Update 1 from Addis

May 14 -
The song that keeps playing in my head as I thought about this day is a song by Casting Crowns called "At Your Feet" - Specifically the lyrics "Here at Your feet I lay my future down All of my dreams I give to you now and I find peace. Jesus, Jesus at Your feet there is nowhere else for me."
This journey is not one I am traveling alone and I can find extreme peace in that. It doesn't change the fact that it is a nerve wracking adventure but it helps me keep my focus where it needs to be. We arrived to the Lexington airport to find that our first flight had been cancelled. Even in the chaos of trying to figure outanother route to get us where we need to go (which for tonight was Washington DC) I knew that God had this in His hands. My emotions range back and forth from extremely excited to anxious. I've overwhelmed that in a few days I'll have met my children and I'm praying that that meeting goes smoothly and they can sense the love I already have for them. I'm looking forward to court being over and being one step closer to bringing them home. I have so much support and love being directed my way and I'm so thankful. As a friend told me last night before I left - The best place to be in God's will for your life. I know that although that it is taking me on an adventure with a lot of unknowns and I'm forced to walk by faith, then is no where else I would rather be. For now I'll sing, "Here at your feet, I lay this day down not in my strength but in yours I've found all I need, You'll all I need."

May 15 -
Yesterday was a pretty hectic day - once we made it to Charlotte we knew our connection would be close and that was before the plane was 40 minutes late. Luckily our departing flight was in the same terminal as the arrival so we were able to make it. Had it been anywhere else we wouldn't have. We finally made it to DC and thought we were good to go only to find out that our baggage wasn't getting off the plane as long as there was lightening. We waited for 2 hours and the baggage still wasn't off. The last shuttle to our hotel was supposed to leave at 10:45 and we got there at 10:50 after making the decision to leave our bags at the airport and pick them up in the morning. The driver did make a final stop to pick us up and it was good to be able to get a good night's sleep and a breakfast. Upon checking in at the Ethiopean Counter I almost lost my vaccination record behind the computer which could have been disaster had I not noticed it was missing and then spotted it. Needlees to say the beginning of this adventure has been anything but smooth. I'm now on board waiting for the take off to Ethiopia. I'm optimistic that the rest of the journey will be smoother. I'm trusting in God and taking it one step at a time.

May 16-
I didn't know it this morning but today would be the day I would meet my son Mulate. The 13 hour flight to Addis was pretty uneventful. It was jammed packed of adorable children that made me smile every time I saw them. We arrived at the airport to start about a two hour trek in getting our visa, going through immigration, collecting our bags and then going through customs. We were able to meet up with our ride with relative ease and made our way to the transition home/guest house to take a nap.
We then traveled about an hour or so the orphanage where Mulatu is staying. He is absolutly perfect. He spent some time sitting in my lap, trying on my sunglasses and eating some fruit snacks. We also spent some time playing cars. I even did the motherly duty of wiping his snotty nose. There were several other children that pilled on top of me as well. It was a great first meeting and dad took some great pictures that I can't wait to share. Tomorrow we will travel to Nazaret to meet Natinael. For now I am going to try to get some rest. Although it is only 1:30 at home, it is already 8:30 at night and since the electricity is off there is not much else to do.

Happy Mother's Day To Me :)

It has been a busy week. Tuesday was the scheduled date for the first hearing. I talked to my agency Tuesday afternoon and although they hadn't heard anything officially they said it was likely that the judge was on vacation. Needless to say, this news didn't put me at complete peace and yet I know God has even the vacation schedule of my judge in His hands. My agency said to go ahead and book tickets so Wednesday morning I made the airline reservations that will take me to meet my children. Thursday my agency sent me new pictures of my boys and my heart melted once again. I can't wait to hold them and know that they are mine forever.

I received my first couple mother's day wishes at work on Friday. To celebrate my new role as a mother, my parents bought me some gummi butterflies and a wonderful picture of a mother and baby elephant with the scripture underneath that reads, "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you." Isaiah 66:13. I know that I'm going to need that comfort so much in the coming weeks until my children come home and I'm so thankful I have a God that is in the comforting business.

This morning during my prayer time at church, I ran across this scripture from Ephesians 4:32-5:2 - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." In a world where forgiveness and compassion at times seems hard to find, it was a good reminder for me of the life God has called me to live.

Momma's New Zoom Zoom

This week I had a conference call with the adoption agency to discuss the details of my first trip. There were several families on the call and we covered various subjects including where we will stay, outstanding fees and other travel costs, how much time I will get to spend with my boys, and what court will be like. They seemed very positive in regards to how adoptions are moving in Ethiopia and I came away super excited. Dad and I will plan on going this first trip and we will be able to spend time with the boys at the orphanage before court and at the transitional home after our court hearing. It sounds like once final court is complete it will take a minimum of two months to get all of the paperwork together for their visas and my interview at the US embassy. One of the great things I learned recently is that I'm going to be able to work from home for the 12 weeks following my sons arrival in the states. This will be a crucial time of adjustment for all of us and I'm so grateful for this opportunity.

I had been thinking about trading in my Land Rover for a newer vehicle for a while. The opportunity arose for me to get a pretty good deal on a new 2011 Mazda CX-9 this past weekend and I felt like the time was right. One of my main goals was to get something that would hold 7 passengers but wasn't a van. Even though Mom busted my bubble when she told me it looked like a van, I love my new wheels. This is just one of many changes that I'm making to prepare for the arrival of my children. The next few weeks are going to fly by and I can't wait to finally be on that plane headed to Addis to meet my kids.

