After two days of virtually no sleep (because my mind was racing all night and all day long) we have signed our acceptance of the referral of our two children! I am exhausted and I ready for a vacation. It was crazy. The referral call didn't come when I was planning on it, the kids were different ages than I thought they would be, my emotions were different than I expected, plus through all this my husband was out of town!
But none of that really matters, what matters is that now we are six. And the nannies at transition home will be talking to our kiddos about us and explaining to them what will be happening next. It must be scary to think that some family from the other side of the world is coming to pick them up soon. Poor babies. The whole situation is so much to wrap your head and your heart around. I can barely handle it and I'm, well let's say, 27 years old.
If you're looking for something to pray for... please pray that we would get a court date in July and that we would pass court the first time through. If this happens, we will travel in August and pick them up. If we do not pass court by the end of July we will not be able to bring them home until October/ November because of court closures during the rainy season.
And if you're looking for something to do... come on over and help me get their rooms set up. Ha... just kidding!
So... about the kids, I STILL can't tell you anything because nothing is official until we pass court. And I am dying to tell you! But the good news is if we find a friendly family that is traveling soon we can send little care packages over to them with that family. The kids got really excited about this idea and were bugging me to go shopping all day. So I had them make a craft to send over and then we went shopping. The shopping proved difficult because there's only so much space in a persons suitcase traveling to Ethiopia, so they had to be small gifts. Plus it's the first gift we will ever give them, so it HAS to be perfect right? Or maybe I should just RELAX! Eh, that will never happen. Anyway, I'll try and post some pics of the care packages when we get them together.
I've spent most of the day finishing up some grant applications as there is no time like the present to get them in. I've also done a lot of pacing and eating potato chips because I'm so emotional. I've also been trying to come up with versions of their names that would be easier to pronounce for the English speaking folks. But that just a whole 'nother ball of wax.
Tonight, I am exhausted but thankful. Today is the beginning a story that I believe will have a beautiful ending.
"God sets the lonely in families..." Psalm 68:6
I am so thankful He chose my family.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Shocking!
If I had to choose one word for how I have been feeling for the majority of the day I would say that I have felt SHOCKED! Of course this is not the only emotion I felt as I have expanded upon below...
First of all, today is my Dad's 59th birthday (Happy Birthday Dad...you ROCK!), but we all kind of saw that one coming thus it wasn't much of a shocker. So do you want to hear what really shocked me? OK, I'll tell you about it.
I went to he pediatrician with the kids to get a re-check on their ears and yes, another 3 weeks of antibiotics is in their future. Not much of a shocker. We got the prescriptions filled at our favorite pharmacy and did some grocery shopping...more of a tradition than a shocker. When we got home one of our favorite neighbors stopped over with her two beautiful children and we chatted for an hour or so. Again, not very shocking. As she was just leaving to go home and feed her kiddos the phone rang. So after we said our goodbyes I went and checked the messages,and found that there were five messages. That's strange. I barely have five friends.
The caller ID said Ben had just called (he's in OH this week). So I called him back and he said the craziest thing to me. He said Terra (our social worker) called and she has a referral for us. I was like whatever dude... how's your day goin'. I totally did NOT believe him. I thought he was getting in touch with his "real special" sense of humor. But he just kept saying it and saying he wouldn't joke about something like this. So he told me the limited info he knew and I wrote it down. He said take an hour and let it sink in and we'll conference call Terra. At this point I still barely believed him. We thought we wouldn't hear anything until Christmas time. And let me tell you people: I was shocked!
When I hung up with Ben I checked the messages and sure enough one of them was Terra saying something about call her right away because she had a question for us and it was a fairly important question. I was shocked!
The I started going bazerk and I told the kids and we prayed and thanked God and prayed that these would be our kids and that God would give us wisdom and provide someone to love on them in ET. Noah was jumping up and down and giggling and Lyd was all smiles. I was..you guessed it...shocked.
Throughout the afternoon my shock turned into excitement and then into grief for all these kids have lost in their short lives. Then into guilt for being so sad for them instead of happy to receive the referral.
