I am thankful today.

I wrote yesterday about my struggles. I have spent the last two days feeling sorry for myself. I am not going to say that my feelings were wrong, but I did let them get in the way of what I know is true. I was overwhelmed and cranky. As one of my favorite books, Anne of Green Gables, states, I “was in the depths of despair.”

And now I am not.

Have my circumstances changed? No. But my attitude has. And the only thing I can attribute that to is God and the prayerful support of all of you.

I woke up this morning with more peace and joy in my heart than I have felt for a long time. I woke up to many messages and emails encouraging me and promising me that I am surrounded in prayer. I woke up and spent time with my Father and it was a balm to my soul.

I wanted to share just a few verses and quotes that I read today.

The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. ~ Deuteronomy 31:8

If God is for us, who can be against us? ~ Romans 8:31

Peace does not dwell in outward things but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands. ~ Elisabeth Elliot

And this comment by a missionary here in Ethiopia…

I realized early on that Africa did not need me, but that I desperately needed Africa.~ Christy Shannon

Why am I here? Is it just to adopt these 4 children? Is it to help in the orphanage? Is it to partner with Bring Love In? No. God doesn’t need me for any of that! But I need to be here. Because God has lessons for me to learn. As another friend pointed out – He is pruning me. Africa doesn’t need me, but I need Africa.

So, while I wait for my family to be complete, I am going to try to focus on what God is teaching me. How is God changing me and pruning me? And hopefully, I can be more thankful and less resentful of the wait.

The last verse I want to share with you today is this….

The scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. ~ Romans 15:4

Thank you Lord for my friends who pray for me and encourage me. Thank you for your word which is alive and breathes joy into my soul. Thank you for the wait. (I don’t know if I can honestly claim that last one, but I am going to try!)

Blessings!

Natalie

PRAYER REQUESTS/PRAISES

*So thankful for an extra measure of joy today.

*We are supposed to get that last document this week! Please pray it really happens.

I have posted a lot of blogs about the amazing, wonderful parts of our journey. Blogs about the blessings that God has showered upon us because we were willing to obey Him. I could list a thousand things I am thankful for – our 6 children, the opportunity to spend time in Ethiopia, the many people I have met here, seeing God’s provision in ways I have never before experienced, family time, love – the list would go on and on.

And while all of that is true, I don’t want to give the mistaken impression that when we choose to follow God’s leading in our lives, all of a sudden everything will be sunshine and roses. God doesn’t always ask us to do what is easy. He doesn’t always pave the road before us and smooth out all the potholes. Sometimes, He pushes us out of our comfort zone in order to stretch us. He challenges us in order to grow us.

A lot of the time here in Ethiopia, I have struggled with my own selfishness. I realize more and more every day that I am here just how selfish I am. I am so used to convenience and comfort that when I don’t have it anymore, I get cranky. I tell my children all the time, “Life’s not fair!” But then I go complaining to God about the very things I am reprimanding my children for.

While we have enjoyed many of the blessings of our adoption journey, here are a few of the “potholes” in our road….

Bedbugs – and the resulting itchy, irritating bites that cover our bodies.

Lack of water – non-flushing toilets when we had the flu, no showers for days at a time, carting water from the neighbors to wash the dishes, not being able to drink any water that is not bottled or treated.

Sickness – our family has been taking turns catching one thing after the other. Our bodies just aren’t used to the different germs here.

Transportation – traffic, smog, cows in the road, hiring drivers, finding a running vehicle, just the hassle of getting to the orphanage every single day to visit our kids is sometimes overwhelming.

Delays in the courts – if I had my way, we would have passed court months ago. And yet here we are, still waiting. And very often frustrated. And still unsure as to when we will finally become a family.

Homesickness – sometimes, this just overwhelms me. I have a much greater respect for long-term missionaries now. Giving up all of the relationships back home is a huge sacrifice.

Some evenings, especially on days when I am overtired, I find myself complaining to God about these things. Most often, I am complaining about the court delays. I pray and beg God to hurry things along because right now, I am very definitely outside of my comfort zone. And I tell God, “It’s not fair.” And just like I remind my children, God reminds me. Life is not fair.

