Inward Groanings

Romans 8:26: "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Yep, that is how we feel. We have prayed so fervently for our two boys. The latest news has put us into a state of inward groaning and crying to our Father. As we don't know what words to pray, we rest in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is interceding for us and supplecating our case before the Father.
Jason and I had been suspious of the fact that something must be going on with our case for there to be no court date assigned in over a month and the constant seeking for information for over a month and getting no answers from Ethiopia. Today we found out that they are in need of more information on the boys that needs to be gotten from the southern region of Ethiopia, which they are from. They are saying it's getting almost impossible to get the information that they need and that if they can't get it, they will assign us a new referral or new child. Jason and I had a conference call with the lady that is direct contact with the people over in Ethiopia. We made it more or less clear that we are fighting for our boys and not going to give them up that easily. If we didn't adopt them, they would be without a family for the rest of their lives.
We don't know all the details yet. Hopefully we will be getting them in the next couple days, but Jason and I are resolved that we are going to be these boy's advocate if no one else will be. We don't know what this will look like, but I am asking you to please please pray for us and especially for these boys that the people in Ethiopia get the information that they need and that the communication will get better, because it is terrible right now and has been a real source of frustration.

Below is a letter that Jason wrote our agency and the agency they are partnered with. I included because it speaks to our resolve.

Dear Nightlight and Hope Adoption Agencies,

As Christians, we owe everything to God’s relentless, pursuing, patient love for us in Christ. When I was powerless and helpless, Christ died for me (Rom 5:6). The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for us (Mark 10:45). I have been adopted into God’s family because Christ was willing to do whatever it took to bring me to His Father and now my Father so that I can cry out loud “ABBA, Father” (Rom 8:15).

Therefore, we wish for it to be known that we are not in this endeavor simply “to get a child” so that if one case doesn’t work out we will just get “another referral.” We are commissioned as Christians to “visit orphans in their affliction” (James 1:27), bring justice to the fatherless and plead widow’s cause (Is 1:17). If we are not the advocates for these two boys, we know that no one will be. The foster care system will not give them a family. Therefore, we seek to reflect the relentless love of Christ that we have received by pursuing Jonathan and David (Teketel and Mussie) with a “whatever it takes” approach.

Therefore, it is important for us that you know where we stand as we commission you to look for the missing information. We will be patient, but we are not going to stop asking and pursuing and so we hope that our resolve will help empower you to join us in being a relentless advocate for these two precious boys and relentlessly accept a “whatever it takes” approach for them. Thank you for allowing us to share our hearts in this matter. To summarize: we will be patient and understanding, but we will also be relentless. We ask that you will be patiently relentless in your advocacy for these boys.

For the love of Jonathan and David (Teketel and Mussie),

Jason, Cara, Gracie, and Allie Meyer