NEWS!!!!!!!!

WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!!!!

We are needing to be in Ethiopia on November 22nd, 2011!!!!  This will be our court date for our two little girls!!!!  Steve and I will both be going, and an "as yet unnamed family member" will be staying with our great eight at home on the farm.  This will probably be about as close as Steve and I will ever get for an exotic honeymoon!  LOL!  What a crazy trip!

We don't yet know when exactly we will be leaving, that is all up in the air yet, though we are in touch with our travel agency - Susan Parr Travel does the most amazing adoption travel work you have ever seen!  I am so excited and so scared at the same time!

After court, Steve and I will fly back home, as of course we are needed there.  We are hoping that all goes smoothly and we are able to travel two to four months after passing court to bring our littlest girls home to their siblings.  So far, that is all we know.

If you could please pray for the following needs as we enter the final leg of this journey:

* we need to pay the final fees to the adoption agency, a total of around $8800
* we need to purchase airline tickets, we are unsure of the total as of yet, probably $3000 to $5000
* there will be fees of $808 payable to the Embassy I believe for processing of the next form for immigration.

We are awaiting our paychecks this week to send in the current immigration form needed.  Sigh.  They are coming, but they just aren't here yet.  It is a season of being wildly careful and trying to balance things that are way beyond our budget.  Those are the realities of adoption.  I hope some day we can fund someone's adoption!  What a blessing it would be to know of someone in the situation we are in now, and to just supply the need, on behalf of the children who need a family.  I would just love it!!!!

So, that is our good news!!!  Progress! 

And on another note, life is up to its usual adventures!  Alex was the Dad in the play Bridge to Terebithia with Evergreen Productions  this last week.  He was awesome in a very delicate role and his maturity really shone through.  Zeri was recruited from being a stagehand to being the school custodian for the show, and even had a costume.  He had so much fun!  Faith was the bunny who introduces the show and was just adorable.  We were the official "dog handlers" as there was a real dog in the show - he made it way easy as he is the most laid back dog ever.  As usual, the whole family was involved and it was great fun.

So much fun that several of the kids were at tryouts tonight for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with Evergreen.  As much as I hate to imagine any more running, the show is so great, the folks are so great, and the kids learn so much and grow so much, I just cannot turn it down!  I WON'T be in it this year (I was a telephone lady the last two years) because likely Steve and I will be en route to Ethiopia for the last show!

Tomorrow Faith and Tsion start singing lessons with a great lady.  They are so excited.  I cannot wait to see this new adventure.

Faith has gotten a puppy, all her own.  Dee-Dee is absolutely adorable and totally knows that she is Faith's puppy, needing to sleep on something that Faith wore if she isn't home.  It has been a time of really getting a glimpse into parenthood with a new baby, complete with sleepless nights.  Two weeks later, Dee-Dee is starting to sleep through the night, for which poor Faith is grateful (Mom and Dad took the puppy in their room one night so she could get some rest!).  I will post photos as soon as I can.  She is an English Cocker Spaniel/"something that looked like an Austrailian Shepherd mix" puppy.  Golden and with those curly little cocker ears.  White paws and a white stripe on her chest.  Not like we needed "something else going on", but it sure is fun.  (Our elderly german shepherd has been showing her age and doing more and more poorly.  We are hoping that she will improve, but it doesn't look likely.)  Faith and Zeri and Tsion are signed up for dog project in 4H and will take the dogs to dog training starting in January, so I am hopeful that all will learn some more manners.  Faith has read every dog training/raising/care book that we have been able to find, just devouring it, and then telling me all about what it told her to do to teach her puppy.  She takes her responsibilities seriously!  

Ben still is busy with soccer.  Solly had a bit of an adventure and so is not playing right now, but has gained a great deal of wisdom.  Let's just leave it at that.

Alex and Zeri are finishing up driver's ed, and I have to admit that I am GREATLY looking forward to having more drivers in the family - and we have acquired my dad's pickup truck as he has moved up to a fancy SUV - which he and Mom greatly deserve!!!!!  And we are grateful for a third vehicle that soon will be able to help with some of the running!!!!

