The smiles, and the words from their shirts and photo album say it all - Chosen, Jesus loves the little children, and Forever Family.We are so blessed to have such favor with God.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Gift Bags
The smiles, and the words from their shirts and photo album say it all - Chosen, Jesus loves the little children, and Forever Family.We are so blessed to have such favor with God.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Dear Dad
Yesterday we came home to a package of letters and disposable cameras from Terefu and Ashenafi's gift bags. Thank you Mary!We got a letter from Tsion (who still needs a family - hint, hint), one from Freweyni, a letter for each of us from Terefu, and letters for Lisa and I from Ashenafi.
What a great way to end any day - reading I love you's from your kids who are just as anxious to be with you as you are to be with them.
Psa 68:4
Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name YAH,
And rejoice before Him.
Psa 68:5
A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
Psa 68:6
God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
Terefu and Haile
We just found this picture of Terefu with Haile Gebrselassie yesterday. It was taken by a family traveling to bring home their son, and it looks like some of the older children got to go to a track meet where they were able to meet him.According to Wikipedia "he is considered by many to be one of the best distance runners of all time, having broken 24 world records and won numerous Olympic and World Championship titles."
And now he can add to his list meeting my daughter, which tops all of his accomplishments if you ask me.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
She's Back!
Denise Baker is headed back to Ethiopia, and will be blogging once again on Destination Ethiopia. She will be working for Adoption Link and hopes to spend some time at Layla House as well.If you aren't aware, Denise was a volunteer at Layla last year for 7 months while Marta was there, and has become a friend of ours through our travels there and at home since she came back. She is an amazing person, and such a good writer.
Go and check out what she has going on - you will be sucked into life in Addis in no time.
We love you Deniseye! See you soon!
Friday, August 03, 2007
Change
Now that we are through court I can talk about some other changes our family has recently been through.
From the summer of 2001 through the summer of 2002 we lived in Hermiston, Oregon while I was starting up a new power plant there. I worked for Calpine. We drove ~35 miles north to the Tri-Cities to go to church at the Tri-Cities Vineyard, and during that year we became very close to a number of families there. Since that time we have wanted to live there, but never felt like it was something that we were to pursue.
Since we moved to Goldendale in 2004 we were close enough to head up to the Tri-Cities and hang out with our friends at what is now the Three Rivers Bridge, and maintain our relationships with our friends, and establish new ones. We still wanted to be there, but the timing wasn’t right, and we still didn’t feel like it was something for us to pursue. We figured that if God wanted us there He would get us there.
In February the plant I was managing in Goldendale was sold by Calpine to Puget Sound Energy, and I was hired by PSE to stay on and manage it for them. It is a great plant in a town that we loved, but over the next couple months it became clear that PSE and I and our family’s desires were not a good fit for each other.
In a very short period of time we became very discontent with many aspects of our life in Goldendale, and looking back we believe this was God’s doing – a holy discontent. His preparation so we would be ready to step through the door He was opening for us.
In May we drove the 2 hours to The Bridge for church and afterwards to some friend’s house for lunch. They asked how my job was, I said I was frustrated, and he said “are you interested in a job?” Until that very moment in time I would have said no, but in that instant it was just right and the answer was yes.
Long story short is that I interviewed for the job, was offered a position, and we moved at the end of June. It was a perfect fit for our family in so many ways, and I think that this is because we didn’t try to make it happen, and God made it all fit together in His timing.
Our house is perfect for us, in a great neighborhood, close to my new job which is such a good fit for me, where we can attend our church again, and we are in the midst of a bunch of families with Ethiopian kids. God has blessed us in so many ways through this move, and we couldn’t be happier. Now we are just settling in and waiting for the rest of the family to show up.
From the summer of 2001 through the summer of 2002 we lived in Hermiston, Oregon while I was starting up a new power plant there. I worked for Calpine. We drove ~35 miles north to the Tri-Cities to go to church at the Tri-Cities Vineyard, and during that year we became very close to a number of families there. Since that time we have wanted to live there, but never felt like it was something that we were to pursue.
Since we moved to Goldendale in 2004 we were close enough to head up to the Tri-Cities and hang out with our friends at what is now the Three Rivers Bridge, and maintain our relationships with our friends, and establish new ones. We still wanted to be there, but the timing wasn’t right, and we still didn’t feel like it was something for us to pursue. We figured that if God wanted us there He would get us there.
In February the plant I was managing in Goldendale was sold by Calpine to Puget Sound Energy, and I was hired by PSE to stay on and manage it for them. It is a great plant in a town that we loved, but over the next couple months it became clear that PSE and I and our family’s desires were not a good fit for each other.
In a very short period of time we became very discontent with many aspects of our life in Goldendale, and looking back we believe this was God’s doing – a holy discontent. His preparation so we would be ready to step through the door He was opening for us.
In May we drove the 2 hours to The Bridge for church and afterwards to some friend’s house for lunch. They asked how my job was, I said I was frustrated, and he said “are you interested in a job?” Until that very moment in time I would have said no, but in that instant it was just right and the answer was yes.
Long story short is that I interviewed for the job, was offered a position, and we moved at the end of June. It was a perfect fit for our family in so many ways, and I think that this is because we didn’t try to make it happen, and God made it all fit together in His timing.
Our house is perfect for us, in a great neighborhood, close to my new job which is such a good fit for me, where we can attend our church again, and we are in the midst of a bunch of families with Ethiopian kids. God has blessed us in so many ways through this move, and we couldn’t be happier. Now we are just settling in and waiting for the rest of the family to show up.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Nothing catchy comes to mind...
..other than We Made it Through!!!
Our case to adopt Terefu, Freweyni, Alemayehu and Ashenafi successfully made it through court today in Addis Ababa, so we are way more than happy to announce that we are now the proud parents of 11!
It feels kind of surreal. I wasn't sure what would happen, and really thought that we might get bumped out of court for some reason (need more info, some signature not quite right, etc.) and then have to wait through the court closure until October to try again.
As it stands, Lisa and I will fly to Addis on about Sept. 29th, be at the embassy on Oct. 3rd, and fly home around Oct. 6th.
Also, earlier today in Addis, Freweyni and Alemayehu found out about all of this for the first time. Because we added them to our case at the last minute, and there was uncertainty about the court's result they haven't been told anything. God bless them and their emotions as they find this all out and begin to process it all.
Our case to adopt Terefu, Freweyni, Alemayehu and Ashenafi successfully made it through court today in Addis Ababa, so we are way more than happy to announce that we are now the proud parents of 11!
It feels kind of surreal. I wasn't sure what would happen, and really thought that we might get bumped out of court for some reason (need more info, some signature not quite right, etc.) and then have to wait through the court closure until October to try again.
As it stands, Lisa and I will fly to Addis on about Sept. 29th, be at the embassy on Oct. 3rd, and fly home around Oct. 6th.
Also, earlier today in Addis, Freweyni and Alemayehu found out about all of this for the first time. Because we added them to our case at the last minute, and there was uncertainty about the court's result they haven't been told anything. God bless them and their emotions as they find this all out and begin to process it all.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Still Waiting
The word we got from AAI is that power is out in Addis around the courts so only 4 cases were heard yesterday before they called it a day. Same today, and we are not one of the 4 families. So we are still waiting, and praying. Two of the many defining characteristics of an adoptive family. We should hear more news later this week as to our status, but for now it is just wait and pray.
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