Today was a very, very exciting day! Your daddy and I have been working hard to gather all of our documents to send over to the Ethiopian government. It has taken us months to "jump through all of these hoops." Letters were written and rewritten. Appointments were scheduled and rescheduled. I think we went through about 3-4 different background checks. We have been running, running, running to get everything done as soon as we could!
Last Friday, we e-mailed all of our finished documents in to our adoption coordinator. We did not think that she would get to check them over for us until early this week. But she has been just simply amazing! We got an e-mail from her late Sunday night saying that everything looked good for our dossier except for one thing. We would need to go down to the police station for another background check. As soon as that was done and everything was sent in, we would officially be on the waiting list for you!
This afternoon, we called our local police station to see if we could come in for the paperwork. They told us that they would be closing in just 20 minutes--it was the middle of the day on a Monday! Ah, the joys of living in a small town. So, we went to another police station. After a few minutes there, they told us that they wouldn't do the check for us either. I was almost in tears. I woke up this morning so excited that we were going to finally send in our dossier, bringing us one step closer to you. But it was beginning to sound like it wasn't going to happen.
Waiting. Waiting. So much waiting. You know, buddy, I am not a very patient person. But God has been really stretching me in this area. God likes to stretch us, to grow us--so that our character becomes stronger. He wants to grow us to make us more like His Son, Jesus. It's not always easy when God's working on us to change us, but it is always for our best. He is the best Father. He knows what's best for me. And today, it was just a bit more waiting and patience building.
Well, your daddy started calling around to other police stations. They told us that you normally have to wait 2-3 days for the background check and paperwork to go through. But when he explained the situation to the lady on the phone, she told us that she would do the paperwork herself so that we could get the form today! So we headed off to the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department.
When we arrived, the first form she filled out was incorrect--It didn't fit the specifications that our dossier required. Side Note: This has happened to us like 10 times, where we get a document finished only to find out that it is not exactly how they want it. A little bit frustrating. More patience building. So we waited another 30 minutes or so while she reworked the form and for the notary to come back from lunch break to make it all official.
With the papers in hand, we headed to the printing shop. We carefully laid out our official documents in the exact order specified. Then we made 6 copies of our dossier. It came out to one huge stack of papers.
I held on to the papers tightly as we traveled over to the post office. So much work had gone into this process so far...I didn't want anything to stop me from submitting them today, bringing me closer to you!
At the post office, we sealed our dossier in an envelope for shipping. I was so excited--my stomach had that flutter to it--you know, the way you feel right before you're about to ride a roller coaster or fly on a plane. I took one look at your daddy and I burst into tears. I just couldn't believe it! We are getting closer. Our dossier will make it all the way to Ethiopia, where it will tell the Ethiopian government who we are and why we've come. It will represent us. It will explain that we want YOU. Our promises to care for you and to provide for you are spread throughout these documents. Soon, we will see your sweet face and you will be ours'. Off it goes to Ethiopia!
Sending our love to Ethiopia!
Mommy and Daddy
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