True.

“If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it.” 
― Stephen Colbert

home visit and other stuff

Hi, I'm jess. I feel like its been a while since I've been here so I needed to introduce myself. haha!

Anyway, can't really say that we have been that busy with anything in particular... just been busy with life! But I just wanted to check in here and let you know what has been going on with our adoption process.

Yesterday, we had our home visit from our social worker Karen. Dave and I had been cleaning the house all week, trying to get things "just so". Karen arrived here yesterday at 2:30 PM and immediately asked to tour our home. At 2:35 we were sitting on the couch chatting and laughing. It was quick and painless! The only thing our home was lacking was a carbon monoxide detector... which is kinda funny because Dave is a fireman and is always telling people from 911 calls that they need to get one! haha!

While Karen was here she informed us of some wonderful news. But before I tell you, you need a little back ground information...

The baby homes that our agency works with in Uganda are not yet certified. Our agency told us to continue doing all of our paperwork to get our home study done and that hopefully by the time we were finished the baby houses would have the certification needed to start adopting babies to us. The certificates could make it to the baby houses anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 years- it was really up in the air. We were just really trusting in the Lord that if He had really called us to adopt Ruby that He would indeed provide these certificates. Anyway, us and the other family that is adopting from Uganda are basically/almost finished with our home studies, so our agency decided that they needed to do whatever they could to try to help in getting the certificates to the baby houses. So here is where the good news comes in....

Our agency has hired a Lawyer in Uganda and he claims that he can get the certificates from the government and to the baby houses in 2 months! This is wonderful news! Here is why: in 2 months we will be done with all of our paperwork (immigration and our dossier to Uganda) and we will be waiting to receive a referral (a file and picture of our sweet baby girl, Ruby Grace)!!!! AND because we are the only agency that is working with this baby house there is no waiting list for children. The ONLY people on the list is Dave and I and another couple from our church. Our social worker told us that it doesn't sound like we will have to wait very long to go get our girl! We are so very excited!

Our agency just paid the Lawyer his first payment this week. So hopefully 2-3 months from this week we will have a picture of our daughter!

Would you join us in prayer over this whole situation?

Pray that God will get the certificates to the baby houses quickly.
Pray that the Lawyer is honest and actually does what he has promised.
Pray that Jesus will love, protect and nourish our daughter while we cannot.
Pray that God will prepare our hearts to be loving parents.
Pray that God would keep providing for us in the way of money to pay for all the adoption fees.
Praise God for the love that He has placed in our hearts for our daughter that we do not even know yet... and pray that our love for her would continue to grow.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Love to you all,
j

Lets make Kony famous!

Dear friends,
I humbly ask you to watch this video, and then PRAY! Pray for Jesus to bring peace to Uganda. Pray that Kony would be caught and brought to justice. Pray for the children who have been abducted. Pray for their families. And then, show this video to everyone you know. Lets make Kony famous, not to celebrate him but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice. Thank you.
love,
jess