I am trying to write more often, but have to admit that I am a bit sheepish about it.  I AM a published author a few times over, in a local magazine, but the thought of people actually reading what I write is still amazing.  I would love to write the story of our family's growth and adventures, but that is going to take some time!

Well, I have to admit, I am trying to learn to slow down some, as we prepare for this next phase of our lives.  The one thing I love about winter is that it grounds us at home a bit more, in theory anyway!

God bless you all!!!!



"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Can I finally share?????

Yep, I can!

After all the ups and downs of the last year, all the preparations of adoptions that did not happen, well, it is now signed on the dotted line!!!

We are going back to Ethiopia!  Hopefully sometime in the next six months.

We are adding two little girls to our family, to be loved on by all of us who are so excited!  The girls are sisters, the older one has Down Syndrome and is said to be two.  After looking at her photos and her walking, we think she is older than that.  The little one is six to twelve months, probably closer to twelve months.  We are so excited! 

God has moved in amazing ways, has made it totally clear and everyone is on board!  This time Steve and I will travel together - there is NO WAY I can manage two toddlers, immigration, luggage, customs and changing planes and all that by myself!  Ethiopia has changed their rules, and we will need to take two trips, one short one to meet the girls before court and one for visas and to bring them home!

Our application is in, that is all signed, the homestudy is being updated to an international one rather than a domestic one, and we are doing all our education work and all that.  I have more papers to fill out, documents to collect and all sorts of stuff to do.  Time to make some energy tea!

I am working on decluttering - having toddlers again will be something we need to be ready for, and we need to simplify life a little.  We are selling some of our ponies (the kids are too big for them anyway, but we also need less to care for), downsizing our goat herd some, and totally getting things organized!  The consignment store, and donation stores are our best friends! 

I am being totally smart and taking it one step at a time.  We know that we are working towards the next payment for the next step, one piece at a time.  I have seen God do amazing miracles and am sure that He will continue the good work that He has begun.  If you want to chip in, feel free - there should be a button on the sidebar to connect to our paypal for adoption fees.  If you look through posts, we are also making ceramic initial bears, handmade by the kids for their little sisters' adoption fund!  Feel free to leave an order, or send our link on to anyone who might be interested.  We are doing all sorts of ideas for fundraising! 

We are excited and totally in awe of this new direction!  I wish I could post photos of the girls, but we cannot until they are totally ours, and likely won't until they arrive home with us, just to avoid any difficulties!  I so wish I could share, they are so cute!!!!!  I guarantee that when we get home from Ethiopia with them we will post tons of photos!!!!

I had to laugh, because shortly after this all started, I realized that I have alternated between praying for a "baby" and praying for a "child with Down Syndrome" to add to our family.  In my heart, I meant ONE child, the same child.  God got the last laugh and gave me BOTH, but in two packages!!!!  He has SUCH a sense of humor!

Honestly, I have to let you know that the adoption journey and all the unknown cycles between the extreme highs and joy and the total fears and worries.  I have never met these kids, honestly don't even really know how old they actually are, or what we might face with them.  But, we didn't know what might come with any of our birth kids either.  I find that some days are up and some days are down.  Some days I wonder if I am absolutely nuts or if it is the best thing ever!  I know from past experience it will be better than I could ever imagine, will stretch me in ways I could never even imagine, and will be beyond belief.  I know that God will use this for more than I could ever imagine.  But in reality, the next year will be a wild ride.  So, bear with me if I am a little freaked out some days.  I will try to be transparent and honest, with the hopes that someone can glean something from our lives.  (And it may simply be "what not to do")  I just want God to use this for whatever He has in mind. 

Well, the kids have been helping me with sorting things out, getting stuff out to the van to be delivered, advertising what we are trying to sell, and generally being supportive.  So, I am going to make them pancakes!!!!!

Blessings to anyone who happens to stumble across this!!!