If life was fair, my guard Tesfi would not be living in a tin shack with a dirt floor. Last week, Tesfi was sick. He had a fever and felt miserable. And at night, he lay on his dirt floor and tried to escape the leaks in his tin roof while he was struggled to get better.

If life was fair, my maid Meheret would not have to leave her 4-year-old daughter for 6 days every week so she can make enough money for them to survive.

If life was fair, the 24-year-old man with renal failure would not have died at Soddo Hospital this week because there are no dialysis machines here.

If life was fair, there would be at least one pediatric heart surgeon in the country of Ethiopia. Today, there is not even one! Not one doctor to treat all of the correctable heart defects that are killing children every day here.

If life was fair, my children would not have had to live in an orphanage and struggle to survive during the early years of their lives. They would have always known just how precious and valuable they are.

These past few days have been the hardest for me since we have been in Ethiopia. I have struggled with my emotions and more often than not, they have gotten the best of me. I am sad. I am frustrated. I am so anxious to have my kids here with me. I have cried a lot. I am impatient.

My sister-in-law sent me this verse as an encouragement today.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

That is exactly how I feel at this moment. My soul is downcast. It is disturbed within me. But look at what the second half of that verse says. I am still to put my hope in God. I will yet praise Him.

Really, that is all I can do. I am not in control of anything else that is happening here. All I can control is where my hope is. All I can control is my attitude. Will I still praise my God even when I feel as though life is unfair? This is an area that God is working on me. He has given me this opportunity to grow. Will I thank Him for it?

Oh God, help me to be content no matter what my circumstances. Help me to find my strength and my peace in you. Help me to spread your joy to those around me whose life is so much more “unfair” than mine.

Blessings!

Natalie

PRAYER REQUESTS

*Our last needed document

*Our meeting with MOWCYA tomorrow

*My heart

While we were in Soddo, we had the opportunity to go on a little “safari.” We spent the day exploring with our tour guide Hasabu.

Our first stop was Chencha. Chencha is a small village up in the mountains surrounding Soddo. Our guide told us it was about a 45 minute drive from the main road. Well….he must have meant “Ethiopian Time.” We started up the mountain over muddy roads that would be un-passable in anything other than a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. Our driver and Hasabu were in the front seats, so my family of 4 was tightly packed across the back bench seat. About 30 minutes into our drive, it started raining. And as soon as it started raining, our vehicle started leaking. The seal around the doors really wasn’t a seal at all. I would call it more of a strainer, letting only about half of the rain into the car. So my family of 4 scrunched into the middle of the bench seat, leaving the edges to the rain.

Then, about another 30 minutes later, my children decided they had to go to the bathroom. This would not be a problem at all if they weren’t so picky about having to use toilets. They held out as long as possible, but we finally made a pit stop in a tiny village and asked for the “shintabit.” The villagers were very happy to have visitors and pointed and smiled. We followed their directions around several huts, past the group of goats and next to the man cooking lunch. There we found the hole in the ground. Let me just say, there were a few tears as my children had to make the best of the situation. And also let me say, the villagers saw a lot of white skin that day.

A village girl

We continued on our way and finally, after 3 hours of trekking through the wilderness, arrived at Chencha. It was amazing and worth every bit of that drive! The villagers all live in huts built out of false banana trees and mud. We got a tour of the largest hut in the village. We also got to see what Scott would look like with a full head of hair.

The villagers made us a loaf of their traditional bread and served it to us with honey. We got to see how they scrape the pulp from the inside of the false banana trees, bury it in the ground for 3 months to ferment it, and then turn it into a kind of dough they use for many purposes. After purchasing a purse for Hannah and a spear for Joel, we hit the road.

Our next stop was ArbaMinch. This is a kind of national park where you can go to see the wildlife – zebras, baboons, dikdiks, and most importantly – crocodiles and hippos. We loaded up into the boat and headed out onto a large lake. The scenery was breathtaking and the crocodiles were enormous. We found an area where there were at least 30 crocs sunning themselves and relaxing. We inched along the banks, much closer than I would have chosen to be if it were up to me.

