1,2....3,4

How are we called to live?

2011-12-17T14:11:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking about how we should live. When I say 'we' I mean Christians. I mean people who really love Jesus. How should we live? What does that look like? I know what it doesn't look like...because it is what made me hate the church for so long. Always loved Jesus, just not always his people. I had a lot of growing to do, still do...so I ask the question...what does it look like. Reflecting back on conversations from the past few weeks I am surprised how much that question keeps popping up.

I keep coming back to loving the Lord and loving others. That's what Christ himself told us was most important. So what does it look like to love the people in my life, really love them. I have to choose to love even when it looks counter to the culture I live in. It means speaking the truth in norther MN even when what I would like to do is just keep my mouth shut. It means offering a place to stay to some young people because they need a home and we have a space. It means being kind and patient with the two little snot nosed kids the Lord placed in our family even if I didn't birth them.

It's this kind of love that get me worked up and frustrated when I live far away from parents who need someone to just help them right now. Or why I want to shake the girl across the table and tell her that she is worth so much more then the lukewarm relationship she is in and that Lord created and loves her...values her and wants to see her at peace! It is what breaks my heart when I realize I have been believing the lie that tells me that my life is my own....that if I have too much on my plate then I can just say no to the needs around me. Wrong! If there is 'too much on my plate' to love the person next to me in a real and genuine way...well then my priorities are wrong and I have taken my life back from my savior who bought me with his own blood. Isn't that what love really is? Isn't that the way that he calls us to love others?

Still thinking....

The taste of bitter and sweet....

2011-12-07T10:53:00.000-06:00

When Mike and I got married almost 4 years ago we did something a little different. Rather then lighting a unity candle we drank wine. Specifically two types of wine. One was bitter and one was sweet. This was to remind us that there will be all kinds of times together. there will be the sweet wonderful times that we want to wrap ourselves up in and there will also be those hard bitter times of struggle and pain. In all circumstances we chose to covenant with each other and the Lord.

As I look back at 2011 the sweet far outweighs the bitter! Thank you Lord for for a year that is full and overflowing with such rich times of blessing as well as helping us to see the sweet that mingles with the bitter.

Sweet:
March~ we went to Ethiopia to meet two little girls who would join our family!
May~ Traveled to Ethiopia with my parents to pick up the twins and bring them home to daddy!
~enjoyed 3 months off of work getting to know our girls!
Summer~Filled with welcome home visits and parties for the girls!
~So blessed by Juli and Lori Who helped up with the girls when I went back to work!
August~Returned to Target, and realized just how much my coworkers really mean to me!
Fall~The launch of our much beloved little church plant!
September~ Mike has worked for his new company for a year and they respect and appreciate him!
~Last year we got pictures of the girls and this year they are home!
~my mother who came for almost 2 weeks to help me get back on my feet after being ill....thanks dad we know it wasn't easy to give her up for that long!
Oct~ I was able to leave Target and become a full time stay at home mother!
~We put our house on the market asking the Lord to show us the direction we should go with out lives.

Bitter:
On going~The girls have been sick off and on with strange stuff...to be expected!
Summer~ Hard stuff with getting the church planted. Broken hearts and lots of tears.
August~ I got really sick and was on the couch for about 2 weeks.
October~We put our house on the market
November~Our little Hugo ran away.

I have a feeling that there are a lot of things that I have forgotten, but I just wanted to take a few moments to reflect on life, where we have been and where we are going. As things stand at this moment there is a couple who is really interested in our home and I may be able to add the praise of selling our home and getting ready to move to Esko before the year is done. Thank you to all who have so faithfully kept our family in your prayers. We are so richly blessed and encouraged by you.

Runaway

2011-12-03T08:17:00.001-06:00

Well we have spent the last two weeks house sitting in the Barnum area. Over all things have gone really well. The girls love running around the large living and kitchen area. Mike and I are enjoying cooking in this beautiful kitchen. We had our first Thanksgiving with the girls here and were joined by my parents and some friends.

Sadly our beloved little dog Hugo ran away on Wednesday and we have not seen him for 3 days now. Amira got up from her nap the other day singing gogo gogo, puppy gogo gogo (Hugo) it about broke my heart.

The endlessly annoying thing is that for he past two months I have been so mad at him. He has just been bad. Strong willed and naughty. He has been running more and more and I just don't have time to deal with him now that the twins are here. A few weeks ago I wishes he would just run away.....and now he has. It is just so sad.

This wasn't the way it should go. Mike got him for me after we had to put Brandi our boxer down. I was lonely because he had gone away for two weeks and we still had not heard anything about the girls and when we could bring them home. When I saw him I just knew he fit that little hole in our family.

We miss you little Hugo....our gogo dog. praying that you are safe and warm wherever you are or that the end was quick.

I said 'Hey what's goin' on...."

2011-11-15T14:16:00.000-06:00

November update on our crazy life. the girls are now 18 months old, and have been home for 6 months. I would love to say that all is going well, but it isn't. We have been dealing with diarrhea again for the past month. We took stool samples in again for the third time but they are clear. They have grown taller, but have not put weight on in the last 3 months so our doctor wanted us to see the infectious disease doctors....long story short they are first sending us to a children's gastrointestinal doctor. That mixed with our doctor telling us to feed the girls whatever they want as much as they want....means I get another month of poop to my elbows. You wouldn't know they are sick! I guess that is good. They are still active and happy....most of the time. Pushing each other and the boundaries all the time.

The house saga continues. We have taken it off the market for the holidays and the plan is to put it back up in March. However, if someone is looking please feel free to contact us. I have had to do a lot of wrestling with the shear fact that the house may not sell. I have come to the conclusion that I will be angry and that I should maybe start dealing with that possibility sooner then later. We love our home and would be happy to raise our family in it....there are just a lot of things that would mean....letting go of some dreams that I realize I have been holding tightly too.

On an up note Mike and I were able to get away for the weekend! We had a wonderful time down in the cities. The girls had fun at Nana and Papa's house. They even got to see uncle David! Mike and I did some shopping and went to a water park! it was too fun!

Just a few updates

2011-10-23T17:57:00.001-05:00

Just want to keep you all up to date on
Life for us. There are a few newer pics of the girls. They love going to the park down the street as well as cooking. We will have a lot more time for that after this week. Wednesday is my last day at Target. It still does not seem real!!

It seems like the girls have been sick almost every week. The bath pics are Amira after one really bad diaper. She started screaming but by the third pic she realized she was in the tub and i was taking pics! Both things she loves!

Amira Is a full time walker now and Amina is catching up quickly! It is good to see Mina walking too! Amira climbs on everything and had turned over a diaper box in an attempt to climb into her crib. My back was turned for about 30 seconds.

We have the house on the market until the end of the month and then we will try again in the spring. We have had great feedback but no takers yet!

We are really looking forward to the holidays this year and the free time that comes with not working! Kicking it off with a visit from Grandma Laurie this week! We are all so excited!

I will trust the Lord

2011-09-20T13:47:00.006-05:00

Well we put the house on the market last week. We have had two showings. We have no idea how the house will do, but we have gotten positive feedback so far. I have shared the news with people at work and just in passing and the common response has been 'what are you doing? You have a great house and didn't you just do a ton of work to it?' Or 'Have you guys found another house you want? Did Mike get a new Job?' We are not moving for a job or even for a nicer home. We are not moving for a better school district or because we can make a mint on our dearly loved home.

When you tell people in Duluth that you would like to move to Esko everyone thinks it is for the school or the land....although these are nice things....they are not WHY we desire to move. We are moving because we, quite literally, want to be where God wants us. Explaining this has been strange and fun. One of my brothers thinks we are crazy and worries that we will sell the house, give all the money to the church and move onto a compound. And I guess if that is where the Lord leads...

Here is the reality of it. God has asked his people to go in every generation...to be physically in a place they are not originally from so that they can be where He wants them and DO what He has for them to do. We love this little church plant that we have been a part of but the reality is that we can not live so far away and make an impact. We have spent months asking the Lord what way He wants us to go....silence.

We put moving on the back burner because the girls were coming. I told Mike that I did not even want to think about it until they had been home for a year. Then, this summer, things started to change...with the reality of girls coming home we realized we just can't do it. Some things, unrelated to us, hurt our little body and we began to question again...is this where we should be? Are these our people? Is this little struggling church it? Lord, if you would just answer us we would know.... We would be faithful.....silence....still.

I began to ask Mike what keeps us from being more involved? Top of the list...the distance. So in a crappy market....with a house that we need to sell for a reasonable rate...we are asking the Lord to answer the question we have been asking for a year. We have stepped out...and we know from His character that He will answer us one way or another.

My prayer is that this house will sell. I LOVE our home, but my heart is here less and less. It will be bittersweet to leave it behind. When I look at what it would mean to stay I am undone. So many things have happened, so much has changed...I do not know how I could go back to life the way it was before this little congregation. The truth is, I can not go back. I am forever changed. I will trust the Lord because He knows better then I. That is all I can say about where we are today. I will trust the Lord.

2011-09-08T11:50:00.003-05:00

Amina in her jumper. She loves it! I know she does not have a smile in this picture but on normal days she is grinning from ear to ear and won't stop jumping!
Amira, standing by herself. It will not be long and both girls will be walking.

So life has been a little crazy at our home! We have had a wonderful summer filled with visits from family and friends as well as a number of parties! We had a belated 1st birthday for the girls in July. What a blast....there are some pics at the end. Thanks again to Dave and Juli for hosting us! Uncle Jason and Sommer came for a visit all the way from Hawaii! It was so good to have them here! The girls loved them so much and we were all sad to see them go after a week long visit. Uncle Jason took them swimming in the big lake and they thought that was really fun! Both girls were happy to have any time they could get to snuggle and laugh with Sommer!

