God's Faithfulness - Looking Back - One Year Ago

 

It's around 3:30, and the phone is ringing.  Is this the call that we have been waiting for dreaming about?  A small group of friends just left, and we've all been just gitty about me getting the call any time now.   As I rush to the phone, I just know that it is AGCI - "The Call", and I feel the Holy Spirit telling me no - this is not the one. 

 

"Hi, "V".  This is Julie from AGCI.  I want to talk with you about your parameters."  She goes on to talk with me about what all we are "open" to in a child.  Then, she says that she has a little boy that she wants to talk with me about.  I get "S" on the phone, and as she lists all of the medical conditions that this little boy has, I just kinda fade out.  I just know that this is not our child.  I feel it in every sense. We decide that Julie is just going to email his information over without a picture, and then we will call her back once we have a chance to look over everything.

While we are waiting on the email, I tell "S" that I don't need to look at his information that I just feel the Holy Spirit telling me no.  "S" says okay and makes the heartbreaking call to Julie telling her that we have decided not to proceed.

I'm crying and do what I do when I don't know what to do.  I get my Bible and head to the livingroom.  I need confirmation from the LORD that we are following His will and not turning away this child based on fear.  As I read, I am washed in God's peace and his scriptures speak to me - Stand Firm, Wait upon the LORD.  

 

Later that night, I email Julie asking her to let me know when this little boy gets a family.  S and I have been talking about financially supporting him until he does.  The next day she lets me know that another family is thrilled to pursue him.

So now, we sit and
Wait upon the LORD.

Two weeks later, as I open up a waiting children email from AGCI, I see the most precious 3 1/2 year old boy - "G".  He's the one!

As our 1st court appointment turns into a 2nd, and our 2nd turns into a 3rd, I started to doubt whether or not I had missed God's will.  Was I wrong?  Was the first little boy the boy God intended to be part of our family?  Then, I read a blog where the blog reader went back to see what was going on in her life the day that her son arrived at the transition home.  

Of course, I do the same.

 

The day that "G" arrived at the transition home was the same day that we got the call from Julie about the other little boy.  It was the same day that I felt God so strongly telling me that the other little boy wasn't the one.  It was the same day that God gave me the words to Stand Firm and Wait Upon the LORD.  Words that had comforted me during the disappointments.

Here we are a year later, and I am in awe of God's faithfulness.  I am in awe of His blessings when we Stand Firm and Wait upon Him.

A year ago today, a tiny 23lb 3 1/2 year old boy half-way across the world walked into Hannah's Hope scared and alone.  Today, he is thriving!  He is vibrant, full of life, full of potential, free to be who God has called him to be. 

 

He is our blessing!

 

How Great is Thy Faithfulness Lord Unto Me!

karenhalbertphotography.com

Thank you to Karen, an amazing friend and photographer, who squeezed us into her busy schedule to capture this day of God's faithfulness.

    

A little chuckle

   
We live in the best country!  But, I do have to chuckle that today in the mail, we got 3 separate letters from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services - a Permanent Resident Card, a notice for a biometric appointment for a permanent resident card, and a welcome to the country notice.  Just a little adoption humor...

It's Official x4

  
In March, we officially accepted the referral of a precious 3 year old boy - "G". 
 
In June, G was officially our son according to Ethiopia Law.
   
In Aug, G was officially our son according to US Federal Law and was issued permanent residence status.
  
Today, G was officially our son according to our state law and was issued US Citizenship.  It was another wonderful day in our famiy's life.

We arrived at the courthouse at 9:40ish.  We immediately found the "readoption group".  8 families were scheduled.  6 were in our group - 4 Ethiopia, 1 Uganda and 1 domestic.  The groups are not normally that big, but everyone was trying to get in before the end of the year, and the judge was kind enough to come in special for us.

As we walked up, we immediately recognized some fellow AGCIers, Missy and Mark.  It was great to see them.  They are about 8 months ahead of us, and they had adopted an older child as well.  So, it was nice to compare notes and get some helpful hints.  We also ran into one of "S" work friends, Rob, who has 2 adopted children of his own.  He was there to support some church friends who were readopting and asked if he could come back to the judge's chambers with us.  We were glad he was there.  He was able to take pictures for us.
  

We are patiently waiting our turn out in the courtroom. 

 

It's our turn in the judge's chambers.  (Our lawyer is across from us.)  The judge immediately made us feel at ease and like we were the only case he had that morning.

 

It's official.

Afterwards, we waited outside for the rest of our group.

