One Sought Me

Thank you for your prayers for our adoption journey.  Early on in our adoption process, I was told that this was going to be long journey and a rough road.  I didn't want to listen to that, but knew that as with any adventure in life, 'those' types of roads are quite possibly the ones we will end up traveling. Not us though, right?  Ours will be easy and smooth sailing - nope. Turns out, this fellow was right and we are smack in the middle of a pit in the road.  We do thank you for your prayers for our little boy and we are grateful that his health continues to be strong!  We do thank you for your prayers for us, as it is an emotional roller coaster.  There are days we feel confident, days we question, days we are hopeful, and days when are hearts sink. Lately, it's been hard as we reach the 2 year mark in this process and yet another Christmas is going to pass by without our new family member home with us to celebrate. It's been hard as we compare (an...

I'm trying not to look at the blog timeline that on June 24th, 2013 our dossier was mailed off to our adoption agency.  What a day of celebration and relief that was to have all the paperwork completed and out of our hands.  And now, it's been almost a year..... I'm trying not to look that this week our home study expires and we will have to start our paper work process all over again....yes, allllll over again.  Doctor appointments for clear bills of health, bank statements, house inspections, fingerprinting.... more costs! I'm trying not to look that my baby who was a tad older than 2 when we started this process is now weeks away from turning 4. I'm trying not to look at the stack of luggage and travel supplies in my closet just waiting to be put to use. I'm not going to mention our cute little count down calendar has been full for months now and then after moving to adding paper chain links, that I just stuffed it all in the cabinet... .trying n...

January 7, 2014 Last week's stories of Ethiopia closing to international adoptions are now settling, rumors hushed, and more accurate reports are making their way through adoption agencies then to anxious adoptive families. (You can read about it here and here ). We are told that although Ethiopia has several officials lobbying for international adoption being kept open as an option, there are several against it as well.  These battles will continue but for now international adoptions will remain open and that change, if any, won't happen overnight. Considering what we have seen with the pace of how paperwork moves there, this change won't be happening anytime over the next year either.  So a sigh of relief for sure is due!  "Aaaahhhhhh"....There. Do we feel better now?  Yes? Well, then what is taking so long? (read here, Child in a Paper Pile ) Process, process, and more papers moved, and more process... all in all this is our time to find the joy in th...

Happy New Year 2014 from the Vogtmans!!   And we are ready to have an amazing year full of God's miracles and adventures for our growing family! Lately, with all the emotions of the adoption whirl winds blustering around I find myself searching for answers and stability. I'm a planner type, love making lists and checking items off! So when the future is uncertain or redirected, then that is a true challenge for me in 'letting go and letting God.' Theses times I more often find myself quoting scriptures, singing songs, and even posting scriptures around the house so that my little mind will not wander into the 'what if' frenzy.  (visit these posts for the latest in our adoption news: Child in a Paper Pile and Standing in the Gap ) I am reminded of His power, faithfulness, and grace. I find confidence in reflecting on 2013 and ALLLL that the Lord brought us through, the ways He provided for us, the people that He orchestrated to be in our lives, and learn...

Talk about the roller coaster emotions of adoptions!  This week has been filled with lows then highs then ending off in lows again.  Thanking God that He is stable, faithful, the rock, and a strong tower! Psalm 62:6  "He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken." This week started out with the news of Ethiopia slowing down their referrals of abandoned children with adoptive families.  You can read more here from week 25's post, Child in A Paper Pile. And as you can assume from the title, it is children that ultimately suffer while they are stuck in orphanages with their hope of joining a family on hold while the government pushes papers. Orphanages and adoption agencies are suffering with funds depleting since there are little to no adoptive families making the next payment due when they are matched with children.  The next payment in the adoption process goes to the agency which covers the children's care that is in the ha...

Week 25 Waiting for news just came to a close and here is what we know:     I have to say that I am very frustrated today, yesterday, and well, it's just a bubble of anger that has been brewing since we've heard rumors.  Yesterday the news was confirmed and so this pot is just boiling over.  It happens. Let me give you some background information on the adoption process first.  After our six months of diligently working to get all of our appointments complete, interviews, doctor reviews, papers signed, meetings, notarized letters, State sealed, government approved, etc. etc. our grand 'dossier' (collection of papers and approvals) are complete with the US and are now registered in Ethiopia to be processed there. In Ethiopia the organization that is similar to our Social Services and child protective services is called MOWA.  MOWA stands for Ministry of Women's Affairs and they oversee the care of the children in Ethiopia. They are responsible...