Thanksgiving for God's blessings

We had a blessed Thanksgiving!  We had family join us for a beautiful meal and visit.  The long weekend was wonderful and the Christmas decorations are "almost" finished!  The weather was amazing and we were able to rest and rejuvenate.  It was awesome to re-live our blessings throughout 2011.  We are blessed beyond belief with friends, health, family, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The "Dillbillies", running/walking in the annual "Boulevard Bolt" 

in Belle Meade, Thanksgiving morning

We received our official November numbers over the holiday.  We are currently 49 on the girls list and 37 on the boys list.  Yes - no movement.  And -yes - moved back one on the boys list.  "How do you move backwards," you ask?  A family lost their referral for a son.  The birthmother decided not to give her son for adoption, after all.  We are praying for the sweet couple having to deal with the loss of a referral, but are rejoicing the birth family can stay together.  We are praying that God will sustain this mother and son in the months and years to come.  We know He has a plan - a good and perfect plan - and we are trusting in Him.   Although we are disappointed in no positive movement this month, we are uplifted by your prayers and God's amazing grace.  

We really thought we would have little "J" by now...

Our adoption agency, AGCI, put this message in their November newsletter to encourage each family on their journey.  It's worth repeating as we continue to trust in HIM...

"You have chosen a hard road in adoption - the road less traveled - and while God knew it would be hard, He still called you to this.  He has asked you to step out in this adventure.  He has placed on your hearts a specific child and is working to bring together your stories.  Why this particular journey?  We do not know God's reasons for the specifics of each of your journeys.  We do know, though, that He knew this journey when you started.  He still wants you on this path, and the child that you are waiting for - the child He asked you to trek this journey for - is worth that wait in whatever stage of the process you find yourself today."

Please pray for patience and peace.  He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:7).  

Here's to lower numbers come January!

Blessings,

Ashley

Cool Story - God has a plan!

Before I share the story, let me announce our official October numbers:

#49 girl

#36 boy

We didn't get our numbers this time until October 28th.  That is REALLY late!  We are glad to see a little movement, but are praying for more during the month of November.  We really thought we would at least have a referral by now.  It seems crazy to think that we could be waiting for "J" another 9-12 months.  Things are moving slowly without a clear reason as to why.  The courts closed in Ethiopia mid-August through October.  Now that the courts have re-opened, hopefully things will start to move again.   Unfortunately, even before the government shut-down, there wasn't much movement.  If I allow myself to think too long about it, I get so sad!  So - I have to just press on and turn it over to the Lord.  HIS timing is perfect and I pray for patience in the waiting.  We will have to start re-doing some of our paperwork as some are time-sensitive and may expire soon.  We know the wait will be worth it once we see our precious "J".  Please pray for our journey!

OKAY - here is the cool story of God's divine providence in our lives.  

My reaction as my Mother-in-Law tells the story

As our family sat around the table on Christmas Eve 2010, my mother-in-law, Marilyn Dill, tells us that she has something to give us.  She begins to tell the story of her mother, Mary Valentine (aka GiGi), crocheting baby blankets for all of her great-grandchildren.  GiGi never met her great-grandchildren in this life, but made baby blankets that she gave to Marilyn to give to the children as they were born.  I have treasured both Evanne's and Watson's blankets.  David's brother, Chris and wife, Michelle, also have two children that have each received blankets, as well.  Marilyn gave each blanket to each child upon birth, knowing that four blankets is all that her mother had made before she passed away in 1993.  We announced our plans for adoption to the family in August of 2010.  When my mother-in-law was pulling things out of a drawer to decorate for Christmas, she discover another baby blanket that her mother had crocheted!  Marilyn had been rummaging through that same drawer for years, unaware that another blanket existed.   She did not remember her mother making "five" blankets - but there it was - just for "J"! 

God's plans are not our own.  He provides before we know ourselves what we need.  Now "J" also has the inheritance of a blanket from his/her great-grandmother, who in her divine wisdom made one more "just in case".  How awesome is that?!?!?

Blessings,

Ashley

Where are my actions?

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty,

suffering and injustice when he could do something about it."

"Well, why don't you ask Him?"

"Because I'm afraid He would ask me the same question."