As I was explaining about today for "A", she couldn't understand why we had to go through the re-adoption.  "I thought he was already my brother."  "Will I have to answer any questions?"  "If we aren't doing a good job, will he have to go back to Ethiopia." --- All so cute.

It is done.  Look at that smile!!

In celebration, we ate lunch at Mellow Mushroom, and then ended the day with an Ethiopian dinner.  It was perfect!!

 

Struggling...

   
I'm struggling this CHRISTmas.  I'm having a hard time rectifying that there is an orphan crisis in a world filled with believers.  I'm struggling this CHRISTmas knowing that only 34% of CHRISTians consider adoption and even more shocking is that only 1% do it.  Now, I know not everyone is called to adopt, but probably more than 1% of 34%.  If you are in that 33%, what is holding you back?  Actually, I know one common thing that holds people back - fear.  How do I know it's fear?  Well, I have people tell me all the time that they have thought about adoption at one time or another, and then they explain to me why they can't.  Fear is a powerful tool in the devil's arsonal.  It stops...on earth as it is in heaven.

This CHRISTmas I'm pondering how would the story have been different if Mary and Joseph let fear instead of God rule their hearts.  I mean - Jesus, born in a manger, wasn't Joseph's biological child.  Would he be considered Mary's biological child?  Just something to ponder this CHRISTmas...

Watch this heart moving video...
Deprived Indifference....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWHJ6-YhSYQ
 

So...Do you love him?

 
We've been home for almost 2 months.  WOW!  Most of the time Little Man seems like he has always been a part of the family.  Don't get me wrong, we are all still learning each other and the new rythym of our family.  But, it all just works.  Then there are times like when your social worker asks you "So, do you love him?" that you realize that you've only known him for 2 months.  No one has ever asked me that with my biological children.  It's just understood. And, the answer to that question was yes.  I do love him.  Is it exactly like "A" - no.  Is it exactly like "B" - no.  Do I love "A" like "B" or vice versa - no.  They are all different, and I love them all.

We've all come a long way in 2 months.  Little man is adjusting so well.  Hubby and I were commenting the other night at the dinner table about how Little Man seems to be so comfortable with us.  We have been trying to keep his world really small in order for him to learn and feel that we are his family.  When we do go out, our radars are on taking cues from him of when he has had enough.  He has been pretty easy to read, and has done wonderfully everytime we take him out.  Of course, we make sure that everyone gives him enough space.  And, most of the time, one of us is carrying him which helps.

His language skills are extraordinary, and he is so bright.  When we were picking him up at the orphanage, the director told us that his language skills were off the chart and that he was very smart.  At the time, we were like sure, sure, sure thinking that she probably says that about all the children.  But, now we know that she was telling the truth.  He has picked up the language really quickly and can already string 4 to 5 words together in a sentence.  And, he seems to understand most of what we say.  Communication was one of those areas that I really worried about, and I shouldn't have.  Now, we aren't having deep conversations or anything, and we still have a long ways to go before I would consider him compentent in the English language.  But, man this is his 3rd language, and I am just amazed.

He is very loving and easily gives hugs and kisses to the family.  We try to make it a point that he only hug and kiss us.  It is all part of teaching him that family is special and that we are family.  Everyone else gets high-fives, which has worked out well for us.  He loves to be carried and just hugged on.  Daddy still sleeps with him at night, which again, goes back to creating a special bond.  I did it for the first 3 or 4 weeks, but I wasn't getting much sleep.  He moves around quite a bit, so Daddy has taken over.  He doesn't require as much sleep as "momma".  It's been good for me too, as I have some time where I don't have someone "on" me.  When we started, our goal was to sleep with him for the 1st 6 months.  We'll probably just play it by ear.  Right now, it works.  And, I must say is the most special time that Little Man and Daddy have together.  Little Man will just lay in the bed and snuggle as close as he can possibly get to Daddy.  It's almost nose to nose. 

One of the areas that I read about, but didn't really think about much was the "survival skills".  This boy is really self-sufficient.  Usually, this is seen as a good characteristic, but it can be determintal to the connection/attachment process.  He has always had to do for himself.  We are slowly trying to show him that he doesn't have to go it alone.  That we are here for him.  I see him making progress in this area by leaps and bounds.  When he falls or gets hurt, he seeks us out to make it "feel better" even if it is a little fall, and we know that he really didn't hurt himself.   He also wants us to take him to the bathroom - and most of the time, we have to carry him to the potty.  Now, in about a couple more months, we will probably start discouraging this.  He totally did this on his own in Ethiopia.  But, for now, it works and I see it as positive that he either needs us there or wants us there.

