In Desperate Need of a Miracle

Our son needs your prayers…now. 

Since our last post, we have submitted more paperwork to the United States to request approval that Dawit is to be declared an orphan.  This paperwork was submitted to them back in September.  For the last 4 months, we have waited and watched from a distance as the US Embassy in Ethiopia scheduled interviews with those involved with Dawit’s case.  Finally, on December 22, the last interview took place.  After this interview, we were expecting a PAIR letter to be mailed to us so we could further the process to bring Dawit home.  Unfortunately, on December 31, we received an email from the Embassy stating that could neither approve nor deny Dawit’s case and that it had been sent back to the USCIS National Benefits Center in the US.  We were devastated.

With the direction of our agency, we contacted our assigned officer at the USCIS NBC office in Lees Summit, MO.  After 5 days of messages, she returned Josh’s call and gave him quite a scripted response.  She will be reviewing Dawit’s case this week and next and will then be reporting her findings to her supervisor.  We should receive a letter in the mail sometime after that with the official decision on whether or not the US will classify Dawit as an orphan and a child who is able to be adopted or not.

This is the first time throughout this process that a “failed referral” has even crossed our minds.  When speaking about Dawit and his case and background on the day of his referral, our case worker said it was a clear cut case with no known issues.  So naturally, we allowed our hearts to attach to him.  We allowed our children to attach to him.  We allowed our parents and siblings and nieces and nephews to attach to him.  We have one set of nephews and a niece that wholeheartedly pray for Dawit at every meal (Thank you Brower kiddos!!).  In all emotional meanings of the word, he IS our son and a part of our family.  

However, right now the US gov’t is not so sure they can classify him as an orphan, which will stop Dawit from becoming part of our family.

PLEASE, join with us in prayer for Dawit and for his case.  Please pray for the Officer assigned to our case, that she would be able to clearly see without a doubt that he is either an orphan or that he is not an orphan (although none of the paperwork we have seen leads us to believe this at all).  Please pray for our hearts and our children’s hearts as we endure the next two weeks of waiting.  

Most importantly, pray that God will be glorified in and throughout all of this.       

Thank you!