Our friend and fellow adoptive mother, Bethany Coffer sent me these words of encouragement:
"I am convinced that there is a reason September is weighing heavily on your heart.You may eventually find out that God was moving Heaven and earth this month or exact day to bring your family together. There's a reason He wants you praying feverishly right now. The waiting is difficult but it's worth it. The times when I was most distraught with the wait I found out were the times when a lot was happening in our little girl's life. We were waiting and praying before she was even born. We were praying when she was in danger and she was protected. We were praying when she went into the foster system and she went to a loving family foster family. The was a specific time when I was sitting lakeside at Hume Lake praying and knowing it was an important date but not sure why. Turns out OUR little girl hadn't been born yet. One year later I was sitting in the exact same place preparing to pickup our little girl the very next day. It was a much longer wait then I had wanted but OUR daughter wasn't available earlier. Now that we've had her for two years the 3 year wait is just a memory. I will be praying for you and your little one today. Love you!"
SEPTEMBER!
My friend Hillary Dixon had a dream that we would receive our referral in September. She dreamt that in the summer of 2010. Each September since then I have prayed the most fervently and felt the most hopeful. Let me tell you how that has panned out...
September 1st, 2013 - Matthew arrived at Hannah's Hope.
September 1st-5th, 2013 - Cruz and Matthew were at Hannah's Hope together. Brothers. In the same room. From the same region of Ethiopia.
September 6th, 2013 - Cruz is taken to the hospital.
September 10th - we find out that Cruz has been moved to the ICU.
September 12th - we are told that Cruz has gone to be with Jesus.
September 13th - we leave for Ethiopia to lay Cruz to rest.
Sept. 14th - 18th - we spend time in Ethiopia, mourning the loss of Cruz, but not even knowing that while we are there, on September 17th, we meet our other son Matthew for the very first time. I literally sat next to him on the couch holding my friend Hilary's son, having absolutely NO IDEA that the baby next to me would one day be our son!
So much heartache, joy, prayers, tears, laughter, yearning, longing, hoping, excitement, and love all wrapped up into one month. God was at work. We didn't know. We couldn't feel it, but God placed that urgency in our hearts for the month of September. I stand in awe. Amazed. Thankful.
We passed birth parent court on Friday, March 7th, and now we are waiting for our court date. We will most likely be given a week's notice, and then go to Ethiopia to hold Matthew and go before the Ethiopian judge. He will then legally be ours in the eyes of Ethiopia, but not allowed to come home yet. We will come home then and wait for the US Embassy to set our exit interview, and then we will go and pick him up and they will have his visa and passport and he will be FOREVER OURS!
This is a picture that I took while sitting next to him. He's saying, "Mom! It's me! Your son. You should probably ask if you can hold me." This is one of his special mothers. We've seen a video when she walks in the room and his face lights up and he starts smiling. We love her.
This is Nurse Selam that gave her blood for a blood transfusion for Cruz. Here she is holding Matthew and his buddy Isaac who came home in December to Texas. 
Snuggling Matthew's lovey before we sent it to him. You don't carry stuffed animals in your shirt so they smell like you? That's strange ;)
Pray with us that we receive our court date before the end of March! We are so close!!!
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