We are TRAVELING!!!!!

WE got official word we are traveling!!We are going to spend 3 nights in Paris on our way over there.and one week from Monday I will FINALLY get to hold my little Genet!We lucked out all our tickets have been confirmed and they arrived today FED EX!I better get busy packing, haven't really started.PLEASE cover us in prayer as we travel!
pray we all stay healthy and safe.
pray for our hearts as we become a family of four!
pray all our luggage makes it!and our flights are on time.
pray we get thru customs(have you seen Mike's beard?)still hoping he shaves it BEFORE we leave)lol
We have been so blessed with all the work we have had this summer that we pray Mike taking time to travel will not effect any of our accounts and he will have time to bond with Genet.
THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH!Last night I told Mike that all of a sudden I am scared and he squeezed my hand and said its gonna be fun!
Gotta go, I am crying again.
peace,
dawn

July Update!

 My little lady!She has gained another pound since our June update.She can sing the alphabet.She loves to be tickled!She also likes to play a traditional game called Tezeleleo(where the kids form a circle by holding hand to hand, sing and jump)She eats well and has been healthy!Thank you God!!

PAPERWORK!!!

I have just finished getting paperwork together and copies of everything, including 5!! copies of our passports. WHEW!!I kid you not, the stack of paper work is 2 inches thick.I have been working on it for 3 hours. Ava is having a sleepover so I really had to force myself to sit down and go thru everything. I was kind of dreading it.Everyone is asking if we are excited. and I really have to say NOT YET!!I don't feel like I can let myself yet. We have come so close too many times that I don't want my hopes up.I have a lot to do and yet I feel like I am in a dream that when you are trying to get ready to travel and you just spin in circles and can't accomplish anything. that being said our Adoption agency recommended we book our tickets, so I have done that but I will share more of our plans a little later. I have to share that our wait has not been in vain. Our church just finished VBS this last week, I had not planned on Ava going because I thought we would be gone or have just gotten back so I did not sign her up, Well, as you know, plans change. VBS started off with a GO FISH concert on Sunday the 19th, I had gotten tickets for Ava, Mike and I to go and Mike ended up having to work so Ava invited a friend with her from our neighborhood and she ended up going to VBS all week with Ava and they really enjoyed themselves. I am really happy that Ava is so excited to share Jesus with her friends.I am really proud of her.Anyway, God has a funny thing of revealing things while you wait. I will post more about our travel plans later(hopefully tomorrow).

COFFEE!!

Well as of today all my fellow YG Friends that had referrals in February have officially passed court!I have not had coffee since May 1st!!!tomorrow I'm having a pot of coffee!HeeHee.I am so happy for all of these families that have been waiting even longer than we have. 6!!mos is a really looooong time to wait to pass court!but God is good, ALL the time. I have been humming that tune for about 1 week now. Now I know why.
God is Good.
ALL the Time, he so so good. yes He is. ALL the time.
Peace,
Dawn

Genet's Birth Certificate!!

okay so I get home after a day of errands and open my email and what did we get?Genet's birth certicate WITH our names on it as mom and dad!!I can't stop crying!! and another email stating that we are highly likely to be able to travel from the 8-14th of August!meaning next week!!we are leaving!anyway will update as I know more, I have to go get groceries put away and make calls and book flights!!!
Blessings
Dawn

New Picture!

 

What a DIVA!!this is some stuff we sent her awhile back.so fun to finally see her in something we sent!We are hoping to hear something this week on when we will finally travel.stay tuned...

Delayed AGAIN!

I got a call this afternoon that the department that processes post court paperwork is closing for 2 weeks for training, which of course effects our travel since the paperwork for Genet will not be processed until after the 24th of July.UGH!!!!So once AGAIN we have to wait since there will more than likely be a backlog of paperwork when it re-opens. So we will not possibly be traveling until mid-August.Not much more to say. I won't believe it until we are in Ethiopia, daughter in hand and leaving.
peace,
dawn

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

A post from our Adoption Agency's blog

Please read
Blessings
Dawn


Now that I am home I will be blogging about my past days in Africa. On the last night of our Visiting Orphans trip, I asked every team member what was their most memorable moment. Here is mine:

We spent a day at one of the many Mother Theresa Orphanages in Ethiopia. This orphanage has about 400 kids with HIV. The number is staggering and a very small percentage of these children are ever adopted. It is one of the most hopeless places we visit as a mission team.

