Meetings, anxiety, a new orphanage, and more fingerprints!

I met in person today with our agency director, and spoke in depth about where we are with the referral process, etc...he said we are at number 8. He explained there are 2 families in front of us who want 2 children, a couple that want boy or girl, girl only, boy only, etc...so the actual number is a bit confusing to most...but as he and I agree...there is no need to get caught up in a number, it's God's Hands on this..not the agency director, or the orphanage director in Ethiopia, or mine or John's or anyone else's but God's, very capable, hands.
I just know God sits up there and looks down and me and laughs, (probably a good ole belly laugh) when he sees me down here "planning" and having anxiety with thoughts of "will it be a boy or a girl", "can I even handle a girl?", "can I really handle 4 kids? FOUR! My life is over forever and ever", "when I do get a referral, how long will it be to we get to see him/her?" and "then when we have to leave the baby to come home, I won't be able to function", and "should I stay there?" "how long will it be until I get to go back? 6 weeks or 4 months?" "will the baby be ok to move to yet another home at the transition home before coming home to us?" "what if when we are home, the baby doesn't attach to me like I have read about so much online?"."what if my own kids have a hard time with all of this change"..and it goes on and on and on....I know He just shakes his head and thinks, "Oh my child, ye of little faith! Pray to me! You are not in control..but just wait, I am teaching you... but it is funny to Me that you THINK you have any of this handled without Me".

I know it sounds goofy to have a dialogue going on in my head between God and I, but in the past few months I have honestly thought about if God were here, what would he say to me? He would tell me to turn to Him for help. Not my husband, family, or friends...they are helpful of course, but He is the one who brings peace. That's always my answer. But I do tend to forget...a little too often.

On a very positive note, the director also said they officially have a verbal agreement (so not 100% until it's on paper) that our agency will start receiving referrals from a little orphanage about 30 minutes outside of the capital of Ethiopia. It's a town called "Nazrete", which some refer to as ""Adam". The names of the orphanage is "Selam".  It is a pretty large orphanage and in comparison to Ethiopia is a nice facility. They are also expanding in the near future to accommodate growth. So, what does that mean for us? Another orphanage sending referrals means more children referred to parents like us waiting:)

Lastly, John and I had our infamous i600a Biometrics appt. yesterday at 3:00 over near the airport. It was quick, to the point, and we were in and out in 15 minutes. We had a good time in there with those workers...the lady told John to relax, when electronically taking his fingerprints. I told him, "John she's not going to bite you, loosen up!" to which John replies..."Oh that is what I am hoping for, that she will bite me"...to which they die laughing and I reply, "Ok now this is just getting weird". We get in the car, and I said, "ok how did that go from a Biometrics appt. to you wanting an officer to bite you? " That man, he's not a chatterbox, but sometimes what comes out, just leaves me puzzled. It gave me a good laugh though. So that was it...our FINAL step, (now we just wait for a couple of weeks for our approval for that form) and WE ARE DONE WITH THE PAPERCHASE! Yah! Such a great Christmas present.  :)