This Is It - Stay The Course

This is it. My last blog post before travel. Unless, of course, I get word that our fingerprint issue is resolved prior to departure, in which case I'll do a quick post letting everyone know.

This afternoon we will head up to Chicago and tomorrow morning at approximately 11:00 a.m. we'll board the first of two flights to Ethiopia. Our connection will depart from Washington D.C. at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow night so we have a couple long days ahead of us. It will be worth every hour and every mile traveling to our baby girl!

I'm sure many of you know that there are some changes looming over Ethiopian adoptions. While I haven't heard all of the details yet, it appears that families who do not have their referral with a scheduled court date prior to March 1, 2010, will be required to make two trips. This is not a new requirement for International Adoption. Eastern European countries, for example, have been requiring this for many years. However, there are so many families in process of their Ethiopian adoptions that had not planned on making two trips. Some are stressing over the financial aspects of making two trips. Others are stressing over visiting their children only to leave them behind for several weeks before going back to pick them up and bring them home. Yet others are stressing over both aspects. Some may be considering pulling out of the program all together. I want to encourage those who will find themselves in the position of two trips to stay the course. There are children who will one day become your children and they are counting on you to be there for them. You may not know them yet, but they will need you one day, so please don't give up. You will spend a lifetime fighting for your children in different ways and going through the rigorous path of adoption is just way that we fight for our children. Again, stay the course and one day you too will be telling everyone that you are just 'One' day away from travel to bring your child home forever. This truly is a small detail in the big picture of life and a wonderful life awaits those who are willing to stay the course.