Christy

"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

The Present

God has given us all a present. It is the present.

No matter what our past, no matter the current or past hurts. No matter what.

We can choose to embrace the gifts from God, or we can choose not to.

I watch this with my adopted children. They all have past hurts that brought them to be adopted. Now, God has given them a family. They can choose to embrace it or not. As a parent, my job is to show them the beauty of embracing all the gifts, of looking for the silver lining in those clouds. I cannot make them choose it, but I can work to teach them and show them the beauty. And at some point I have to not take it personally if they choose to not embrace those gifts at times. I have to let them learn from their actions.

That is the hard part. Really hard.

Let me add, that this pertains to all my children, not just those born into our hearts but not through our bodies. I look at Kiley and see the hurts that she has endured with her chronic illness. That could scar her if she let it, just as my adopted kiddos' pasts could scar them. She needs to make the same choices. Alex and Faith have spent years living with this disease that at times totally places them secondary as we work to keep their sister healthy. There are times that they are not the priority because at the time, saving Kiley’s life is. I wish it didn’t sound so dramatic, but it has been at times. There are times they themselves have helped to save their sister from her disease. All three times we have had to call the rescue squad, Alex has called them, starting at age 10. My heart breaks for them. It could scar them just as my other kiddos histories could scar them.

And maybe that is the blessing that we keep teaching. Everyone has something. Everyone. Or someday they will. No one is immune. So, you can either move forward and embrace the gifts, or you can leave them still closed, sitting in a corner.

I lost my father as a child. My mother remarried when I was an adult. The gift to me was the wonderful love my stepfather has for my mother, the way he cares for her, and extra special is the love he has lavished on my children and my family. That is the blessing. I choose to embrace that gift totally. I could spend the rest of my life wallowing in the loss of my father and all that I would like for him to be part of now, or I can embrace what I do have, which is truly an amazing gift, more than I could ever ask for.

Yes, I have a loss. But it has brought me gifts if I will choose to see them. Perhaps empathy with my children who have lost a parent and come to us through adoption. Perhaps as I have walked with others through their own losses, I just have experiences that make it a gift, even if I don’t know it all.

So, how do I help my children learn to embrace the gifts they do have? It is a frustrating struggle sometimes. It is very hard to watch them learn things the hard way. To watch them miss out by choice. But the gift is when they do join in, when they do make steps forward, when they show signs of healing. This is a very long journey with them, with each child, no matter how they came to us. But there are gifts with each step, with each frustration. Sometimes it needs to be searched for very hard.

The child who after 2 ½ years is still struggling with the same phonics, no matter how I present it, all the various ways we have tried it. That is the negative. The positive is the hope for him, how hard he works at it, the rejoicing in each little step, and maybe some days, the patience I am being taught.

The child who can’t quite bring themselves to truly enter in, who appears moody, and at times simply apart. The gift is the moments when that child enters in, the laughter, oh so sweet because there are times it is totally absent, the joy when the child completely interacts with us.

The financial struggles at times, - they remind us so of what is really important and how wealthy we truly are. And when the car bill has been paid, the quarterly gas bill paid, my annual work dues paid, well the relief at knowing that we got it done. Hard work equals our life. It is all worth it. And what we see as financial struggle is generally minor discomfort, not true struggle. I have enough food in the house to feed us for at least a month without need for much of anything outside our larder – maybe not always our favorite meals, but healthy nutritious meals to fill the bellies of all ten of us! That is wealth. So many people in the world cannot do that. It is crazy wealthy, the rest is all minor passing inconvenience or the sacrifices we make for our family.

And the best gift of all, the most eternal. The love of our Saviour, His sacrifice that we can never deserve. That is the basis for all that we do. Our good works can never save us, only the true grace of the Lord. But also, “faith without works is dead”. If we believe in our salvation, it simply must change how we live. And that isn’t always comfortable, but I have seen God do amazing miracles in lives all around me, stretching people into places they never dreamed of, and along with it, into amazing richness!

