Ethiopia, a country roughly twice the size of Texas, has approximately 5 million orphans. Earlier this year, all court cases for children who were registered as abandoned, rather than relinquished, were halted in their process while Ethiopia conducted an internal investigation into whether or not children were being obtained by orphanages illegally for the purpose of selling adoptions. Our agency and orphanages were not included in this investigation, but it nonetheless held up many of our families waiting to travel and gather their children home. The investigation was completed, new process were installed by the Ethiopian Government, and all those cases have been resolved and the children are home with their forever families.
Now, in response, some 6 months later, our government has extended the issuing of visas for adopted Ethiopian children from one week to possibly several months while they conduct their own investigation into each child's legitimacy for adoption. A process that is already conducted in court by the Ethiopian justice system. In order to pass court, our children's father must appear in court to testify why he can not raise his children himself, and prove their orphan status, and then we are legally declared their parents. Now, the US Government is saying it wants to investigate that again.
Satan is just trying to screw with adoption. He is trying to make it as difficult, long, and bureaucratic as possible to discourage new families from pursuing adoption, and to leave these 5 million children in bondage.
We do not know how long this could delay our "expected timeline" but the truth is, it doesn't change the day our children will be in our arms for the first time by one second. God has been in control, knew this was coming, and prepared everything perfectly in full understanding of this coming. We are at peace with His ability to fight this war and to win the battle for these children.
Pray with us that this does not become a hindrance in the adoption process for any family or any child who needs a home, and that this situation would be quickly resolved and absolved.
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Praying with you that the govt will decide they have enough information and these children will come home soon!! I've heard of different difficult issues like this and within a matter of hours or days they get resolved. And we know it was the Lord! And yes we are still fine with His perfect timing!!
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