Today we found out that ABBA, the second South African adoption agency who Jojo is currently listed with, has also approved our home study and believes we are a good match for Jojo! We are so grateful to the Lord for answered prayer.

Last week, we completed the I-800A packet, which is the first packet of immigration paperwork. This was sent to USCIS, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services, and can take up to 3 months for approval. We need this approval before we can submit the Dossier, another packet of legal documents that will be sent to the South African government for approval.

In the meantime, we will begin gathering the necessary documents to complete the Dossier and continue to complete all the education required of us. Currently, we are working on two book reports and a binder full of adoption-related articles.

We also wanted to give an update on how our fundraising is going. Again, thank you to everyone who has financially contributed through Pure Charity, a fundraiser, or directly. Thank you to the two anonymous donators as well. Currently, we have raised a total of $9,066.54, just under half our goal! We raised $68.04 from selling T-shirts. We did not sell as many T-shirts as we had hoped to and are considering selling them again near the end of the process. Thank you to Nicole Donathan for hosting an Adornable U party and donating all your commission from the night to us.

If you or anyone you know is looking for a way to be involved, we are planning two more fundraisers for the beginning of the year. On Saturday, March 11, we will be having a silent auction at Immanuel Baptist Church in Wausau. It will be in the afternoon with lunch provided. We will be reaching out to local businesses for donations but we are also looking for donations from anyone, from bakery items to crafty ones. Let us know if you have anything you might want to donate and we can arrange a time and place to pick it up. Also, we would like to get a group of 6-10 people together to help us bus tables at Pizza Ranch for an afternoon or evening. All the tips as well as a percentage of the meals purchased from the customers who come for the fundraiser go to us for adoption expenses. There will be more details about this once we confirm a date.

Thank you for your continued prayers and please keep praying! We have requested a medical update on Jojo and we would love prayers that this would come soon so we can have a better idea of what to expect regarding his medical needs. Pray that our I-800A packet will be approved as quick as reasonably possible so the process can continue moving along. Pray ahead of time that the South African government will look favorably on our case. Pray for God’s continued provision regarding finances and Jojo. With each day that passes, the adoption is becoming more of a reality. It is hard to only see Jojo in the very occasional picture and to trust God that he is well.

We are so excited for the next couple months and look forward to all God has in store!