Officially Waiting!

After almost 5 months of of "hurry up and wait", we are now officially waiting to be matched! We received word from the Program Director at Dove today that our dossier has been submitted, and that while it will probably take 4-6 months to receive a referral, we are to the point where we could receive one anytime! They sent us a tracking number so we can watch our dossier make it's way to ET, and it made it all the way to Salem today! :) Whoo-hoo!

It has been quite an up and down few months. We have celebrated each milestone, and then were quick to become anxious for the next one so quickly. I have been reading Exodus, and feel a lot like the Israelites who watched God's amazing provision one day and then began grumbling and complaining the very next day. I do feel like God is showing me a lot through this process, and was especially encouraged by a devotion someone sent me that said that we are not waiting on man for this adoption, we are waiting on God. I have been clinging to that, knowing that God is ultimatley in control of every stage and will bring us the child he has for our family when the time is right for both of us.

Here has been the timeline since my last posting:

Fingerprints at homeland security: January 3rd, 2009
Received I171H January 16th, 2009
Turned dossier into Dove: January 19th, 2009
Dossier sent to D.C. to be signed by Secretary of State: January 28th
Dossier sent to Ethiopia: February 9th (Birthday present for my mom!)