HE WILL DO IT

Good grief.  I don't even know where to start.  For many of you who live locally I had told you in recent months that when we received our positive recommendation letter from Federal MOWCA you would hear me scream.  Please forgive me for letting you down.  This week wasn't exactly... I don't know... a barrel of laughs.  Last Thursday I started feeling bad, but chalked it all up to allergies and not sleeping well.  Then, on Friday the longer the day went on the worse I felt.  I finally managed to go to the walk-in clinic Friday night (a week ago).  Get this.  I HAD THE FLU.  Who gets the flu when it's 95 degrees outside?  Apparently me (how DUMB is that?).  Anyway, suffice it to say, the flu wasn't making any plans to be a short-term visitor.  Despite my Tamiflu, this crazy fever, cough, aches, and mucous decided to take full advantage of the "5-7 days on average" reputation it has.  So, when Tuesday morning came, I was finally entering the first hours of being fever-free and I FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN HIT BY A MACK TRUCK.  We won't even mention what I looked like.  Moving on... Mark woke as usual that morning and I waved to him from my post on the couch as he headed out the door.  Then, I fell back to sleep with my foggy brain in tow.  It felt like Mark was immediately busting back through the door in a blaze of glory.  I sat up in a sleepy stupor trying to figure out what planet I was on.  Somewhere in all of the startling and smiles, I heard him say, "WE ARE GOING TO ETHIOPIA! Jamie called and we got our letter!"  I REALLY WAS BESIDE MYSELF BUT NO ONE COULD HEAR ME SCREAM (including those in the room with me) BECAUSE I HAVE NO VOICE.  I sat up and repeatedly said, "Are you serious?" but all he could hear (due to the lack of voice) was, "....serious?"  He kept reassuring me that our agency had our POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION LETTER in their hands and they would be filing for a court date Wednesday.  I know all the adoption lingo makes some of you want to curl up in a corner in the fetal position, but for the sake of those who like hearing the process, I will briefly explain how this part works.
Many of you have asked how we could get our letter with court being closed.  The much needed, much prayed over letter comes from the Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs, a government entity (not an actual "ministry").  Once our agency gets our letter from MOWCA, we have all the necessary documents to file for a court date.  So, MOWCA and the court are two different offices.  Typically, when court is open, court dates are given within 24 hours and usually give you a date about a week later.  This would mean if court had been open Tuesday when our letter was available, we likely would've received our court date on Wednesday for the following Wednesday (this upcoming one). So, during rainy season only the court closes.  This means MOWCA is still reviewing cases and issuing recommendation letters, but families cannot travel until court reopens.  From what we understand someone in court works minimally during court closure just to assign court dates for families, making us have to wait a week, rather than the usual 24 hours to get our court date.  We are hoping to know that date by Wednesday. That court date will likely be late October to early November, but we will travel several days in advance in order to spend time with Tyson at his orphanage and to have an opportunity to travel to meet his birth family.  You know what I can't stop thinking about in regards to our court date?  THAT'S THE DAY HE BECOMES A MCKEEHAN.  We officially walk out of that courthouse a family of 7.  AND THAT IS OUR NEXT STEP....I can't even type those words without crying.  Our next step is hearing the judge declare him ours.  I am just beside myself all over again that God LETS us do this.

As the flu fog (& subsequent cough that makes me sound like I have the plague) have begun to fade and reality of all of this has begun to sink in, I keep coming back to this:

"The One who calls you is faithful, and HE will do it. " 1 Thessalonians 5:24

The One who calls.  That's not me.  That's not an agency.  That's not a government.  The One who calls is the one who is faithful.  None of the people (though they are AWESOME) who have helped us along the way in our agency, or our friends or family (though crazy awesome), or even the government... none of those are the One who calls or the One who is faithful.  HE'S THE ONE WHO DID IT.

I love this promise, one I have believed in faith countless times over the past six years.

HE WILL DO IT.