After what seemed like a week (it was really less than an hour)and several technical difficulties later we received their file to review via email. Ben and I looked at each photo and each page together, over the phone. We were like one, two, three, click on it!
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything about the children except that there are two of them. We know their names, ages, health status, and a couple other little tidbits, but not much. And we have pictures! For the kids safety and privacy we cannot share any of these things until we officially accept the referral and even then we cannot share photos until after we pass court. But, just so you know, they are beautiful.
Oh, man. I think I've moved past shocked and in to exhausted. There's so much more to say but I'll have to save it for another day.
First of all, today is my Dad's 59th birthday (Happy Birthday Dad...you ROCK!), but we all kind of saw that one coming thus it wasn't much of a shocker. So do you want to hear what really shocked me? OK, I'll tell you about it.
I went to he pediatrician with the kids to get a re-check on their ears and yes, another 3 weeks of antibiotics is in their future. Not much of a shocker. We got the prescriptions filled at our favorite pharmacy and did some grocery shopping...more of a tradition than a shocker. When we got home one of our favorite neighbors stopped over with her two beautiful children and we chatted for an hour or so. Again, not very shocking. As she was just leaving to go home and feed her kiddos the phone rang. So after we said our goodbyes I went and checked the messages,and found that there were five messages. That's strange. I barely have five friends.
The caller ID said Ben had just called (he's in OH this week). So I called him back and he said the craziest thing to me. He said Terra (our social worker) called and she has a referral for us. I was like whatever dude... how's your day goin'. I totally did NOT believe him. I thought he was getting in touch with his "real special" sense of humor. But he just kept saying it and saying he wouldn't joke about something like this. So he told me the limited info he knew and I wrote it down. He said take an hour and let it sink in and we'll conference call Terra. At this point I still barely believed him. We thought we wouldn't hear anything until Christmas time. And let me tell you people: I was shocked!
When I hung up with Ben I checked the messages and sure enough one of them was Terra saying something about call her right away because she had a question for us and it was a fairly important question. I was shocked!
The I started going bazerk and I told the kids and we prayed and thanked God and prayed that these would be our kids and that God would give us wisdom and provide someone to love on them in ET. Noah was jumping up and down and giggling and Lyd was all smiles. I was..you guessed it...shocked.
Throughout the afternoon my shock turned into excitement and then into grief for all these kids have lost in their short lives. Then into guilt for being so sad for them instead of happy to receive the referral.
After what seemed like a week (it was really less than an hour)and several technical difficulties later we received their file to review via email. Ben and I looked at each photo and each page together, over the phone. We were like one, two, three, click on it!
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything about the children except that there are two of them. We know their names, ages, health status, and a couple other little tidbits, but not much. And we have pictures! For the kids safety and privacy we cannot share any of these things until we officially accept the referral and even then we cannot share photos until after we pass court. But, just so you know, they are beautiful.
Oh, man. I think I've moved past shocked and in to exhausted. There's so much more to say but I'll have to save it for another day.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Three Months DTE!
Today marks three months since our paperwork was sent to Ethiopia. Time is flying by!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thank You Shaohannah's Hope!
It was in the mailbox today! When I first looked at the envelope it was light and thin, seeming to only contain one sheet of paper. I had a moment sadness thinking, if they had chosen us for the grant it would be thicker, right? I ripped into the envelope and quickly scanned the letter until at the bottom of the first paragraph I saw it. $4000.00. I yelped. I did a little happy dance. I whoohooed. Then I looked around so see if any of the neighbors we perhaps outside watching me go bazerk. It looked as though no one was around so I ran/ danced up to the front porch where the kids were having a picnic and I screamed and cried and told then the news. I'm sure it was pretty much lost on them, so I started calling people and leaving crazy voice messages with a lot of whooping! Great day in the neighborhood.
The bottom line: the only adoption grant organization that I have found thus far to be accepting applications at this time, just granted us $4,000.00! Praise God! Thank you Shaohanna's Hope Grant Team and all the donors of their awesome ministry. They bring adoption finances within reach for so many families with their adoption assistance program. What a huge blessing! Check them out at www.shaohannashope.org.