And the hippos! They are considered the most dangerous animal in Africa. More people are killed by hippos than by any other animal here. As our boat drifted closer and closer, I finally had to step up and take charge and ask our guide to back away.

We had a great time exploring Ethiopia. This is a beautiful country with beautiful people. Our God really is an amazing artist.

Blessings!

Natalie

One of my favorite parts of this adoption journey has been the people we have gotten to know. People from all around the world who otherwise we would never have had the pleasure of meeting. People of different backgrounds and nationalities and skill sets. We are all crossing paths here in Ethiopia. And God is in charge of it all!

Do you remember several weeks ago when Joel was really sick? We called a doctor here in Addis. We just “happened” to get a hold of Dr. Jeremy Gabrysch. Jeremy works at Soddo Christian Hospital. Soddo is a smaller town about a 5 hour drive south of Addis. But Jeremy was working in Addis for the week and he was so helpful in getting us the information and medication that Joel needed.

As he and Scott chatted on the phone, Jeremy mentioned that he was recently put in charge of getting the IT up and running at Soddo Christian Hospital. He jokingly said it was “because he knew how to get on Facebook” and that he was so far out of his comfort zone with a project like this.

Isn’t our God amazing?

In this entire country filled with almost 83 million people, he connected a doctor from Texas and a rural healthcare IT guy from California.

For the last few weeks, Jeremy and Scott have been emailing and talking and planning. And then on Monday, we drove from Addis to Soddo to spend some time down here. Scott is meeting with the IT team, getting the lay of the land, and planning out exactly what he can do to help. The kids and I are visiting with Jeremy’s wife and children, exploring the hospital grounds, and enjoying seeing more of this beautiful country.

Do you know that when we first decided to adopt, it was the result of a very specific prayer? We had been asking God what more He wanted from us. We felt like there was something else, some other way that we could be serving our God. And here we are, almost 2 years later, and God has turned our desire to serve Him into blessing upon blessing for us. Not only do we get to love on and add 4 more amazing children to our family, we also get to spend time in Ethiopia, we get to meet people from around the world, we get to use our talents in ways that only God could orchestrate.

Here are a few pictures from our time in Soddo.

Hannah enjoying the scenery

Joel proudly displaying his new machete

 

 

On a hike up the mountain

 

 

Some village boys who joined our hike

 

 

Scott working hard

 

 

Nurses Station (Amanda - this one's for you)

 

 

ICU

 

 

One little patient

 

 

If we had never decided to obey God’s calling and start this adoption journey, we would never have had the blessing of being here in Soddo, Ethiopia.

 

This last Sunday at church the kids sang a special song at the end of the service. The lyrics may be simple, but they are oh so true.

 

You don’t have to be strong

You don’t have to have money

You don’t have to be smart

You don’t have to be funny

You don’t have to be the biggest

You don’t have to be the best

You just have to be willing

You just have to say YES

Think about that.

You just have to say yes!

What is God asking you to do? What is He prompting in your heart and in your life?

You just have to say yes!

Blessings!

Natalie

I have a guest blogger today! My husband wrote this and I asked him if I could share it with all of you. Enjoy….

I stepped into the front seat of the sedan and instantly felt myself transform into a world of luxury and style.  The contoured leather seats, the cool breeze of fresh air conditioning blowing on my face, the bright lights of the European style dash, everything shouted wealth and luxury that seemed so distant in this land of immense poverty.  The engine roared and then quietly hummed as this beautiful vehicle weaved through the traffic with such comfort and speed that I felt like a million bucks riding in this amazing luxury/sports sedan.

The car belonged to an extremely successful Ethiopian businessman. He held sole Ethiopian distribution rights for a number of the top medical device equipment manufacturers in the world, ran the top diagnostic clinic in Addis and had a number of other lucrative businesses on the side.  And the beautiful luxury vehicle that had me coveting a car like his to drive around Addis? …  A six month old Toyota Corolla.