We also had Matt and Lisa up from Chicago. We went to the cabin and the girls got to swim and go fishing! They LOVE boat rides and just about anything that has to do with the water! They really are their daddy's girls!
Amira, What a little ham!

Amina, in the big girl chair.....just enjoying being outside!

Just as we were winding down our crazy summer I got sick. Not the 24 hour flu, we are talking layed out on the couch for a week with no sign of things getting better. All I could think of was all that had to get done. It was my last week with the girls before going back to work at Target. The house needed a good clean after all of our visitors, and I just did not want to feel crappy. So I went in to the doctor and he did blood work. everything came back negative, but due to the fact that most tick related illnesses come back false negatives he started me on antibiotic for it. I got well enough to get off the couch, eat some food and start work again. Just in time too....

We have decided to put the house on the market. Yep we are selling the house that we have worked so hard on with the kitchen we love so much! Why? Because we believe in what the Lord is doing in Esko! Our church family is there and we miss them. If I have learned anything in the past 4 months having the girls home and being ill it is this....I need my family. Mike and I have prayed and prayed asking for clear direction from the Lord if we are really supposed to be a part of this fellowship, and He is quiet. So we will put the house on the market and ask Him to bring a buyer. If he does not then we will have our answer and we will stay. If he does then our little family will start a whole new adventure! So if you know anyone who would like our home....let us know!

The girls with their friend Asha! They are seeing a lot more of each other now that I am back at work! Juli has the girls 3 days a week for us so that I can go back to Target for a period of time.
Amira really got into her cake at the party!

Mike had to help Amina get into hers. She was not so sure at first, but she really liked the frosting!
Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement as we worked to bring the girls home, as we have been adjusting and a special thanks to those who have been praying over me and this sickness...a few more weeks on the drugs and we hope to have it knocked out!

Please keep us in prayer as we try to sell our home. We love it here and it will be a sad day, but we are trusting the Lord to make our path clear.

WFP donations

2011-08-02T19:34:00.006-05:00

I was moved today to put down the carrots I was chopping and run to the girl's room, Where they should have been sleeping but instead they were chattering away. I rushed in an picked up Amina...rocking her for 20 min. and then Amira after her. I could not put them down...could not stop the tears or the prayers. Prayers of thankfulness mixed with pleading for the life of their birth mother....that she would be safe....that she would have food...that she would know the love of Jesus. I had just finished listening to the following report about the famine in Africa and was so moved to prayer that I had no other physical choice. In that rocker holding my twins one at a time I praised the Lord for all he has done for our family and pleased for the lives that have such great need both physically and spiritually in East Africa.

http://www.theworld.org/2011/08/images-of-famine-in-the-media/

Mike and I have not made the donation to the World Food Program yet. We know there are still some others who have made mention of joining us so we will hold the funds until the start of September. If you would like to join us please contact me personally or you can also donate directly to the World Food Program. http://www.wfp.org/ If you do take that route please let us know...we would love to know others who are being moved in the same direction.

Powder Face

2011-07-22T08:23:00.002-05:00

This week we had a fun visit from Uncle Paul, Aunt Sandy and Cousin Andy from Kansas City! It was so fun to see more of the family get to know the girls a bit. They were a little unsure of uncle Paul and Andy at first, but they warmed up. We hope to see them again soon and maybe have a little more time with them!

Amina with Aunt Sandi
Amira with Uncle Paul

Ok so now on to our little powder face!

You have to wonder how this happened. Mom and I went out for the evening and when we got back Mike had taken these pictures and was laughing. He said the story was even better then the picture. He had been getting the girls all set for bed, changing diapers, calming the kids down....Amina was all done with her diaper change and was pulling herself up to stand on Mike's leg. Mike had Amira on the floor between his legs so he could change her. Amina was pulling up and letting go and falling down on her butt. She was having a great time...Mike had just powered Amira's bottom and Amina pulled up on him and rather then falling back she fell forward right into Amira's crotch and powder went everywhere! We had a good laugh! Poor little girl Mike laughed so hard he went and got the camera!

Just a reminder to all we are having the girl's welcome home party on Sunday and we would love it if family and friends could make it out. Let me know if you need directions! We hope to see you there!

The Horn of Africa

2011-07-14T15:49:00.005-05:00

So I just have some things to say and process and I am not too sure where to do that so I will start here....

You may have heard about the drought in the horn of Africa, or maybe you have not. I will write and process as though you may not have heard about it and that may be helpful to all of us. East Africa is currently experiencing the worst drought it has seen in 60 years. It is projected to be worse then the drought of the 1980's...you remember the 'We are the World' production that many musicians put on to help raise money and awareness. The countries affected include Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Uganda and Eritrea.

I will include some facts below and then do a little processing about how this crisis is touching our home and our hearts.

*Both Kenya and Ethiopia have seen an influx of refugees from Somalia over the past few years. The Dadaab refugee camp now holds the third largest population in Kenya. It was built to house 90,000 people...it has reached 400,000.

* In parts on North East Kenya rainfall has only reached %10 of normal levels. Ethiopia also saw a drastic drop in its rainy season waters last year and the rains that were to come this past spring were light. The lack of rain compounds issues that the region was already dealing with...poverty, rising prices on food and fuel, as well as government instability.

*37% of Somalian refugee children in Kenya are malnourished.

* Food prices have escalated 200 percent for staple foods following the failure of two consecutive rainy seasons.

* In Ethiopia, it is projected that 4.5 million people will need humanitarian food to survive throughout 2011.

* Across the entire region, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the extreme levels of drought threaten 11 million lives.

*In order to provide enough food assistance to feed those starving in the Horn, the U.N. World Food Program noted it will need $477 million through the end of the year. Currently, they are operating on a 40 percent shortfall to meeting regional needs.

So as I have been keeping up on some of this info and thinking about the things we saw in Ethiopia and the people that we met I can not help but be brokenhearted. The sad thing is that it did not really hit me at first. I heard rumblings when we were in Ethiopia and have gotten a few news reports, but not until the other day did it slap me in the face. I did not break until I read the news and saw the pictures of mothers with their small children...a little girl a year old...my girls...from the same place in the world...their people...how could we not be moved? broken?

I believe that the Lord uses our brokenness to change who we are....how we live...what we do. In James 1 we are called to be doers of the word! We can not hear what God calls us to and be passive we must do. This is foundational to our faith. SO when the Lord calls us to care for widows and orphans and to look out for those who have need that is just what he means....DO good where good can be done...Love others more then yourself.

We will be having an open house on July 24th to welcome the girls home and to celebrate their 1st birthday. Please contact me if you would like to know where it will be and how to get there. We have expressly asked that family and friends not give the girls gifts, but in-light of what is going on in East Africa we would like to make a donation to the World Food Program in their name. If you would like to donate you can either go to www.wfp.org or you can bring a donation to us at the party and we will include it with ours.

*Please pray for the horn of Africa, that the Lord will provide for those in great need and that they will see His hand at work.

*Pray for the twins birth mother as she is also affected by the drought.

My info came from a number of sights including the Huffington Post and the World Food Program page.

2011-07-09T14:48:00.002-05:00

This stuff makes me nuts and I just have to say something! I saw this post on FB today.

In the U.S.A. Homeless go without eating.

In the U.S.A. Elderly go without needed medicines.

In the U.S.A. Mentally ill go without treatment.
In the U.S.A. Troops go without proper equipment.
In the U.S.A. Veterans go without benefits they were promised.
Yet we donate billions to other countries before helping our own first. Have the guts to re-post this. 1% will re-post and 99% Won't have the Guts!♥

Although I agree that the U.S. Gives millions of dollars to other countries that are unneeded I believe we should pause for a moment and think about the plight of many in underdeveloped countries before we pass statements like this around. In countries such as Ethiopia and Bangladesh these statements are absurd. American homeless at least have the hope of a meal at a shelter and can find clean drinking water.

The U.S has elderly because we have done something right in the care of our people so that they can even reach the age of 60. ( I do not even think 60 is that old, but it is for some places in the world) The possibility that our girl's birth mother will be alive when they are 20 is incredibly low...she would be 40. People are still dying of preventable diseases in these countries....where there may be medication but without the help of foreign countries like the U.S. the average person, who makes about $1-2 a day, will never be able to afford it.

As far as our troops and veterans...we have done them a great disservice, and we should not ask them to pay for the ineptitude of our politicians.

Sorry for the rant but this stuff makes me nuts.

You find me in my weakness....

2011-06-28T07:30:00.003-05:00

Oh You fill those who are empty
And rescue those in the valley
And through it all You calm my soul
Oh You find me in my weakness
And heal the wounds of my heartache
I worship You in spirit and truth
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/hillsong_united/oh_you_bring.html ]

And You opened the door for me
And You laid down
Your life to set me free
All that I am will serve You Lord
And You opened my eyes to see
All the wonder and awe of Christ in me
Jesus You're everything I need

~Oh You Bring, Hillsong

There are moments in life that are pivotal to the road we will walk. I can list a few...hearing the Lords voice as a 13 year old kid calling me out of a situation that would have destroyed me, and asking me to walk with him. Receiving a clear call to take a year off of college to work with YWAM in Denver. The moment I knew that Mike was the best man who had ever crossed my path. The instant when my love for the Lord and the nations as well as my heart to do good for those who have great need all clicked at once and Mike and I chose the path of adoption. These are the things that have shaped and molded me...made me who I am, and the Lords fingerprints are all over each story.

Our God is faithful! He does not leave things undone! In my weakness I doubt...all the time. How easily I forget my own story...the story of His faithfulness in my life! I stand at the precipice of a defining moment and I doubt. In my weakness and humanity I fall greatly short of who it is that God has called me to be. I give the enemy ground each time I turn a blind eye or believe the lie that the work is too hard, too much. He has given me EVERYTHING from the breath in my lungs to the love of my dear husband and our two sweet children. I owe him EVERYTHING! He called me out! He saved me! He healed my heartache! He calmed my Soul! Nothing he can ask is too much!

