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! 

It's been just a week since we were in Africa.  Hard to believe that time has come and gone and we're back to our lives here in the U.S.  We talk about our African adventures and look through the picture album regularly since returning.  I had over 500 pictures processed!  We want to remember all we can about Kyah's homeland.  The sights, sounds, smells, people, food, life...just everything we can capture to help us to one day explain to Kyah what life was like in Ethiopia in 2012.  

The adoption process continues and I want to share what's coming next.  Since passing court (praise God!) on August 14th, we finished more forms and now wait to get her birth certificate complete.  This will be her original Ethiopian name, plus her fathers name, Todd, as her new middle name  =)  and Klaasen as her new last name.  She will also have a passport issued and get a travel visa at some point.  We then get submitted to the US Embassy.  From them we either get approved, denied or told they need to get further evidence.  I am trying to not get stressed out with this part of the process.  It's seems to me that since Kyah is legally, from Ethiopia's view, our child, that should complete the adoption process.  But, more is still necessary.  
Please pray that the Embassy views Kyah's adoption as simply as possible and approves this immediately.  That would mean, pending the required documents to travel to the US, we can go get her!

While doing my devotions earlier this week I was awestruck once again by God's timing.  It began with:  Entrust your loved ones to Me; release them into My protective care.  That's it!  Kyah is and always has been a child of God.  She's His.  I may one day be able to be her mom, but she is not mine.  She belongs to God.  "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..."  Ephesians 3:20  Dear Jesus, please watch over little Kyah.  Bless her with people to hold her and love her.  Bring us to her soon and unite her with her forever family in the US.  I ask this all in your Holy and Precious Name, Amen.  
      

Amazing Africa!

We had the most blessed time in Africa!  Absolutely everything went better than we ever dreamed.  All 4 of us have unforgettable memories of our time there.  We stayed at a wonderful guesthouse and were treated like royalty.  =)  Our visit with our sponsored World Vision child felt like something from a movie.  We were driven  2 1/2 hours from Addis Ababa to the Adama region, so were able to see the beautiful country .  We drove as far as we could by vehicle and then walked 1 1/2 miles to her village!  We literally walked through a field to the edge of a mountain (seriously, like in a movie!)  We were greeted warmly by her family who, through an interpreter, were told how they could not believe we traveled 1/2 way across the world to visit them.  =)  Our sponsored child prepared a traditional coffee roasting ceremony for us in their 2 room house.  She was very shy, but made eye-contact and smiled often.  It was emotional leaving them after our visit.  Knowing that we'll all be together again as God's chosen people made it easier to accept.

We felt so honored to have so many praying for us during our trip.  I could feel your prayers.  There were times when, normally, I would have felt anxiety or concerned about different situations, and just didn't.  I know we had many praying and could feel God's protection all around.  Oh, how we loved our visit!  It feels strange being back in the U.S.  It was actually difficult leaving Ethiopia.  I just fell in love with the culture and people. 

God willing, we'll be back soon.  Kyah is waiting for her mom and dad to come get her!

Family of 7

We are officially a family of 7!!!!!  We passed court right on the spot today!  Praise God!  We met in a room with about 50 + people and they called us and another couple in to meet with the judge.  She was kind and asked us a few questions and the final question was "you do understand that she will be yours forever?"  And, then she signed the papers!  Making Kyah an official Klaasen!

We met Kyah on Monday and it amazing!  She is so darling! They handed her to me yesteday and it was as if she has always been my child.  It felt so natural and right.  It seemed like she just woke up from a nap and was tired.  She tried really hard for the 1 1/2 hours we met with her to stay awake.  It was cute!  By the end of our visit she was reaching her arms to us to pick her up.  Loved that!  We tried the entire time to get her to smile but she wouldn't do it.  Then, her nanny looked at her from down the hall and she smiled and giggled at her!  It was great and we got a bunch of pictures.  We could then see her 2 top and bottom teeth and her beautiful dimples. 

It was difficult leaving her, I'm not going to lie.  But I have to think logically and not emotionally.  I know this is part of this process and this is what we need to do in order to return and get her.  We were told in the next 3-5 weeks, if all goes well, we should have all the paper work in order for her to travel home.  Yes, home!  Her forever home!!


We are here until late Friday night.  On Thursday we plan on meeting our World Vision child.  They are taking very good care of us here!  Things are going well.  The guesthouse we are staying at is beautiful!  It's chilly here right now and we're glad we brought warm clothes.  Food is great!  Gabe and Jordan seem to be enjoying themselves.  =)  Jordan is on her iPod and Gabe's playing Uno with a bunch of other adopting families and their darlings. 

Please pray for our health.  We are all doing well so far and pray the food continues to agree with us and that the high altitude doesn't bother us.  Pray that our travel time visiting our WV child goes safe and well.  Traveling here is interesting!  =)  ...so far we've survived it!   We are listening to Carrie Underwood and a little boy playing cards with Gabe is checking out Gabe's muscles!  Everyone is laughing!  Love this place!

God is good....all the time!!!