seriously. it's all faith at this point.

but it's really been true this whole journey.

we've reached out to the other side of the world and

while our webpage still says court date 3.26

our lawyer has confirmed that the date has been moved up to 3.3.

that's this coming monday night.

so we're believing in what we cannot see and it's got us dependent upon God once again for our daily bread.

and that's a rich place to be.

believing...our case will go before this new judge {her initials are HIB} and

believing...it's still possible that this would be the final hearing and we could have verbal orders next tuesday.

we think our case has been heard 2 times by another judge. we know that this judge will be hearing our case for the first time and might require another hearing after this one.

{there's a behind-the-scenes story here of God giving us a glimpse into His intricate work, but i've got to save that for the book}

i type this and think, "yep, said this before. believed this before."

and we've asked you to pray believing, to hope with us.

it's like those false alarms in the late third trimester of rushing to the hospital to just come back home and climb back in bed and wait some more.

but what it's really like is stepping out in faith

believing in a God you cannot see,

trusting He is working when you can't do anything,

being crazy enough to speak out for others to join you,

encouraged by the number of people standing with you,

loving a 7, then 8, now 9 year old girl so much,

knowing His love stretches across waters into court rooms and bedrooms and minds and hearts.

i still stand here guarded. holding this moment loosely.

i've experienced that He gives and takes away.

that His ways are higher and that He is better regardless.

 yet my heart races because that's what a mother's love does.

but if i might ask you to expand your prayers for i heard this phrase in my tossing and turning a few nights ago...

the A*7.

{now the 'A' stands for the city where k lives}

and the 7 represents 7 children including k that have families with court cases this monday and tuesday being heard in the same city, in the same court room, by the same judge among 3 lawyers for 4 of us families who have connected, yet never in person.

God is never working to release just one.

in this story it's 7.

{more on this beautiful story later!}

so i will update you here on monday as we see the judge and the 
lawyer's cause list posted for tuesday. 
continue to pray for the judge and the lawyer. 
pray the judge would be empowered to release these children to us 
and that the judge and lawyers will be like-minded
 in their efforts. pray for protection over these cases...
that nothing will hinder them from being heard.