Long days, long season

You ever have one of those seasons that you know must just be gotten through, but the getting through gets so tiresome? I think that sums up where we are right now. Good news and bad news. Can I start with the bad news?

Just crummy hours over booked, overworked and no way out. I think that covers it. I know, I know, I know why we are doing this, and it is working - we are watching the adoption fees owed go down day by day nearly. But did you ever reach a point where you just didn't think you could make your self do it one more time? Yeah, that is it. Maybe it is spiritual warfare, but I am the rat stuck in the wheel and very tired. Looking forward to seeing that ZERO balance due and then I am so much done!!!!

The good news, which is actually really, really good.

On a health front, we finally got in to a doctor who knew what was making our youngest repeatedly sick and the cure did not involve surgeries and likely not even medications!!! Praise God. We are working on that and seeing progress already!!! Whoo-hoo! Wish we had seen this same doctor six months ago (and several thousand dollars ago).

And older daughter who had broken the top of her tibia, in her knee, on Good Friday, is finally weight bearing and seeing progress now that she can do that!! Again, great news. We will be taking her to physical therapy for quite some time (add that to the intensity) as we have been, but it will get better!

The four kids who are playing soccer this year - the only one who didn't want to play broke her knee to make sure mom and dad didn't try to convince her! LOL! Not really, but is is a funny coincidence. Anyway, soccer practice starts this week, and of the four kids, we had three pairs of cleats that fit our rapidly growing crew!!! Whoo-hoo again!!! Only one pair to buy! Whoo-hoo! And the excitement of soccer is huge! This soccer mom sort of cringes as we have four kids on three teams, but it is also so much fun!!! Hooray for soccer season - now the kids can quit counting down and making me loony!

The silly chickens are very prolific as are our milking goats so that really adds to the family larder! The chickens are free range - their eggs are so much tastier and healthier - but the downside is that it is a daily egg hunt!!! And when the egg count dwindles, it means that they have found a new hiding spot!!! LOL! Five kids are really good, but those chickens are amazing!! The count has been down the last couple days (over ten a day, but down from the 15 to 20 we had been getting) so we knew that they had found another spot! The two eldest were dispatched to go hunt! Mighty hunters found 38 eggs in addition the the usual!! Whoo-hoo!!!!!! We left one small nest in a good spot so hopefully the hen will raise a batch of chicks for us! It is so cute to have the little peepers wandering around and then growing into good layers (or dinner) for us! The egg hunt will continue - it adds to the adventure! And having goat milk again is so nice! I forgot how much I missed fresh milk!

Our fundraisers for the adoption have been wonderful, doing well. I don't know what we will do next but we finished our donut sales and will be selling daylillies a friend cleared out of her garden! If you are in the area and want daylillies, they are huge and we have about 80 of them!!!! We don't have a set price, just are accepting donations - so you name what you can afford and I will get them to you!!! LOL! What a great gift! It has been encouraging in a tiring time to have some support - oh, and two families have asked us to help them find out about adoption and to get started!!!! I am so excited! We meet with one family next week and I can lay out all that we have done, the requirements and all! Our greatest hope, beyond getting all our kids under one roof, is that we can somehow help others to adopt or to consider adopting a child who needs a loving family. I am so excited that we can do this!!! So, we are on top of the world about that all!

We go to Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday for our fingerprinting appointments for Immigration approval. That is Zeri's birthday so we are taking a family outing and going to an Ethiopian restaurant there!!!! Yummy!!!! And, finally, our documents from the Secretary of State have come back authenticated!!!! Really, really fast!!! Last night I so happily assembled our dossier and contacted the courier company!!! I emailed them and gave my cell number, asking if anyone by chance was in to call me any time day or night on that phone. And about 11 this morning (Sunday) I got a call from them!!! They were able to explain what we needed to do, that it actually would cost less than we had thought, and that once we get it to them, it can be done and on its way to our adoption agency in 48 hours, so it should be there before the end of the week!!!! Whoo-hooo!!!! Praise God!!! This is all going so fast!!!! I am hopeful that the dossier can be in Ethiopia before the end of the month, and on its way being translated!!! We could be looking at a potential court date in June, maybe July (hopeful for June!!!). I am so excited!!! We got new photos on Monday and the three kids now know each other - we have several photos of the three together!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! So, that is my hysterical excited rant on this end. Now we just need to pray that God will help us get the funds in time!!! No hyperventilating allowed! I hate that part. I know we can get it done, it is going so much faster than we had ever even hoped!!! Maybe soon we will have our children home!!!! God is good!

