We've been accepted!!

I really really love the way the Lord has been so near and clear to us through this process of adoption. We've only begun and He has already blown us away!! I was driving on I10 back to Boerne this afternoon when I had an overwhelming desire to check my email to see if we had been accepted by America World Adoption into their Ethiopia Program. I was really bummed to not see an email...I really wanted to hear from them today. Less than a minute after I put my phone back into my lap, it rang..."Hi, Stephanie. This is Joy with America World. I am calling to let you know that you and Shane have been accepted to the Ethiopia Program." :) Amazing. Again, the Lord was so clear in speaking to my spirit. I was really overwhelmed with joy...not only that we were accepted, but the fact that the Lord was pressing into my heart at that very moment exactly what He was wanting me to know and feel. I wept. I really love Jesus.

Our time as a family has been so sweet since we told the kids we are adopting a little boy from Ethiopia. To say they are thrilled would be an understatement. Cannon couldn't wait to go to school the next day to tell his teacher and all of his friends. He prays often for his brother in Ethiopia...really sweet, compassionate, rich prayers. Before he left for school, he wrote a letter to his brother...

 It says, "Dear Brother from Ethiopia, I am glad that you will be with us so that we can feed you. Love (Deer) Cannon."

Cannon is a pretty sweet little boy. :) He definitely has his daddy's compassionate heart for others in need. Hartlee talks alot about the fact that she will now have two brothers to take care of her. :) She is awesome. I love listening to her talk about her brother in "Etiopa". When we were looking up Ethiopia on the internet, we came across a picture of a tribal boy with paint all over his face. That seems to be all she remembers. She is so worried that her brother will come home with paint all over his face! :) They both decided they would like to save money and travel to Ethiopia with us. They have been combing the entire house looking for loose change. They squeal with joy at every penny they find! They definitely hit the jackpot when they emptied out Hartlee's piggy bank...only the Lord knows where she got all of that money!!! 

They wrote, "For our brother in Africa. We love you."



We had a super fun night taking the kids "camping" in Kerrville. We spent time talking and praying about what God is doing in our family. We each tied a red string around our wrists. Each time we see the string, we are reminded to pray for this precious little boy in Ethiopia that the Lord is knitting in our hearts. We pray for the Lord's favor in bringing him to us as quickly as possible!!