So today I will get up, and (as a dear friend said) I will put my pants on! I will be a grown up. I will not be satisfied with Milk but will hunger for the meat that will sustain my life! I will choose to do the fun things, the silly things as well as the hard things, and I will not give up.

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/hillsong_united/desert_song.html ]

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

~Desert Song, Hill Song

Time for an update...

2011-06-07T10:38:00.005-05:00

We have been home a little more then 2 weeks now. It has been a major adjustment in all areas. I just wanted to share some of the highlights with you.

We are working on simple sign-language with the girls. They are picking it up much faster then I thought they would and have even started saying the words with me a little. Amira is asking for more food in this picture. They are both starting to say 'all done' but don't really understand what it means.

Hugo wants to be involved in everything from play time to bath time to meal time. He is always around and even more underfoot now then he was before. It is a good thing that they really like having him around. Another word the girls have started saying is dog.
We had our first post placement visit about a week after the girls got home. we will have three more this year. One of the requirements of Ethiopian adoptions is that the family must send pictures to Ethiopia for each of these visits as well as once a year until the children are 18. We had fun taking a bunch of family and single shots of the girls. These are just a few.
Amira in her crib
Amina in her crib. She was having a hard time by the end so many of her pictures look sad.
Amira
Amira and Amina playing together in the big pink tub.

Last Saturday was really nice out. Mike and I were on the deck with the girls. Mike was planting in the deck garden and the girls were playing in the dirt. I remembered the little pool I picked up at a garage sale and set it up for the girls. They had a blast! It was so fun to watch them laugh and play together.

Hugo thought the pool was for him too. He took some of the girls toys and drank a bunch of the water.They did not mind sharing with him.
We are now on the third day of smiles and laughter in our home. This is such a blessing to me. Last week was really hard. Amina has not been well. As I looked back at the health updates that I received last year on the girls I noticed that Amina was ill in most of them. When I picked her up from the orphanage she had a bad ear infection and when the antibiotic was done it came right back. We are on the second round of treatment for her, but we do have our concerns about her over all health. She is the same size and weight as her sister and eats just as well, but she is farther behind in some of her development and if fussier then Amira. We believe that it is in a large part due to her poor health in the first year of her life. Please pray that the Lord will bring to light the ways that we can help her, and that he will heal her little body. Other then that she is doing well and is really a funny kid on the days that she feels good!

Amira is doing well over all. It took her a little longer to warm up to us, but she laughs and smiles easily now. She is pulling herself up on furniture and is always curious. I don't think it will be too long until she is walking.

We are working on many of the little challenges that every new parents have. schedule, feeding, sleep, why are they sad, what makes them happy...all those fun things.

Thank you to all of our dear friends who have helped us during this time of adjustment. The meals and clean home were such a blessing! Sadly we have not been able to make it to Rock Hill to visit our old church family and friends, but we hope to be there soon. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us. I still can not believe they are home.

May 16, 2011...Gotcha Day!

2011-05-24T08:31:00.002-05:00

Written May 18th poster May 24th

My father has started referring to our embassy day as 'gotcha' day! We passed with only a small hiccup that I was able to resolve with our lawyer today. There are not words to describe the Lords provision as I look back at the event that was 'Gotcha' Day. When we met with our lawyer on Friday he gave us a rundown of what to expect on the following Monday. We looked over paperwork to ensure that everything was in order...and there was a paper missing...missing because we did not know we needed it. funny how all the planning in the world didn't matter at that moment. Thank goodness for the power of attorney Mike sent with me and the fact that his signature was not required. The Lawyer gave us the time of our embassy meeting as 1pm on Monday.....

When I returned to the guesthouse and talked with some other families they assured me that there are no 1pm times for embassy....only 9am times for Mondays....I went back to my email and discovered that this was true. Over the weekend we called the lawyer who told us to email him and wouldn't you know it the Internet was down. So Sunday night I was up most of the night between the girls being up and my brain going a million miles an hour. It was during that time that I packed for the next day....just in case we got a call and had to run out the door. I also remembered that there was extra money we brought to cover the visa fee. (we already payed this fee, but had no confirmation of payment so we brought another sum with us just in case)

In the morning I had this great relaxed peace. The girls we up early so we dressed them and got some food in them. By the time we were ready for the day it was time for breakfast. As I sat eating my breakfast Danny, our driver, ran into the room and asked to talk with dad. They called me into the hall a few minuets later and Danny informed me that the lawyer had called and we needed to go to the embassy right away, our time had changed....yep 9am. Just like I thought. funny how that is.

We got the girls and gathered our things. During the rush my parents said they wanted to exchange money and both rushed to get their passports. Funny how we didn't think about needing them to GET INTO THE US EMBASSY! Praise the Lord for his goodness. We got to the Embassy at 9 sharp....thank you Danny! Walked in to a room filled with about 70 people and wondered why we rushed. We took a number and when they called it my mother, father and I went to the window with the girls. They asked for my visa fee and some paperwork....all part of that package we had sent out about 3 weeks ago. I lost some of my cool. Informing the man behind the glass that he should check his files again because He should have our info. after a long stare down and him holding up our thick file insisting that they did not have the paperwork or $800 fee I stepped to the side counter and started filling out one of the blank forms that I had brought with me. The whole time loosing my cool and praising the Lord that he had reminded me about the money in the middle of the night.

As I worked on the sheets someone came up to me and touched my shoulder. It was Mr. Bure our in country coordinator. With a big smile he handed me the packet of paperwork and welcomed me back to Ethiopia. Thank you Lord for Mr. Bure...it was a blessing to see his kind face. Together he and I submitted the packet and when they asked for the money I looked at him. He told me that the lawyer had not sent it with him. AHHHHHHHHHHH! So I payed the fee a second time in the hopes that we would get the first payment back from the Lawyer. (I got that today! Along with the girls visas and Ethiopian passports and immigration forms)

As we waited to be called again I was able to catch up with Brian and Alina. They are friends that we met on our first trip. They are staying at the same guesthouse that we did the first time, but because our party is so large we were not able to stay there and I have really missed being able to spend time with them. We spent some time chatting and then I was called back to a window to answer a few questions. They had overlooked some papers that I did not have copies of and I started to loose it. To his great credit the man behind the counter just told me what we would need to do and that everything was going to be ok. I asked him to check the stack one more time, and he found the missing sheet! So he looked at me and said.....'you have passed and we will have their visas for you on Wednesday. Go back and enjoy your girls! Congratulations!'

That night I was able to join Brian and Alina for dinner out to celebrate! It was so nice to sped some time with them after our crazy day! Johnnie drove us....it was so good to see him again and hear that he is doing well. Mike is sad that he was not able to see any of them this time around.

So that was 'gotcha' day! It would not have happened if the Lord had not paved it! Thank you Jesus for making our family! We are so excited to get them home.

M

16th of May

2011-05-09T21:25:00.003-05:00

This has been a crazy week so far! On Friday I got a call from our adoption agency. I was told that our case was cleared to proceed to an embassy meeting. I was told to pick three dates that would work best for our family to travel for embassy, and then I was promptly told what dated I should choose and email them to the agency. The dates we were given? the 12, 16 or 17 of May. Yep the 12th was less then a week away. When I got off the phone I was shaking....We were going to be bringing our girls home! Our lives will never be the same again....and oh my I have so much to do.

I called Mike and he started talking and planning and I hit a mental block. I went into work the next day and told those who needed to know that the time had come and Sunday would be my last day before leave. The stress level started to rise when I got home on Sat and realized just how much needed to be done. PRAISE the LORD for a loving church family so that I did not have to think about getting the house clean and put together for the twins. There will be a work and cleaning party at the house sometime while I am gone. If you are in the area and would like to be a part of it please contact Mike of Juli.

So the stress of getting it all done was maddening. When Mike got home from spending his Saturday helping friends put on a new roof we ended up in the worse fight I think we have ever had. My wonderful husband...works so hard...loves others so well....comes home and I freak out on him. Man I have so much to learn. Needless to say the Lord cut me to the quick the next day and I spent some time repenting to Mike and asking his forgiveness.

I told him there was one point during our fight when I was glad that he was having a hard time with something...I had this deep feeling of 'good I'm glad it sucks for you...I'm just going to let it keep sucking and I have no intention of helping you figure it out.' When I remembered it I was ill. That is not me. But it is. It is my sin clear as day...I could heard the deception of the devil all around me in that moment...the lies 'he doesn't care about your family', 'he just lets you take care of all this stuff' 'he has no intention of doing any of the hard stuff to help you', 'do you really think he wants these kids?' 'you're going to do all the work when they come so just get used to it now'. Oh those sick lies...it pisses me off. It pisses me off even more now that I see them for what they are. Lies to keep our family distracted and angry...rob us of the joy of binging the girls home...hurt a family that God has so clearly put together....ruin one of our last evenings together before children....distraction. And who did I go to for help? Myself. I can fix it I can do it...I have been doing it. I am so ashamed...I did not run to the Lord, did not ask him to take care of our home and our family. Sometimes it just takes so long to realize who the enemy is, who I should be fighting. It is not my husband...it is not this process or the paperwork or the dog that won't stop barking or the lack of time that we now have to get everything done. No the enemy is the devil and he is crafty.

SO Sunday I repented and we made up....this does not mean that things were stress free and all was a breeze, but man was it better. Dave helped us with the paperwork. Thank you Dave you are a real life saver because I think I might have killed Mike at that point. For all of his strengths and gifts paperwork is just not there, and I had a million other things to do at home before we headed down to the cities to get everything notarized and maybe fly out the next day. We still did not have a date because it was the weekend and governments and adoption agencies do not work on the weekend. We were in the van, loaded with a prayer that I did not forget anything important, and on our way to my parent's home by 5:00. Got to mom and dad's and got back in the car to run over to a friend of mom's and notary to get a stack of paperwork stamped...who knows if we will even need it. That's the beauty of it. shout out to Mrs. Braastad and family, thanks so much for your help!

