Hiccup

I've already read lots about the twists and turns of this process, the spiritual warfare, the naysayers, but I didn't really expect it to start so soon.

We've already had our first hiccup, and our application hasn't even been approved yet! Here's what I know as of now: The travel requirement for Ethiopian adoption has changed from one 7-day trip to two trips, a few weeks apart. I have no idea how many days is required for each trip at this point. Apparently, they are putting this requirement in place to make sure that you were not given false information about the child you are adopting. Some agencies are in the business of human trafficking, harvesting of children, and giving false information to the adoptive parents to adopt children that might not otherwise be "adoptable." So, you go once, meet your child/ren, and make sure they are who you think they are (the correct age, health concerns, etc.). Then, you get attached, fall in love, smother with hugs and kisses, and then leave your legal-as-far-as-Ethiopia-is-concerned child and go home. Then, a few weeks later, after the jet lag has worn off, you return to Ethiopia to bring your child to their "forever" home. Rough business, but worth it to know that you are receiving the child you were intended to have. Just to show you how heart-wrenching this is going to be, watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYVnNNmwcUA&feature=related

It's long, but it gives you a sense of how incredibly difficult it will be to walk away from our child and leave him/her in a foreign country.

There's a few options, of course:

1. Matt could take one trip, and I could take the other - This would keep the cost the same as we were initially intending (as far as flights go), and wouldn't require finding someone to watch our girls for two separate trips. However, we were both there when our other children were birthed into our family, and I think it should be the same this time.
2. We could both go on both trips - This would obviously incur TWICE the travel cost and having to make arrangements for the girls TWICE, but we would both be there to meet our child and bring our child home, and be there to comfort each other on the first trip home.
   
3. We could travel to Ethiopia together, then one of us (me) could stay there until it's time to bring our baby home - This would mean being away from your spouse and three other young children for about a month in a very foreign country incurring hotel costs for an entire month!

I do have to say that we are counting our blessings at the same time. There are some families that are very near the end of this process, who have raised all their funds and are waiting for their court date, and who are just now getting this news. Some are weeks or a couple months away from their travel date and now they have to make arrangements for two trips! I am very thankful that we are finding this out now so that we can plan for it way in advance. Please keep these other families in your prayers.

Gonna have to pray really, really hard that God will get me through this one. So thankful for the support of friends and family who will hold us up through all of this!

Can't I just go pick a baby from the orphanage and bring he/she home yesterday??