So, life will continue its current craziness, but the end is in sight - though I don't know when yet.

Decisions.....

"I had a dream last night but it was a dancing carrot, so it didn't help anything."

This statement from the ever pragmatic 11 year old eldest daughter in the house.

Just when you wonder when you will hear from God, what is the direction to take, and it seems that all you hear are the crickets in the silence, that is when God speaks.

Okay, if you didn't understand the crickets reference, let me explain our family's viewpoint (by the way, the kids came up with this long ago, not me). We live in a very rural area (hooray), and at night, very few vehicles go by, and we are pretty far back from the road, by most standards. So, at night, when it all gets quiet, the crickets are so amazingly LOUD!!!!! Seriously, there are some nights where you think that maybe you won't be able to sleep because of the crickets (unless you think like me and are determined that they must be a lullaby). Don't even begin to mention the spring peepers - the smallest little frogs ever, loud enough to really make you think you are going deaf when they are in full season. Anyway, back to crickets. When we ask the kids a question "who wants to - some chore/volunteer/etc" there are times you hear a quiet chorus from the kids of cricket noises. That is their version of silence - of course it collapses into giggles. So, we use the sound of crickets to signify silence, when you are listening super hard for something and all you hear are the crickets.

Anyway, if you have followed my blog the last week or two, you probably know that we are in the midst of a really hard decision. We know that we are bringing home two boys in our next adoption, but the opportunity came up to adopt a third child, a special needs waiting child. The problem is, there are many such children available. Hence the agony of even considering. When you get down to just a couple who speak to your heart, well, how do you choose? You weigh things back and forth and just struggle.

Well, there were some things that were pretty clear in our family. We cannot adopt older than our oldest biological child. Pretty much a straight adoption rule. Makes sense as messing with that child's birth order can really wreak havoc. And our eldest biological daughter (oldest of the only two girls in the group) was really adamant that she didn't want any more girls in the family (not Mom and Dad's perspective by the way) and certainly NOT one even remotely close to her age.

Now, you have to understand, Kiley and Zeri struggled for the longest time. They are similar in personality, and Zeri is a little older than Kiley. It was a really big deal. But now they are really close and it is so wonderful to see. And I am grateful, because they could make us all miserable when they were at it. I had dearly hoped that they would simply declare a truce, that would have made me happy, I never really dared to dream that they would become such great pals - I am a blessed Momma and I know it!

There are some things in a family that just really cannot be messed with.

So, we were presented with several options and tons of information. We ended up ruling out many children right off the bat, one reason or another. But came down to three left. Two were girls, one a toddler with significant special needs and one a girl about a year younger than Kiley with medical special needs.

Well, Steve and I had talked and weighed things back and forth and decided that the older girl would not be a good fit, simply because of the age and possible friction issues. But we weren't settled on the toddler either. I emailed our wonderful lady at the adoption agency and told her we could not take the girl. She told me that she had already put a DVD into the mail to us of this same girl, it would be at our house shortly. Okay, whatever.

Mail came and there it was. I pulled it out, but wasn't even going to look at it. Neither was Steve. Then we got the kids to bed and were finishing up emails and whatnot. Well, why not pop it in? It's sitting right here.

So, I did. Pretty soon Steve is watching over my shoulder and I am nearly in tears. And who should show up but Kiley. Now remember, she knew we had said no to this situation because of all the birth order/gender issues. Well, she silently watched it to the end, coming closer throughout.