So today is Monday. We ran out to get a number of things, and Mike started calling Radu about every half hour starting at 10:00 our time. He reached him just before 11 but there had been no news. Radu called back at 11:30 to tell us that our embassy date will be on the 16th. This was the best possible date for us. we got tickets booked and sent about a million emails out...there are still a bunch of things up in the air, but I am living in the land of peace right now. Largely due to the fact that Mike took today off and helped me figure the travel plans out. I would be a mess of stress and emotion if it wasn't for that man. Crazy to see just how much I have come to need him in the past 3+ years! I love you Mike.

So here is the plan...we will arrive in Ethiopia on Thursday. We will pick up Amina and Amira on Friday and bond with them over the weekend. On Monday morning all 5 of us will set off for the embassy interview and if all goes well we will be headed home that Friday with U.S. visas in hand and twins in our arms.

Please pray for this trip. That the Lord will continue to show us his amazing provision and that I will have eyes to see it and testify to the amazing things he is doing. Praise the Lord that my father will be joining us. I can not imagine doing this without him and mom there. Love you all and will do my best to keep you informed as the days go on.

Newest pics

2011-05-07T11:58:00.008-05:00

These are the newest pics that we have of the girls....Just thought I would share!

Amira Abeba at 11 months old

Amina Birtucan at 11 months old

Amina Birtukan at 11 months old

Birthdays

2011-05-06T12:46:00.010-05:00

Last Sunday was May 1st. We had a few birthdays to celebrate. Arise Church in Esko had its first private service....wonderful and so exciting! Dave preached, Kris and Jon did worship and it rocked! We even shared communion and then lunch after as a family. Happy Birthday Arise! We are so excited to be a part of what God is doing in Esko!

Sunday was also Amina and Amira's fist Birthday. It has taken me all week just to sit down and be ok with blogging about it. A year old...in an orphanage for 11 months....we have known about them from the time they were 4 months old. It just doesn't seem right. Funny how I thought that at this point in the game I should be ok...be alright with not knowing the whens...I am not. I am not ok with our girls being on the other side of the world on their first birthday...that just isn't ok with me when they have so many people here so excited to meet them and celebrate their life.

Every holiday that goes by without them is hard. It marks where we were last year in the process. I think Mother's day may be the worst....second only to their birthday...last year we didn't know who they were yet, but I remember thinking..."I'm a mom. Next year will be so great with the kid. That will make it so real." ummm....nope.

So what more is there to say? We pray each day for the process...for those who have our file and determine when we can bring our girls home. We trust that the Lord's timing is right and that the girls will be home when they need to be...

We discovered last week that our I600A paperwork is set to expire this month...and that we needed a home study dated within 6 months of the I 600A...so we started the mad dash to get it all done. We filled and sent out paperwork for the home study update, did our interview yesterday and now just need to have all the paperwork and approved homestudy in hand and sent out to USCIS with a request to be expedited....and cross our fingers that the paperwork will be back for our embassy date. OR we could get the date in the next few days and be home with the girls before the 20th of May...I guess that is possible?! Please keep praying.

good bye and hello

2011-04-28T12:28:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday was Easter. It was a beautiful day...the weather was about as nice as it has been in Duluth this spring.....Spring just does not want to come this year. We have had snow again for most of the week...lame.

This was our last Sunday at Rock Hill. I have spent a good chunk of time this week thinking about that good bye. Pastor Kyle called us all up to the front and Aaron prayed over our little church plant. What a blessing. I could not look out at everyone knowing that I would have been lost in tears if I did. So instead I looked to Kyle as he poured words of love over us and then to Aaron as he prayed for each of our men as they get ready to lead this new church. I will miss you Rock Hill. You have been my home and I love each of you so much. Thank you for being the church...for reaching out and supporting or family...for speaking truth, and for showing us, in a real way, what it is to live for Christ in our world.

This will be our first Sunday as Arise church in Esko. We are already family and have been meeting for some time, but Sunday will mark the start of our private services. We will gather and Dave will preach...I have no idea if we will sing ( we are still working out the worship stuff) We are continuing to look for a building so for now we will meet at Dave and Juli's home. It is so cool to be at the birth of something new. Please pray for the Lord's continued direction as we seek to follow him and share His life with the community of Esko.

It's been a month

2011-04-21T09:06:00.003-05:00

Well we have been home a month. Things keep changing. We expected that they would, but it seems never ending. Our poor adoption facilitator. He gets new directions every day and they are never clear....then he has to try to get 9 families on board at the same time. Please pray for Radu this is a particularly stressful time for him as the U.S. embassy continues to change their requirements.

Everyone is wondering when we will get the girls. There isn't a day that goes by at work when someone doesn't ask, "So have you heard when you can go and get them?" or some variation of the question. Here is what we know right now....

Our paperwork is done being translated. We got a call on Friday the 8th to let us know that everything was set. They used Mike's middle name on the birth certificates and passports rather than his first name. We have been assured that this is not a major issue but they need the word from us that it was ok. So we said it was fine and we were told the only thing they were holding off on was to see if the U.S. government would shut down...we held our breath all evening and at midnight heard on NPR that there would be no shutdown. SO on Monday our paperwork along with 8 other families was submitted to the U.S. embassy.

A week later we received an email from Adoption Ave. Stating that the embassy will not give us a date until they have more paperwork. This is paperwork that previously we would have done on our second trip in person, but now they want ahead of time. To make things harder they also want the cash upfront. So there are new wiring and handling fees that no one can really verify because they are always changing. This should not be a problem for families that will come through the process after us because they will just take care of all of this on their first trip when they are in the country. That last bit about the money we did not even know about until last night. So you can see why I have asked for prayer for dear Radu as he tries to nail everything down for us.

There is also a chance that it may take an extra two or three month now because of this paperwork that they want upfront. There are state seals and certifications and then translation and any number of other things that I don't even know about....we are praying that this delay will not happen. Dear friends told me the other day that they are praying not only that we will not have months of delays but that we will get a call out of the blue to come and get the girls. This is not a bad idea! In fact I like it a great deal!

Please continue to pray that my father will be able to join us and that we will be able to help out at the retreat of some friends of ours while we are in Ethiopia. I think I have the accommodations figured out for our return time in Addis, but things will be up in the air until we have travel dates.

In other family news
*I had a beautiful shower on the 16th thanks to the ladies of our new Arise church!
*By the way we will be starting private services in Esko the week after Easter so if anyone is interested please contact me, and keep praying for our little church as we seek to build relationships and reach out to the community!
*We sold Mike's big white truck, sort of a bittersweet day. And got a minivan! Woot woot!
*The girl's room is painted, it is beautiful! A light green with bright pink dots...big dots all over. It makes me smile every time I walk into the room.
*My little brother Jason moved back to Maui and I miss him!
*Made a new friend in Duluth also adopting from A.A. What a blessing that coffee shop trip was, thank you dear!
*Mike and I are praying about starting some sort of adoption ministry in the Duluth area. It would be a place where people can gather resources, get education, and help in the process as well as after their children are home. Please join us in praying for this much needed resource in the north land.

I am sure there area million other things going on, but those seem like the big ones right now. Thanks for all of your prayers and words of encouragement! Oh yeah...the computed has been working only off and on so I will post more pics when we get that all figured out!

Melis

Wednesday 3/9/2011

2011-03-27T07:07:00.003-05:00

Today was our second visit with the girls. It went even better then the first. We got a little better look into their personalities. Amina (her name means peaceful) Sat on Mike's lap as happy as could be and just took everything in. Amira (her name means princess) Went right for my glasses, necklace and the snaps on my jacket. Girlfriend likes her bling!
We were really blessed on this visit to have one of the other adopting couples join us. We were spending the rest of the day together so we figured they could just come wih if they wanted to. They took great pictures and video. It had proven to be hard to do that on our own the day before...we had a out hands full with two beautiful girls, and neither of us wanted to put one down to take pictures. Thank you so much Brian and Alina!
Amira calmed down much fasted today. She even allowed Mike to hold her and play with her some.
But by the end of the visit she just wanted to cuddle.

Amina was more curious today. She interacted really well with Mike. He got her to smile and giggle, but for some reason she wouldn't let us get it on camera so all of our pictures of her are rather serious. It was so encouraging to watch Amina relax a little. Her body had been tight and a bit rigid yesterday but as she got used to us she relaxed and her movements were more fluid.

Over all the visit was great. There was a third family in the visitation room with us. Their little girl is a year old and she cried the whole time. We can hear her all through the video and in many of the pictures the girls are looking off camera to watch the little screamer.

We are really looking forward to all the fun things we are going to do and the other new people we are going to meet. We have been so blessed at the Foster/ Guest House to meet two other couples that we will be going to court with.

Tuesday 3-8-2010

2011-03-26T08:23:00.005-05:00

Today was the first day that we met the girls. The nannys brought them in and I took Amina and MIke took Amira. Poor Amira started crying right away. Mike held on for some time like a tooper, but it was clear that she was afraid. So we switched and Amina did much better with her father.

They looked at each other and Mike talked to her in a sweet voice. They even played with toys on the floor. Little Amina needed to be propped up because she can not sit on her own yet. At one point Daddy clapped Amina's hand and she clapped it back. That was the moment that they connected. She smiled a bunch at him as he cooed and laughed with her. It was a sweet moment.

Amina is getting her top front teeth....she chewed her fingers the whole time!

