We are officially approved!

WE received word today that our home study was officially approved. We should have a letter stating our approval shortly. We will use it to apply for grants with a variety of private organizations. Things are getting more and more exciting!

Christmas in Ethiopia

We received in the mail yesterday a video from our agency, Holt International. It is a video they took in December of their center in Addis Ababa the capital of Ethiopia. They were celebrating Christmas with the orphans they had in that center. It was about a 30 minute video. We counted about 21 kids. They were mostly all younger, I would guess about 2-4 years old. There was one child who looked to be about 8-10, and there were maybe 5-6 infants. They gave the kids presents, and they ate cake and other food. It really brought to life the adoption in a deeper way. To think that we were possibly watching our child playing and eating, really was cool. The kids were so sweet looking. I wished I would have been there myself to hold some of them on my lap. God is moving.

Home study

We had our last meeting in home yesterday. Everything went great. We should have our approved study in a week or two. Our social worker was very nice. She was an adoptive parent herself having adopted a son from Bolivia and a daughter from China. She also has 3 biological children as well who are all grown I believe she said. She was very knowledgeable and friendly. I enjoyed watching her interact with our kids as she asked them questions. Of course Christian had to have some fun at our expense as he told her we had Jack Daniels hidden in our kitchen. I dont know what that boys mother has done to him! (haha)

She and her husband started a work in Bolivia as they ran an orphanage for years. If I understood her correctly they are now doing some work in Kenya. She was able to offer us some insight into what an adoptive child has to go through. One thing that is difficult for many to understand, is that while the adopting family is excited and overwhelmed with feelings of love and joy typically, the child is dealing with a deep grief. A grief that manifests itself in a variety of ways that the less discerning will miss. Please pray for our child/children that God will provide. Pray for their loss and pray for our wisdom in loving them and understanding where they are at in any given circumstance. Bottom line, its not about us, its about them.

So the world may know

Its Valentine's day and I want the world to know what I think of my wife after 20 years of marriage. Here is my song to her. Follow this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjfq0Fr85Yg

So the world may know

Its Valentine's day and I want the world to know what I think of my wife after 20 years of marriage. Here my song to her. Follow this link.

Home study

Well we now have our final in home interviews and safety inspection set up for this Friday 2/13 at 3pm. Olga has been replaced due to remaining on medical leave, by a lady named Rhoda. We spoke with her last night, she works with the agency but she is also an adoptive parent herself. Lisa and her talked for 20-30 minutes last night. She seems really nice. Hopefully we will have our home study finalized and approved then by months end. It will be very nice to finally have this step behind us.

Letter from an orphan

I am reading a book titled " Fields of the Fatherless" by C. Thomas Davis. In the book he has a letter written by a Russian orphan who was visited by some Americans. I think his words are quite poignant, let me share them with you.

" I hated my life since the third grade when I was unmercifully beaten. I felt then that life is lost and death is looking for me. And my tears were telling me that life was nothing in comparison with death. I felt like a little cockroach, which responds in fear when seen.

A bunch of American people came to our school. I thought these people wanted to laugh at us. But I was mistaken. They are people willing to give up the most precious gift a person can possess, love. Their intentions to share seemed strange as they had their own kids. But these people have such big hearts to give that there is still enough room even for us little cockroaches.

Then I began to feel myself not a cockroach anymore which deserved to be killed, but a little human being. It is a wonderful feeling believe me. "