At the end, she said, "I know this sounds funny and that you are going to laugh at me..." And I just held my breath. I could feel every hair on my body standing on end, even more so than it had during the video. "I would choose her. I know what I said about it before, and it makes no sense, but I would choose her.".

Talk about not taking a breath.

So, now back to the whole carrot comment: Tonight, again as the kids are tucked into bed - there must be one good thing about being diabetic - when you come downstairs (again) after bedtime, but to check your sugars, Mom and Dad are really understanding and attentive - she logs lots of extra time this way and it is also the time when we have some of our most amazing talks.

So... She asked us what we thought about this child after sleeping on it overnight. Cricket, cricket, cricket - as I looked to Steve and he looked to me - we hadn't even been able to talk about it yet today.

"I had a dream last night but it was a dancing carrot, so it didn't help anything." To which we just stared at her and then laughed. But then this child went on to say how she still thought it was the right fit, no matter what we all thought had been decided before. this coming from the kid who is as stubborn as her mule - and by the way, they MEAN it. (At our house the kids get a vote on issues, but Mom and Dad get at least 10 each and everyone knows it - we want to know what they think, and then we will go ahead and make our decision.)

We chatted about it a little and then sent her to bed. Now you have to understand that hubby and I have not been able to talk about this since bedtime last night. And we generally have to work our way through things - and he isn't one to leap - though I am, all the time.

So, I asked him, "So, I guess we have to make a decision about this." To which he said, "We're way past the point of making a decision."

So, after all that we have struggled with the last few weeks, it seems that God has finally shown us the right direction, and once again through the words of a child. He performed the miracle in a child's heart, and all things are possible. And the amazing thing, the thing that keeps me knowing we are on the right path, is that there is complete agreement here. And no, I don't mean the kids - again they get a vote, we get a voting block and veto power. But there is finally total peace and direction. That was the feeling last night too, that God had spoken and we had been able to witness it. Unreal, surreal, amazing.

God works in the most amazing ways. Not really sure what the carrot dream had to do with it, but it was too funny!

(By the way, Mom and John, way in Arizona, this is your birth announcement of another granddaughter! Now I expect the phone to ring soon!)

Why there is so much to do...

I was just reading a blog of a woman who recently returned from Ethiopia after adopting three sisters. She expressed very well what I have had such a hard time facing and putting into words.

We long ago knew that we were supposed to be "the hands and feet of Christ", that for our family, that meant action. I'm not very good at sitting still - now all my friends can quit laughing or shaking their heads. I don't understand theory, but I do understand action. If there is a problem, well, something must be done. I get very frustrated with discussing things. Committees are not something I can be part of - the hands on action - oh, yes, but talking about it, no.

When we adopted Zeri and Solly, our eyes were opened to the intense needs all over the world. We had always known of them in a vague sense, but this was concrete. It see it, to smell it, to be right there and be unable to do anything (though many argued that we were doing something), it was so hard. And to come home to our affluence (even though we are far from it by American standards, we live very simply and like it that way, well, it was overwhelming. And to have the resources that we have - our home, our knowledge, my specialty with special needs kids, all of that - left us feeling that we were not done. And we aren't. I don't know that means. It does mean that we are on our way for A and A. It seems to move at a snail's pace some days, but that is the way it goes. I know that we can offer help for the older A. I know that what is truly a life threatening disease (diabetes) is manageable here, not well at all there. And without the hope of an adoption, eventually, A would be turned out, and I don't know that he could get the insulin his life depends on. What is so frustrating is that our fridge stores several vials of insulin, sitting right here! We have all the syringes, the testing supplies, everything (Kiley uses them, but we could so easily have enough for both within days). And I cannot get to him fast enough. As we see Kiley go through things, I think constantly of A - what care is he getting, how are they handling these things for him? I just cannot even ask. I know his prescriptions, and I know that he is terribly thin. I know that this is a result of very high blood sugars and I know what it is doing to his body for both the short and long term. And the need to rush is so intense.