Being in Africa changes your perspective on things.  Toyota Corollas are wonderful cars, particularly when equipped with all of the bells and whistles like Dawit’s was.  However, I cannot recall ever in the US dreaming of the comfortable air conditioned, shock absorbed ride of a Corolla the way one might fawn over an exotic Italian sports car.   Here in Ethiopia a new car of any kind is seen as a luxury only the truly wealthy can afford. Even more so a new Toyota, which is the premium brand to own here. 

Actually, a vehicle of any type and age is an extraordinary luxury.  In the US we hear people talk about the “1%” referring to the jet-setters who own private yachts and small islands (with a helicopter to transport them between the two).  In Ethiopia not even “the 1%” own a car of any type.  Less than 3/10ths of 1% of the entire population own any type of vehicle (far less actually, because there are 3 vehicles for every 1,000 people – including foreign owned vehicles such as the huge percentage of UN vehicles on the road, government and business owned vehicles, taxis, etc).  Nearly all of those cars are at least 15 years old, most of them 30 years old or more.

Shortly before leaving for Ethiopia I found myself bemoaning the 160,000 miles our minivan had on it and feeling like it was time for a newer car before we started having serious mechanical difficulties.  What I would give for a vehicle just like our “old” minivan to have here in Ethiopia!  A car with 200,000 miles here is just getting started, and “air conditioning” means that the windows can be rolled down (another luxury not to be taken for granted).

In the US I have always had an issue with coveting things.  Here I find I have the same issue, but living here has certainly changed my perspective on the things I covet.  Now I covet what I have back home.  I covet air conditioning, I covet reliable clean running water, I covet fast Internet, I covet cheeseburgers and cereal and peanut butter!  I covet my own life – realizing just how good I have it – how good all of us who live in America have it.

It is convicting to realize just how rich I am.  The “Ethiopian Scott” (referring to my temporary lifestyle and living condition) is extremely wealthy by Ethiopian standards. What most Ethiopians wouldn’t give to have a life like Ethiopian Scott!  And yet Ethiopian Scott would LOVE to be able to spend just one day in the life of American Scott.  To be able to sleep in my comfortable bed, to be able to swim, to be able to ride in my comfortable car (Yes, I keep coming back to that.  Can you tell the whole car comfort thing is kind of a big deal for me here? ).  If I could be “transported” back to the US for 1 day just to take a break and then transported back here, oh what a vacation that would be! 

If you’re in the US, right now I covet your life.  Take some time to go grab a cheeseburger for me and enjoy every moment of it.  Eat some peanut butter and then go for a ride in your car on the smooth roads of North America.  Breathe in the clean air and sip on some ice cold water straight from the tap.  Do it for me, and then know that I am dreaming of being in your spot right now.  Ahhh, you have it pretty good. And so do I.  We are truly blessed to have all that we do.  Why do we want more?  What more could we possibly want?

But you know what, in a lot of ways Ethiopia has it right.  They don’t have the luxuries that we have, but they truly value family, friends and especially children.  They realize that looking into your child’s face – even if it is filthy because your home’s floor is made of dirt and hungry because you can only afford one small meal a day – is a treasure that money cannot buy.

So my prayer for myself when I return is that I can learn something from “Ethiopian Scott” and find contentment in what I already have. Even more than in the stuff I have, that I can find contentment in the relationships I have.  May I be more generous and willing to give even when it does come at a cost, realizing that as someone who has so much, I have a responsibility to help these who have so little. 

PRAYER REQUESTS

*Our health

*Speedy production of our needed document

What an opportunity we had this week! We got the chance to work with Ethiopia Smile. This is a team of about 60 people who travel to Ethiopia once a year to provide free medical care. Their main emphasis is dental work, but they also have an ophthalmologist and a dermatologist along to help. This ministry started out of one man’s desire to serve the Lord.

Dr. Moody is an orthodontist in Texas. He plans this whole adventure out of his living room and his own back pocket. He coordinates schedules and airfares and medical equipment. And he gives up his vacation time to travel to Ethiopia and serve the poor and the needy.

