove to get our November update and be in the 70s. Please pray with us!

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip--He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watched over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you--the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm--He will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121: 1-8

Love,
Baylor