He is just a joy, and I am so thankful that God chose us to be his parents.  This is an iron-man not a sprint, and we still have alot of growing and learning to do.   There are still hard times, and times when I analyze everything I did that day wondering if I did anything to screw up one of my kids.  But, I am confindent that God will lead us and that his grace is sufficient.
 

Homecoming

 
(okay...little behind...)

From the fullness of God's grace, we have received one blessing after another...
 
This is how I felt when we got off the airplane.  I can't put into words how I felt being home.  My cup overflowth.  To see God's plan come together, to have all my children together, to have family and friends there to support us, and to KNOW that God is sovereign is overwhelming.  I had done a great job holding it together on the way home, but after seeing everyone and feeling God's pressence and grace, I just couldn't hold back the tears.

We saw our girls first.  It was so good to see them.  I had missed them terribly, and I was so eager for them to meet their brother.

They both did so well and were so sweet.  They were thrilled that he could identify them and say their names.  It was very special for us to have a few moments alone before we introduced G to everyone. 

Daddy getting some love.

Now, it was time to introduce G to everyone...

We had a wonderful group of family and friends welcome us home.  Friends we've had for years, and friends that we have met through the wonderful adoption world.  We felt blessed.

Not only did we have a wonderful support group, but so did our girls.  All of the children were so eager to check G out.  They were just as excited as the adults were.  A kept wanting me to let G down so she could take him to go see her friends.  Now, my back was killing me, and I was beyond tired, but there was no way I was going to come this far and lose G in the airport.  Now, probably not realistic, but when you've only slept 5ish hours in the last 48ish and entertained a 3 year old at the same time, you don't think clearly.

After visiting for a bit, it was time to go home...YEAH!! 

Once we walked through our door, I felt like I could finally....EXHALE.  G could get down and run around, and he did.  It was Christmas time at our house.  We had made an alphabet book for him featuring everyday items around our house.  It paid off, because he recognized so much of it.  He ran into his room and just loved it!  The girls spent the next hour saying..."G look at this.  G look at this.  G look at this"  over and over and over.  They wanted to show him EVERY toy in the house.  I had to remind them that he is going to be here FORVER and that they needed to slow down.

They would pretend to be asleep and then yell and jump up.  They played this game several times.  Then, it was time for "real" bedtime.  I'm amazed he lasted till 8:00 pm. We didn't know how it was all going to play out, but it went great.  I'm sure little man was beyond exhausted.  I slept with him, and he did great.  He woke up once during the night to use the potty and then went right back to sleep.

He woke up happy around 7 am, and it was Christmas time all over again.

Welcome Home G!!

ET - Day 7 & 8 - Headed Home

 

We're packed and ready to go.

There are 4 other families with us on the same flight out of Addis.  It is such a blessing to have them with us.  We'll need all hands on deck to help in case G plays "chase me".

We leave at 6:00 p.m.  All of the other couples have babies, except for us and Markos (22 months), so they need to get there early in hopes of securing a bassinet on the flight.  Even though I am not looking forward to the 17 hour plane ride, I'm even more dreading the 4 hour wait at the airport.

We make it to the airport and through all the security and checks pretty easily.  As we check in, the man at the desk hands us our "Cloud Nine Lounge" card.  I had totally forgotten about this little perk of business class.  It proved to be a God send.  We hated to leave the group, but it was a necessity.  The lounge was very nice and more importantly very empty.  It was the perfect spot to contain G for 3 1/2 hours. 

 

Right before we were set to get on the plane, G was rubbing his eyes.  He was soooo tired.  This was going to be perfect.  He's tired, we'll give him some Benedryl, the plane will lull him to sleep, and he'll sleep for the 1st leg of the trip.  Right?!?!

We get on the plane, and all is good.

 

G has his very own seat in business class where he can stretch out and go to sleep.

 

The LeFebers and Kristen are just several rows back.  I'm not sure where the other 2 families ended up sitting.

Well...I think the Benedryl must have had an opposite effect, because he was WIRED.  He wasn't mad or sad - just absolutely bouncing off the walls - for HOURS!!!  It took everything I had to keep him from breaking his neck, because he would just jump in all directions without any thought to where he was going.  (S got a little snipit of this on his phone, but I cannot figure out how to download it here.)  And, I am pulling out everything from my bag of tricks.  Now, during all of this, S was having a 4 course meal across the aisle and chatting with his seat neighbor. 