-Anonymous

That stings a bit, doesn't it?  We have been blessed BEYOND belief!  I am good at talking the talk, but where are my actions?  I give - but truth be told - usually not until it hurts or I really "feel" the sacrifice.  What does God think of that?  Do the blessings I encounter everyday mean anything if I don't pay them forward?  Following are the lyrics to "Somewhere in the Middle" by Casting Crowns.  This song brings me to my knees every time I hear it.  So why don't I live my life full-throttle for Jesus?  Why am I always "somewhere in the middle"?  

Somewhere between the hot and the cold

Somewhere between the new and the old

Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be

Somewhere in the middle you'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right

Somewhere between the darkness and the light

Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me

Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warrior on the picket fence, reckless adondon wrapped in common sense

Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle

With eyes wide open to the differences, the God who was and the God who is

But will we trade our dreams for His

or our we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands

Somewhere between my faith and my plans

Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar

Somewhere between the alter and the door

Somewhere between centered peace and always wanting more

Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side

Loving me even on these nights, when I'm caught in the middle

I don't want to live my life stuck "in the middle".  Lord, help me to surrender fully to Your will and purpose for me!  Help me get out of the safety of the boat and go DEEP with YOU.  Thank you for loving me despite myself!  Keep working in me and through me to bring glory to Your name! 

Blessings,


Ashley

September numbers and such...

Ok - I know it's November 3rd!  Yes - we got our September numbers toward the end of September.  We were #52 on girls list and #39 on boys.  It was exciting to be in the thirties on the boys list!  Progress is still SO slow, though...

We were at an event in late August for Kids Across America (KAA).  KAA is a ministry that serves urban and inner-city kids by giving them a summer camp experience in Branson, MO.  It is a wonderful organization that we are proud to be a part of.  The fund-raiser was held at Michael W. Smith's farm in Franklin, TN.  It was a fun evening in "the barn" with wonderful entertainment!  The highlight of the evening for us was getting to hear Brandon Heath live - and meeting him afterward!  He is a a down-to-earth, kind young man.  He was excited to hear that his song "Give Me Your Eyes" (which he sang for us that night) plays right hear on our blog!  I took pictures with my phone, so, with no flash, the quality is pretty bad :-(  You can tell it's him, though.  Thanks, Brandon, for having a heart set on spreading the Good News of Jesus and for calling us to account through your music!

Evanne and Brandon

Brandon singing "Give Me Your Eyes"

Ed Cash and Mariah Peters 

(She's gonna be BIG - watch for her)

So blessed to have our family with us that night!

Callie, Briana, Brandon, and Ashlyn

Picture quality not so good - but the evening was fabulous!  To find out more about this wonderful ministry, log onto kidsacrossamerica.org.

Blessings,
Ashley

Where are my eyes focused?

Got our August official numbers.  We are currently 60 on the girls list and 42 on the boys list.  Although not a lot of movement, it is great that we moved!  We started at 98 on the girls list, so have moved 38 spots since late January.  We started at 74 on the boys list, so have moved 32 spaces in 7 months.  If it takes that long to move that many spaces, we should have a child in the next 9-18 months.  Wow - hadn't done the math until now.  Kind of depressing.  We really hoped to have little "J" in our arms by the first of the year.  AGCI told us it would be about 12-18 months, so we are on the right trajectory for that time-frame.  UGH!  Truth be told, we are on God's time-frame, so that's what I need to focus on!  Keep my eyes on Jesus!  Oh, Lord, help me to do that please!!!

Blessings,

Ashley

Movement

Yahoo!  We received out official waiting list numbers for July.  There was good movement this time!  We are currently 64 on the girls list and 46 on the boys!  So exciting to see the numbers drop!  We should get our official August numbers soon.  We don't anticipate a large drop, like from June to July, but do anticipate moving a few lower on each list.

The Ethiopian government shuts down during August and September.  Yes - they shut down.  This takes place every year during the "rainy" season.  This mean that no court dates are assigned during that time.  Referrals will still happen, but no trips to see the children and no paperwork processed.  That slows things down a bit.  Ugh!  Seems like we'll never get there!  I know God has a plan and when we do bring our little "J" home forever - all the waiting and wondering will be worth it.

