We received an email from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa early this morning that states Kyah's orphan status is being reviewed!  All the documents have made it to where they need to be and now we pray all of them are complete, thorough, well organized and obvious to them that Kyah needs to have us for her mom and dad!  I pray that the persons reviewing them are compassionate and have the best intent for helping orphans. They reminded us that additional information or documents may be necessary in completing this process.  I pray that all her papers are in order, simple to understand and that no further investigating is necessary!  Lord God, please make it clear to those going through her file that she needs to leave the orphanage and come home!  Soon!

Todd and I have been dreaming of going back to Ethiopia to get Kyah and talking about it often in the past few days.   It's consuming.  Part of our family is way on the other side of the world!  I look through our pictures from Africa and realize just how much I am missing.  We really love it there and are anxious to go back for many reasons.  

God is good....all the time!  He will sustain us as He has for the past 23 months of being DTE!  And when I think of the little blessing we are about to bring home....Yes!  God is good....all the time!!

We received updates on Kyah today!  She is 14 months old now and it's wonderful to see updated pictures and read her assessment reports!  She walks, has 4 teeth, throws a ball, doesn't like to share toys, is affectionate, they say she is "sweet and adorable and very lovable!"  We weren't allowed to give her clothing, toys, stuffed animals, blankets or things like that when we visited.  However, we were able to leave a photo book which we did.  In it, we put pictures of our family, her new grandparents, her toys, her crib, our yard and even the cows.  The staff gives her the book after we pass court.  In many of the photos we received today, she is walking around holding the book!  It's so great to see her looking through that picture book.  In the report it also states that Kyah knows that that little pink photo album is hers!  She does not want to share it with the other kids! 

Jordan and Kyah

 

July 13 was our referral.  August 13 we met her for the first time.  Today, September 13 we received our first update.  I'm thinking that October 13 would be a great day to go get her! 

Submitted to Embassy

Just learned that we've been Submitted to Embassy!  The US Embassy will now determine if Kyah meets the definition of an orphan under US immigration law.  They are very thorough with this process.  Any unresolved questions, errors or discrepancies in documentation will result in them needing to further investigate our case.

Although we are super pleased to be at the stage in our adoption process, so much can still effect when we get to bring Kyah home.  
From today's email we're told that each case has unique circumstances and can take several weeks or months.   Sigh....I have to admit I didn't even finish reading the 2 pages of typed print from the Embassy when I stopped to pray.  My stomach just knots up thinking about all the problems that could arise.  Even though it seems pretty clear to me that they have all the proper forms and details about when and by whom she was placed in the orphanage care, I know that they need to go over everything carefully.  And, of course, I want them to follow all the rules and be totally ethical in every way.  

Both Todd and I have felt the blessings of prayers many times.  Truthfully, we have also felt Satan trying his hardest to put fear in us, give us doubt, make us weak and wonder if we'll ever get Kyah into this family.  I know Satan doesn't want her to come live with us.  He knows we'll raise her to be strong for Christ and give her the loving support that she doesn't know right now.  What Satan meant for evil, God has planned for good!  No child, NO CHILD, should be without a family!  John 14:18 says "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you."  Please pray this for our darling little girl.  Satan WILL be defeated and some day, God willing, some day soon....we'll be able to go pick her up in our arms and tell her we're bring her HOME.

        

2 steps forward!

Kyah has her own passport and birth certificate!  These are 2 of the 4 steps needed to happen before we can go to her.  We received an email yesterday that these have been completed and got copies of them as well.  Oh, you should see what a 14 month old's passport looks like!  It's so cute!  She didn't seem to want her picture taken for it and has a pouty bottom lip.  Something we'll smile at for years to come!  Her birth certificate is in both Amharic (One of Ethiopia's main languages) and in English.  As I mentioned before, they use her given Ethiopian name (which we can not post), her father's first name as her middle name and our family last name.  So on both documents it is written:   ******* Todd Klaasen. 
Again, something we'll smile at for years to come.  =)

The next step is getting submitted to Embassy.  That means that we are requesting that our case be reviewed by the US Embassy, which is necessary in bringing her home.  We are waiting for this to happen now.  Once the US Embassy has all of our adoption paperwork from both Todd and I, and Kyah, they'll review our case.  At that point, they'll either accept, deny or request further information about the case.  Obviously, we are praying that it's a simple "accept" and then we make the plans to travel to go get her.  We're told that "the timing of this stage of the process varies greatly and therefore it is difficult to predict when your case will clear and when you will be able to travel."  Clearing the Embassy and getting a travel date is the final step before making our travel plans once again. 

This is what our Adoption Dossier looks like!  It's 3 3/4 inches thick (yes, I measured!)  Worth every finger print, drive, doctor appointment, injection, signature, notary stamp, photo copy, etc, etc... when I see that little passport photo of her!