Lifesong Grant Approval

Jonathan and I recently learned that we have been selected to receive a $2,500 matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans! What a blessing this is to us as we prepare to bring home our baby  : )

We do not want anyone to feel obligated, but if you are interested in assisting with our adoption expenses, it would be greatly appreciated. Lifesong has given us May 23, 2012 as a goal date to have funds received by to ensure timely processing.

Checks should be made payable to Lifesong for Orphans and the memo line should indicate DeNeal #2669. These can then be sent to:

Lifesong for Orphans
202 N. Ford St.
P.O. Box 40
Gridley, IL 61744

All contributions made in this manner are tax-deductible.

Again, we appreciate everyone’s support of our process thus far. Please continue to pray for the many orphans around the world who are in need of a safe, warm, loving place to call home; and thank you for helping us help one.

Six Months DTE!

Today we celebrate being 6 months into this process! Even though the waiting is difficult, it is hard to believe that this time has already passed. I know we will look back someday and wonder where the time went : )

Please continue to pray for the Ethiopian government as they continue to work towards smoothing out their processes and for those beautiful children waiting to be placed into their forever families.

Increased Wait Time

Jonathan and I received some very disappointing news at the end of this past week that we would like to share with each of you. I apologize for not making individual phone calls, but we are still trying to process the information ourselves and honestly cannot bear to have this conversation repeatedly, so please forgive us.

The official “wait time” for Ethiopia has been significantly lengthened. Our agency is now expecting it to take 18 – 24 months to receive a referral from our DTE date (it was 10 – 14 months when we began).

The primary reason for this is the continued difficulty with making a child “paper-ready” to be adopted. The government is diligently working to ensure that all children being placed for adoption are true orphans - to ensure that they do not have any relatives that are looking for them or would be willing to raise them - which is a good thing, but the process is not currently very efficient. It is causing significant delays, as several steps have been added to the clearance process.

It truly breaks our hearts to think that we still have at least 13 months before we even lay eyes on our child (referral pictures), but it is completely out of our, and our agency’s, hands.

We ask for fervent prayers for this process – for those precious children who need a loving family and a secure home, for the government, for other families ahead of us & behind us on the waiting list, and for Jonathan and I to have peace that God is with us throughout this.

We know that this lengthened process is not God’s will either – he wants nothing more than for orphans to have a family – but that He will allow good to come of this imperfect situation.  

The Profound Love Associated with Adoption

Jonathan and I were introduced to this music video just a few days ago. We have heard the song before, but never really connected it to adoption – until we saw this precious video. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did : )

Five Months DTE!

No new updates, but we are now 5 months into the “official wait time.”

As always, please continue to pray for our precious baby – who is likely conceived, but not yet born - and the birthmother - who is likely beginning to think more about what will come of this pregnancy.

Keep the calendar rolling…

Life Changing Experience

Jonathan and I recently returned from weekend retreats in the Indianapolis area. There was a separate weekend for men and for women, but both were called The Great Banquet. The weekends were life changing for both of us and we want to thank Jonathan’s brother and his wife, Brian and Sarah, for their invitation and encouragement to attend - particularly once we began the process of beginning a family.

It is exceptionally difficult to describe the weekend. Suffice it to say – we formed new friendships, we cried, we laughed, we personally felt convicted by the Holy Spirit, we sang (oh boy, did we sing!), and we returned home with renewed spirits. It was truly like nothing else I have ever been privileged to be a part of and we greatly encourage any of you who are invited to participate to attend without reservation. You will not be disappointed.

We now ask for prayers as we return to the ‘real world,’ attempting to live out those things that we have been convicted to change. It has been difficult - as we return to the busyness, the workplace, and the typical everyday stresses - but we truly believe that it is possible by the grace of God. We thank God that we have one another and the power of the Holy Spirit to move forward. As we heard several times throughout the weekend, we find comfort in the fact that:

God does not call the equipped -- He
equips the called

What a wonderful reminder as we all strive to live the lives He has called us to!

Four Months DTE!

We have now made it to four months DTE!

We are not terribly surprised, but did receive official notification today that the current wait time is extending from 10 – 16 months to 14 – 18 months. So, we are just thankful that the days are moving along. We realize it will be here before we know it : )

Please continue to pray for our child-to-be and for Jonathan and I’s patience throughout the process.