Meanwhile, I held and rocked Amira. SHe cried and fussed, but was not as afraid. she did better after she was able to calm down. We were able to sit down on the couch and play with a few toys. When she started to fuss again I turned her to face me. She really liked my necklace with the charm of Africa on it that Juli gave me. She played with it and put it in her mouth. It calmed her right down. I took the opportunity to be purposeful about making eye contact with her. So I kissed her little neck and when she looked at me I kissed her cheek...and wouldn't you know it she started to grin. So I did it again and we got a MAJOR smile and a little giggle! And what a beautiful smile..a little quirky to one side with a scrunched up nose.
That was our first meeting with the girls. It went way to fast! We were fortunate to be in the visitation room alone it was just the four of us...our new family. Mike and I both felt that it went way better then we thought it might. Mike loved that we were each able to get a smile out of one of them.

All I can say is thank you Lord for watching over us. Thank you for preparing all of us for our first meeting, and for your deep, deep love and care for the girls. PLease continue to walk with us in this process.

Here they are...

2011-03-21T20:15:00.003-05:00

Our first family Picture...It does not even seem real. I opened my email about an hour ago and there was a short note from our Adoption agency...'we have received the letter from MOWA (ministry of women) you have been approved!' For those who live close to us and know what has been going on this was the letter that we thought may take a month to get. It was not there for court so we did not pass when we were in the country...this was somewhat expected, but still hard at the time. Now that the letter is in and we have passed court we can post pictures and be a little more free with the info we share about the girls.
Daddy with Amira( Abeba) and Amina (Birtukan)
When we met little Amina she was so layed back. She sat happily in Mike's lap for most of our visits. Amina is noticibly smaller then her sister, but she is healthy and interacts well.

Amira was a little more picky about where she wanted to spend her time. I ended up holding her for most of our visits. Come to find out on the last day that we saw them she was congested and had the chicken pox. Poor thing...it didn't keep her from smiling!
We were able to see the girls three times for two hours each visit. We are thankful simply because if I had been able to see them more I am not sure how I would have been able to say good bye after 9 days. 30 min into each visit they warmed up and were happy to sit with us and play.

One of my favorite observations from our time with the girls is that Amina seems layed back...her name means 'peaceful'. while Amira went right for the buttons on my jacket, my earrings and my glasses...my little 'princess' is already into bling! We are looking forward to getting them home just as soon as the US embassy gives us a date. NO worries we will keep you posted!

Tomorrow we paint their room...there is so much to do!
Praise the Lord they are coming home!
Melis

Just have to write!

2011-02-09T20:19:00.002-06:00

Ok so I am done not saying what most of you already know. I have to find a way to be tactful because none of this is legal yet....so forgive the lack of detail...or call me if you want it. WE ARE GOING TO ETHIOPIA! We will be going in March for the first of two trips. I am working with Radu and a few friends to figure out all the travel plans. There is so much to do.

I can not believe that I can even write what I just did. Last weekend I had lost hope that we would get a date any time soon. I spent most of the weekend in tears or just dazed. The wine and a few good friends really helped, but it wasn't until Monday night and an email from Radu with our date that I came out of it.

I lecture myself....how easily you loose hope Melissa. Where does your faith go when things get hard? Why do you have such a hard time trusting? How many times have I been reminded that the Lord loves our children more then I do? He will watch over them and bring them home in the right time.

Deep in my heart I know that this time will pass. They will be home and this will be a memory. I have said a number of times that I would take another year of waiting if it meant that children were not being trafficked and abused. Ethiopia is chaging right now, that is what is causing most of the delays....It is changing for the better...for the protection of children who do not have parents to watch out for them.

Some other really cool news is that our agency in opening their own foster and guest home. I can not believe how much Radu seems to get done! It really is incredible! So now many of the families that come after us in this process will be able to stay at the guest house and see their children daily while they come for court and then for their embassy meetings. We would like to bring a suitcase with donations for the new home when we go in March. I am still figuring out some of those details, but I will post what is needed in the future.

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement.
Melis

Letter to an old friend

2011-01-18T20:06:00.000-06:00

Hey there. I just want you to know that it was really good to see you. I feel like my life (the last few months) has been a running stream of short visits with people who really should have much more of my time.

I was thinking about the place you find yourself and just reflecting a little on some of what you said on my ride home on Sunday...and at work on Monday. You know what, I hated the second half of my 20's. I have no idea where the first half went because I was having such a good time, but the second part dragged. Turning 30 last year I felt like things were going to change. To some extent they have....I love being married....that was a major adjustment...I am looking forward to motherhood....the end of working outside of my home can not come soon enough...we are part of the core team planting a new church...and I feel like I have a better grasp of who I am than I have ever had.

But there is so much that I miss...so many things that I feel got put on the self, and I keep wondering when they will be taken down again. Mike and I joke sometimes that I am not the same person I was at Oak Hills. I think he wishes he knew me better then.

So here is my point, we change. We grow. We become people that we did not set out to be when we were 19. We may try and try to fit a mold that we thought we were supposed to be, but at the end of the day it just isn't right. So what is MOST important? when I boil it down it is this....it has always been this....

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And Love your neighbor as yourself.

Loving Jesus is what kept me rooted....allowing others to love me is what got me though. Make sure that you have a community that is honest with you and loves you deeply. They will be faithful to remind you of what is most important.

I love and miss you my friend!

Just sad

2010-11-17T15:41:00.004-06:00

I have been rocked a bit this week. In the fall of 2000 I went to Denver Co. To do a Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) While I was there Jesus changed my life in many ways. I learned that our creator really does speak to His children. That God chooses to use men and women that are horribly messed up to accomplish His good. I learned even more about His heart for the world. As a result of my Time with YWAM I went on to graduate from college with a major in Intercultural studies, help lead a number of short term trips to unreached people groups, join and help with the planting of a number of new churches in norther MN and adopt from Africa. To say the least this was a time of great learning and growth for me.

One of the greatest blessings for me durring that time were the people that the Lord put me with. For 3 months I lived in a room with about 7 other women. Bunks lined the walls! I still can not believe that many women lived in one room and we didn't kill each other. It was just the opposite. As the oldest of three children and the only girl I never had sisters. At YWAM I got my first taste of what that could be like. I have to be honest....I did not stay close with the sisters I lived with, but I know in heaven there will be a part of my heart that only they will understand. I am so thankful for them. They taught me so much. Anna and her sweet kindness, Jen who was the big sister to me that I really always needed, Charity and her excitement for life...I pray she still lives outside the box, and Jessica the first real girlfriend I had in a long time. (just to name a few)

This week one of my sisters lost her husband in an unexpected accident. At 30 she is the mother of two young boys and a widow. I think of our kids coming and the husband that I am so much in love with and my heart breaks for her. There is peace in knowing that Dana loves Jesus and is with him now in heaven, but the hurt is still great and the loss is unbearable.

Lord, Be with Jessica and her family. Give her the love and support of dear friends and family that she needs. Give her hope in this dark time and peace with all that is to come. Lord, you are good...even when life is hard you are good. Help me to always remember...

The Big Sale!

2010-10-10T14:46:00.005-05:00

This was one of you little helpers this weekend at the sale. He really modeled that hat well! Thanks buddy! I just wanted to share a little bit about the big sale to raise funds for our trip to Africa.

We were able to sell Special goodies from Liz Eaton! Liz is now making Pies, truffles and other wonderful goodies as a side business. If you have any questions or would like to place an order with her please let me know...There are not words for how good her treats are. Thanks Liz for all your help and support this weekend

Many other friends donated breads, muffins and canned goods. Thanks so much for sharing your gifts to help us raise traveling money!

We had more cloths than we knew what to do with. I was at the church all day on Sat. to set up and stuff kept coming! People we did not even know showed up at the church and introduced themselves as they brought donations because they hear about what we are doing and they wanted to show their support. Thanks so much to all those unknown people who felt the call to give.
Mike and I we so blessed to be able to find a few items at the sale to take home. A few of the items we ended up with were a bouncer and a pack and play! That alone will save us a chunk of money!

At one point a few of my Aunties showed up and just blessed the socks off of us! It is so encouraging to see the love and support of family first hand and to know how loved our little ones will be by their new family! Thanks Amy, Crystal, Cindy and Val! What a blessing you ladies are!
It was also good to see that there were a number of families from the surrounding community were able to be blessed by our sale. We had a few come back more than once and leave with arm fulls each time. The second day of the sale we did $3 bags and had people fill bags with all the clothes they could.
(Still can't believe all the shoes we got!)

We had a great time and again we were so blessed by everyone who was involved to help this sale work! I love my Church family! You guys are the best! I am proud to know that our children will be joining a church home that is loving and supportive of the. To those who may read this blog and not have any connection to Rock Hill or a church home I want you to know that at Rock Hill we experience what it really is to be a loving and supportive family. If you are looking for a place to call home or have questions about God and you live in the Duluth area check out www.rockhillcc.org Thanks again to everyone!

The Lord's Peace,
Melis

2010-10-02T17:34:00.003-05:00

Hey all this is part of what will be posted with our adoption info at the sale on Friday and Sat. Let me know what you think. Anything you would change? Add?

What we believe about adoption

We believe that the Lord has adopted us!

In the book of Romans Paul uses the picture of adoption to illustrate the believers new relationship with the Lord. Because of the work of Jesus. Those who follow him are new...they are part of a new family and they have the rights of sons and daughters. We believe that earthly adoption is a reflection of what Christ accomplished for us at the cross.

Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we call “Abba Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs- heirs of God and and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

We believe that the Lord calls us to action!

We believe that he love all people and that we should as well.

In a world where there is a drastic gulf between those who have and those who have not we believe that the Lord calls us to shrink that gap. The author of the book of James reminds us what it is to be faithful as we follow the Lord.