My job for the day was to be a “patient buddy.” As people filtered through the check-in area and into the waiting room, I got to partner up with someone and walk them through the entire process. We would go to the initial examination area, on to whatever procedure was needed, into the eye and skin center, through the pharmacy, and then with a free toothbrush, I would usher them out the door. Sounded easy enough!

My first patient was Abta. He was a 60-year-old man who was complaining of pain in his molars. The dentist took a look and realized he had cavities in two of his back molars. Here in Ethiopia, that means an extraction. There is no possibility of doing a filling with the limited equipment available. The next best solution is to get rid of the decay by pulling the tooth.

Abta and I settled in to the extraction station. He was given some pain medication and then the doctor went to work. The problem was, Abta’s decay was so bad that his teeth basically disintegrated when the dentist grabbed a hold of them with the pliers. When I heard the first “CRUUUUUNCH” of shattered molar, I wasn’t so sure I was cut out to be a patient buddy anymore.

There were no power drills available so the doctor spent an hour working in Abta’s mouth. He very slowly and painstakingly removed each shattered and decayed piece of Abta’s tooth. Poor Abta sat through the whole thing without even one complaint. I sat through the whole thing praying for Abta to have strength and stamina, for the dentist to be able to do his job quickly, and for myself to not disgrace everyone by getting sick in the middle of the extraction station.

One hour later, when the dentist finished by stitching up the hole in his gums, Abta sat up and with a wide (if somewhat lopsided) smile, thanked us profusely.

We continued on to the eye station and the pharmacy where Abta received enough Ibuprofen to last him two days. Once more, he thanked me, grabbing my hand and bowing his forehead down to touch it.

This is just one story from the 1,000 patients that were treated by Ethiopia Smile this week. Here are a few pictures from the clinic.

The line of people waiting for the clinic to open

Sterilization Station

 

The sterilized instruments

 

Examination Table

 

The "Kid's Clinic"

 

Blessings!

Natalie

I want to try to write this post in a way that doesn’t reveal too much of my children’s story. From the beginning, Scott and I felt that their history is a private thing. It will be our children’s decision how much or how little of their lives to share as they get older. They will always have the opportunity to open up and reveal more of their past, but they would never have the opportunity to take back any words already spoken.

Our children’s birth mother loves them. She desires to be able to take care of them. But for a variety of reasons, she cannot. The reason she is giving her children to us to raise is so much more than just financial problems. When I wrote about Naomi’s response to meeting us, when she said to us, “Take me home today, Mama!”, it was not because she instantly met me and fell in love with me and wanted me more than she wanted her mother. It is because right now, Naomi is living in a situation that is less than ideal. And in her mind, being adopted and taken to America is like a promise of heaven. It is so hard for a child’s mind to comprehend the gravity of the situation. She probably believes that living with us would be like living in Disneyland every day of her life. She has no idea of the struggles and questions that she will face as she grows. Of how she will miss her mother and wonder why.

Scott and I have struggled with the question of what would be best for these children. From the moment we saw their pictures, we started falling in love with them. When we heard their names for the first time, they were written upon our hearts. And still we wondered, would it be better for them to come to America and live with us, or would it be better to try and repair their broken family here in Ethiopia. Would it even be possible to help re-unite them with their mother?

After much prayer and research, after talking to many people and asking many questions, after meeting with the psychologist who has seen our children every week for the last nine months, we feel a peace. We know in our hearts that we did everything we could. And the answer we have discovered is yes, these children belong in our family. And we are so thankful for that. We feel beyond blessed that God saw fit to include us in these children’s future.

Since we were first told about Naomi, we have been trying to start the adoption process for her. We filed a petition with the Ethiopian courts to allow us to adopt her. But, for the last 17 weeks, nothing has happened. We have gotten many different answers to our questions but it always came down to waiting. Because Naomi was still living with her mother and because the government orphanages were overcrowded and would not accept her, we needed to wait until our adoption of her 3 siblings was finalized to be able to move forward.