Sometimes you just have to say it outloud in the enemy's face so he knows you are on to him and you know the truth.  As I have looked back over these words this week, I am continually reminded of all those who still wait.  Goodness gracious.  Some are waiting on their own adoptions (many waiting on the same letter we've been waiting on), some on physical healing, some on marital healing, some on wanting their battle with infertility to be a thing of the past.  If I could pick each of you up and rock you in a rocking chair right now I WOULD.  The weight of the wait is not lost on me (or us).  IT IS HEAVY.  But, the beautiful thing about 1 Thessalonians 5:24 is this:

HE IS FAITHFUL. Period.

He can't NOT be faithful.  And, His faithfulness isn't dependent on if He gives us what we are asking for or not.  Or if He comes through in time (according to our timetables).  He is faithful even if scans and labs don't give us the hopeful news we wanted.  Here's the thing I praised Him for the most this week:  that He gives us any visible, tangible glimpses of His faithfulness is ASTOUNDING.  He doesn't owe us anything.  So, the mere fact that He still chooses to allow us to see His faithfulness IS WORTH CELEBRATING.  But, even if we were still waiting HE IS STILL FAITHFUL.

We have been overwhelmed and undone with gratitude over the sheer volume of texts, cards, hugs, calls, comments, posts, etc I've said it before, but it's true, so I will say it again:  This letter is all of OUR answer to prayer.  For each of you who have prayed and believed God for it, this answer is your answer to prayer.  I pray so much that as we walk out these final days of wait, we will do it with such compassion on those of you still in the waiting tunnel... not sure how much longer you have to go, yet so far in you can't see light in either direction.  I am asking God to somehow renew your hope after this week, but to know we are still with you. When your mountain moves and darkness gives way to light, we will dance with you.  Until then, we are standing with you in prayer and (when possible) in person.  We stand with you believing wholeheartedly that

HE IS FAITHFUL

and

HE WILL DO IT.

Thank you for walking so beautifully with us.  Tuesday night when someone asked what I had been feeling through the day, I responded with, "I have learned again how unbelievable our community is."  This victory is so sweet because you have chosen to come along side us.

Before I hop off of here.... I wanted to answer a few of your questions.

First, I don't even know what we need.  I'm tickled typing it, but it's true.  Because we had packed so well in January, I need to go back through our bags and see what is in there!  I believe we have everything, but if we have needs that arise, I will certainly let you know.  I DO know we may get a list of orphanage needs that we can take to leave at Tyson's orphanage.  When/If I get that list, I will pass it on to you, should any of you want to help.

Secondly, we will likely be in Ethiopia 2.5-3 weeks, but we have to be prepared for longer.  We will do our birth family meeting (which will be a 4 hour, overnight trip), spend time with Tyson at the orphanage, and then a couple days after we arrive we will have our court date.  Once we get the court decree, we can go PICK THAT SWEET THING UP and KEEP HIM FOREVER.  Somebody help me.  I can't even..... Then, after we kiss his face off (kidding.  sort of), we will have lots of other things to do.  We will do education there about Ethiopian culture, hair care, etc.  We will need to apply for his visa, passport, birth certificate (declaring his last name to be MCKEEHAN), and have a visa medical screening.  It doesn't sound like much, but it is a lot of paperwork that is all dependent on each other.  Once we collect all necessary documents, we can apply for an Embassy appointment with the US Embassy.  Once we complete that appointment.... WE COME HOME.

Next, Brycen and Regan will be joining us in Ethiopia.  Corbin and Hudson will be staying home with loving family and friends.  All the kids are aware of the plan and excited about it.  Hudson is particularly excited as his birthday is October 23.  When he first realized we would likely travel in October, he said, "Momma, can you please come back home with Tyson on my birthday so I will always forever know what my best birthday present was?"  And then I died.

Lastly, we will let you know the airport plan when we get closer to that time.  We have a mental plan and would love for you to come!  We will welcome everyone to be there when we get home as long as everyone knows we may not get to see everyone individually.  We sure hope to!  But, we will have to see how Tyson is handling it and if it's too overwhelming for him.  Also, when we can post his Ethiopian name, we will.  Remember, at the airport he won't know who Tyson McKeehan is:)

grateful to my core.

until he's home....
carrie