Critical Update And Urgent Prayer Request

WHILE BUREAUCRATS DEBATE, HELPLESS CHILDREN WAIT
One of the big challenges facing us as we have pressed on for Madalena and Camelia has been the bureaucratic maze of international adoption law. Under the smoothest of conditions, adopting a child is a lengthy, dizzying process, laden with paperwork, background investigations, and other details. But the regulatory climate in Romania is especially onerous.

TRUST AND OBEY
We began this journey on faith, because Romania was in the midst of a complete revision of their international adoption standards. We prayed and fasted and cried out to God, hoping that the new laws would facilitate, rather than complicate, our rescue of Maddie and Camelia.

A DISHEARTENING OBSTACLE
Sadly, on March 13th, we received some discouraging news from the Shepherd's Crook: The government of Romania has settled on policies that will essentially doom these two babies, and thousands of others, to languish in orphanages. According to the e-mail we received, these new laws state that only secondary relatives (grandparents or siblings) will be allowed to adopt a child abroad.

MAYDAY!
The regulations will likely be locked into place in May. Our glimmer of hope is found in the fact that they should continue to accept dossiers and process them under the old laws until May. Our best chance will be for us to get our dossier registered before May.

WE NEED A MIRACLE
Though we've had a breathtaking response to our fundraising (over $5,000 in just a few short weeks), we need to raise another $4,300 immediately. That's how much it will take to get our dossier registered. And the homestudy, fingerprinting, and background investigations are such lengthy processes that even if we had the money, it still will be very difficult for us to meet that crucial May deadline.

Please Pray:

• That the Romanian officials who oversee international adoptions would focus anew on the welfare of orphans; ask God to reveal to them how much harm their pointless and cruel new laws will cause;
• That the already amazing flow of donations for Maddie and Camelia would gain momentum; ask the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills to provide the rest of the funds we we need, especially the immediate need of another $4,300;
• That the myriad administrative requirements we're facing would somehow be completed before May; ask God to expedite the details;
• For the Lord's protective hand to cover these little babies, and protect their physical and emotional health;
• For a Christian foster family for Maddie, so she can leave the orphanage until she's adopted;
• For us; we need encouragement and stamina right now.

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