DO not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

More apple pics

2010-09-16T14:56:00.009-05:00

apples, apples, apples

2010-09-16T14:26:00.010-05:00

Mike's last project before he started his new job was building an apple press. It turned out beautiful! He is so proud. So with the help of our friends, and my father's mounted dish disposal we were able to make major amounts of apple sauce and start 15 gallons of hard cider fermenting last Saturday.

It was so much fun! We picked all the apples we were able to get our hands on. When Dave and Juli came with the kids they went over to the neighbors to pick some more apples and then we got started. The kids and Garret shifted between helping Mike outside with the cider and helping Juli and I with the apple sauce. I still can't believe that we didn't have any major injuries with the death trap Mike had going...I was envisioning deep head wounds from the press that had a drill attached to it to 'help things go faster' and missing fingers from the dish disposal. The men had things under control and the kids were well behaved!

Toukoul

2010-08-31T09:16:00.003-05:00

Hey all I just wanted to share a bit of video from the Toukoul orphanage where we will be adopting from. It is fun to see where our children are. We have had reports that the staff and caregivers are wonderful and love the children dearly. you can find more video, but I like this one. The video shows all ages as well as the school for the older children.

enjoy!
Melis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiuyAesrflI&feature=related

It has been a big month...

2010-08-24T16:01:00.002-05:00

Oh there is just so much to tell. first things first I dropped the ball with a major part of our summer adventure. I wrote that we were going to have a friend come and stay with us but never finished the story. Joe is a friend of mine from work who needed a place to stay as he figured out what the next step in life would be. He came to live with us at the start of July and, sadly, moved on by the end of the month. I can honestly say that I miss him a great deal. Having Joe stay with us was clearly the hand of God in each of our lives. I asked Joe to come and stay with us in one of those moments when the Lord makes it clear in your heart that is the way he wants you to go. Honestly, I was a little surprised when he took me up on the offer! Man, does the Lord know! We enjoyed a number of good, deep conversations...the kind that Mike and I both thrive on. I was greatly blessed that Joe allowed us to speak into his life and spend some quality time with him. It is our prayer that the Lord will continue to walk with him and make his path clear. Good-byes are always hard, but made sweeter when you know that your paths will cross again.

We were told at the end of last month that we would need to start the proccess of updating out home study for the adoption. Yep, Mike without a job meant that we would not pass the requirements to financially bring two children into our home. It has been a really hard month. I waffle between begging for the Lord's direction and not wanting to speak about my fears at all.

Last Friday Mike was able to set up an interview with a HVAC company in town. They are with the union that he is already a part of and they have a good reputation in Duluth. He interviewed on Monday and we are excited to share that today was his first day of work! YES! Praise the Lord! Mike has work again and we are no longer holding out breath about the adoption.

In the midst of all of this the only clear word I would get in prayer was wait (as my last post clearly explains). We had a weekend between the time Mike set up the interview and when it happened. This gave me time to think...time to repent. I knew that at the end of the day if Mike didn't get the job that God was still good...that we were still to take care of those in need and that we have children in Africa...

On Sunday I kept asking myself how would I respond if Mike didn't get the job? Knowing that the Lord is good, Knowing his provision, and knowing that he loves our children more than we do...would I be faithful? I realized then just how much my life had become about me. Lord forgive me for focusing on myself. For putting myself above and before you and your will in our lives. I am thankful that the Lord didn't ask us to walk in that, but gave Mike this job. He is too kind to me.

For those of you who are in the Duluth area we will be having a garage sale at the Church Oct. 8&9 to raise money for our stay in Africa. We will need help getting set up on Thursday and then cleaning up on Sat. evening. If you are interested in helping or have stuff to donate please let me know!

Melis

2010-08-06T15:11:00.002-05:00

Things just keep getting harder. Sometimes I wonder why I started writing this blog. I don't write like I should...like I need to. When I do sit down to write there are just too many things to address. This month has been hard...yep it is only day 6 of August, but it has been hard.

Being out of work is really taking a toll on Mike. I hate getting up every morning and going to a job that pays squat and then coming home to hear his stories of fishing and other adventures. I keep thinking maybe this would be ok if I just had a job that payed us enough. A college degree and I am still at Target. Don't get me wrong in this economy I am glad for work, but I wish I had a job that would lighten the load for Mike.

We got the renewal paperwork for our homestudy this week. It expires at the end of September. Mike called to inform them that he is out of work because I couldn't make the call. We are trying to figure out what our options are....do we do all the updating paperwork or let things expire and do it when Mike finds work? We are on our third social-worker with this agency and at this point in the adoption you just want to have someone who knows your case and can answer your questions.

I am heartsick. I guess there is no other word that I can think of to describe it better.
I pray. I pray all the time. The Lord has met our needs over and over again...but still He chooses silence other than to say wait. That is the only word I hear....for every question. wait.

Hugo, bro and burdens

2010-06-24T15:05:00.004-05:00

This is our Hugo! He has been so much fun and such a joy to us! He is filling up our time of waiting nicely. He keeps me on my toes with potty training and carrying shoes all over the house. Mike has dubbed him Dr. Destructo! He makes it hard to stay mad at him with all the love and licks! He has wiggled his way deep into our hearts. My only hope is that he is potty trained by the time the kids come and that he doesn't feel too put out when they come home.

I was hit today by the way the Lord seems to open the flood gates wide when you seek after His will. Mind you the answers and direction he gives may have nothing to do with the questions one asks. As many of you know and as I wrote in my last post Mike and I find ourselves at a cross roads in a number of areas. We are holding our breath as we wait to hear about our children from Ethiopia...who will they be? When can we get them? How on earth are we going to afford staying in Ethiopia for 2 months? Mike still does not have a job. He has had a number of interviews , but nothing really yet. things with church seem to be changing. I feel like I can share more about that now. We were asked to lead a small group and Mike has been thinking about pursuing eldership we just finished 9 months of Bible study with a group of dear friends and our small group has disbanded in hopes that some will form a church plant. WOW! Mike and I have narrowed things down a little. A number of people have asked us if we will be starting a small group...no. We are joining Dave and Juli to pray about doing a church plant in Esko. We have a hard time committing to leading a group of people that we may likely end up leaving. we are still in the leadership class at church and Mike is meeting with a few guys for the summer...mentoring and Bible study.

All of this to say...We still don't really know what is going on with our lives. However, the Lord is speaking. He is moving and directing...I find myself in prayer over all these things and yet no direct answer comes...rather he prompts me to action....to speak words I may not have or do things I would not think of on my own. Just this week we have invited a young man to stay with us because he has need. For the first time in years I was able to share openly with my brother about my heart for him...because he invited me to! I have heard the Lord speak to my heart in ways I have not for years!

So in the moments when I am afraid that things will not fall together...I hold onto my Rock. I can praise the Lord for He is good! Please continue to pray with us for the children and their birth family. Please pray for our friend who may stay with us...that our home will be a welcoming and restful place for him and that the Lord will minister to him here. Please pray for my relationship with my brothers. I love them both dearly and want the best for them. Please continue to remember Mike in your prayers as he looks for work and if anyone needs heating or cooling work done feel free to give us a call! We are excited to see wha the Lord is birthing in Esko and ask that you would join us in seeking his will for that town!

The Lord's Peace,
Melis

I should be cleaning....

2010-05-22T09:01:00.002-05:00

It is a beautiful Saturday morning. I was able to sleep in and Mike made breakfast...this is a real treat because in the last two weeks I have gone Gluten free. We really wanted waffles and he managed to whip some up with Gluten free flour and soy milk. Mike did not like them so much, but the labor of love was meaningful. I know the change has not been easy for him...you just don't mess with the man's food!

I should really be cleaning right now. I have a full day with nothing planned and I can feel the motivation starting to come with each sip of coffee. I just really wanted to write a little first. We are in the middle of the big wait. We should get a referral of our children between June and October. I have to be honest, I am coming out of my skin. My mother has posted and told me that she is excitedly anticipating their arrival. It is so good to know that we have their support. I feel the same way. I want to know who they are. I want to see their little faces and be able to add names to my prayers. A year ago I was helping a friend find cloths for her kids during garage sale season and all I could think of was that by this time next year I will be able to shop and prep for our kids. It hasn't worked out that way.

So I fill my time with distractions. Unfortunately one of them has not been cleaning the house. Currently I am researching places to stay in Ethiopia. Our agency will give us some options when we get closer to travel time, but I would like to know what is out there. The best deal I am finding is about $50-$75 a day for a place that has a living area and a separate kitchen so that we can have a place for the kids to play as well as a place to cook our own food and save a little money. This still feels steep. Please continue to pray for us as we look for a place to call home in Africa for the 1-2 months we will be there.

Mike is still without work. He has interviewed with a shop, but it is nonunion and we are not sure if it will work for us. Right now I am just praying that if he is offered the job it will be clear if he should take it or not. Please pray for Mike to find a new job. If anyone knows a union H-VAC shop, in the Duluth area, looking for tiners please let us know. He is also open to side jobs! SO if you need some heating or cooling work done look us up!

Mike and I have each been leading a small discipleship Biblestudy for the last 9 months. We have one meeting left, and it is sort of bittersweet. We will miss meeting with the people we have grown close to over the past few months, but we are excited to see where the Lord is going to take them and us! We have been aproached about leading a small group for church. Previously I am not sure that this is something we would have conciddered, but now we are getting excited. We have also startted attending a group for leadership that is studying and talking about theology and how we aply it in minisrty. I am soooo excited for this class. I miss the structured learning of college and this is a topic I have been hungry for. All of these things are wonderful, and we praise the Lord for what he is doing in us. We are not sure the direction that God is taking us in and we ask that you would continue to ask the Lord to guide us and give us his wisdom.

Well it is off to clean the house...
Melis

2010-05-04T05:15:00.002-05:00

For all who wonder, but have not asked we have not gotten a referral yet. However, there has been a lot of news. Things are changing in Ethiopia and that means our plans have to shift a little...or a lot. I guess it depends on how you look at it. We are now required to travel twice to Ethiopia for the adoption. We must be there for our court date and then a again a little after a month later to pick up the children when the U.S. government has approved everything.

