Hannah’s Hope pictures & an update

I’ve sung the praises of Hannah’s Hope over and over since we were there, so I thought I’d post a few more pictures of the facility.  There is always LOTS of work going on both inside and outside . . .

(For all listserv friends, the files I mentioned in a previous post are on the bookshelf on the left side of the first image.)

A couple of the “big” kids’ rooms . . .

This is the room where our son sleeps (below).  That’s his bed in the photo on the right side.  (Yes, it looks like a girl’s room, but there are some boys that sleep in there, too!)

This is the view from the upstairs balcony.  The facility is located in a newer part of the city, and there is a lot of new construction going on all around.

Some of the baby rooms . . .

It really is a GREAT place, and we’re so thankful for everyone who put in many hours making it so fun and kid-friendly!

In other news . . .

I spoke with our case manager today, and she said it will probably be late September or early October before we travel back to Ethiopia to bring our son home – which is a little longer than we were hoping.  The timing of that trip revolves around when our Embassy appointment is scheduled.  For an Embassy date to be given, a court decree & his passport have to issued, and some (more) paperwork has to be submitted.  Our agency is allotted two Embassy dates per month, so our travel plans will be affected by those assigned dates as well.  Lastly, since we’re adopting an “older” child, he has to go through TB testing (required by the CDC for him to enter the US).  Sometimes that slows the process as well.  The group that traveled prior to us got their Embassy dates REALLY quickly, so I had hoped we would as well.  They all adopted little babies, though, and the timing of their trip, etc. just lined up perfectly for an earlier Embassy date.

Please pray that God makes a way for us to bring our son home as quickly as possible.  This afternoon and tonight I found myself missing him so much.  I stood at the kitchen sink washing dishes and just had a little quiet cry.  I KNOW him now, and it breaks my heart to think of him wondering whether we’re really coming back for him.  It makes me sad to think about him sleeping in his little bed at night thinking about his time with us and being confused.  Pray that God will give him (and us) peace during this time of separation.