Day 1 of ONLY 5 days

5 days!  We spent 5 days with our daughter in Ethiopia!  5 amazing days....ONLY 5 days.

Our first day was ridiculous!  We spent almost thirteen hours on a plane, met two other families and our driver at the airport (after literally fighting away very persistent men who wanted to "help" us with our bags), and had an exciting ride with eight people and ALL of our luggage in and ON a little van.  When we arrived at the guest house there were so many people!  We were the last three of fourteen families in our travel group.  I'd connected with most of these families on Facebook, so they were introducing themselves and I was trying to make the mental connections.  We were told we had five minutes to check in the hotel and grab everything we needed for the day.  We were leaving to meet our daughter.  Okay....STOP! 

Go with me here:  We couldn't sleep on the plane (even with a sleep aid) because we were so excited!  We get to the hotel and there is so much activity and so many people.  We take our stuff to our room and we barely have enough time to use the facilities much less process anything that is happening.  You with me so far?

Eight families were leaving for court and the rest of us were headed for the transition home (where all of our children live).  The experienced families were great.  They explained what would happen, took our cameras, and assured us it was all going to be great.  Do I have to tell you that we were in shock?  We were in Ethiopia about to meet our daughter.  We were sleep deprived, confused, and hungry.  I'm pretty sure that even this part was God's plan.  The families explained that it would happen right away.  They would be bringing her out of the house as we were getting out of the van.  There is so much emotion that you can literally feel it in the air.  All of the families gather on the porch and they get your child and encourage her to go out to her new family (and a crowd of people with cameras).  She was just as overwhelmed as we were.

I can't show you the pictures of her when she came out, because we haven't passed court yet.  That is a story for another day.  We all smiled at each other, gave some timid hugs, and them moved out of the "spot-light" to get to know each other.  We played together all day; she called us Mommy and Daddy from the start.

Our little girl was so proud of HER Daddy!  She introduced him to everyone: adults and children.  She wanted him close to her.  This was also the day that she discovered he could lift her high over his head.  She was all smiles and her giggle was the sweetest sound to our ears.  We had a wonderful day!  She had her Daddy wrapped around her little finger on Day 1! 

SO EXCITED!!!!

We are getting so close to our trip to Ethiopia to meet our daughter!  I am so excited that I'm not sleeping well at night; I can't get organized; and it is getting hard to think about anything else.  Some days I can't stop smiling and others...I can't stop crying.  I'm an emotional mess!  It is a lot like being pregnant.

Last night I heard the words I so desperately needed to hear from our mothers who will be taking care of Amelia while we are gone: "Don't worry.  We will take care of anything that comes up."  THIS also made me cry.   I don't know how to explain the concept of going half way around the world to be with one child while leaving another AND knowing that you have to leave the one to return to the other.  Lord help me.

Our stuff that we are packing/preparing to pack has spread from its corner out into several places in the house.  We have two 40lb Rubbermaid tubs of donations (thanks to another adoptive mom's collection), an additional 18lbs of wipes, a bag full of cloth diapers and homemade covers (thanks to another adoptive mom), two light weight but cumbersome Bumbo seats (thanks to my mom and dear friend), a bag full of toothbrushes and toothpaste (thanks to local dentists), four care packages to take over for other families (I am so excited to return this wonderful blessing), toys for the kids, clothes for the kids, stuff for our girl, two large canvases we plan to paint with the kids,  seventy-five silk flower hair clips (we made with friends), and a few items for us while we are there.

Please be in prayer that MOWYCA will have our letter at the court and we will have the great pleasure of hearing the judge say "She is yours....forever."  If this happens while we are there, I will then be able to share her beautiful picture and her beautiful name with all of you.  Thank you so much for joining us on this amazing journey.
 

Do you trust me?

Oh somebody please tell me that this "complete trust thing" is hard for you too.  Yes, I know my last post was about God asking me to completely trust Him and apparently we are still working on that.

There are some changes taking place in the Ethiopian adoption process that are likely to make it take longer to get our little girl home.  There is a meeting in Ethiopia Monday the 14th, which is our Sunday night, to discuss the process.  Please be in prayer that God's desire for His children would prevail.

So out of what seemed like a disaster when the change was first announced: God has achieved world attention for the Ethiopian orphan, brought families all over this country to their knees to pray together every night, and is still working to bring about change that will bring glory to Him.  Personally, I felt a call to fast my dinners this week and pray at night with an empty stomach.  God used this to remind me that this feeling of going to bed hungry is part of the problem in Ethiopia and my heart was broken for families that give up their children because they cannot feed them.

Sometimes God allows circumstances to come about that will draw us closer to Him, circumstances that teach us to trust Him in ALL things!  For the past couple of weeks I have been drawn to a song by Flyleaf.  This is a miracle in itself.  This band is alternative Christian.  The first time I heard them was live; I couldn't understand a word and I was not impressed by all the eyeliner that the male guitar player wore.  The song is called Again and the part I could listen to over and over is:

You don't have to understand;

You be still.

Wait and know I understand;

You be still.

Be still! 

It all comes back to trust.  Do I trust Him to take care of my daughter?  Are you kidding?  He is the only constant in her life.  The real question is why is He trusting me with His daughter?