Please continue to pray!  There are families right now that have passed court and are waiting to go back to bring their child home that are facing anxious times.  Their cases have been put on hold because their children have come from the southern region of Ethiopia.  The government has decided that all cases involving children from this region need to be reviewed (even those that have already passed court and been approved by the government).  Again, this goes back to MOWA (Ministry of Woman's Affairs in Ethiopia) investigating the legitimacy of all foreign adoptions.  There is so much government uncertainty right now.  The investigations they say need to take place will not happen until the government opens again in October, and they aren't saying how long the investigation will take!  This effects those of us waiting, as well, because AGCI does obtain children through orphanages in this region.  Please pray for those families in limbo and for all still in the waiting process.  Pray for quick resolution and that any doubts of the government will be dispelled.  

I'll let you know what our August numbers are as soon as I know them.  Can't wait to keep moving on down!

Blessings,

Ashley

Official June Numbers

Well, it's June , and once again I have neglected to blog for several months.  We got our official June numbers yesterday and we are #71 on the girls list and #52 on the boys list.  That is movement from April, but those are the same numbers we received in May.  So - we are a little discouraged, to say the least.  We are excited that in the four months we have officially been on the wait list that our numbers for both boy and girl have moved over twenty places.  We are frustrated, though, that there isn't more movement!  We have been approved by the US government to adopt and there are hundreds of thousands of orphans in Ethiopia alone who need a forever family.  Why, oh why, does it take so long to connect the two???  The daunting task of securing the orphan's paperwork and legitimacy seems to be the main cause.   All we can do is rest in the arms of the One who brought us to this point and has sent us on this journey in the first place.  HE has a plan, and HE knows when.  Patience, patience, patience.  The fruit of the spirit that most eludes me!  Please continue to pray for our sweet "J".  He or she is so loved already.  Pray that they know that!  Pray that God has already called their precious heart to Him.  Pray for patience through this process.  Pray that His will be done.  He is the Author and Creator. He is the Provider.  He is the reason.  Thanks be to God!

To Him be the glory!

Ashley

APRIL NUMBERS

We got the e-mail yesterday from AGCI with our official wait-list numbers.  We are currently #77 on the girls list and #56 on the boys list!  We are so excited to see the movement, especially after the March 8th deadline by the Ethiopian government concerning the proposed slow-down of international adoptions.  Even though there has been no official word/resolution from the Ethiopian or US government concerning the proposal, it is SO encouraging to have court dates and referrals still happening!

It seems like we've been waiting FOREVER, but it has really only been two and a half months.  We started at #98 on the girls and #74 on the boys, so in just two and a half months we have moved almost 20 spots on both lists.  That's pretty good!  It is always hard when you are in the "wait" mode, but God's timing is perfect and we will trust in Him to renew our strength.

As Easter is approaching, how thankful we are for the sacrifice Christ made on the cross for our sins!  Having traveled to Israel in March, and walking in the footsteps of Christ, our faith has been brought into a 3-dimensional understanding.   Everything has a different perspective to it now.  Knowing how Christ suffered for ME brings me to my knees.  Thank you, Lord Jesus!  May the realization of who you are and who you are becoming in Christ ring anew for you this Easter season.

In Him,

Ashley

Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee

Putting our hands and feet in the water that Jesus calmed and walked on - wow! 

Our whole group overlooking Jerusalem - beautiful!  We were so blessed to have our family join us in the Holy Land! 

Back Row: John Keightley, Lynlea Keightley, Ashlyn Keightley, Briana Keightley, Janis MacMillan, Michelle Dill, David Dill, Chris Dill, Homer Hall

Front Row: Callie Keightley, Watson Dill, Evanne Dill, Connor Dill, Ashley Dill, Lea Ann Hall

Enjoying ourselves at the ruins of the city of Koriziam (sp?)

Baptized in the Jordan River

Mud bath at the Dead Sea

Brotherly love!

Sign inside the Garden Tomb and our reason for taking this journey - AMEN!

David receiving his call into ministry at the Garden tomb

All of our luggage coming back through Customs in Philadelphia.

May we NEVER forget!

