Good Friday

If I were a good blogger, this post would have happened 5 days ago. Add "good blogger" to the list of things I am learning I am just not!!! (Julia here, by the way - this sharing a blog with my husband thing is a little tricky!). I have written posts in my mind on almost a daily basis, but they rarely make it to the blog. Got to get better at that! 

All that to say, lots has been going on in the Russell family this week! Two big things, really. Emma lost both of her front teeth this week! After she lost the first one I kept bugging her to pull the other one too :). Seriously, what is cuter than a 7 year old missing both front teeth?!?  Corey was a pro at yanking those things out with dental floss (something I have never seen until now - and something I will never personally attempt!). Isn't she precious?

The other big news...we are officially DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) and on the wait list for our baby girl!!! We first began discussing adoption on August 23, and almost exactly 8 months later, we can really begin to wait :). The paper chase actually took about 6 months, but it seems like this journey has been a lot longer. 

Our official DTE date was April 22 - Good Friday. I have thought all week about how the significance of Christ's sacrifice continues to gain deeper meaning for my life. He died to that I can be adopted into His family - Ephesians 1:5 says,  "he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will." God loved me so much that He sent His own son to die for me so that I can be called His child. In John 1:12-13 we read, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." I am His child, not because I deserve His favor, but because He chose me! Adoption is our story as believers in Christ! And we have the privilege of passing on that gift to a child who has no family. It is humbling to be called to this place.

It has been a long 8 months. Those who are unfamiliar with the adoption process (as we were just a few short months ago) often see us and act a bit surprised that we don't already have our baby girl! We wish things moved that quickly. It is especially hard to explain to our 7, 4, and 2-year-old that their baby sister is waiting for us, but that it may be quite some time before we can meet her. When we mailed our dossier (adoption speak for enormous packet of paperwork we slaved over for 6 months & then hesitantly handed over to the post office - yikes!), I tried to explain to the girls the significance of the moment. With each of my pregnancies I struggled with a lot of morning sickness. I told them that all the discomfort, pain, and downright misery (at times) of carrying and delivering each of them is similar to what we've been doing the past several months. And just like they were worth every minute of the suffering their births brought to me, whatever hardship is required to bring our baby girl home from Ethiopia is worth it. She is worth it! We celebrated in a way my girls can understand - ice cream!

And so, the longest pregnancy there ever was continues to go on :). Though the Ethiopian government did not cut adoptions by 90% as originally predicted, there are still significant delays in the process as they attempt to make adoption as accurate and safe as possible. We cannot be sure of anything about this journey, but we hope she will be home with us this time next year. We continue to learn that whatever God calls us to do, He will accomplish, in His own time and in His way - all for our good and His glory!