Come thou long expected ... nope, wait a little longer.

Well, it's been a few months since the last update because we didn't have any news to report.  As most of you know, the Ghanaian government issued a moratorium on international adoptions late spring and we've been "on hold" ever since then.  Originally the Ghanaian government had said they hoped to lift the moratorium and again begin adoptions by the end of 2013.  They are working hard on revamping their system to streamline and insure only ethical adoptions take place.  We are so glad they are doing this and it feels good to know that we are adopting from a country that is concerned about the well being of the kiddos there.  In the meantime, since it's been over a year since we started this process, we've had to update our home study and do a little more paperwork to keep everything up to date on our end.  We have increased the age limits for the children we hope to adopt (since our kids are another year older) and said we would still take 1 or 2 children and as long as one child is under 6 the other could be as old as 10.

Well, we got an update yesterday from our adoption agency and it looks like we'll be waiting even longer.  This was not the news we had hoped for, but honestly, it's the news we expected.  They are now saying they hope to be ready to lift the moratorium by the end of the 1st quarter or mid-year.  So, we will continue to wait but it's looking very possible that we won't even bring children home in 2014.  (even if we'd get a referral in June it would have to move quickly to have kids home by next Christmas)  We have been told to also anticipate changes to the travel requirements for international adoptions in Ghana.  We have no idea what they will change them to and we are just praying that whatever changes they make to their standards are possible for our family.  (Take for instance, Kenya.  They require you live in Kenya for 3 months before you can even start legal proceedings to adopt a child there and you must stay until it's complete ... and the proceedings can take about 2 years!)

We still feel called to adopt.  We still feel called to adopt from Ghana.  We still know that the Lord's timing is not our own and that He has a great master plan for our family.  For now we are learning a lot in the waiting and finding patience and peace we didn't even know we had.  We still appreciate your prayers for this "bump" in the road.  As we celebrate another Christmas with our kids still in Ghana we are leaning on the Lord for our endurance and patience.  God is so good.

Colossians 1:11 "Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience"

Merry Christmas!

Robin