Update on Ethiopia

I wanted to write an update on what we currently know about the State of Emergency in Ethiopia.

The courts have opened which is wonderful news since that is where we are going on our first trip to Ethiopia. You may have also read on social media that we received pictures and updates of Zane! All of this may have sounded like things are back to normal, but unfortunately, they are not. The State of Emergency is set to be in place for six months.

We had a conference call with our adoption agency on Thursday, and they told us internet and cell phone use is still being limited greatly. Zane's home currently gets an hour or two of internet a day which does not allow them time to send all the emails and documents that they need to send. This also means that all of the paperwork we are currently waiting on is going much slower than usual (if that is somehow possible) due to limited time to access the internet and connect with people they need to connect with. They said to expect longer wait times between our court (first trip) and embassy(second trip) due to this as well.

They have to tell us that the US government is advising us not to travel unless it is an absolute emergency. Some families are now very nervous to travel and are trying to decide if they will travel when they get a court date or not. Jeffrey and I will be traveling. We are going to use wisdom, but we are also going to do everything we can to bring Zane home as quickly as possible. They told us if we are traveling, then we need to stay in Addis Ababa, the capital, and not go anywhere else. This is so unfortunate because we really wanted to travel and learn about Zane's homeland and culture. We wanted to see his village and speak to people from his region. We know miracles can happen, but at this time, we plan on staying in the capital while we are in country. The Department of State specifically mentions Zane's region as a place to avoid. I won't go into all the details, but if you want to read more, click here.

On the conference call, many families mentioned how their children are outside of Addis Ababa in orphanages which will make seeing their children difficult when they are in country. Many of them asked when their children will be moved to The Transition Home. They said that children are usually moved to The Transition Home after they pass court, so I don't know how he is there already, but I am so thankful that Zane is in The Transition Home in Addis Ababa, and he is receiving great care. This also means we will probably be able to see him much more often while we are in country since he is in the capital. I am so thankful that he is there!

There are two families traveling this coming week who have offered to take pictures for us, so we are very excited to get more photos of our boy! The photos we have now are not the best quality, so we are hoping these will be better! I will tell you he is growing! His cheeks may be the best thing ever! I can't wait to kiss them! In our recent update they told us his height, his weight, and his head size. He is small for his age, but we already knew that. They told us he is sleeping through the night, and he has a great appetite. They described him as a more calm and serious child, but they said he enjoys being around people. We finally have some picture of him smiling! Hoping to get more! I really wish I could post them and show you all!

Prayer request:
1. Please pray that our PAIR process moves quickly so we can receive a court date
2. Please pray for Zane's safety and his health. He is currently fighting a respiratory infection and an ear infection, and I really wish he was home for us to snuggle with him!
3. Please pray for Ethiopia during this time of unrest.