Queen of Sheba

Last night two of my good friends and I went to the Ethiopian Restaurant in Louisville for a special celebration. It was a unique experience and one that I look forward to enjoying with my children. We sampled a couple appetizers (sambussa and kitfo wraps) and then moved onto our main meal which consisted of sega tips, atakilt, fossolia, alicha sega wot, dora tips, and awaze sega tips. Part of the experience is that you eat with your hands all from a community plate. You pick up the food with injera which is a type of Ethiopian flatbread. I loved every minute of it!

Woooooo Hoooooo

This weekend I went with a couple friends on a tour around Scott County taking pictures of barn quilts. One of our finds was a butterfly. I was joking around with them that it could be a sign that I was about to emerge from my cocoon of waiting having no idea how close to the truth that would be. I received an email after lunch from my agency in Texas letting me know of my court date and I'll admit I got up and did a little dance in my cubical (fortunately for me everyone I work around was gone to lunch). After having a moment to reflect, I couldn't help but smile and think back to that butterfly.

The first hearing date is set for May 3rd. The final hearing date is set for May 20th which means that assuming all goes well on the 3rd I will be on a flight to Ethiopia on May 14th. If the dates hold up it will mean that I will be in Ethiopia to celebrate Mulate's birthday with him. I am extremely excited for this glimpse of light at the end of my tunnel. All that kept going through my mind was the phrase "all glory and honor and praise" from a popular worship song. God has been extremely faithful and I've learned so much during this waiting process but I'm so happy that I finally have a date on the calendar. There has been much celebration that will continue tomorrow when I go to the Ethiopian restaurant in Louisville and throughout this weekend as a dear friend returns to town for a visit. I would like to thank all of you who have prayed for my sons and for me throughout this process. I am very blessed to have you in my life. Please continue to lift my family up in prayer throughout the coming months. Life is good and God is great!

Wrapped Inside a Cocoon

Tuesday night at our bible study someone mentioned they were reading a book called "When the Heart Waits" by Sue Monk Kidd. I had read "The Secret Life of Bees" so I was familiar with Kidd's work. The title of this book resonated with me since my current season of life is one of waiting. I received the news during work on Wendesday about the changes in the Ethiopian adoption world and Wednesday night I drove to Lexington to pick up a copy of the book. (Normally I order all of my books on Amazon so I find it a bit ironic that I could not bring myself to wait when it came to a book about waiting.)

I am only a chapter and a half in but here are some quotes I have found extremely helpful:

• "If you think God leads you only beside still waters, think again. God will also lead you beside turbulent waters. If you have the courage to enter, you'll think you're drowning. But actually you're being churned into something new."
• "I noticed in the bottom lefthand corner of the poster the husk of an empty cocoon, a painful reminder that bright wings and works of art don't just happen."
• "Jesus' life was a balanced rhythm of waiting on God and expressing the fruits of that waiting."
• "The dangers of leaving a cocoon too soon are obvious..., it [the butterfly] couldn't fly. With the butterfly's waiting cut short, its wings were hopelessly unformed."

As I lay in bed that night I pictured myself waiting contently inside the cocoon and knowing that the beauty on the otherside will be well worth the wait. I have been in contact with my agency a couple of times. There is still much uncertainty as to the effect the changes will have on those currently in the process. There is going to be a change in the MOWA leadership this next week and hopefully I will know more in the coming weeks. Although it is not the timing that I expected, I fully believe that God has this all in His hands and I will wait patiently with a determination not to give up hope.

Lyrics from Hope Now (by Addison Road)

When my life is like a storm
Rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I'll be ok and
Make it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm

I'm not my own
I've been carried by you
All my life

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
This love sets me free

Seasons and Storms

I am currently in a Beth Moore study on Tuesday nights. Something that she brought to life in that study that hit home this past week was that often times between the changing seasons of our lives there are storms. She compared this to living in Texas during the fall when tornadoes watches are frequent. When I read those words I felt that summed up how I feel during this time of waiting. It reminded me of the lyric from a Sara Evans song I heard recently that says, "Sometimes for things to grow they need some rain." With no doubt I am between seasons of my life and with signs of spring all around it is hard not to draw a parallel to the actual change of seasons that are occurring around me. However, when I read those words last week I had no idea how torrential the rain would fall or how stormy the waves would get between these changing seasons in my life. I found out this morning that Ethiopia is likely cutting their adoptions by 90%, from processing 50 a day to maximum 5. There is a lot more to it than that and I don't know how this will affect my sons and our process yet but my heart is breaking. Please be in prayer for not only my family but the numerous other families who will be affected by these decisions. Our God is a God of miracles and I have no doubt He can work one in this situation.

I know it seems that ever time I publish a post I include a reference to a song but music just speaks to me in a way nothing else can. I heard this song by Mikeschair several months ago and it meant a lot then. It means all the more in light of my current circumstances.

Let The Waters Rise

Don't know where to begin

It's like my world's caving in

And I try but I can't control my fear

Where do I go from here?

Sometimes its so hard to pray

When You feel so far away

But I am willing to go

Where You want me to

God, I trust You

There's a raging sea

Right in front of me

Wants to pull me in

Bring me to my knees

So let the waters rise

If You want them to

I will follow You

I will follow You

I will swim in the deep

'Cuz You'll be next to me

You're in the eye of the storm

And the calm of the sea

You're never out of reach

God, You know where I've been

You were there with me then

You were faithful before

You'll be faithful again

I'm holding Your hand

God Your love is enough

You will pull me through

I'm holding onto You

God Your love is enough

I will follow You

I will follow You