The guys played football, aka, soccer with the older boys while most of the women led the children in songs and arts and crafts. While I was working with one set of kids, a team member named Audrey cried out my name. When I turned to see what was the matter, she was trying to help a little 4 year old boy out of a ditch. He had been pushed by another child head first into this rock ditch and blood was running all down his face and onto his hand, while he cried in pain. Without thinking, I picked him up immediately and rushed him to the clinic that was on this large compound. I was with a volunteer who worked there and she asked me if I had any open wounds. I had not even thought about that. Not once did I hesitate to not pick him up because he had HIV. Thankfully it never crossed my mind!

However, in that moment, the danger of this virus and the threat of it scared me. I quickly realized there was no concern as I did not have an open wound, and I laid my head against his bloody head and tried calming him and comforting him. It seemed to work. Pretty soon the nurse took him and laid him on the table. He was crying as she pressed on his head. She uttered something to him in amharic (the national language of Ethiopia) and he quickly stopped crying. I was amazed as she put disinfectant on his sore and he didn't let out a peep. I myself would have been crying and carrying on!

I asked her what she said and my heart broke with her answer. She told him, "If you keep crying, I will not help you and you will get an infection". So, no matter how hard she pressed, he did not let out a sound. You know this tiny boy wanted a Mama during this time. Someone to let him cry. Someone to kiss his wounds. Someone to reassure him he will be okay.

Most orphans NEVER have someone to pick them up when they fall, or to kiss them, or to comfort and hold them. They either go uncomforted or are hushed like this nurse did to him. I excused myself from the room as for me even, it was too painful to watch. Pretty soon, he found me in the multitude of children and grabbed my hand. He was such a quiet and shy boy that even the interpreters couldn't get him to talk, so I don't know what he thought. But he did manage to say that his head was still hurting. Then all the sudden he left with all the other children to go to lunch. He didn't look back..he just walked away. That was a sad moment for me too. I realized that they are used to visitors coming and going and never seeing them again. He didn't even bother to say good-bye. Why bother...he doesn't seem to have any hope.

Later that night I laid awake in tears as I realized he could have had a concussion and no one looked into that chance. I was so worried. So, my husband and I prayed for him until we couldn't stay awake any longer. I wish I could tell you his name. I am more than ashamed that I do not know it. He just wouldn't talk though.

This is one reason why I love my job as our Development Director. I get the chance to work for a fundraising campaign that does bring orphans some hope. Our Orphan's Ticket Home campaign works tirelessly to help bring more children home. I love knowing that even though I was unable to bring this particular child home and could only be there for that one moment in his life, I can still help other orphans find their way home through this campaign. If you are inspired in any way by this blog post, please pray about giving to this campaign. You can do so at www.orphanstickethome.org.

Until They All Have Tickets Home,

Amanda Lawrence

Director of Development

June Update Photo!

 

Our most recent photo we have gotten from our adoption agency America World.Can't wait to see you sweetheart.

It's Official!!!Thank you Jesus!!She is finally ours!!

Introducing Our daughter and sister: Genet Nicole Gagnon. Thank you for all the prayers

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

FAMILY MEMBER ON HIS WAY!!!

Please, please from the bottom of my heart pray for us. G**** family member is on his way to court. It is not an easy journey(geographically and financially)for him. pray that he makes it safely there AND home. that the judge is satisfied with his testimony and all his proper identification is good with the judge.As much as I WANT this I am still trying to be content in my circumstances. Much easier said than done. The family member is still relinquishing a part of himself and I can not imagine the heartache he is going through, I am praying for peace for him and the rest of his and G*** Family.
thank you.