During this time, I just kept thinking...well...at least he isn't screaming and crying.  After about 5ish hours (not typo) of bouncing off the walls, then comes the crying.  LOUD crying.  One of the flight attendants brings over a coloring book suggesting that maybe he would like to color.  It's about 4 am.  I'm telling you the Holy Spirit was in me, because I really wanted to say Coloring?  Really?  The child has just had his world turned upside down; he's scared; and he is exhausted; and you think coloring is going to help.  But, I just smiled and let her try.  Then, several others "help out".  It actually is very nice, but all I wanted to do was to let him cry and get it all out.  Not being mean...my thoughts were that it was like a pressure valve, and he just needed to get out those emotions. 

Finally, after about 2 hours or so (not typo), he stops and falls asleep.  Thank you Sweet Jesus!  I hurry up and take an Ambien.  I need to get some rest too.  I am emotionally exhausted.  I'm up after about 4 hours, and G is up right after me.  He has slept right around 5 hours.  He has recharged his battery and is back bouncing off the walls.  Only about 5 more hours to go!  And, I look over at S, and he is asleep.

When we land in DC, I am BEYOND ready to get OFF that plane.  Our group is still together, and we are all glad to check off that leg of the trip. 

We get through the million security checks.  Then, I can finally go to the bathroom and freshen up.  I at least feel human again.  We all eat at Five Guys.  It is soooo good.  G eats some fries, 2 bananas and some gold fish.  He is still going full steam.

We make it to our next flight and get a spot by the window.  YEAH!!!  We can sit and watch the airplanes take off and land.

 

We also got bumped up to first class, but the seats aren't together.  That's fine, because it is S's turn to manage G on the airplane.

G did much better on this leg - no crying but still somewhat energized and hard to contain in a seat.  I had given him the last toy from my bag of tricks prior to boarding the plane - a play cell phone.  Up until this point, I hadn't given him anything electronic.  He was all into the sounds.  I was a couple of seats over, and we were just starting our flight, when I heard the flight attendant ask, "Does that thing have a battery?"  S's reply, "Do you have a screwdriver?"  I could have busted out laughing. 

Later, when S was up with G for a potty break.  The flight attendant told S, "You really shouldn't be up."  S's response, "Do you want to clean it up?"

We finally landed in Atlanta.  The flight was only an hour or so, but I am sure the flight attendant was ready for us to leave.

We're killing a little time before our NEXT flight takes off, when they come over the loud speaker and say that the plane is delayed, because the flight crew hasn't arrived yet.  NO!!  Not delayed!  We ended up only being delayed about 20 minutes.

This flight is only 45 minutes long, and G is just awesome.  He is finally starting to run out of steam.  I mean the poor boy has only slept a total of 7 hours over the last 40ish hours.  Given that, he has done awesome!

When the plane lands, I think I am the first person up with bags in hand.  I am so ready to see my girls and get G home.

  

ET - Day 6 - Cultural Dinner

(Wednesday, August 25)

Today our plan was to hang out at the hotel and then go to the cultural dinner.  I'm glad that we didn't have anything during the day, because I only slept about 2 hours the night before.

It was great having S there to entertain G.  It was a much easier day where we could take turns coming up with ways to entertain G.  We did a lot of playing in the parking lot.  G really enjoyed a helicopter toy that I had gotten at the $1 Store.  We brought 2 - they break easily.  (We used one for our initial meeting.  It was a big hit!)

At lunch time, we met some other families at the restaurant.  G got the pasta again.  Luckily, Kristen has an extra bib that she let us have.  We didn't think to bring one, but the children are used to wearing one, and it helps with the clothes.  We are just making it with clothes.  The laundry service is key.  We use it everyday.

   

G ate the entire bowl of pasta.  At HH, they feed the children all the time and huge portions.  I'm sure they start doing it, because most of the children come very under weight.  Then, it just becomes comfort.  We'll have to slowly start working on correct portions once we are home, and the trust is well-established.  In the meantime, I am just glad he is eating.

After lunch, it was time to meet with Almaz to get all of our U.S. Embassy paperwork.  We all headed to the meeting room.  G did okay, but he was not going to be still or quite - typically 3 year old.  S decided to take him to go play.  I hated that it didn't work out for him to listen to what all Almaz had to say.  Her little speech was awesome! 

She did a wonderful job speaking on the whole adoption process, and saying how it is truly a miracle that these children ever make it to the adoptive family.  She went on to say that we are now the diplomats for adoption, not just for Ethiopian adoptions, but for all of the orphaned children of the world.  (Whoa!)  By this time, I was just trying to hold it together.  It's so hard to hear and really take in what the lives of so many children are like - what they have had to endure.  What the children in that room have gone through - where they come from - the sacrafices made - the pain.  It is overwhelming, especially when you are sitting there, and you NOW KNOW it to be true.  You've seen it, you've felt it, you've even smelled it. 