So, all I feel that I can do right now is to raise awareness for other kids, to work my butt off (really tired right now as I have the opportunity to work extra hours - every hour moves us closer to bringing the boys home), to spread the word of the need of all these kids. Please pray for all the kids all over the world who suffer, here and all over. Please pray that we all will be able to look beyond what seems to make sense in our affluent life. The wealth that we all have, even when it doesn't feel like it in these economic times, is life for so many. I know that there are so many kids who will be left behind, because they aren't perfect or have issues, they will be determined to be unadoptable and left behind, sometimes to die. Please pray, please allow God to speak to you about what you can do, please show support for families who are stepping out to do this. I have such a hard time explaining why we would do this - knowingly adopt a child with needs, knowingly adopt older children instead of a baby, why even with five kiddos, two already adopted as older kids, and one bio kid with medical needs - haven't we done enough?

No.

What if we could save one more? What if one more could know the love of a family, the hope for a future, the opportunity to grow up in faith? How could anyone turn away? If it means that we don't have new furniture? If it means that we don't have new TV's or fancy clothes? If it means we live in a house that we are working on? If we don't have the fanciest or the newest thing? If it means that we budget carefully? It is a no brainer. Of course we don't need those things. What a blessing of growing children, growing in faith and in love. Nothing material will ever be an even exchange - it is just stuff, transitory.

So please go to this blog link, as she shares her heart so well. I wish I did. It is all so hard, and I can only face trying to put it into words a little at a time. There is a video at the end that is truly heartbreaking, but really puts it into perspective about doing "something". Everyone can do something, no matter where they are, no matter their situation. Sometimes it is just hard to see.
Putting it into words

Insight into Ethiopia

Check out this blog posting from a medical missionary in Ethiopia: owlhaven ethiopia

It reminds me so much of what we saw in Ethiopia - if you go down, I commented on there too. Just in case you were interested.

Shout to the Lord!

I was really struck today, sort of out of the blue. Thank goodness, not by a flying ball, a kicking horse, or anything like that, but instead by sheer gratitude. You know, some days I am so absorbed in what the day to day needs of my family's life are, that I don't exactly see the big picture. Well, today the big picture hit me square between the eyes.

I have been in a season of really working to find my way in our new family constellation, to complete all that must be done, and to get ahead - not financially, but I would be thankful for getting ahead on the laundry!!! LOL! At least now it is generally closer to caught up. And I sometimes actually do have dinner thought out prior to throwing it together, I do actually have a plan in mind, with all the ingredients, before five minutes to wanting to put it on the table. Now if someone wanted to take me out for Chinese food or something, I would be thrilled to put my plans away for later (hint, hint). Though on the other hand, way out here in the boonies there are no wonderful Chinese restraunts. So that saves the budget and my waistline! But I digress. The point is, I have been busy in DOING all that needs to be done.

No, that does not mean all my dishes are done, or that my kitchen floor doesn't need a good wash. Not by a long shot. But I am getting things somewhat feeling like they are in a rhythm. And learning to be a mom to three boys (increased from just one) and two girl, all ages 8 to 13, so three are hitting puberty hard at the same time. Whew! Two boys comparing fuzz on their lips - just wait Mom, look in the sunlight, if I tilt my head just right! And one girl having places growing and curving that Mom and Dad really weren't ready for!!! And all the entailing hormones and drama. Whew. And the little two, both eight (boy and girl for anyone who doesn't already know) are now glued at the hip for most things. They are currently outside making a jumprope out of old twine from the hay bales - good recycling!

But it has been a season where I am doing and doing. And loving it, but sometimes you get so involved in the day to day that you forget the big picture. Even when you lived it.

