Home Study Interview

We've scheduled our first of two Home Study interviews! It will be Wednesday, September 22nd from 11am - 1pm at our house. I spoke with our case worker this morning, and she seems really sweet and has already been very helpful. We're looking forward to getting this going!

We'll have a 2nd interview at her office in Waco about a week or so after this first interview. By then we'll have to have 8 hours of online parenting training completed. Yikes! We better get started! Please be praying for this as Ben has a heavy load this semester at DTS. He's already way ahead in a couple of his classes, so I'm hoping that will help him to not feel stressed as he has to squeeze these extra hours in.

Once we've completed both of the interviews and the Home Study Agency has approved our final Home Study, they will send everything off to Love Basket. We'll have the first really big step of this process behind us! In the meantime, we still have that big stack of paperwork and assignments looming. I tried to get started on it a little this week, but it has been a little overwhelming. I think I just need to get a system down - chart everything, schedule everything etc., then it will seem much more manageable to me. :)

Please continue to pray for us during this process. Here are some specific things to be praying for right now:

* Peace and patience as we continue to go through all of the steps involved

* A clear head and organization as we tackle this next set of paperwork and assignments

* Smooth Home Study interviews - surprisingly I'm (Abby) not nervous yet, but I'm sure I/we will be!

* That the Lord would continue to plant in us a love for our child(ren), and that we would be faithful to pray for our child(ren)

* Preparation for parenthood (spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial)

* For our fundraising and support - God always shows Himself faithful

* Good stewardship with our time and finances as we prepare

* We found out we will be making 2 trips to Ethiopia instead of 1, so please continue to pray for Abby's anxiety about flying/travelling

* That we would give all the glory to God for everything that happens (good, bad, stressful, exciting) throughout this process

* Protection for our child(ren) until we are united

Thank you for walking alongside us! We love and appreciate each of you! We'll continue to keep you updated as we move forward.