I'm off to dance around the house and scream some more! Whoohoo!
The bottom line: the only adoption grant organization that I have found thus far to be accepting applications at this time, just granted us $4,000.00! Praise God! Thank you Shaohanna's Hope Grant Team and all the donors of their awesome ministry. They bring adoption finances within reach for so many families with their adoption assistance program. What a huge blessing! Check them out at www.shaohannashope.org.
I'm off to dance around the house and scream some more! Whoohoo!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Weather Update
It's 80 degrees with 25% humidity and a 13 mph eastern/ southeastern wind in Addis Ababa right now. All week there's a high around 80 and a low of 51 degrees.
Also, their clocks are seven hours ahead of ours. So is their sun...well I guess it's the same sun but you know what I mean.
Also, their clocks are seven hours ahead of ours. So is their sun...well I guess it's the same sun but you know what I mean.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Ethiopia 103
On a more cheery note, Ethiopian language seems very interesting to me. Although there are MANY languages used throughout Ethiopia, Amharic appears to be the main language used in Addis Ababa. (See the map below to check out all the other languages. FYI: if you click on it it will show a larger view.)
Amharic uses a different alphabet than English. The "letters" are very different looking and so most websites that contain Amharic phrases are written using the English alphabet which is, I might add, quite helpful to me! Before we begin our Amharic lesson I think it appropriate to put in a disclaimer that I have no idea what I am talking about so this post may read like a poorly translated fortune cookie to someone who speak Amharic. For this I apologize. But I'm pretty sure my one reader isn't fluent, so I think I'm safe.
When speaking Amharic, instead of saying Mr. Smith one should say Ato John, using Ato as mister and then the first name of the mister to whom you are referring. Mrs. is translated "wayzaro" and I believe the first name rule applies here as well.
Here are a few more words to work on this week. There will a test...
Hello Se-la-m
Bye/So long Chi-o
Thank you Ame-segi-na-lew
Yes! Ah-woh (or OW!)
Also, you can do a little intake of breath while you lift your eyebrows to “nod” yes.
No. I-deh-LEHM (starts with long I sound) Also can say Iyyyy
Toilet Shin-TEH-BAYT?
Water WOO hah
I think water is my favorite word so far...Woohah!
Amharic uses a different alphabet than English. The "letters" are very different looking and so most websites that contain Amharic phrases are written using the English alphabet which is, I might add, quite helpful to me! Before we begin our Amharic lesson I think it appropriate to put in a disclaimer that I have no idea what I am talking about so this post may read like a poorly translated fortune cookie to someone who speak Amharic. For this I apologize. But I'm pretty sure my one reader isn't fluent, so I think I'm safe.
When speaking Amharic, instead of saying Mr. Smith one should say Ato John, using Ato as mister and then the first name of the mister to whom you are referring. Mrs. is translated "wayzaro" and I believe the first name rule applies here as well.
Here are a few more words to work on this week. There will a test...
Hello Se-la-m
Bye/So long Chi-o
Thank you Ame-segi-na-lew
Yes! Ah-woh (or OW!)
Also, you can do a little intake of breath while you lift your eyebrows to “nod” yes.
No. I-deh-LEHM (starts with long I sound) Also can say Iyyyy
Toilet Shin-TEH-BAYT?
Water WOO hah
I think water is my favorite word so far...Woohah!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Ethiopia 102
A few tidbits on Ethiopia...
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and this is where we will travel to pick up our children.
For most Ethiopians life is not a walk in the park.
39% of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25US per day (2007).
Ethiopian life expectancy at birth has gone up from from 43 years (in 1970) to 53 years (in 2007).
The risk of maternal death is 1 in 27 (2007).
The number of children under the age of 5 who died in the year 2007... 381,000(this number is equivalent to 12% of those born that same year).
There have been recent estimations that put the number of orphans in Ethiopia near a mind-blowing 5 to 6 million children.