Then, last Friday, we got some amazing news! Although we don’t know how or why the government orphanage changed their policy after 17 weeks of waiting (GOD), they finally allowed Naomi to enter the orphanage. This means that they can officially start gathering her paperwork and getting her documents together for adoption! While our agency has made no promises, this is a VERY encouraging sign that in the end we will be able to make Naomi a part of our family.

This past week we have been dealing with trying to get that last needed document for the adoption of Abigail, Micah and Levi. The court in Harar has been resisting and requiring more information. We turned in the needed information yesterday and were waiting to hear from the court today on whether or not they finally had everything they need to produce this document. Well….it looks like the answer is yes! The court in Harar said they will give us this document, but…. (Isn’t there always a but?) It will take them two weeks to generate what we need. And then another 10 days to review it. So, it looks like our adoption won’t be finalized for about another month.

Good news….the court has what they need and will give us the document.

Disappointing news….it will be another month!!!!!

Our agency is going to do what they can to speed up the process. And we are going to pray that we will all be fantastically surprised because things happen so much faster than we anticipated! Please join us in this prayer.

I am reminded of a sermon I heard about God’s providence. Kings (and courts and governments) like to think they are making all the decisions – that they are in control of the outcome. But really, whether we admit His Lordship or not, God is the one in charge.

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes. Proverbs 21:1

Do I believe that God opened doors to get Naomi into that orphanage? Yes! Do I believe that these 4 children were matched with us by a God who is all-seeing and all-knowing and wants only our best? Absolutely! Do I believe that we are destined to be a family? Yes, with every fiber of my being. Do I trust that everything is happening in God’s perfect timing (even when I get impatient)? Yes, I am clinging to that promise.

Blessings!

Natalie

PRAYER REQUESTS

*Naomi’s paperwork process

*Naomi’s heart as she adjusts to life in the orphanage

*Our finalized adoption for the first 3 to happen soon!

*Our finalized adoption for Naomi to happen soon!

*Our health

Last week I posted a blog about raising money for Selah Guest House. If you missed that post, you can read it by clicking on the link on the left of my blog.

In one week you have all helped to raise $1100 to purchase the things we need to furnish the guest house. Here is what you bought in Ethiopia this week….

Bedside tables. They are woven out of eucalyptus. This man takes each strand and separates it using his teeth. Then he weaves all the strands together to form very sturdy furniture, tables and laundry baskets.

And just because I am a proud Mama, I want to share a story about my son Joel. He started saving his money many months ago in an account he called “adoption.” He said he wasn’t sure exactly what he was going to spend it on, but he would figure it out when we got to Ethiopia. Something for his sisters and brothers maybe. Or the kids in the orphanage. Well, this week he made his first purchase from his adoption fund. As we were paying for the bedside tables Joel told me that he wanted to pay for one of them himself. I like his heart!

We used part of your money to buy things for the kitchen, too. When we got here our cook had 2 pots, 2 serving bowls, and 1 skillet. As she was preparing meals for 10-15 people every day, she was continually cooking one dish, moving it a serving bowl, using the same pan again to cook another dish, etc. We now have full cupboards! Pots and pans, serving spoons, baking dishes, and storage containers.

And last but definitely not least…your number one purchase in Ethiopia this week! You bought a washing machine!

Can you imagine how much happiness this brought to our maid? She is in charge of washing all the towels, sheets and laundry for all the guests here. Oh my goodness! This will make her job so much easier!

Here are a few pictures of getting the washing machine into the house. It was too big to fit through the doorways so the men decided it would be best to lift it up and over the balcony.

Assessing the situation

Scott climbing the ladder to check things out

 

Alan pushing from underneath

 

Almost there!

 

Ready to go!

 

Thank you so much for helping. We appreciate every person who is partnering with us while we are here in Ethiopia. Don’t forget to purchase a bracelet if you want to get in on the action. We still have many more items that are needed! Just click on the “Donate” link on the side of our blog.

Blessings!

Natalie

My husband was sure hoping to spend this Father’s Day as a family of eight. But you know what? Just because the courts haven’t finalized it yet, doesn’t make it not so! He is still a wonderful father to all six of my children.