 

She reminds us that all of these children have holes in their story.  If they didn't have holes, they wouldn't need us.  Our job is to help them piece together the parts that we do know and to help them understand and manage.  It is hard stuff!  She is an amazing woman doing amazing stuff all for the glory of God.  I can't tell you how thankful I am for Hannah's Hope and All God's Children.  They ARE living out the gospel.  They ARE being the hands and feet of Jesus.

I head back to the room to find S & G.  The door is locked.  I look all over and I can't find them.  I end up sitting in the restaurant talking with another family about what all Almaz said.  After trying the room several more times and looking around, I decide to get another key from the front desk.  I didn't think they were sleeping, but I didn't want to take a chance by calling the room.  I get the key, and they are in the room.  Since it was going to be a late night, S was determined to get G down for a nap.  I am shocked that G really is down for a nap.  I congratulate S on a job-well done.  I am thoroughly impressed!

We finally have a chance to talk and look through all of S finds from yesterday.  It is nice to hear about the shopping experience.  Seegay from HH helped S out tremendously.  She was like his personal shopper.  Since everyone else went shopping on their first trip, S was really the only one with a big list.  He and Seegay were trying to do their best knocking out our list.  We didn't know if that would be our only opportunity to shop.  We had several items that we wanted for G.

Finally, it was time to wake G up.  I hated waking him.  But, he woke up happy and ready to go.  This boy doesn't need a moment to "wake up".  He wakes up full steam.  We get dressed and head down to the lobby to meet the rest of the families in order to leave at 7 pm.  We were extremely glad that the other families decided to join us.  They all had already gone.

  

G and I waiting outside for our bus.  We had to be able to see the makinas :)

  

We make it to the restaurant.  It's interesting because as we enter, there are guards with their metal detector wands.  The weather is perfect.

 

Everyone sits very closely around a common table.

S decides to try the honey wine.  I give it a taste, and quickly decide that I will just have a coke.  (Coke comes in a bottle there.  When you buy a coke, you are only buying the liquid itself not the bottle.)

 

Before they bring out the dinner, they come around so everyone can wash their hands.  They bring warm washclothes around at the end of the meal.

  

 

This is a picture of our "common plate".  It is custom to eat from the same plate.  You tear off a piece of injera (bread), and then scoop some food on it.  You do this ONLY with your right hand.  It takes a little practice.  The dark injera is called red injera.  It is higher in iron and is made with red teff.  The white injera is made with white teff.  The food was wonderful!!  I love Ethiopian food!!!  G was loving it too.  Of course, he had slept through his regular dinner time.

Not only was the food wonderful, but the dancing was amazing.  There are 9 different regions/states in Ethiopia with each one having it's own sound.  The dancers danced almost nonstop through all the different regions.  And, they would change costumes for each region.

 

 

 

 

What these men and women can do with their bodies is amazing.  It was so awesome to watch.  I just loved it!

G with Danny.  Danny is one of HH drivers.  He is amazing.  He knows each one of the children and has a genuine concern and love for them.

 

G with Seegay

She was so wonderful.  She sat by me the entire night explaining all of the music and what region it represented.  She also helped me with G alot.  She would help me feed him, so I could get a bite or two in.  At one point, she fed me.  It was kinda weird, but I just love that custom of feeding one another.

After several hours, the children were starting to fade.  They all did wonderful, but it was getting late.  We decided it was time to go.  We got back to the hotel about 10:30 or so.  We decided that S would put G down, so I could do some shopping in the lobby.

Now, there is a man that works in the lobby named Henry that can do your shopping for you.  He charges you what you would typically expect to pay out in the shops.  He was wonderful.  Stacy had used him on her last visit.  She was wonderful to show me the ropes and help me to finish off my list.  Helen joined us too for some last minute items.  We basically gave him the general idea of what we wanted, and we wrote it down.  The plan was that he would go out tomorrow and get a variety of what we wanted in order for us to choose.  (He has his own store front.)  The following day, we would meet him in the lobby and choose our stuff and then pay for it.  It was totally the way to do it, especially when you are short on time like us. 

When I got to the room, S openned the door happy.  G had easily went down.

We sat and talked for a little while.  We were both exhausted.  I took some Ambien in order to sleep.  I learned my lesson from the night before.  Even though I was completely exhausted, it was like I couldn't get my body to relax.  The Ambien was a "must-have" for me on the trip.

