July 2014 Update

We got our first taste of Ethiopian food in June when our family made a trip to Nashville.  We ate at Gojo Ethiopian Café and Restaurant.  Funny thing. . . I had heard about the laid-back lifestyle/culture in Ethiopia and we got to experience that in planning this day trip.  I had researched our options for lunch and had actually chosen to go to another Ethiopian restaurant.  According to their website, they were open all day, but when we pulled in, straight from a 2.5 hour drive, it was closed.  Brad called from the parking lot and was informed they were opening at 1:30 pm.  It was 11:30 am at the time and we were all hungry so we quickly got on our phones and found another place that was only about 5 miles away.  We got there and were afraid it was closed as well.  It didn't have the best curb appeal.  The parking was behind the restaurant, but we had to walk around to the front (which bordered a busy street) to get inside.  Once inside, Gojo was decked out in African décor.  They had a lunch buffet, and we decided that was the best way to taste a variety of dishes and not risk a potentially long wait if we ordered food.  The food was really good and even the kids all found things they liked.  I have to say the injera (spongy flat bread that is a main part of meals) was not at all what I was expecting.  Our waitress was a sweet younger woman from Ethiopia.  She asked us how old Micah was and told us she had a 3 year old daughter whose birthday was the day before Micah's.  She also had an almost 2 year old and was a little surprised when we told her we were planning to adopt from Ethiopia.  She mentioned we must be planning a big family--ha!



One of my "plans" for preparing for our adoption that I finally got around to starting this month was reading more books about adoption.  I read the A Christian's Guide to the Connected Child, Fields of the Fatherless, Brown Babies Pink Parents, and I am almost finished with Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew.  In July I plan to read There is No Me Without You and Parenting the Hurt Child.

I am grateful that we did move 2 spots on the waiting list but a little discouraged it wasn't more.  We'd been led to believe that once the referrals started again in Ethiopia, there would be a "flood" of backlogged children waiting to be matched.  So far that hasn't happened.  On the brighter side, the post-referral process is supposedly working well.  Currently, the time between a referral and court (official adoption) is taking about 5 months, and the time between court and Embassy (bringing the child home) is taking around 2 months.





I am praying for a big month of referrals in July because courts will close for the rainy season in August and will likely not reopen until October.  During court closure, no children can be approved for referral for adoption so there are very few, if any, referrals.  Until next month. . .