How is he so wonderful, you ask? Well let me list just a few ways….

#1 – He plays with our children. Not just next to them. And not just because he has to. He plays with our children because he genuinely enjoys it. At the end of a long day of working hard to provide for his family, do you know what he enjoys most? Coming home and spending time with his family. Seriously! He would choose this over going out with the guys (almost every time)!

#2 – He loves the Lord. Not just in a “it’s Sunday so let’s go to church” kind of way. He is showing our kids every day just what it means to be a man of God. He models Christ’s love for us in how he treats us.

#3 – He is the most unselfish person I know. Me? I am selfish. I fight against it, but I know it’s true. Scott? He is naturally giving – always putting others first. He shames me with his unselfish behavior sometimes.

#4 – He shows affection. He hugs, he tickles, he kisses, he calls us all by pet names (no, I will not list those pet names here), he cuddles, he rubs feet, he tells us he loves us more times every day than I can count.

#5 – He forgives easily and does not keep a record of wrongs. And believe me – living with a spicy, hot-headed senorita like me…there can be a lot to forgive!

Gosh, there are so many more things I could list but I think I will stop there. My husband has been my biggest encourager and my strongest supporter. I know that without him by my side, this whole crazy adoption journey would not be something that I would even consider. He makes all of my dreams possible. Even those dreams that involve lots and lots of children!

I had the kids make a Father’s Day card for Scott yesterday. Just one little Naomi thumbprint missing…..

Thank you Scott for being exactly who God created you to be.

P.S. Just so you all don’t think Scott is perfect – he doesn’t know how to cook a thing. Not a thing! He has a hard time even making toast. Other than that though…..

Blessings!

Natalie

We had a tough day yesterday. It was kind of a low point for us. We had been praying for our court date for 17 weeks and it was finally here! 2:00pm Friday.

On Thursday night I started to get sick. Really sick. I was a mess but I was determined to not miss this long-awaited appointment. I dragged myself out of bed, prayed for strength, took my bucket along, and went to the court house. We sat in the waiting room for almost 2 hours. And then, we found out that all court cases scheduled for Friday were being re-scheduled for next Wednesday.

I was sick. I was tired of waiting. I was frustrated. I cried.

We came home and I went right back to bed. While I slept, my husband emailed and called several people in our agency to get some answers. And, for the first time in 17 weeks, we feel like we have some concrete facts.

The re-scheduling of court cases was outside of our agency’s control. Our new court date is next Wednesday at 2:00pm. Our agency told us that this court date is really just an opportunity for us to go before the judge and give our legal consent to adopt all four children. This will complete our end of the paperwork. However, we will not officially pass court next Wednesday. Our agency estimates that we will pass court in about 3 weeks.

This, of course, is because of that stinking document. But now, we have a plan as to how the courts are going to obtain this document. It looks like our agency is taking things into their own hands. They are flying people to Addis on Tuesday, convening a panel, and getting the needed information. They will then submit this information to the court in Harar. As soon as the court in Harar reviews the information, they will generate this document. And then, the document has to be reviewed by MOWCYA for 10 days. At that point, we will officially pass court and become a family!!! Of course, there are a lot of steps in this process and a lot of places where things can go wrong. And I have learned that in Ethiopia, not everything happens when they say it is going to happen. However, I feel encouraged to at least have a plan of action.

Someone shared this with me and it really blessed my heart.

Because when I get frustrated, when I want to blame our agency or the courts or the process, I need to remember how true this is. God has a plan for each and every one of us. I trust that His plan is better than mine. My pastor recently shared this quote…

If you could see what God sees and feel what God feels, you would orchestrate your world exactly as God has, adversities included.

God is in control! And no matter how much I want to be in charge, no matter how often I am trapped by the idea that my plan is best, if I could only see what He sees, I would ALWAYS choose His plan.

Blessings!

Natalie

PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISES

*So thankful that I am feeling better!

*So thankful for the peace that only God can give

*Pray for every step in the process over the next 3+ weeks

*Pray for our kids as they continue to wait in the orphanage