Be still and know that I am God

I was just sitting in my living room watching my kids play with Lillibet-Joy, we were playing a cd of kids music, songs like Lion King, Chitty chitty bang bang, This little light of mine etc etc.  My oldest son Joshua who is 19 was dancing for her, she had her on his shoulders, then my youngest Hope who is 11 was doing the same.  Lisa was there and Charity also, it was so funny watching them all playing.  Lillibet was giggling and just loving all of them.  I began pondering all that we have gone through these almost past 2 years raising funds, mounds of paperwork, doubting at times if we would ever get there.  My eyes began to peruse my living room where my wife has hung many inspirational plaques, they kind of make up a border of sorts.  My eyes fell on one plaque in particular, its message brought me into a moment of worship.  A time to thank God and praise him.  The plaque simply said, " Be still and know that I am God".

Video of Mommy making Lillibet-Joy laugh at Hotel in Ethiopia

This is so funny, it was only after being with her a few hours over a few days, we really started to see her personality as she began to feel safe with us.  It was priceless and very precious to both of us. Just click on the link below.



you tube- Lillibet laughing with Mommy

Da da da da

This is a video of something amazing. This was taken in our hotel room in Ethiopia. We had only been with her a few hours over a few days when this happened. It was a gift from God. You can hear Lisa and I in the background laughing/crying. It was such a sweet moment we were both laughing and crying at the same time. Up to this point she had hardly verbalized any sounds at all let alone words. WOW!

Transformed

As I have thought about all that our daughter has seen, experienced, felt, tasted, smelled and lived through these past few weeks, I was struck with how this for her is very similar to something else. She has traveled over half of the world to find her home. Her life is completely transformed. She now lives in a home large enough to offer her her very own bedroom. She has food anytime she wants or needs it. All of her physical needs are met. She is loved wildly by so many I am excited just to type these words. The weather is completely different than what she is used to. The clothes she wears, the places she goes, just everything is completely different. She has been planted into a family and is now a part of it as if she had always been a part of it. This is exactly what God does for those who have accepted him. Those who have yielded their lives and humbled themselves, realizing that like every other soul on the planet, they have sinned (missed the target). They need a Savior and they accept Jesus and what he willingly gave up for them. In this acceptance of this free gift, they find their lives transformed. They find that they have been grafted into a new family, Gods family. They have a loving Father who takes care of them and cares for them. They find themselves surrounded by loving brothers and sisters who love them fully. I think this picture of adoption, and how it compares to how God adopted us, is so beautiful, I can only smile when I ponder it.

Few more pics

The room we met her

This is the sacred place where God brought together a little girl and her parents for the very first time. There are no words eloquent enough to express the amazing time that it was. God is so good!

I will never leave you

This week as life has started to return to normal, all of our kids off to school, I off to work, Lisa has shared how Lillibet has been very clingy to her. When she leaves the room even for a brief moment Lillibet begins to cry for her. When we are all home and the normal West house craziness is going on, drums playing in the background, dog barking at people coming in, video games playing, parents sharing their day etc etc, she seems to be ok. But those moments when the house is quiet and it is only her and Lisa, its then that her fear comes out. I can only imagine what she has gone through in her short life. Too many farewells for one so young. As I have thought about this these past few days, I have been reminded of how God has said he will never leave us or forsake us. What a loving and merciful Father we have. Remember that today.

More photos

A sign over the Docters office at the center in Ethiopia

Lisa and beautiful Ethiopian landscape

Daddy with his gorgeous daughter

What a smile

Mommy, Daddy and our precious little one

Mommy and daughter

How great is God

I was just watching tv and heard this passage mentioned. I thought that it was particularly appropriate as I sit and watch my 2 daughters and wife playing with Lillibet-Joy in my living room. Almost 2 years and $25,000 later its words speak eloquently to us all. Let me ask you, what is your mountain to climb, what challenges are you facing, trust in him, he will see you through. Here is the verse.

Jer 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?


Just dont give up even when thats all you want to do. My God is faithful!

She is home!

We are home safe with our new precious bundle of Joy. We are just settling in and have much to do so this will be a short update. Sorry we could not update while traveling, very limited access. She is a doll, traveled great, loving her brothers and sisters already. Will share much more including photos and maybe videos later. Love to all.

Someone in need

We had someone come up to us in church today and handed us a $100 bill. I started to tell them they did not have to give us anything and they said it was for someone in need. We are to find someone who is in need and give it to them. Please pray that God brings us to the exact person or persons in the exact moment in time that we are to meet their need. Its yet another exciting part of this journey we are about to embark on. I am picturing in my mind a Christian woman who maybe takes care of orphaned children and who right now is praying and asking for God to meet a specific need that maybe, just maybe we will be able to meet by passing on this donation. I just cant wait to see God work.

1 week left

Only one week left until our plane takes off in Cleveland. This time next week we will be in New York City for a 10 hour layover. We hope to be able to see a few quick sites as neither of us have ever been to New York. We had wanted to see the Statue of Liberty but our flight arrives at JFK around 105pm and the last Ferry leaves at 2pm. We have been told we wont have time to make it there so we are not sure what we will get to see. We both cant believe we are so close to meeting our daughter. We cant wait...

2 weeks left

I cant believe in less than 2 weeks we will be in Ethiopia. It is so amazing to ponder all that God has given and shown these past almost 2 years. We will arrive on Thursday Jan 7th. A friend told us that is the day they celebrate Christmas in Ethiopia, isnt that neat. I am hoping we get to meet our daughter that day so we can always say it was on Christmas day!

Here is a sign my friend just finished making for us for Christmas decorations in our front yard. I have always wanted something like this. Consider its message this year as you rush through the season.

We booked our flights

Well I just booked our flights for our trip to bring home our daughter. Wow that sounds good! We leave on Tues Jan 5th and fly to New York City. Then on to Dubais where we overnight, then on to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Our return flights are just in reverse order. Long flights on our horizon and the end of this part of our journey. The really JOYous part of our journey to begin soon. I cant wait for all of you to meet her! God is so good.

Also I wanted to share a blessing. I was at lunch today and saw my Uncle, I told him of our trip and after we said our goodbyes, he ran outside and flagged our car down, he gave me $200 to help with our trip! Showers of blessings keep falling. God always provides the way doesnt he.