In the past 10 years there has been a significant increase in the number of Ethiopian orphans adopted by families in the US. In 1999 only 42 children were adopted by families in the US. This number grew to 1,724 in 2008. I believe this increase directly correlates with an increase in the number of adoption agencies providing Ethiopian Adoption Programs in recent years but there may well be other reasons. Side Note: There are also many families from many other countries who have also adopted from Ethiopia to consider, but I do not have those stats.
I am continually burdened by the fact that the adoption of 1,724 children is a mere band aid when considering the country wide crisis of 6 million orphans. And this fact breaks my heart. Sometimes I wrestle with how much I am really helping by adopting two children. I often wonder...would it be better to dig a well and bring fresh water to a people group or just spend the thousands of dollars on food for starving families with malnourished babies. Allowing oneself to be affected by the pain in the world is dangerous. It can leave a person with feelings of helplessness and a loss for what should be done. Through our adoption, the lives of two children will be changed forever, but I'd be kidding myself if I thought for one minute I'd be solving the problem. The situation in Ethiopia is complex. It has to do with basic infrastructure of the country, education, health care, drought, famine, AIDS and HIV, roads, phones, electricity, water, food and many other things that we in the US take for granted.
My heart hurts not only for Ethiopia, but for this broken world. When I look beyond my own struggles and to my neighbors and my city and my country and countries beyond the ocean, all the brokenness is just too much to wrap my head around. Do you ever feel that way? It's more than I can even think about. It's why I can't watch the evening news anymore. In the end, the only place I find peace is in knowing that God's heart hurts for this world as well. I have to keep coming back to His truths and not let the the overwhelming brokenness shut down my passion and my heart.
I may not be saving the world, but I believe I can make a difference in the lives of the children that God entrusts me with. And two lives ain't no small thing.
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and this is where we will travel to pick up our children.
For most Ethiopians life is not a walk in the park.
39% of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25US per day (2007).
Ethiopian life expectancy at birth has gone up from from 43 years (in 1970) to 53 years (in 2007).
The risk of maternal death is 1 in 27 (2007).
The number of children under the age of 5 who died in the year 2007... 381,000(this number is equivalent to 12% of those born that same year).
There have been recent estimations that put the number of orphans in Ethiopia near a mind-blowing 5 to 6 million children.
In the past 10 years there has been a significant increase in the number of Ethiopian orphans adopted by families in the US. In 1999 only 42 children were adopted by families in the US. This number grew to 1,724 in 2008. I believe this increase directly correlates with an increase in the number of adoption agencies providing Ethiopian Adoption Programs in recent years but there may well be other reasons. Side Note: There are also many families from many other countries who have also adopted from Ethiopia to consider, but I do not have those stats.
I am continually burdened by the fact that the adoption of 1,724 children is a mere band aid when considering the country wide crisis of 6 million orphans. And this fact breaks my heart. Sometimes I wrestle with how much I am really helping by adopting two children. I often wonder...would it be better to dig a well and bring fresh water to a people group or just spend the thousands of dollars on food for starving families with malnourished babies. Allowing oneself to be affected by the pain in the world is dangerous. It can leave a person with feelings of helplessness and a loss for what should be done. Through our adoption, the lives of two children will be changed forever, but I'd be kidding myself if I thought for one minute I'd be solving the problem. The situation in Ethiopia is complex. It has to do with basic infrastructure of the country, education, health care, drought, famine, AIDS and HIV, roads, phones, electricity, water, food and many other things that we in the US take for granted.
My heart hurts not only for Ethiopia, but for this broken world. When I look beyond my own struggles and to my neighbors and my city and my country and countries beyond the ocean, all the brokenness is just too much to wrap my head around. Do you ever feel that way? It's more than I can even think about. It's why I can't watch the evening news anymore. In the end, the only place I find peace is in knowing that God's heart hurts for this world as well. I have to keep coming back to His truths and not let the the overwhelming brokenness shut down my passion and my heart.
I may not be saving the world, but I believe I can make a difference in the lives of the children that God entrusts me with. And two lives ain't no small thing.
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