So what does this change mean for us? I can hardly imagine traveling to meet our children, hold them and hug them only to leave them again. SO I proposed to Mike that we stay in-country for the month that it takes the U.S. to get the paperwork put together. We are in the middle of figuring out what that looks like now.

I wrote to our contact and asked him how often we would be able to see the children once we had our our date. His reply...they become Heyndericks on that day and they will be ours 24/7. That sealed the deal for me. If we stay in Ethiopia we will have a whole month of getting to know and be with our children that we would not have if we traveled twice.

As you can imagine there are a lot of things that will need to line up for this to work for us. The two largest are Mike's work and a place to stay. Please pray that Mike will be able to join me for our trip. That his job will allow him a full month and a half to get the kids. As it is right now Mike was layed off in Feb and has not been back to work yet. This has added some stress to our lives.

PLease also pray that we will find a good place to have the children while we are in Ethiopia. Our agency has the name of a few guest houses and we have a few other leads, but we are open to suggestions if anyone has a connection. We neet to try to keep the price down as much as possible and a place where we could also get a meal or two a day would be greatly helpful!

Blessings,
Melissa

So much to say...

2010-03-22T16:15:00.001-05:00

I often feel like I have a universe of things to say, but no words. I thought that starting a blog might help me get some of those thoughts out, but it doesn't seem to be working that way. I seem to hold my tongue until things have piled up so much that there is no place for them to go, but out....rather like every other outlet.....Mike loves living with me on those days!

So here is the thing we have been at this process for almost a year now. I don't have a clue where the time has gone and I should be thankful that it feels shorter then the 11 months. I'm just not. I want to know my children. I want to hold them and laugh with them and snuggle them to sleep, but at every mile marker things just seem to get farther away rather then closer. Is it possible to miss someone you haven't even met yet? Sometimes I think so.

We finished up our paperwork over two months ago and we have been told that the wait time on a referral is now 5-7 months from the time it gets to Ethiopia....I believe that puts us about 1 month in.

I try to make a rule of not reading the bulletin board from our agency....it seems to be filled with a lot of women who worry, and I am not so sure about some of the info. but then news like I got today seems to sideswipe me. I was reading a friends blog (they are adopting their second child from Ethiopia) and she said that the country is now implementing a requirement for families to travel twice to the country to legalize the adoption. I had heard nothing of this from our agency so I started looking into it...sure enough it started as a rummer on some blogs and started to spread. There is only one agency that has required the change in process. However, I have learned that it is no longer a rummer. A judge posted a letter on the doors of the court building stating the new requirement.

A number of agencies have gotten together and are fighting the move. It is questionable if it is even withing the right of the courts to change the process. Our man state side is traveling to meet with the powers that be in Washington and those in country are doing what they can to fight the change. Nothing is in stone...is it ever?

What I know is that our children are in the Lord's hands and he will be faithful to care for them even now. There is a part of me that would not mind a second trip! And once again Mike and I are in a wonderful position not having to worry about any other children right now...the money would be tight, but again the Lord will provide what is needed.

Please pray for Ethiopia!
Pray for their poor and homeless
Pray for their government that their rulers would be just and God fearing!
Please pray that the Lord will sooth my heart, and that I will believe the things I say I believe.

Thank you so much to all of you who have been so faithful in prayer for us!

2010-01-12T16:04:00.002-06:00

Two years ago today!

Two years ago today Mike and I got married! I can't believe how much has changed! I just wanted to post a few pictures and share some of the memories with you.

Girls I don't know if I could have done it without you! Thanks again for everything. I love you all and look forward to seeing what the Lord does with our lives!

Laurie~ Thanks you for Mikey! He is a good man. You and Joel raised him well. We missed Joel a great deal that day. I look forward to meeting him! You have blessed me so much by taking me in as your daughter.

My dance with dad was one of the most special moments! Thanks dad for all your love and support. You and mom have been a great source of strength and encouragement for Mike and I. We are so glad that you will be joining us on our trip to get the kids! Ethiopia here we come!

OK this picture just makes me smile! Go mom go! I know she had a blast! I love you mom! Thanks for teaching me how to have fun. I pray that I will be even half the mom that you have been to me.

Oh The Tarro men they all looked so good! Grandpa has passed on now, but it was a great blessing that he was at our wedding. Miss you grandpa!

Mike and Melissa
Heyndericks
January 12, 2008

What comes next?

2010-01-08T17:44:00.003-06:00

Did we miss a month? I am sure that I must have. Thanks you so much to those of you who are so faithful about checking in on us during this process. I will do my best to write more!

The Holidays were really busy for us this year. It was wonderful to share moments with those we could see, but we missed our family in Illinois so much! We were able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my parents and brothers and New Year's with good friends here in Duluth. There was a lot of talk about how our lives will be different next year! I know that my parents are looking forward to the addition of little feet running around their home during family get togethers!

Mike still has his hands full with work! He seems to run from work to helping a friend who is building to church commitments to finishing our basement. We haven't gotten to spend much time together over the past few months, and I keep reminding myself we are adding children to it all. I have to tell you I really respect families who are doing it and making it work...friends tell me that you adjust and you make it. I know that we will....It's just hard to see or believe right now. We are so thankful that Mike has had so much work and that my job with Target is steady. It is a great praise for our family.

The 12th will be our two year anniversary. Mike said to me the other day that it feels like longer......thanks! What he was trying to tell me in his ever smooth way is that he is happy. He says that he feels far removed from the long struggle of single life. To me the last two years have gone quickly. The only time when things move slowly is when we hi road bumps! I can look back at this year with a great amount of pleasure. I see the hard stuff and the growth that came out of it. This is the first year in a long time that I feel like I have ended well and I am excited for what comes next!

What comes next?
Well as I write I am also making copies of out dossier! It is totally complete! I went down to St. Paul to have it authenticated by the secretary of state today. I am pleased to report that all went well and we will be sending the packet off this week to be looked over by our adoption agency! If that goes well it is on to Washington and then to Ethiopia....if I understand everything correctly!
So our prep work is done. Our adoption will soon be in the hands of other people and we get the hard job of waiting. Waiting for a referral. Waiting for a court date. Waiting to travel. But soon (we hope) we will have a referral for our children who were born in another country, but who already live in our hearts! I am excited to see their faces.

Please continue to pray for our children and their birth family. Pray for the Lord's protection over them as well as his provision.

Please continue to pray for Mike and I as we prepare to become parents.

I have been making some wonderful connections lately. When I was in the cities mom took me to a coffee shop owned by an Ethiopian woman. She was warm and welcoming and gave me a bunch of info on the local Ethiopian adoption community in the Twin Cities. There have also been some names of local families given to me to add to the group that is growing here in the Twin Ports area. I am asking the Lord for strong connections between those of us who have family born in Ethiopia. Also The Lord has brought a new friend into our lives who is from Ethiopia! What a blessing and an encouragement. Please pray for that friendship, that we will be just as much a blessing to him as he will be to us!

Thank you all for your prayers your love and your support. We love you and miss those we haven't seen!
The Lord's Peace,
Melissa

2009-11-25T12:46:00.003-06:00

People have been asking so I guess it is time for a quick update. We are still waiting on immigration! We are done with all of our paperwork and are just sitting on things until we get the papers from our government! Dec. 7th will be three months from the time Bethany sent our home study in....it feels like forever! If we do not hear something by the seventh then we can start to ask questions....so I hope the next few weeks go quickly!

Mike is still working a lot, and I feel like I don't see him much these days. We had a night away in Bemidji last weekend for a friend's wedding and it was wonderful! It was such a blessing to see old friends and just get away! We leave in a few hours for a quick trip to my parent's house for Thanksgiving....I have to be back for Black Friday....(4:30am). Do people really need to shop that early?

One more bit of exciting news....Mike and I asked my parents to come with us to pick up the kids when we go. Four extra hands will come in helpful when we become the instant parents of two children! When Mike asked mom and I cried! It is such a blessing to have so much support.

Praise
*Mike and I have been doing really well. Thank you for all of your prayers for us! It means so much!
*I have been getting more hours at work!
*My parents will be joining us on our trip!

Prayer requests
*That we will continue to grow in Christ likeness
*That I will continue to get the hours at work that I need to keep my benefits and qualify for next year.
*Please continue to pray for our children and their birth family...for the Lord's protection and peace.

Thank you again for all of your love, support and prayers! I hope that you have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving spent with those who are closest to your heart!

The Lord's Peace,
Melis

The daily grind...

2009-10-11T08:52:00.002-05:00

I was just thinking that I should take a few moments to write and let everyone know what we have been up to. The week with the kids ended well. We had such a rich time with them and I find myself missing all of them a great deal. We have had the joy of meeting and playing with the three little girls that our friends went to pick up...way too fun!

Things at our home are running at a break neck speed (I guess nothing new) Mike has been working on a number of side jobs so he gets up in the morning and many days I don't see him until he crawls into bed. I have been picking up hours at work to raise my average hours...so that I will qualify again for benefits next year! I am in the middle of my weekend off and I have been trying to remember the last time I had two days together when I could do whatever I want! I am enjoying myself and we have been able to spend time with a few friends.

Our home study was approved and sent out to immigration on September 27th. They say the immigration paperwork can take about three months to come back. So during that time we will be compiling the Dossier paperwork. We know that everyone is excited and wants to know when it looks like the kids will come home. The fact is that there are so many variables that we just don't know. We are still too far out in the process. Right now, we think, they might be with us by summer time if things go well.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support! It means so much to us! Thanks to everyone at Rock Hill that went out of their way to help us when we had the kids and then helped get the house all set for Dave and Juli to come home! That was such a blessing!

