an update...

on our girl, ruby...

we left for ethiopia a week ago (july 21st), eager to meet our new little girl. we arrived late friday night and slept fitfully knowing that our ruby was just steps away from us. on saturday morning we got up early, got dressed, and went down to the main room of the guest house for breakfast. we were just helping ourselves to some eggs when we heard somebody coming in and we turned around to see our agency director standing in the doorway with none other than our ruby!! we had not been expecting her yet and so we were completely surprised!! i jumped up and grabbed her from him, we were laughing and just so happy to finally have her in our arms!! we were unprepared for the moment, had left our camera and video recorder upstairs, but we did think to grab my phone to take a picture of our first meeting...

on court...

on wednesday, july 27th, we appeared in ethiopian court to give our consent to the adoption. the judge went through a list of questions and when we had finished answering them, she looked at us and said, "ok then, she is yours" (!!!). our MOWA letter was in and the courts ruling was final...ruby is officially and legally our daughter...oh happy, happy day!!!

on when we get to bring her home...

on wednesday night we dressed ruby in a pair of fuzzy pink pj's that we had brought from home, gave her her bottle and tucked her into her bed in her room at the transition home. we kissed her goodnight wishing that we could bring her home with us, but knowing that we would be back in a few weeks to bring her home with us forever. though she finally belongs to us, we must wait till all of her paperwork is translated and submitted to the american embassy. we hope to recieve a call in the next few weeks that the embassy is ready for us, and we will hop on a plane, back to ethiopia, and will finally bring her home. 

a wednesday miracle...

now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. --Ephesians 3

we have our miracle! our caseworker, lesley, called first thing this morning to tell us that our court date has been scheduled for july 27th...only three weeks from today(!!!!)... i know she said some other things too, but i was too busy screaming and laughing to pay a whole lot of attention. we have been praying every day for weeks that our case would make it in before the courts close for two months, and though we were told it was very unlikely, our God apparantly isn't too thrown by 'unlikely':-) there is the one small hurdle of a july 15th preliminary hearing where they affirm our court date, so we'll just be praying that that day comes and goes without a glitch.

a big THANK YOU to all those who have helped to get our puzzle fundraiser off to an amazing start! if you would like to participate in our final fundraiser, click HERE! All funds raised from here on out will go towards the logistics of getting her HOME!!!

one puzzle, many pieces...

The International Adoption process has many hurdles that, when we first began, seemed to be insurmountable.  There are the piles of paperwork, the whim of a foreign countries adoption program, and the financial cost, totaling around $30,000. We had absolutely no idea how we would ever be able to cover all of the fees required to bring a little one home and we soon realized something important…WE could not do it alone. Thanks to the help of so many in our community who have given of their time and resources to help us fundraise, and thanks to a God who had been preparing us for this journey before we even knew we would be taking it, over $20,000 has been paid to date! We are on to our final fundraiser and we would love for you to be a part of it!  We have a 500 piece puzzle that is just waiting to be put together, but we need some help to do it. Puzzle pieces can be sponsored for $10 each. Sponsor as many pieces as you like, and for every piece sponsored, we will write the name of the sponsor on the back. When the puzzle is completed we will frame it in two-sided glass and hang it in our home as a constant reminder of all those who worked together to bring our girl home.

If you would like to sponsor a puzzle piece (or two, or three, or four), you are able to do so by clicking the donate button to your right. If you would like to send a check in the mail, please email us at christina.kyllonen@gmail.com and we'll be so happy to give you our mailing address!

We look forward to someday telling Ruby about all of the people who eagerly anticipated her homecoming!