Wow

How sad it is that I've been so delinquent in blogging!  I guess the two big reasons for that are life has been busy since late January, and the adoption journey has been quiet.  We are moving up (or down - however you might look at it) on the wait-list.  Currently we are 83 on the girl's list and 62 on the boy's list.  Considering it has only been two months, that movement is pretty good.  Day to day, though, it seems so VERY slow!  We only get our official numbers once a month and it is agony to wait for those updates!  We know God works in His GOOD timing, so we trust in Him and His sovereign grace throughout this process.  "j" is waiting on us and we are grateful, so we'll wait - and worship while we wait!

In early March, the government agency in Ethiopia which handles international adoptions proposed to have their international adoptions cut by 95 percent.  That would take the number of adoptions from about 4000 per year to 500 per year.  This is discouraging news, but many people are working to have the proposal repealed and for it not to take hold.  Please join with us in praying for an immediate resolution to this current event.  There are hundreds of thousands of "waiting" children in Ethiopia.  It will be such a tragedy for them if this proposal actually goes through.

I know I say this each time I blog, but I will try to be better and keep you updated.  Thanks for checking in.  Blessings to you all!

In Him,
Ashley

WE MADE IT!!!!

We are officially on the waiting list for our adoption!!!  WooHoo!!!!  After four sets of revisions to our dossier - we finally got it right!  We turned in our dossier on December 17th and have been put on the waiting list January 21st.  Just a little later then we hoped!  We know God has a plan, and we are so stoked to be a part of it!  The wait list is only gender specific, not age specific.  Right now we are number 74 on the boys list and 98 on the girls list.  We have been told to expect 9-12 months before we get a referral, but we are hoping for a shorter time.  Please keep praying that God will continue to be in all the details!  We appreciate you all!!!!

Blessings,

Ashley

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My last post had exciting news of our mailing the dossier to AGCI.  We mailed it as we were on the way to the airport to go on a five day cruise, so I was unable to attach pictures.  That is also why I haven't updated in awhile.  We went on the cruise, got back the evening of the 23rd, Christmas Eve and Christmas happened, had family in from out of town Monday and Tuesday, then New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, then kids back at school!  We had wonderful holidays and are so blessed with good family and friends to share them with!

3 copies of our dossier...

ready to be mailed...

in the envelope soon to be on it's way!!!!

When we got back from the cruise, we had a message from AGCI that we needed to "tweak" a few things in our dossier.  Each of the five items we needed to revise were fairly simple fixes, but with the holidays, not very quickly done.  We had to wait for a few people to get in town, notarize again, etc.  We finally got things worked out and today I mailed the revisions!  AGCI should get the package tomorrow. Hopefully everything will be approved and we'll be put on the waiting list by Friday.  Exciting!!!!

Mailing the dossier revisions

In the meantime, there are more papers to be filled out (nothing like the dossier, though) and more fingerprinting to be done.  I'll keep you posted as things progress.  We CANNOT wait to see the little boy or girl God has picked for us!  What an amazing and humbling feeling...

Boarding the ship

Our cruise took us to warmer weather - yeah!  We went to Grand Cayman Island and Cozumel, Mexico.  We had a wonderful time together!  Our favorite adventure was in Mexico at the Amazing Secret River.  It is a recently found cave system with a river running through it.  We donned wetsuits and helmets with headlamps, and hiked and swam through the cave.  It really is the AMAZING Secret River!  We recommend it to anyone going to Cozumel.  Swimming with the Stingrays in Grand Cayman was pretty awesome, too.

Evanne and Watson sitting on swinging bar stools in Cozumel

Riding the ferry to Stingray City in Grand Cayman

Christmas and New Year's were spent laughing and playing with family.  We are fortunate to have our families close by and able to get together.  

Celebrating with the Keightley cousins  

Grammy and Grampy gave each grandchild a bear  

Briana, Evanne, Ashlyn, Callie and Watson

Celebrating with the Dill cousins

Evanne and Emma making cheesecake crust

Connor and Watson looking through the 

book of toys from the 1940s given by Momma D

But the fun didn't stop there...our dear friends, Chris and Leigh Anne, took the kids out for dinner and a movie between holidays. 

Looks like they had fun (rockin the 3D glasses)

I will try to be better about posting.  No promises - but I'll try!  Hopefully my next post will be in the next few days letting you know our number on the wait-list!  Thank you, again, for your prayers and support on this wonderful journey!

Blessings,

Ashley