Ramsey Family-Our Journey: Here We Go!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Here We Go!

We are getting ready to board the plane for our first of 3 flights. I am overwelmed with excitement and joy. I can't believe this day is here. God has been so visible in my life since we began this journey back in October. I never thought I would get to meet the children God wanted to place in our family this soon. Esther & Emma one day you will read this & I want you to know that daddy & I have chosen both of you to be our daughters. I can not wait to see you & show you how much we love & care for you. Always know that I love you!!

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TIMELINE

10/6/11-Luther felt prompted to adopt @ Catalyst

10/12/11-Ronda God's urging to adopt while in Florida & told Luther

10/13/11-prayer, prayer, more prayer & began researching

10/21/11-talked to the girls about how they felt

11/4/11-met with Robyn-she shared her story of adopting

11/7/11-had the Bullock's over & they shared their story of finding & adopting Mercy

11/14/11-created our blog &facebook page because we felt God wanted us to share our journey with others

11/15/11- mailed in home study application to Adoption Assistance

11/18/11-opened Ramsey Adoption Account at the bank

11/21/11-ordered necklaces from organization that helps women in Uganda 11/22-sent in our agency application to All God's Children International (AGCI)

11/24/11-received 1st donation to help bring our child home to us

11/25/11-necklaces made by women in Uganda arrived & sold 1st necklace

12/5/11-AGCI called & we have been approved for Ethiopia and they will officially be our agency

12/7/11-we got AGCI orientation packet in the mail

12/12/11-first meeting with social worker for our home study. 12/20/11-mailed off our fingerprints to the FBI &our notarized paperwork to AGCI. 12/29/11-we did our final home study visit with our social worker (Kelly), & we did our adoption family pictures with Jenn Millard
1/6/12-we ate at an Ethiopian restaurant in Nashville (Gojo)
1/23/12-Got the notarized copies of our home study
1/24/12-sent USCIS immigration request to the office of homeland security
2/6/12-we got our fingerprint appointments in the mail today
2/7/12- fingerprints done, dossier sent FedEx to AGCI
2/9/12-found out they need a few more family pics and a couple of minor things in our Eyes Wide Open workbook before we can be completed with our dossier
2/14/12-got the call at 4:28 today- we are officially on the girl (133) and sibling (50) waiting list!!! God is

so faithfull!!!!
2/14/12-Connect Hearts Dinner 6-9 pm
2/16/12-phone call with Toni @ AGCI concerning the waiting list information
2/23/12-we got our Favorable Determination Letter in the mail
2/24/12-we mailed a notorized photocopy of our Favorable Determination Letter to AGCI
2/27/12-AGCI received our FDL-this is our last piece of paperwork until our referral
2/29/12-got our new #'s Girls List 128 & Sibling List 49
3/9/12--Referral call! 2 beautiful girls ages 8 & 4
3/13/12-we finished filling out all of the referral paperwork for ACGI & put it in FedEx
3/19/12-Next Steps call with Toni our caseworker @ AGCI --we went to an adoption gathering with other Ethiopian adoptive families ( over 100 people were there)
3/20/12-we had out call with Emily our Famiky Education Coordinator
3/23/12-we got our updated FDL from USCIS that approves us to bring our 2 girls into the United States
3/26/12-shots at the travel clinic for Ethiopia

3/28/12- @ 11:12 am we got the call that we have a court date--April 25th!!!
3/29/12-call about the passing of the girls birth mother
4/6/12-uncles testifies in Ethiopian court.

4/21/12-we get on a plane heading to Ethiopia to see our girls

4/23/12-We meet our girls for the first time & a cultural dinner in Ethiopia

4/24/12-great day with our girls & shopping for traditional clothing

4/25/12-we go to the Ethiopian court to officially adopt our girls. It is official!! We are the parents of Esther K and Emma B.

4/26/12-last day in Ethiopia and at Hannah's Hope see our girls.

5/29/12-case submitted to the US Embassy in Ethiopia .

6/12/12-uncle testifies at the Embassy.

6/15/12-Luther and Ronda get on a plane to Ethiopia to get Esther and Emma forever.

6/17/12- Gotcha Day!! (Father's Day 2012)

6/21/12- We land in the US with Esther and Emma.

6/22/12-Esther and Emma meet Gabrielle and Grace for the first time (in person).

9/4/12-Readoption Day for Esther and Emma (name changes)

Timeline-2nd Adoption

*January 2014--God opened our eyes to adding to our family.
*February 2014--He closed the doors to adopting right now but not to eventually adopting again.
*March 2015--God showed us that we needed to pursue adopting again right now. We started the journey to add to our family.
*April 14--We found our about Mary and Nate. Our hearts were open and we started updating our home study.
*April 20--We received the paperwork on Mary and Nate.
*April 22--We said yes to the referral of Mary and Nate.
*April 24--Had an in home visit from our social worker and all paperwork was complete for our update.
*April 30--We got to Skype with Mary and Nate for the first time. It was Mary's birthday.
*May 2--Our home study was complete.
*May 4-- Our lawyer would file with the court.

Facts about Ethiopia

Total population: 77 million

The average income in Ethiopia is US$100 a year. Almost 82% of the population lives on less than $1 a day.

Malnutrition levels are among the highest in the world.

The average life expectancy is 43 years.Ethiopia is home to 4 million orphans, or 12% of all children.

More than half a million of these were orphaned as a result of AIDS.

Literacy rate: 42.7% age 15 and over can read and write.

Only 18 percent of children reach grade five.

Ethiopia's neonatal mortality rate is one of the highest in the world - 49/1000 births with tetanus infection being the second major cause of infant/neonatal death.

Statistics are from the CIA, Save the children, WHO and UNICEF websites.

Ramsey Family-Our Journey

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Here We Go!

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Facts about Ethiopia

Date and Time in Ethiopia

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