We all had a good day!  Thanks be to God!

 

ET - Day 5 - Just Hanging..

 
(Tuesday, August 24)

Today was just hard.  I miss my girls!  I miss having some space.  The tiny room is closing in on me, and G needs some space to move. 

  

Since we had a long list of items we want to purchase, and we didn't have a chance on our 2 days before we got G, we decided that S will go with the group shopping.  Some of the folks were going shopping, and some were going to HH.  Given G's age, we thought that it would be best not to go to HH.  We didn't want to confuse the situation further.

I tried to spend most of the day entertaining G outside.  (I am so grateful that it wasn't raining.  In fact, the weather was beautiful.)  There's not much space within our hotel compound, but there is a little parking lot between the main building and our building.

(Our room was the 2nd floor.  The laundry was right below.  The door is by the potted plant by the car.)

When we left HH, Almaz handed us a soccer ball to use.  Even though it did come in handy, it was kinda hard to use it.  The ground was slanted just enough that each kick usually resulted in me crawling under a car to retrieve the ball. 

 

 

We tried the blow-up beach ball I bought, but it was a little too windy for that.  Both of these would have been perfect to use in the open ballroom, but the ballroom was in use.  It was in use for basically the entire time we were there.

Luckily, one other moms decided to stay behind with her 22 month old, Markos.  G and Markos were great friends at HH.  We ended up blowing LOTS of bubbles.  It was so fun to see his excitement when he blew the bubbles, and then caught one back on his wand.

 

 

He is just too cute!!

 

 

  

I was so thankful that Kristen was there.  It was so nice to have someone to talk with, and she has 3 girls at home. 

 

G and Markos were so cute together.  We will definitely keep in touch.

After Kristen took Markos for a nap, and the bubbles were all gone, it was time for lunch.  On the way to the restaurant, I asked one of the staff to ask G what he would like to eat.  (The staff were awesome.  They all were eager to help.  They all knew G's name and would talk with him.)   Pasta it was.  It was fairly quick as the meeting downstairs was breaking for lunch, and G was starting to get a little antsy.  He ate every meal in either my or S's lap and with us feeding him about 80% of the time.  That was very important for bonding.

After pasta, it was back out to the parking lot.  We played alittle more.  One thing about this boy is that he doesn't want to walk.  Good for bonding, and I am thankful for that, but hard on the ol' back.  He is heavy, and he is complete dead weight.  As soon as I would put him down, he would say "up".  And, of course, like any good momma I would pick him "up". 

After the parking lot, I tired the room.  The room wasn't going to work.  How about a movie?  He was so not interested in a movie.  I thought that would for sure be a hit.  We ended up sitting on the front steps of the hotel.  The hotel security staff got me a chair, and we sat there watching makinas.  When a big bus would go by, he would yell makina.  He was content, and it was so neat seeing the excitement in his eyes with every passing big bus.

 

Seesay, our taxi driver, is out front and chats with us for a while.  I tell him how beautiful I think everything is as we look across at the green field with mountains in the background.  He proceeds to tell me that it is only beautiful if your life is beautiful.  He has been trying to get to the U.S. for years.  His brother is a professor in D.C.  He says that getting to the U.S. means that his family can have a better life.

These two pictures are from the front of the hotel. There are 2 busy roads in front of the hotel. The first one is about 20 yards from the front steps, so I have to hold on to G and be "on". He has no concept of the car danger and is known to play "chase me".

Also, we could people watch out in front.  People are constantly just walking by.  If they lingered too long, then the security staff would shoo them along.  For two days, I watched a man plowing the field walking behind an ox.

 

After about an hour or so, we headed back to the room.  As soon as we got to the room, S shows up with all of his finds.  He is excited to show me all of his finds, but it will have to wait - no room and G is ready to go back outside.  After being by myself with G for 5+ hours, I happily hand S the soccer ball; stretch my back; and sit in silence for a moment.  After about 10 minutes, they return.  Then, S and G head down to the restaurant for dinner.  I join them after about 10 more minutes of much needed quite time.  There are several families eating, so we have a good time catching up on everyone's progress.

Bedtime comes, and it is still HARD.  We're making progress though.  There's still crying, but it isn't ALL tears.  He will also pat the pillow for me to lay down with him on the same pillow.  Then, he will cover us up with the same blanket and put his arm around my neck.  It is really sweet and progress!  Of course, after a few minutes, he is back jumping around and crying.  The JOY of the LORD is my strength.  And I keep telling myself, that just because it is normal, that doesn't mean that it is easy.  I pray for G's peace and his trust.  He is doing so well, but we have a long ways to go.

