Update

Today is a day of celebration here in the Ruppel household! We celebrate Cole's 9th birthday and we celebrate our submission to the US Embassy, last Wednesday! That is right, I said last Wednesday! We received an email this morning notifying us of the submission which means the Embassy has had our case in its entirety for 6 business days now. We should hear word from the Embassy sometime in the next week in regards to what further information they are requiring for our case. Interviews with birth families and documentation are the two most common requests before they will clear a case but in 5% to 10% of cases they require nothing and approve immediately. You can imagine that we are praying to be part of that 5 to 10%, please pray with us. There was no real explanation given on how they resolved the issue with the death certificate, but I already know the explanation ~ we serve a wonder - working God who moves on behalf of His people. That is all the explanation I need; that is the only explanation that can explain how we have come to this beautiful place that He has brought us.

I have to say though that while the last month has been painful and we have had very low moments I would not change it; even if I could, I would not go back and alter the course He has taken us on to avoid the pain and the disappointment. The last month has been truly amazing here in our home and God is teaching us many priceless lessons and the reality is that pain and joy always intermingle. Tremendous joy is always birthed out of tremendous pain. The greatest joy of my life, my salvation, was birthed out of the greatest pain a father could ever face and a man could ever endure. But my Heavenly Father in His infinite love and mercy saw fit to sacrifice His Son and the single greatest act of pain, resulted in joy unspeakable. So, I gladly accept the painful to experience His joy and His joy is so deep and consuming that the pain is lost in it.

Another amazing part of this story is that Will (BJ) and I broke a fast on the same day that our miracle submission took place. We have NEVER fasted and prayed and not seen God move, never. There is a post coming on fasting, I feel very passionately about the role that fasting should play in a believer's life so I hope to write something soon and go into this further. But, just briefly, if you have anything in your life where you need a miracle, a breakthrough, a place in your life that seems dark and lost then you need to fast. If you have family or friends who do not know the love of Christ, then you need to fast. If you are struggling from addictions, broken relationships, financial chaos, then you need to fast. If you want to experience Jesus Christ and the Spirit of the Living God that indwells in your innermost being, then you need to fast. I assume that everyone is covered somewhere in there, fasting is a beautiful Christian discipline that will change your walk with Christ forever (and it will very likely change the eternity of those that you fast and pray for).

So, please celebrate with us in the miracle that God has bestowed on us this day ~ Cole and taking us one HUGE step closer to bringing our two new girls home. You all are going to love them!!

Mark 9:29
"... This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

Ezra 8:21 ~ BJ and I claimed this verse for our fast!
" Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions."