It has been to long since I have written and my apologize! Whew, life became a whirling dervish since Habtamu came home. It is good, just busy. We moved 3 times, due to job changes and now are settled in Iowa. This is a good thing since Hobi now has family surrounding him. Brothers, Aunts, Uncles and Grand Parents.
We have settled into a good routine; well as much of a routine you can have with a 13 year old son!
Hobi is in basketball for the first time and is really good! Okay, Mom's always say that; but really it is true. He is doing so well at the Christian school and has made many friends.
Hobi's brother is the pastor of our church and it is a new church plant. That too has kept us busy and it is so good to hear Matt's messages once again.
We are anticipating a holiday season filled with family, wonderful fragrances and much love!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Adoption Date!
On June 16th we received the news that our adoption was finalized in Ethiopia!!!! WE have a son! The next opportunity is for his TB test to come back clear and than we will have date for travel!
This journey has been one of the most exciting of our lives. At times it can be discouraging if you do not hold on to Hope. Hope is believing even when the outcome can not be seen. It is courage to endure when the quiet and waiting are deafening. To know that in God's time an answer will come.
Our faith has grown during this time. It has been amazing to see the hand of God move in the financing of our adoption. The people whom we have come to love that walked this path with us. To see our character grow and develop and learning how to fill in lots of forms :)
We will keep you posted as news comes in on travel dates.
Thank you for your support and prayers. We covet those and continue to ask you to pray for our son and all the transition he will face in the days, weeks and months ahead.
May God richly bless you as you have blessed us.
This journey has been one of the most exciting of our lives. At times it can be discouraging if you do not hold on to Hope. Hope is believing even when the outcome can not be seen. It is courage to endure when the quiet and waiting are deafening. To know that in God's time an answer will come.
Our faith has grown during this time. It has been amazing to see the hand of God move in the financing of our adoption. The people whom we have come to love that walked this path with us. To see our character grow and develop and learning how to fill in lots of forms :)
We will keep you posted as news comes in on travel dates.
Thank you for your support and prayers. We covet those and continue to ask you to pray for our son and all the transition he will face in the days, weeks and months ahead.
May God richly bless you as you have blessed us.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Thankful Praise
Summer is here and we have news! A court date has been set for June 16th and if all goes well we could travel in July or early August! This is an answer to much prayer! We still need to get approval and are praying that all paperwork is to the satisfaction of the court.
Another amazing answer to prayer is we received another grant! Our God is so good!
We are in a tizzy of excitment and gratitude to our Father for all he has done and continues to do! So join us in thankful praise!
Will keep you udated in the days to come.
Another amazing answer to prayer is we received another grant! Our God is so good!
We are in a tizzy of excitment and gratitude to our Father for all he has done and continues to do! So join us in thankful praise!
Will keep you udated in the days to come.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Discovery
As spring fades and summer approaches I am beginning to feel that our approval will come to late to travel in July. So my heart now looks to October. Enduring the summer with out him will be odd, as we had hoped this would be a summer of discovery for our new son. Time spend on sandy shores, gardening with his new mother, exploring the forest and eating ice cream. I know that God's timing is perfect! Armed with that knowledge I patiently wait. The waiting room of life is one of trust and peace.....IF we allow the Lord to minister to us during this time. Otherwise the waiting room is painful and full of anxiety.
So today I will work in the garden and allow my imagination to feel him here next to me. When my toes touch the warm sand, I will sense his delight at the sensation. The song that fills the forest with life, I will hear for him. Someday soon he will walk here with me and listen intently for the birds thrill of life.
So today I will work in the garden and allow my imagination to feel him here next to me. When my toes touch the warm sand, I will sense his delight at the sensation. The song that fills the forest with life, I will hear for him. Someday soon he will walk here with me and listen intently for the birds thrill of life.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
You may say it is hopeless......
This is our motivation for adoption.
Some people tell me it is to overwhelming, what can helping one orphan do?
I believe we can all make a difference....
One child at a time!
Based on the story by Loren Eisley...
I awoke early, as I often did, just before sunrise to walk by the ocean's edge and greet the new day. As I moved through the misty dawn, I focused on a faint, far away motion. I saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin.