We make it through another day!  Thanks be to God!

 

ET - Day 4 - U.S. Embassy Day

 
(Monday, August 23)

Luckily, I woke up before anyone else.  It gave me a chance to quickly get ready.  G woke up at 6:45, which was perfect.  He woke up happy, and we quickly got him dressed and headed down for breakfast.  I had the usual, 2 hard boiled eggs, and he had some french toast.  By 7:45, we were all on the bus headed to the US Embassy.  G seemed fine on the bus.  He just sat quietly soaking it all in.  Of course, he had his cup and my sunglasses for comfort. 

When we arrived, we passed through security and then sat outside on some benches for about 20 minutes.  G was good, but we definitely had to be on our toes.  Finally, it was our turn to go into the building.  We passed through some more security and went to a waiting room.  It was full of people, but not overflowing.  They had a little play area, and G occupied himself in there a while.  He mostly enjoyed coloring and looking at a book that I had brought.

Then, we heard - Bonners - window #9.  It was our turn.  We grabbed G and went upstairs.  It wasn't quite as intimidating as I had imagined.  It was kinda like a series of bank tellers behind glass windows, except #9 was a little more private and would determine whether or not G would be allowed a U.S.Visa.

The Consular was extremely nice and spoke directly to G.  We later found out that he had adopted a child from Ethiopia himself.  He had us raise our right hand, and then he asked us a series of questions: when did we meet G; if we knew what happened to his parents; if his dad showed up for court; and if we suspected any fraud within the process or agency.  After that, he spoke with us about the investigation that they had done.  He assured us that G's paperwork was correct and that he was fully ours.  He gave us G's birth certificate and some other paperwork.  He told us that G's visa and immigration papers would be coming to us via AGCI, and that we were NOT to open it.  The immigration officials would open it when we entered the U.S. 

The whole thing took about 7 to 10 minutes.  I couldn't help but tear up when he was saying that G was all ours. 

We were the 2nd family to go in our group, so we had to wait on the 6 other families.  Luckily it wasn't raining, so we could play with G outside in a small area.  That was a blessing as G really loves being outside.

As we all headed back to the bus, we were met by the same group of teenages who had helped us off the bus.  They all clapped and cheered for us when they learned that all of the children had passed and were headed to the U.S.

When we got back to the hotel, we decided that G probably didn't want lunch.  We had given him lots of snacks during the 2ish hour wait at the U.S. Embassy.  Instead, we "thought" we'd put him down for a nap.  He had been napping for 2 hours a day at HH's, and we knew he was exhausted.  Well, after about 45 minutes of trying, I gave up.  I tried to entertain him in the TINY room, but he wasn't having any of it.  FINALLY, S got back from lunch.  He was only gone for about 1 1/2 hours, but it felt like forever.  We decided that this boy needed some fresh air.  S took him outside, and I had a bite to eat - nothing like some peanut butter and crackers.

When they got back in the room, we decided that we would try a bath.  Deep breath!  I bribed him with some m&ms.  Even though he wasn't thrilled, he let us give him a bath using an hand-held shower head.  After that, we got dressed and went for dinner.  He loves the beef - injera - not so much.

We had Toy Story pjs for him tonight, and he was so excited to wear them. 

  

S had forgotten his shampoo, and had to go back and forth with my shampoo and G's African hair shampoo.  I don't think I have ever seen his hair so shiny.  It provided some much needed comic relief :)

S was going to try to put him down tonight.  Again, you know nighttime is going to be hard, but nothing quite prepares you for it.  It is HARD!  One minute I can hear them both laughing in there and the very next minute - crying - hard - like please don't throw-up hard.  I was just praying.  Finally, I went in the bedroom.  By that point, he was all sweaty and exhausted.  He quickly fell asleep in my arms.  After I KNEW he was asleep, I put him down in his bed.

We passed the U.S. Embassy, and we made it through another day!  It's all baby steps.  Thanks be to God!  The Joy of the LORD is my strength!  I pray for wisdom and for God's healing touch.

     

ET - Day 3 - Gotcha Day

 
(Sunday, August 22)

Today is Gotcha Day.  The day we get G FOREVER.

 

After breakfast (a couple of hard boiled eggs for me), we appropriately started the day going to church.  What an amazing way to start this monumental day!!  Wass picked up 14 of us, and we headed to IEC (International Evangelical Church).  We were a little early and was greated by Pastor Gary Thrett.  He is from North Carolina, and he had done mission work in Ethiopia in the early 90s before returning a couple of years ago to led IEC. 