Father Knows Best

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28

One week ago today there were nine court dates given out and we were NOT one of them. I was so very excited for all of those families, but there was that part of me that was just a little disappointed. You see I had been evaluating my family calendar and had decided that the week ALL those families were going to be in Ethiopia was the perfect week for us to be gone. God started working in me. Over the next few days He reminded me of all the ways that HIS timing in this journey had been PERFECT. That there were things I could not have known and that once I was able to look back, it was very easy to see how perfectly He had planned and "worked all these things together".

Yesterday I was sitting in my favorite hamburger joint waiting on my order and I found myself alone...with God. I had to make a choice. I was either going to continue wanting things my way or I was going to trust Him and I mean FULLY trust Him. If I truly trusted Him and believed that He was working all things together for my good, then how could I be anything other than grateful for His perfect timing. There was a peace that came over me. I would be happy with the court date of His choosing...whenever that might be.

One hour later, I was checking my emails when I heard my phone ringing in another room. I have to explain here that this was a miracle in itself. You see...our office, that I am only in on Tuesdays, is like a bunker. There is NO signal. Our cell phones NEVER ring. We can't send or receive texts. It is a DEAD zone! Confused by the sound of my phone ringing I ran to get it before it stopped. I was sure that as soon as I picked it up I would loose signal and the call would be dropped. When I heard my family coordinator from AWAA, I held my breath in anticipation but also to somehow help my phone keep signal. The conversation was short because she could not hear me, but I could hear every word she said. "I have a court date for your family." That was really all I needed to hear. And of course...this date fits the needs of my family even better than the one I was disappointed not to get.

God has been so good to me throughout this journey. He has been so patient and loving. There have been so many beautiful and clear signs along the way. He has loved me enough to work all things together for my good rather than giving me what I want. What an AWESOME heavenly father we have!

ADOPTION T-SHIRT

Adoption T-shirts are now available for pre-sale now through March 15!
Please go to the ADOPTION T-SHIRT page in the list on the left for further information.
Thank you for supporting orphans and their forever families.

Hope has a family!

Right at this moment, my husband and a friend are cutting a hole in a wall in my house.  The bedroom that has been Amelia's is becoming hers and Hope's.  It is a great room for a couple of little girls, but it only has one small closet...for TWO GIRLS.  This will never do.  So as I "stay out of the way", they are turning wasted space into Hope's closet.  We are making room and preparing to bring our girl home. 

This week, somewhere around the holiday of love, Hope will find out about her forever family and receive pictures of us.  I wonder how it will go.  Will she love us at first site as we did her...will she think we are old?  As a way to begin the bonding process, we (adoptive parents) send care packages with other adoptive parents when they go to Ethiopia for court or embassy. 

Because packing space is VERY valuable, we can each send a one gallon bag full of goodies.  Can you believe I got a complete outfit (including a pair of jeans) in a one gallon bag?  I am excited to add that the person delivering our care package was also used by God to start the awakening in our souls that lead to an interrupted life.  I know she will love on our girl a little for us while we cannot.  Someday (hopefully very soon) we will be able to do the same for another family.  I love being a part of such an amazing group of people that have such a heart for the Lord and His children.

So...Hope has a family and I am busting at the seems with love and happiness, but what about all the other waiting children?  I can't stop thinking about the children in the transition home that Hope plays with, eats with, sleeps with, that don't have a forever family.  They haven't received a care package and they don't know that someone is coming for them.  What if you are their someone?  Just think about it.  I want to bring them all home with me...and I might...bring home one or two more.  We'll see.  Just imagine the difference you could make in the life of a child without a family.  My heart is breaking for them.  I pray that God will rise up families who will take that beautiful leap of faith.

While we wait for that call announcing our travel date (to become Hope's parents), we will prepare our home, our hearts and our lives for our girl.  Thank you Lord!

HOPE

What a strange week it has been!  We have been "iced in" all week with 13 degree highs and 9 degree lows....in TEXAS!  It's been GREAT; not the cold, but the time at home with the family.  I should have used the time to clean my house.  Where is the fun in that?  I have so many books I've been waiting to read, so I indulged myself by the fire in a couple of those (both about Africa, of course).  The overwhelming theme all week has been...HOPE.

Do you love Jeremiah 29:11?  I do.  Michela (my 14 year old) does; she has it written on her vanity mirror.
Here it is from The Message:

I know what I'm doing.  I have it all planned out--plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

I love the peace this verse gives me in any circumstance.  I can trust God!  He knows what He is doing and it is good for me!

BUT....did God mean this verse for EVERYBODY?  It's not too hard for us to believe; we've all been through ups and downs.  We know God brings us through the highs and lows.  He's done it before.  But what if you are a seven year old girl who has just lost everything?  It is pretty hard to believe that God knows what He is doing.  You feel VERY abandoned.  All you have is HOPE.  You HOPE that God has a plan.  You HOPE that He will not forget you.  You HOPE that He sends somebody to love you.

God does have a plan and a HOPE for the future...US!  We, His hands and feet, ARE the plan!  We ARE the HOPE for the orphaned and abandoned child!  Micah 6:8 says:

But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women.  It's quite simple:  Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously--take God seriously.

God has shown us what He takes seriously:  the poor, the sick, the widow and the orphan.

If you say,"Hey, that's none of my business," will that get you off the hook?  Someone is watching you closely, you know--Someone not impressed with weak excuses.
Proverbs 24:12

We are so thankful that God would allow us to be a part of His plan.  Don't miss the blessings He has planned for you.