As I approached, I sadly realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up a starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea. I asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back to the sea."
As the youth explained, I surveyed the vast expanse of beach, strectching in both directions beyond my sight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear to me and I countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference."
The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to me he simply said, "I made a difference to that one."
I left the boy and went home, deep in thought of what the boy had said. I returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day helping the boy throw starfish in to the sea.
Some people tell me it is to overwhelming, what can helping one orphan do?
I believe we can all make a difference....
One child at a time!
Based on the story by Loren Eisley...
I awoke early, as I often did, just before sunrise to walk by the ocean's edge and greet the new day. As I moved through the misty dawn, I focused on a faint, far away motion. I saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin.
As I approached, I sadly realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up a starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea. I asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back to the sea."
As the youth explained, I surveyed the vast expanse of beach, strectching in both directions beyond my sight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear to me and I countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference."
The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to me he simply said, "I made a difference to that one."
I left the boy and went home, deep in thought of what the boy had said. I returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day helping the boy throw starfish in to the sea.
There can be fear.
Stand Firm on the Mountain
Exodus 14:13,14 & Exodus 15:17
I stand sword ready to fight the fear.
Fear rose up out of the ebony of night.
Even as the soft grey of dawn approached.
I lie awake, in prayer, my sword, unsheathed.
Refusing to give in to the fear that assaulted me.
I know my Lord,
He is mighty and able to save!
What does being rescue look like?
I do not know the how or the when.
Instead I will climb the mountain.
My feet shall stand on the rock.
The rock of Christ!
On His power, on His resurrection!
Keeping my shield up, to deflect
the arrows of doubt that ping against the metal.
And when I grow weary and must lay my sword down to rest.
The Lord, himself, will fight the fight.
Until I am able to once more.
Karen Winters 2009
Exodus 14:13,14 & Exodus 15:17
I stand sword ready to fight the fear.
Fear rose up out of the ebony of night.
Even as the soft grey of dawn approached.
I lie awake, in prayer, my sword, unsheathed.
Refusing to give in to the fear that assaulted me.
I know my Lord,
He is mighty and able to save!
What does being rescue look like?
I do not know the how or the when.
Instead I will climb the mountain.
My feet shall stand on the rock.
The rock of Christ!
On His power, on His resurrection!
Keeping my shield up, to deflect
the arrows of doubt that ping against the metal.
And when I grow weary and must lay my sword down to rest.
The Lord, himself, will fight the fight.
Until I am able to once more.
Karen Winters 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Dossier
On Friday, April 3rd we dropped off the dossier that needs to be sent to Ethiopia. How can I describe my feelings? Rather like my knitting, there were knots (in my stomach) and neat rows (paper work finally out of my hands and into the hands of those who can DO something with it all) and somehow all this pearl and knit would become something! A son coming home!
I sang as I walked to the car, one major hurdle was done and now I was looking at the race lane once again. Once again waiting........seems there is a lot of that :) this time for our dossier to be transcribed from English to Amharic. Than we wait (more of that!) for approval from the government, followed by an acceptance letter and after that a travel date.
In the mean time we need to continue fund raising and seeking grants. I have made a quilt for his bed and am working on creating a fun room for him to enjoy.
Rob and I seek prayers for the following:
Grace with the government for our acceptance.
Speed in expediting the documents through the court system.
Reasonably priced travel.
Fund raisers to be well attended.
Thank you to each of you who are sharing this journey with us. We are blessed by your support and you heart for one child to come home!
I sang as I walked to the car, one major hurdle was done and now I was looking at the race lane once again. Once again waiting........seems there is a lot of that :) this time for our dossier to be transcribed from English to Amharic. Than we wait (more of that!) for approval from the government, followed by an acceptance letter and after that a travel date.
In the mean time we need to continue fund raising and seeking grants. I have made a quilt for his bed and am working on creating a fun room for him to enjoy.
Rob and I seek prayers for the following:
Grace with the government for our acceptance.
Speed in expediting the documents through the court system.
Reasonably priced travel.
Fund raisers to be well attended.
Thank you to each of you who are sharing this journey with us. We are blessed by your support and you heart for one child to come home!
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