   

   

It was an awesome feeling to be worshipping there in Addis Ababa, thousands of miles away from home, with people from all over the world.  On any given Sunday, many different countries are represented - as many as 60 can be there on 1 Sunday.  I was so aware of God's pressence in this place.  My heart was overflowing with praises, and I was so aware of how small I am, and at the same time, I was in awe of how big and great my God is.  Singing "God of Wonders" and "Mighty to Save" had more meaning than ever before.  And, even though the place was full, I felt like it was ALL for ME.

 

The entire worship theme for this Sunday was "Becoming A Person of Joy".  Many of the verses and songs were ones that spoke to me during our wait.  And, one of the verses in the sermon would help me during the upcoming hard moments - ...the joy of the LORD is your strength...Nehemiah 8:10

The service lasted about an hour or so, but I believe I could have easily worshipped for hours.

After church, we went to Kaldi's Coffee.  It is the Ethiopian version of Starbucks but about 1/12th the cost.  I don't drink coffee, but it was nice to visit with everyone one last time before we all got our kiddos.

 

After our little outing, it was time to go back to the hotel and get everything together for our informational and paperwork meeting with Almaz, Wass and Yohannes. 

 

Almaz is the director of Hannah's Hope and a rock star in the AGCI world.  Before you meet her, you feel like there's no way one person could be that great.  After you meet her, you realize that she truly glorifies God with her life and deserves rock star status.

  

  

We are making sure we dot all of our "I's" and cross all of our "T's" for our US Embassy appointment tomorrow.

  

  

 

Our group is ready to go get our children!!!

When we arrive, we park just outside the gates.  You can hear the children playing.  Then as soon as they open the gates, G comes bolting out.  He is ready to go.

 

 

He again comes right up to us and says Momma and Daddy and lets me hold him.

We had brought stickers for the children.  You can tell they get stickers alot.  They put them all over their body.  It makes perfect sense when you don't have paper readily available.

 

 

G with one of his special mothers

 

G with another one of his special mothers.  According to his paperwork, he had 4.  Unfortunately, I only got to meet 2 of them.  They work in shifts.  They love the children so much.  It is hard for them to say good-bye.

I am deeply grateful for the love that these women show these children.  It is amazing to see children's pictures of when they get there and when they leave.  Transformation is happening way before they get to come home. 

 

Upon arrival, G wanted my sunglasses.  And, he loved his new cup with cars (makinas) on it.  They don't use sippy cups there, but we thought it would be wise for the plane ride home.  The sunglasses along with his sippy cup proved to be two of his comfort items while in Ethiopia.

He is just so beautiful!  To think, HE came across the waiting children's list. 

G with Almaz

Even though children come and go, and there are about 60 children there at one time, she remembers each one's story and really seems to know their personality.

When it was time to leave, G said good-bye to everyone and was eager to get on the bus.  To say that this boy was intrigued by cars would be an understatement!!

He was all wide-eyed back to the hotel just asborbing everything.  When we got to the hotel, we had dinner.  He ate fine.  We shared some traditional tibs.  He wasn't into the injera though.  I thought all Ethiopians loved injera :)

We got to our room, and he was all wide-eyed wanting to check out everything!!!  We thought we would give him a bath.  He wasn't having anything to do with that, and we weren't going to force it.  It was initially hard to get his shirt off when it was time for pjs.  Once he figured out that he was changing into pjs, he happily let us change him.  We didn't even try to brush his teeth.

Now, G has been sleeping in a crib for the last 6 months, and now he has a bed - where he can get down and explore.  Transitioning from a crib to a bed can be tiresome all by itself, but throw that on top of a very active, energized 3 year old who wants to explore everything, then you get a small glimpse of what that first night was like.  He absolutely didn't want to go to bed or stay in bed.  From our adoption education, we KNEW that bedtime would most likely be very difficult.  Children will fight it, because sleeping is a time where they lose all control.  At this point, their bodies are the only thing that they do have control over.

After a little over an hour of trying and some crying, we decided we'd bring out the old friend, Benedryl.  Normally, we wouldn't have used this, but we had to be up EARLY the next morning for our US Embassy appointment, and he had been coughing quite a bit early.  Sleep was a necessity.  I'm not sure if it was the Benedryl, or if he was just done, but he finally fell asleep.  

I slept beside him in our bed and probably slept for about 4 hours.  I woke up with every little move he made.  I was thankful when he woke up and told me he had to potty, and then went right back to bed.

Happy Gotcha Day G!!!  We love you!!!!!!