We are in Dubai!

We made it to Dubai! Our flight was very uneventful, though very long! The food was very yummy :)   We did have a little scare in Atlanta, however. We were getting ready to board our flight to Dubai, and Zack couldn't find his passport! The last time he knew he had it was in the airport in Lexington! We searched frantically, but could not find it! Thankfully, we made color copies of our passports. He took this to the staff person, and they located his passport....somehow it had fallen out between exiting the airplane and walking to our gate. The only problem was it was about a half mile away (Atlanta is a huge airport)! The airport staff said he would really have to hurry to make the flight! I started praying!   I waited behind with our luggage. They made the final boarding call, and I didn't know what to do....Zack still wasn't back! I went ahead and checked in, and waiting nervously behind the gate....finally, Zack appeared! I was so thankful! I didn't want to make the trip without him!   We have quite a long layover here in Dubai...we don't leave until 4:30 am and it is almost 8pm here. Thankfully they have rooms here in the airport that you can rent by the hour. So, we are going to take a little nap, a shower, etc. The airport is very modern and Americanized, though we are definitely the minority here. It has already been a very cool experience!   Next stop....Ethiopia!         Referral Received 7/29/08!! Traveling to Ethiopia December 18-28 www.faceoflove.blogspot.com

Testing, Testing....

Okay, so if this cmes through on the blog, I have figured out how to post via email.....which is what we must do while in Ethiopia!!!   The other families in our travel group are: Burk, Stager, Witter and Sloninger. Their blogs can be found with the other families in the links to the right....beside each families name it should say "traveling buddies"!!   We are leaving tomorrow afternoon, and should arrive in Dubai Friday evening....which will really be Friday morning/afternoon here in the US. Hopefully I can post when we arrive in Dubai!! Please pray for safe travels and for smooth transitions between airports....see you in Ethiopia!!     Referral Received 7/29/08!! Traveling to Ethiopia December 18-28 www.faceoflove.blogspot.com

We are Really Going!!!

We are actually going to Ethiopia. I think it is starting to sink in. Ahh!!
To be honest, we weren't sure if we were going or not until this morning around 9:45 am when my brave and wonderful husband made a two and a half hour trek through the snow and ice to Louisville to give the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services Office a visit. Yes, we still had not received our updated approval and were not sure if we were going to get it in time! Major stress!

We had not really been that successful with our appointments at USCIS in the past, but had prayed for favor today as we had to have an approval in order to travel in two days to meet our son. Zack left very early this morning for his 9:20 appointment. The roads were not good, and we really weren't sure if he was even going to be able to make it. I stayed here to work and I was feeling so nervous for him....it is a very nervous experience going to this office, trust me! You are really at the mercy of someone else! Anyway, Zack called me around 9:45 and said, "Guess what?" I knew he had gotten our approval when I heard his voice! He said he just walked up to the window, explained our situation, and a few minutes later the lady came back with THE PAPER! Praise the Lord! Once again, he has shown himself faithful! We are so thankful...we are really going!

The reality of being parents for the first time is also starting to sink in...we have realized...we do not know what we are doing! Everyone has assured us this is a very normal feeling, so we hope they are right! We enjoyed this past weekend as we really didn't do too much, which was nice. We reflected on how much God has blessed us and our marriage over these last four and a half years and were awed by his love and care for us. We also realized that in a week or so our lives would never be the same....in an awesome way, but still, never the same. We look forward to experiencing all that God has for us and our son. Praise you Lord, for being such a wonderful Father. May we strive to raise our son to love you more than anything.

Think About Christmas in a Different Light......

Some New Pics of Caleb

This morning I received some new pictures of Caleb from a family that just returned from Ethiopia! He melts our hearts more and more each day! We are so thankful that it won't be too much longer before we will be holding him in our arms!

 

 

 

 

Thank You Lord, We Have Passed Court!!!

It is our great privilege to introduce you all to our son, Caleb Samuel Caldwell!! We will be spending Christmas with him in Ethiopia! We will be traveling to meet him December 21-27!! We are so thankful, and at the same time there is a sense of sadness for the families who did not receive good news. Please keep them all in your prayers...We love you Kulp, Semlow, Joner and Savage families....

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our Court Date is December 4th.....

We were just notified that our court date is December 4th...as in tomorrow! We are relieved to know why we had not heard any news, and also nervous all over again as we wait for news tomorrow! Please continue praying! We feel hopeful and we are at peace, though soooo excited to hear if we will be bringing our son home before Christmas!!

If you want to know how to pray specifically- please pray that the Ministry of Womens Affairs (MOWA) will deliver our paperwork in time and with all the necessary paperwork. Please pray that the judge and other staff in the court will be fair and just. Please pray for the 8 families who most likely will have their court hearing tomorrow: Sloninger, Stager, Burk, Witter, Joner, Tenant, Savage, and Sparr families.

God is mighty and his plans can not be thawrted. We are resting in him!

Hope to share good news with you all tomorrow!!!