Following Jesus to Ethiopia: Forever Family

This is an ESPN video about the University of Georgia's head football coach Mark Richt and his wife's journey to adopt 2 children from the Ukraine. Tear jerker......

Ethiopia Stats

*One in ten children die before their first birthday

*One in six children die before their fifth birthday

*60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted due to malnutrition

*The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years; the average life span is 37 years

*Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school; 88% will never attend secondary school

*Ethiopia has the highest HIV/AIDS population in the world

*Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000

*Only 24% of households have access to safe drinking water

*82% of the population survives on less than 1 dollar a day

*Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa

Our Adoption Timeline

Nov. 15-24, '08--Thinking about adoption again, seriously.

Nov. 24, 2008--Decided to buy a ticket to the "adoption rollercoaster"!

Dec. 8, 2008--Sent in application to first agency.

Dec. 9, '08--Hired our homestudy agency, "Families Through Adoption" and started the paperwork.

Dec. 18, '08--Accepted into the Ethiopia program at first agency.

Dec. 19, '08--First meeting with social worker (Todd and I).

Jan. 2, '09--Went and got our criminal background checks done....passed, by the way :)

Jan. 7, '09--Second meeting with social worker (Me and Kids).

Jan. 29, '09--Cancelled contract with first agency.

Feb. 3, '09--Sent in application to AAI.

Feb. 6, '09--Accepted into AAI's Ethiopia program.

Feb. 10, '09--Homestudy officially in writing process.

Feb. 11, '09--Received acceptance package from AAI.

Feb. 18, '09--Received rough draft of homestudy.

Feb. 23, '09--Received dossier pkt. from AAI.

Feb. 27, '09-Homestudy faxed to AAI!

Feb. 28, '09--Dossier to AAI!

Mar. 5, '09--Papers sent from AAI to State Dept/Embassy for certification.

Mar. 18, '09--Sent I-600A application in to USCIS.

Mar. 26, '09--Dossier to Ethiopia and officially on waiting list!!

April 2, '09--Went and got new POA notarized and certified, sent to AAI.

April 10, '09--Got fingerprinted.

April 27, '09--Received USCIS approval to bring a foreign orphan into USA for adoption.

November '09--We were approached by our agency about taking in a young girl (originally from Ethiopia) already here in the U.S. that was needing a new family. Decided that she was meant to be here with us!

December '09--One week before Christmas, we traveled to meet and pick up our new daughter and bring her home!

May 2010--Meeting with social worker to do Hana's first post placement report. Found out that we need to update our homestudy, finger prints and USCIS approval. Back on the paper chase!

July 15 '10--Got re-fingerprinted

August 24 '10--Received "The Call"...Referral of a 2 1/2 year old girl

August 26 '10--Accepted referral of our precious Tihun

November 11 '10--1st court date...didn't pass. Missing a letter from the Oromo region and judge notes that our dossier says we are expired. We did our re-fingerprinting and homestudy updates so we weren't expired but the judge didn't have our updates. Rescheduled court date for Nov. 26.

November 15 '10--Requested permission to adopt "Z" a 9/10 year old boy

November 17 '10--Officially adopting "Z"

November 22 '10--Z's file was submitted to court

November 26 '10--Passed court and Tihun is officially ours!

January 28, 2011--Arrived back at our agency's care center and picked up Amayah Tihun Pastoor!

February 5, 2011--We arrive back home with Amayah.

March 7, 2011-- Z's court date--Didn't pass...asked to wait...no word on what's next.

April 18, 2011--Zinaw passed court! He is officially our son!

Following Jesus to Ethiopia

Monday, April 6, 2009

Forever Family

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DTE March 26, 2009!!!

How long we've been waiting for our baby girl to come home