Riding the Rollercoaster...

I know it has been a while since I have updated everyone on how our adoption is going, and we have been asked by several people, "How much longer until you get to go get him?" or "It seems like the dates keep changing and getting pushed back. Do you think you will get him any time soon?" Well, you know the rollercoaster at Six Flags that goes upside down (was that Six Flags? who knows)? Well, it goes upside down in the forward direction, then in the backwards direction and kind of lingers there going back a forth a few times at the bottom of the loop, then takes off going forward really quickly. So, we are in that lingering part of this adoption rollercoaster ride. As stated in my previous post (the one I posted lightyears ago), Taylor was in fact submitted in the first batch of EPs (emigration permits...basically applying for approval from Korean Ministry so that a visa can be issued)...that was March 5. We were told to expect approval of the EPs during the following 1-2 weeks; however, we did not get approval until this past Monday, March 26.

Soooo, I am so glad to say that the next step in the process is the travel call, which we were told to expect 2-4 weeks from last Monday. A sister agency has already starting giving travel calls, and, as I type this, there are 3-4 families that I know of who are on a plane right now headed to Seoul to bring home their sweet children! We are watching their journeys via their blogs and praying for them as they enter a much-awaited phase of their lives (some have been waiting as long as 3 years!). Our adoption agency has informed us that they expect the first travel calls to begin the second week of April. I have basically been refreshing my email inbox every 15 minutes since then between the times of 6 PM (8 am SK time) and Friday afternoon for new information about travel calls and when they will start issuing travel visas (i.e. passports), which usually indicates 1-2 days until you get "The Call." And we are so ready! Really, I have one large suitcase filled with toddler toys, clothes, medicines (hoping we will not need them), etc. for our precious two-year old. The second suitcase if filled with gifts for an amazing foster mom, foster father, foster siblings (adult children of foster parents who are helping care for him), Holt social worker, our tour bus driver, the MDs and nurse who have been caring for our little one each month during well-baby checkups, etc. I am already learning that Taylor's stuff takes up all of the space. Everything of mine is in a backpack carryon ;) Carseats are installed, room is ready, vitamins are being taken (anticipating we will need just a 'little' boost of extra energy these next few weeks)! All we need now is the green light for travel!

Please pray for our little guy and his foster family as we are nearing that bittersweet family day! It has been one year last Friday since we were matched with our sweet boy. So many emotions that we know we need God's grace and peace and wisdom to navigate these next several weeks. I hope to sit down and write a better blog in the next few days and certainly as we get that travel call and spend some time in S Korea meeting and getting to know Taylor and seeing is birth country. There is so much more to tell about a precious friend who will be traveling with me (Michael is unable due to extenuating circumstances), the story of my getting time off from work, our plans for attachment, etc. So, until then, God bless!

Amanda

P.S. Oh yea, we are back in Louisiana! I miss Birmingham so much it hurts sometimes because we were so blessed/spoiled by God with such an amazing faith family and friends that demonstrate radical obediance and abandonment for the sake of the gospel on a regular basis, but we are enjoying being back around family and friends here on our home turf and being able to catch up with friends. We are working on getting plugged into a local church here and looking for an area to plant ourselves for at least the next few years :) I mean, who knows where God will send us!