*drum roll*

alrighty, peoples.

we're making it official: 

CAIN BABY #3!!!

that's right: we've started adoption #2 for cain spawn #3.

*insert crazy, happy dance of joy*

we actually started looking into the international adoption process last march, but stalled out.  we felt pretty sure that God was calling us to adopt again, but we just couldn't get traction started.

maybe because josiah still wasn't sleeping through the night at that point.

but now, here we are a year later, fully rested and thinking (somewhat) more clearly.

and God has lead us to adopt from Ghana, West Africa!  

where is Ghana?  here:

ok.  we'll cut to the chase and answer the questions you all have:

1.  why Ghana?

short answer: that is where our baby is.  we have a heart for africa!

longer answer: i (ashley) had the great privilege of living in Ghana for a summer during my internship with Wycliffe Bible Translators.  i totally fell in love with the culture, the people, the smells, the food, the everything.  here are some pictures:

ashley with the outreach team in bunkpurugu, ghana.  she's the one on the right if you coudn't tell.

ghanaian women and children.

the village of bunkpurugu where ashley lived during part of her time in ghana.

we had actually looked into adopting from Ghana back in 2008, but there were no local agencies with a Ghana program at the time.  in november 2011, however, we got an update from our adoption agency that they were opening a pilot program in ghana!  we both knew instantly that our next child was waiting for us in ghana.

2.  boy?  girl? how old will they be?

we are not specifying a gender.  Ghana has an established foster program so most infants are able to be placed with a Ghanaian family.  we will be adopting a 2 or 3 year old.  it is very likely that this child will be close in age to josiah.

3.  how long until you bring your child home?

we are about half way through the home study process right now.  being a pilot program, there are a few more unknowns.  we are estimating about 2-3 years until this adoption is finalized.

4.  how many times do you have to go to Ghana?

we are both planning to travel to Ghana for the two trips required by the government.  the trips will be 7-14 days each and about 3 months apart.

it is so easy to get overwhelmed by the process...especially at the beginning.  there are so many hoops and steps and fees and hokey-pokey-dances.  but in the end, we have great peace that God has called us to walk this journey, He will provide, and He will be glorified through the process!!  AMEN!