News Flash...

There is some new news on the Randazzo adoption front...Ricky Randazzo will not be coming from Rwanda. We got a call on Friday from Gladney, our adoption agency. We were on our way out of town to our family vacation at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

I knew the number to be a Gladney number, so I answered it right away. Whenever I see a Gladney number on my phone, my heart kind of skips a beat. I get a little "rollercoaster" feeling in my stomach. I feel like I am always waiting to hear something; anything that means we are moving. Sara, from Gladney, was a little hesitant. I could tell she was informing us of a problem.

Things have changed in Rwanda with the adoption process. I don't know if change is the right word. The process is brand new, so it is becoming more established. Because of the changes, the time line for a Rwandan adoption is now at a standstill. Another change is that health requirements for the adoptive parents have become stricter.

I am currently on medication for a seizure disorder. My doctors have written letters saying that I am healthy and capable of raising an adopted child. I have been approved by Gladney for adoption. Because of the changes in Rwanda, I will not be approved in that country. Our Gladney case worker was calling to inform us of this. Ethiopia, however, will accept me.

Ethiopia is a country that has been on our hearts since we started researching the possibility of adoption three years ago. We originally started the process with the intent of adopting from Ethiopia. We ended up choosing Rwanda because it is a new program that was in need of families to pioneer the program.

We are actually very excited for the change in plans. We feel confident that this is God's plan for our family, and it has been from the very beginning. We were willing to be used to help start a new program, but we are not able to do participate in that way.

Ethiopia is a country with a great need for families who have the desire to adopt. The cost is approximately the same. The time frame will be a little longer than what we originally expected. Everything is transferable, so we have not lost any time or money in the changing of countries.

Our prayers remain the same: everything will go smoothly in the adoption process; Ricky's birth mother will be safe and make good choices to care for the child that she is caring; Ricky, once he is born, will remain healthy and nourished until we are able to care for him ourselves.