Our next big fundraising event will be on Saturday, November 29th (two days after Thanksgiving Day) at Delavan Lanes bowling alley from noon-9 p.m.  Tickets will be $10 per person ($7 of which goes to the adoption; $3 to the bowling alley).  This will get each person 3 games and a pair of shoes.  You can bowl anytime that day between noon and 9 p.m….just don’t forget to take your ticket with you!   You can get tickets from me starting this Saturday!! 

With this fundraiser, we will also have a silent auction.  We could use help from anyone who feels comfortable taking a letter and poster (that we hope to have made by the end of this weekend) to local businesses to try and get some donated items for the silent auction.  You don’t have to be in Walworth County, you can do this anywhere! 

 If you don’t feel comfortable with this, you could help us by calling businesses for a follow-up if our letter and poster was left for a manager/owner to look at.  You could also donate something from yourself or your family- a talent you have, a service you could offer, baked goods, a basket of goodies, etc.  We appreciate any help you provide. 

The best thing you could do though is mark November 29th on your calendar and get tickets from us!  You can pay us in person or mail us a check and we can give you the tickets in person or send them in the mail.  Thank you for your support- it is sure to be a fun day with family and friends!

We got word today that the children (14 babies and 28 children total it seems) arrived in Addis to have their PCR blood tests taken and have been checked by a pediatrician.  We should hear about the results sometime next week and maybe even have an official referral in two weeks or so!  This is exciting!  But, this also means a lot of money is due very quickly!  We are rummaging again in the morning for 5-6 hours.  We’re planning one or two bowling events (more to come on this…it’s going to be fun) too!

Right now, we are just so thankful that the boys made it to Addis and had their tests.  We are praying that the tests come back clear and that they arrive back at the Hosanna House safely.  As I write, they are sleeping at the Thomas Center in Addis (CHI’s foster care home) with Abdissa, CHI’s lawyer, and his wife, along with the nannies that traveled with them.  May they sleep peacefully and know that they are loved!

More good news to report!   I called AWOP today and got a hold of Michelle, finally.  She said that babies can’t be tested in the orphanage for HIV like older children because they carry their mother’s antibodies (I think that was the word) until they are 18 months.  So, all 0-18 month old children need to be driven to Addis (the capital of Ethiopia) which is about 3-4 hours away from the orphanage.  She told me that 14 babies would be going to Addis tomorrow, in a van/bus that they rented, to have their medical tests done (they will be tested for HIV, Hep. B and C, and Std’s).  Please pray for the safety of the babies as they travel to and from the city and that their medical checks come back clear!

This is exciting news!  Monday/Tuesday, AWOP will probably get the test results.  Michelle is hoping, optimistically, to have the medicals and paperwork needed for all their referrals by the end of next week.  We’d be happy to have it by then or the following week, as an official referral would be GREAT!   Michelle has also hired an American to be in Ethiopia for the next 3 months or so to tie up loose ends and monitor progress/things that are going on and keep her up-to-date. 

Things are starting to come together now!

Good news to report!  Our home study was officially approved yesterday, September 16th!  This means that it has been sent to the USCIS office in Milwaukee and we will be on the waiting list to get our clearance (I-171H) from them (immigration/customs).  This is one of the MANY documents needed as a part of what they call the dossier (I call it the boat load of paperwork) that has to be authenticated in D.C. and then sent to CHI and then finally to Ethiopia to be translated and reviewed.  We have just a few things to do to have our dossier ready to go, but the big one is that immigration form.

 As far as they boys go, we are still waiting on a paperwork and medical update.  It may be a bit yet, but at least we have things we can do between now and then.  It would be nice to have it though, so we can get an official referral in the mail that we sign (this then allows us to get a court date in Ethiopia to legally adopt the boys…once our dossier is in).  Everyone asks all the time- what’s new?  There often won’t be anything new for weeks or months at a time..that’s how adoption works.  It’s a waiting game all around.  We will definitely let you know when there is good news to share!  Please continue to pray for the boys- that they remain safe and healthy and that this all goes through!  We can’t wait to add more children to our family.

Well the weather was awful all weekend, but we still managed to have a big success and did well!  Saturday was great, Sunday was slow and cold, but in the end it was all worth it!  We couldn’t have pulled this off without the support of family and friends!  So here’s to all of you who donated, helped set-up. organize, price, worked the day of the sale, came and bought things, or did anything else that helped make this day a success! 

We got rid of a ton of things, but of course we had so much that there is much more to get rid of.  Though I could really use a relaxing weekend, I plan on setting it all back up (with only 7 or 8 tables this time) with the help of my mom, Saturday morning.  We will probably sell from 7/7:30 until 1 or so, as we have plans later in the day!  This will help us to get rid of more and make a few more bucks.  Anything counts and helps at this point!  The weather is looking like it will be perfect and Delavan moved it’s Scarecrow Fest to this Saturday as well, so people will be in town.  I think we’ll take more baked goods if anyone is interested. That was a huge hit Saturday and all were gone quickly!

We can’t say enough how fortunate we feel to have so many wonderful family members and friends who are so supportive and with us every step of this incredible journey.  Thank you!

wish it was us, but at least it was my friend, Diane from Elkhorn!  She went to the Hosanna house today (Thursday, Sept. 4th) to drop off supplies.  She took pictures of the boys and gave us the following report.  It’s nice to know that they are real and that someone local has seen them.  Now we just have to wait for the medical report news and any day now for our home study to be approved so we can get the official referral!!  Here is what Diane said about them in an email to me today:

“OK- I DID make it to Hosanna and met Elijah and Jonah. Wow- tiny little babies. Jonah is a bit stronger and bigger than his brother Elijah. He is also a bit more vocal and shared his displeasure with me taking his picture quite loudly. Both boys seem to be normal and all their parts seem to work (hand and feet and eyes, etc) I am not sure if they are identical at this point- they are a bit different looking, but you can decide what you think from the pictures.
They are both around 4-5 pounds- bigger than I thought they would be. They are too small for the clothes at the orphange so they are wrapped in towels and blankets for now and those get changed regularly. I have some pictures to share with you when we get back- and I bet you can hardly wait!!
Diane”

 Yeah!  Please pray for the medical report to come back good and also for their health- that they continue to gain weight and grow!  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!