DTE, Court, Fingerprints & Music

We have a DTE date: Dossier To Ethiopia = 9/1/11. Next week we are being presented in court. If all goes well (meaning our documents and our son-to-be's documents are found to be in order), we'll get a court date. THIS is when Kyle will go to Ethiopia (and me, if by some miracle we can pull that one off). Sometimes things aren't "in order" and have to be re-done...so please pray with us that everything is done properly (and that the gov't doesn't change it's mind about something on a whim - which can happen). If you're wondering why we can't post pictures yet - it's because we can't post pictures legally yet. I've been getting some from other VO teams and OH teams, so once we're "legal" we'll have a posting party...and be able to tell you his name.

Meanwhile, we got our fingerprints done today for USCIS. As we left our appointment I told Kyle I couldn't believe we were back here - doing fingerprints - for another I600-A. I told him "You know, I can't promise that this will be the last time..." He just smiled and then sort of chuckled out loud. Then he kissed me. Guess he knows that it's not me who makes his life crazy all the time - sometimes it's God wanting us to "love like crazy". And Kyle - I truly love you like crazy! You're still the best thing God has ever given me :o)

For you country fans out there, do you know the song Love Like Crazy? Well, when one jumps into adoption - international adoption nonetheless, that song takes on a whole new meaning!



One Less...

A week of Ups and Downs

I keep up with the happenings at one orphanage in particular (I'm sure you can all guess the one). Today, I am ready to share another heart-wrenching story from our son-to-be's orphanage. My heart is completely broken (again) for this far away place called Ethiopia and all the children who live there...and die there.

click here to read Ashli's story

My post isn't all bad today, though. My "up of the week" is that very good friend's of ours have decided they have room for one more too. I'll be blog-linking with them once they're up and running (and once their little secret is out). So, even though one more child will never have an Earthly forever family...another child is about too!

T-Shirt / Awareness Fundraiser $

(the Just Love Coffee link to the left is also up and running...we earn $5 per bag if you purchase from our "store". Just click the link. It's fair trade, very yummy and proceeds go to support orphans)

Adoption isn't about me. It isn't about my family. It's about the millions of orphans around the world without a family to call their own - yet. Yes, our family will make a few $ for each t-shirt we sell for our adoption, but our hearts are really for ALL children who have yet to find their forever families. If we wear our shirts, and you wear yours, others out there might just be encouraged or inspired to do something to help one of them too.

Adult Navy/White Baseball T $35

(+$5 for priority mail if we're sending it to you)

Adult Sizes S,M,L,XL

Adult Navy T $20
(+$5 for priority mail if we're sending it to you)
Adult Sizes S,M,L,XL,XXL,XXXL

Youth Grey T $20
(+$5 for priority mail if we're sending it to you)
Youth Sizes: XS (2-4), S(4-6)
M(6-8), L(10-12), XL(14-16)

Adult Green/White Baseball T $35

(+$5 for priority mail)

Adult Sizes S,M,L,XL

Green T Reads: 147 Million Orphans

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Deadline for Pre-Orders: September 25


Click the PayPal link

Purchase on-line by sending a payment through PayPal to kdhendren@yahoo.com. When sending money, be sure click the Personal tab (not the purchase tab), then select Gift (so tax is not charged). In the Personal Message field, enter what shirt(s) you want, shirt size(s), quantity and your address if we're mailing them to you.

OR

Send us a CHECK in the mail with your order information and your phone number.

If you know you'll eventually be buying one, we hope you will consider doing it NOW. The courts in Ethiopia open in October and before Kyle can go for court for our son-to-be, we have another $4k due. So far we're into this adoption twice that much without asking any one for donations. And, since we're going about this adoption backwards (finding a child & then pursuing him instead of waiting for the whole referral and acceptance process) we are truly on the fast track - which means we need to come up with our money in a much shorter time frame. We know that God will work out the financial details of this...all we have to do is step out in faith - again.

We hope you join our family in spreading the word about orphan care &/or adoption by ordering your 147 Million apparel. There are orphans in every country (even ours). Each one has a name and a story to tell. And Jesus loves every single one of them. I thinking we all could too :o)



It's hard not to think about the victims of 9/11 as the 10 year anniversary is approaching. A 2008 article in The Sunday Times reported this statistic: "Nearly 3,000 children under the age of 18 lost a parent during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The average age of the “9/11 kids” when the twin towers fell was 9, but some were babies or in their mothers' wombs."

3,000 is a big number and I remember crying for them. 147 million is a big number - but for most of these children, nobody hears them cry.

Sweet faces I met in May...

PS) As I was putting this post together, I received an e-mail with this quote from Craig Groeschel:

"To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do the things no one else is doing."

(Thanks Pastor Cory)

Our dossier has landed

The Dossier:

Just heard today that our dossier arrived in Ethiopia last week safe and sound. Courts open up next month (they close for two months during the rainy season), so we should be getting a court date in the next few weeks.

For those who have no clue how Ethiopia adoptions work (and might like too), families have to get their dossier to Ethiopia before they can be scheduled for a court date. If they "pass" court, then an Embassy date is set 2-3 months later. The Embassy date is when you get to finalize the adoption and bring your child home.

As of now, Kyle will probably go it alone in October/November-ish for court. I've "seen the child", so technically I can skip this step (though I wish I didn't have too!). Depending on how our fundraising goes will determine if both of us go for the Embassy date or just me.

Jared, however, applied for a passport this weekend, and WILL be going for the Embassy date. He admitted he was a little nervous, but is also excited to be doing something none of his friends have ever done before...guess he will get to cross that one off his "bucket list"!

This would be what I REALLY looked like putting together our dossier. It was EASY compared to the one we did for China. That said, I bet you can just imagine what I looked like then!

Our little secret is out

This picture says it all. Looks like we'll be making room for one more....

Again.