Our Referral

Our referral came about a little different than most referrals. Last summer I started researching agencies that assist in adoptions from Ethiopia. I must have called 20+ agencies. Quickly I was able to make a "short list". In late October I started to recall the agencies on the "short list". I started with my first choice IAN (International Adoption Net) and they happened to have a baby girl they were fostering. At the time Scott was traveling with his laptop and I told him to pull over to see a picture of the baby girl. He did and said "She is really cute". I called the agency back that day and said we were very interested in adopting the baby girl. I refer to her as the baby girl because IAN just received pictures of her, but did not have her medical with her name as of yet. We soon found out her name, Banchigeze Tamru. Her estimated birth date is 9.23.07. Her birth mother is unable to raise her and she has been at the orphanage The Hope for the Abandoned Children and Orphanage Care Association since October 07. We are going to name her Gabre Mira. Gabre is Amharic and Mira is after her grandmother Myra who has passed away. Our Ethiopia adoption has gone extremely fast. We are thankful for that because our China adoption my never happen.

Our third court date is this Sat. April 5. This is our third court date because there is a known birth mother. The courts requested three witnesses that the birth mother can not raise her baby. The mother was late with the witnesses for the second court date. IAN facilitator, Abebe, says all should be fine on April 5 because the mother has now provided the witnesses. It is difficult knowing her mother cannot raise her. We are soooo attached to her, but we feel sad for her and her birth mother. We hope her birth mother knows we will love her as much as she does.

Saturday cannot come fast enough.................