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February 24,
2012
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from Tanzania.
Let me introduce ourselves to you. We are Mike and Lynn Caraway, proud
parents of three children: Casey, Shelby and Luka!
Yep---three! Luka's adoption was finalized by the Tanzania high court
judge on February 13, 2012! We have been praying for this moment for two
years, but God really surprised us with His answer.
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We had petitioned the high
court for a court order to travel. After meeting with the
attorney, he filed the petition and also filed for adoption - something
we didn't realize at the time. When Michael and Luka went to the
hearing with the judge, she said she saw no reason to sign the travel
order when she could just sign the adoption instead! Just like
that Luka became our real son.
For two years every night before bed
Luka prayed that "the adoption would go quickly." I had
been feeling sad when I heard that, because I knew the adoption was
going really slowly, but he kept praying that prayer. All of a
sudden, that prayer was answered and the adoption did go quickly!
While I was at home waiting to hear that the judge signed the travel
order, Michael had Luka call me and say, "Mom, I'm
adopted!" Wow, not the phone call I was expecting, but
the best one I can ever remember receiving! |
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And, as I write this, I'm sitting in a guest house in Dar es Salaam.
Luka and I took the bus to Dar on February 20 in time to have an appointment
at the embassy on February 21. We still want to go to the States for two
months later this spring and even though Luka is adopted in Tanzania, that
doesn't mean the adoption paperwork for America is completed yet. Our
attorney felt like we would not be able to get a travel visa for him, because
we are right in the middle of the adoption paperwork. Unfortunately,
many people in the past who have gotten to this part, just take the child to
the States and don't return to finish things. We had to convince the
embassy that we would return to Tanzania. We did, and this morning Luka
got his US Visa to travel to the States with us this spring!
At this point we are planning to be in the
States for April and May. Shelby graduates from Grace Bible College in
April with a degree in Special Education and Casey will be receiving her BS in
nursing in May. Casey's husband, Steven, will also be graduating from
GBC with Shelby. We are so excited that we can be there for our
daughters along with their little brother!
Thank you so much for your prayers for us and
for Luka. God has preserved his life and brought him into our lives when
we weren't even thinking about adopting a child. But the Lord knew and
He brought us together to be a family. I can understand so much more
clearly what it means to be adopted into God's family, now that we have our
son finally adopted into ours. I can also imagine the angels partying in
heaven every time another child of God gets adopted into His family. I
can finally grasp hour special that relationship is!
With love from Africa,
Mike, Lynn and Luka Caraway
The whole family
Shelby, Mike, Lynn, Luka, Steven, Casey
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