Two of my sons are adopted from Ethiopia, a wondrous and beautiful country full of heritage and strength. Did you know that Ethiopia is the only African country never colonized? Yep! They were invaded by Italy early in this century and they were overwhelmed for a bit, and then chased those Italians out. No slam on the Italians, but kudos to the Ethiopians, who were definitely the underdogs. And Ethiopia was linked to Israel and the house of Solomon from the time of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. Yep, the Queen was from what we now call Ethiopia! And their son was the first of the ruling line. Until just recently their royal house was supposedly a direct line from those two ancient figures. The Ethiopian script looks much like Hebrew to me, and much of the language is considered a Semetic language. They are a very Christian nation, mixed now with Muslim, but a larger percentage Christian than any other African nation. OK, enough history and stuff. Here in American we have seen the photos, videos from Ethiopia from the 1980's and on. How many of us don't have seared into our memories the starving children from Ethiopia? Other African nations as well.

So, we have such mixed messages. But much of the sadness is true. I read and learned before I went, and I just thought I was prepared. But, the reality and the enormity was just beyond words. Again I digress.

We have a long story about how we came to adopt internationally, mostly an amazing testimony to the strength and power of our Lord, because this was surely not our plan, and surely beyond what we could do. But the story of seven orphans came to the attention of a member of our church, who mentioned it in one small bit of the end of a message to the church. Fast forward to me, homeschooling, homesteading, Wisconsin girl, never left the US, on a plane to Ethiopia! I have to tell you I spent a great deal of time asking God how this was happening. It was surreal. Believe it or not, I was in Germany (yeah, Eric, I know, you go there all the time!) for a bit, then on another plane with a quick stop in Khartum Sudan (held my breath the entire time while we watched huge anti aircraft guns around the airport, UN trucks and a UN compound, and many many soldiers with machine guns), and then on to Addis Ababa Ethiopia. What was I doing there???

I am not a hero, I did not rescue my sons, I did not take pity on anyone. I would say that we did see a need and felt called to it. But, over and over I tell people, we got the greatest blessing (sometimes very loud and even aggravating), but truly we got the best of the bargain. How it all came about was so far beyond what we could do, so many people helped to make it possible. And now I have two very dark sons mixed in with our other children. And it is a blessing, even when it is a challenge. And it is a challenge. But, it is the greatest honor in the world being the mother of all these children.

It really struck me when someone linked me to Idol Gives Back 2008 where the Idols sang Shout to the Lord. First of all that it was sung so beautifully on national television!!! Praises! But also as they share the needs and the photos, I see in my mind my trip. I see those so many who have so many needs the world over. I have to admit that it really pulls on my heart to see children who look like my sons who are in need. How could it not? It reminds me that my life is about something bigger. Much bigger. SomeOne thought I could do this, with His help. (Not perfectly or without mistakes by the way!) We can do this. There is so much need. In our towns, our states, our country, our entire world. Somehow or another our path has taken a turn I never would have guessed at. But our lives, all of us, can make a difference. God asks us to. And it doesn't have to be flying to the other side of the world!!! LOL! I am so humbled and grateful that God has blessed me with this calling. It is my calling, I am definitely best at this, but that does not mean every moment of every day. And each and every day I have to ask God for the strength to do this wisely, as He would have me to. I do want to improve each and every day. But we are all part of something bigger and wider.

Makes my dirty kitchen floor not quite so depressing, doesn't it?

Sometimes it takes something that reaches out to touch us, to really strike us, to remind us that we are more than laundry, dishes, meals, lessons, sweeping. We are beings called by God to His missions, and each one is different. For someone who doesn't believe in God, well, this may be a way that I try to make myself feel more important. Maybe so. Maybe it does give me a way to feel that I impact things. I can accept that. But I also know that it is more than that. It is more than that for all my children, not just those that we adopted, not just those that we loved and fostered. I hope that God used us to weave into the big tapestry. I hope that He can use me, small person that I am, to do something lovely for Him.

So, this is the YouTube post of that wonderful song from American Idol. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chXEraRnE4o&NR=1
Check it out and let God speak to you however He might. Sometimes it feels that He is silent, sometimes we just aren't listening. He is in the whispers, in the daily small evidences. And He is in the big things.
Love to all!