*Please continue to pray for our children and their birth family. That the Lord will watch over them even now and that he will bring comfort during a hard time.

*Please pray for our paperwork with immigration...just that things will go smoothly and not take a ridiculous amount of time!

*Please pray that I will be able to pick up hours at work so that I will qualify for benefits next year. This does affect the adoption.

Thanks again for all of your love and support!
The Lord's Peace

A New Adventure

2009-09-19T14:36:00.002-05:00

This is day two of our week with six kids! This is really a new and wonderful adventure for Mike and I as we look at starting our own family. Good friends of ours are a number of months ahead of us in the adoption process. They are on their way to Ethiopia right now to pick up their sweet girls. (As I've been writing they called to say that they made it safely to Ethiopia!) While they are away we, Mike and I, will be holding down the fort for them.

It has been really fun to watch Mike over the past few months. He has really gone from being a person who liked kids well enough to someone who looks forward to spending time with the children we know. Last week we had an open air service with the church and after Mike went and ran around with all the kids. I can't really put words to how cool this transformation has been to watch, and I look forward to seeing the continued growth as we become parents. It has been a blessing to plan our time with the children we are watching knowing how much Mike loves them. He spent the afternoon playing games and taking them for walks...there has been a lot of laughter! The house is quiet now with the three oldest out and the other three down for naps...Mike started to read, but that didn't last long.....he is out...catching some zzzzz while he can.

Our adoption process is going well. We have the medical paperwork done and really just have a few more things to get sent out before our Homestudy is done! I can't tell you how excited I am to almost have this part done. I feel like it's a big step to check off. People keep asking what is the next step and how long will it be until the kids come. Well, let me say first that we don't really know how long it will be. we think maybe 7-9 months. The next step is for us to submit the homestudy to immigration and that may take 3 months for them to aprove. Durring that time we will work on the paperwork for Ethiopia. When we get the immigration paperwork that we need everything gets sent to the country and some time after that we will get a referal. It will be at that time that we will first see info. on our children.

Thank you again to everyone for your prayers and well wishes...it means so much.
Please pray
*For our week with 6 kids
*For their parents and new sisters as the bond and bring them home.
*That we will not allow ourselves to become too buisy with life. We have noticed that we seem to allow things to get just too crazy and then we do not make Christ the most important person/ focus in our lives.
*Please pray for our children and their birth family.
*For Mike and I as we allow the Lord to work on us durring this time of perperation.

The Lord's peace,
Melis

We have no bathroom!

2009-09-07T20:49:00.003-05:00

Well as the title states we currently have no bathroom! Mike is working on the bathroom and it will be beautiful when it is done. I keep telling myself how thankful I am that he is working on this project now...when I only have my own needs to worry about. When you tell people that you have no bathroom they just look at you and you know they want to ask..."so, where do you go?" The brave ones ask. I guess people figure I'll tell them if they ask and if they don't really want to know, well they keep their mouths shut. All I am going to say is that I am thankful for a wooded back yard and time already spent in third world countries.

I am not so good at getting pictures up. I guess I am still trying to figure out the quickest and easiest way to do that...when I do there will be pictures of the bathroom. You'll love it! I already do and there is still no toilet.

I feel like I have hit some sort of wall. We only have a few things let to do for our home study and then there is the docie (I am not even going to try to spell that one) and that's about it for paperwork on our end of things. I just can't seem to take the next step. I don't know if I am having some sort of underlying issues or maybe I am just tired. Please pray for me. I feel like if I can just get over the next few things that I will be back on track again.

Things with the woman's study are going great. We have a wonderful group of ladies and I am really looking forward to getting to know them more. Yay for girlfriends! Speaking of...I've been missing my close girls the last few weeks. I miss you all tons and I am praying for you and the new places that the Lord is taking each one of you!

Praise!
The Lord is faithful! He is showing me daily that I can never do or be all that is needed, but that he can and is. Thank you Lord for the reminders.

Please pray:
-That I can push through this wall and start getting more paperwork done.
-That Mike won't put more holes in the house when things don't go well with the bathroom. (he is upbeat over all, but there are moments)
-For our hearts as we prepair to become parents and desire to raise children who love the Lord.
-For the health and safety of our children and their birth family. That the Lord will have his hand on them even now.

Peace,
Melis

2009-08-08T11:28:00.002-05:00

Well We met with our social worker on Tuesday. In true Melissa fashion I spent the day before a nervous wreck while Mike was cool as could be. We got up at the crack of dawn to make it down to the cities in time for our meeting. We had a nice drive filled with good talks about plans for the bathroom and hopes for our children. The more we talked the better I felt about the interview. Mike is so good at helping me to be objective. Our meetings went well and didn't go as long as we had thought so we were able to take our time getting back and then finished the day with dinner at a friend's home and a little debriefing.

On Monday evening we met local families who have adopted from Ethiopia. What a blessing to see all the children! There will be 22 in the area by the time our come. I am so excited to for the opportunity to get to know other families and hear their stories!

On another note, Mike and I are starting a Bible study. Mike will be leading the Men and I will be leading the women...It has turned out to be mostly married couples. It is exciting and scary at the same time. I feel so over my head...so beyond myself...and yet I know this is where I should be what I should be doing. It is so interesting how the Lord takes us to places where we can not hold onto anything but him. I have realized over the last two weeks just how much I think I can do it all on my own. Man that it exhausting and it keeps me from stretching beyond my self to the places where the Lord wants me to live.

*Please pray for our study. For the men and women who will be meeting with us every other week.
*Pray for my continued reliance on the Lord...in all things.
*Please pray for us as we get our home ready for our home visit. Our social worker will be visiting us on Aug. Thursday 27th.
*Please continue to lift up our children, and their birth family. Pray for their protection and health.

The Lord's Peace,
Melis

The paperwork went out!

2009-07-18T18:52:00.002-05:00

I can't believe how slow this all feels sometimes....It is weeks like this that make me feel good. Mike got the egress window in and is starting on the remodel of the basement...yes we do need to start another major project! (Wink) We are almost done with our HAGUE training for the adoption, my new passport is in and (drum roll please) I sent the paperwork out for the home study! It is starting to feel like we are well on our way.

I had the most wonderful conversation with Mike's mom this week. We were talking about the adoption and she made the observation that it must be strange to be preparing for little ones to come but not have the consent reminder of a baby that is growing in me. Man she hit the nail on the head. I have to say it is the strange feeling trying to prepare myself to be a mother and get our home ready when we don't even know who our children are yet...I have heard that it is normal to be out of sorts about what to expect or how to feel...

So I have been trying to think of ways to remind myself about the children and that it is good for me to be getting prepared for them....and I found just the thing this week. A few months ago my friend Juli gave me a pendent of Africa to put on a necklace. I didn't have chain until this week. I have to say it has been the perfect reminder for me. It catches me at moments and reminds me to be in prayer. Thank you Juli. Your gift is a great blessing to me.

*So the next step in the process for us is to start setting up meetings with our social worker. Please pray for us as we get those dates worked out and as we meet with her face to face.
*Please also continue to pray for Mike and I...our relationship with each other as well as with the Lord.
*Please also pray for the Lord's watchful eye over our children and their birth family.

Melis

HOT

2009-06-24T14:55:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that it got hot here. We have had such a cool spring that I never thought the heat would come. Needless to say I think the heat took my mind with it. I can't seem to stay focused for more then 10 min. I am so amazed at the little ways that time seems to be stolen from me. At the end of the day I look back and wonder what I've done. I hate that!

So I am sure that you can imagine how that plays into the adoption paperwork and the feeling that it will never get done. It has been rather frustrating, and honestly it seems to slip a little farther down the priority list each day. Mike came home the other day, and pulled out the paperwork and went to town. About an hour later he had everything organized and announced that we really only have a few more things to get filled out and then we can send the packet back and start our interviews. What would I do without my wonderfully optimistic and positive husband?! I would not make it, that is for sure.

So today my praise to the Lord is for His gift to me of a wonderful Husband and dearest friend in Mike. I am blown away by the ways that the Lord has provided for me though this man, and I am deeply convicted by the fact that I do not speak that out as much as I should . I should be quick to praise and slow to correct. I am convinced that any less of a man would not put up with me.

Melis

Getting started

2009-05-26T11:03:00.002-05:00

I thinks it's funny naming a blog. It took me some time...I've thought a lot about it over the past few weeks. I tried a few things that just did not fit and I always came back to numbers. They seem a little plain and don't express much to those who may not understand some of their meaning so I'll take a little time to talk about the numbers that I chose.

I'm 1. I've been 1 for a long time, but just over 2 and a half years ago God brought #2. That's Mike my loving and wonderful husband. There is rhyme that Counting Crows uses...it is the base of the band's name. I think it may have its origins in Ireland but I am not sure about that. It goes like this:
1 for sorrow
2 for joy
3 for girls and
4 for boys
5 for silver
6 for gold
7 for a secret never to be told...
So to look at it that way life alone is a bit sorrowful but Mike brought me joy. 3 for boys and 4 for girls? That's the fun part, and the real reason I am starting this blog!

Mike and I are happy to share that we are adding to our family! A little over 2 and a half months ago we decided to pursue adoption. We are adopting from Ethiopia and want to use this page to share our families journey with those close to us. We are requesting a sibling pair with the desire to keep a family as much together as possible. We do not know for sure the genders and ages of the children because we have just begun the paperwork....and man is there paperwork!

Please pray for us as we seek the Lord's direction for our family. Below are a few requests:

*Please pray that we will remain focused. With all there is to do it is easy to get side tracked.
*Please pray for our marriage. That we will continue to grow in Christ likeness. We know we haven't been married long and that we still have a ton to learn about each other.
*Please pray for our children. That the Lord will be watching over them and their birth family even now.