Truly....I mean that!! No matter what happens this week....no matter what their reply is to our plea for Crew to be cleared for a visa.....I KNOW GOD WILL MAKE GOOD COME FROM THIS!! He already has!!
Already, we have fallen in love with a little boy that had no one. NO ONE! That is one less orphan in the world! Now he has us, no matter what!! That is good!!
Already, 2 other families that we know have chosen to adopt...not one, but TWO boys each!! That is 4 less orphans in the world. Both of those families have already passed court in Ethiopia and will bring those boys home to forever families soon!! That is good!!
Already, both my girls, college age, have decided to go on not just one....not just two....but THREE mission trips to show the love of Christ to children that do not have anything! My girls have seen how important it is to truly demonstrate the love of God to others; not by merely saying they do, but by showing they do! They have both said they do not want a penny from us for these trips. They know we have had many expenses with the adoption fees and the travel, etc. They are using their own money that they have saved, they are both working jobs to raise money, and they both are sending out support letters asking if anyone wants to partner with them in financial support and prayer. They want to share God's love in a tangible way! They know God will provide! That is good!!
Already, my 5 year old wants to teach Crew how to build legos, play ball and jump on the trampoline!! He already talks about "When Crew is here....". He already sees that color doesn't matter. It's the heart!! That is good!!
Already, all of my kids have said, "Mom, we do not need a big Christmas! We are fine! We have plenty!" Enough said! That is good!!
Already, we have made some lifetime friendships through the adoption community! Friends that we would have never met had we not taken this step of faith! Friends that I just cannot imagine not having in my life now. And even some of the friendships I had before have grown stronger through this bond we now share in our hearts!! That is good!!
Already, my faith is stronger!! Even when things have not gone the way I would want them to go....I trust God!! I believe satan is trying to stop adoption! It is the very picture of how Christ adopted us, so satan hates it! But God promises good will come! And it has!! And it will continue!! That is good!!
PLEASE PRAY!! We were given an RFE a few weeks ago. This means REQUEST FOR FURTHER EVIDENCE. We have to PROVE that Crew is an orphan! I know...seems ridiculous....but it is what it is and we just had to take more steps!! We have submitted our response to the USCIS. It should arrive in the morning (Rome time), which is about anytime now! We are asking for PRAYER for FAVOR..... For SOFTENED HEARTS.... That satan will NOT have his way.... That Crew will be allowed to get a visa from the US Government and COME HOME!!!
Did I ever think I would have to FIGHT for this orphan? Not in a million years!! Would I do it all over again? YES!!!! He is worth it to me!! Just like any one of my other 4 kids, I would do anything to save them!! Crew deserves a family!! I love that kid!! The shepherd left the 99 to go get the one....Crew is that one!!! We will not stop until he is home!!!
PLEASE, LORD!! LET IT BE NOW!!!!
It's all good!!! God sees us! God hears us!! God holds us!!!
xoxo!!
Debbi
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
A day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Well, to get you caught up.....I came to Addis Ababa HOPING to be able to take Crew home!! That isn't the way this trip is going to turn out. I am very sad about that!! I don't think I have ever cried this much before!! I really couldn't even function very well the day I found out they were furthering the investigation of his "orphan status". More evidence is needed!! BUT, I have realized (after a full day of sulking!!) that it is still a blessing for me to be here with this precious little boy!!! I do not understand what our government is doing and why they are making this so hard, and honestly....I am mad about it!!! But I still know that God will make it all good!! He will take care of Crew and every one of the little orphans until they are HOME!!!
So, here I am in Ethiopia.... and today was a great day!! Driving outside the city was amazing!! I saw PURE BEAUTY.....and PURE POVERTY!! I am simply dumbfounded at how poor it is here!! We went to the store before we left the city and bought crackers and cheese and we passed them out to the kids on the side of the road (most of them carrying large loads). To see their smiles like it was Christmas morning....OH MY!!! I cannot describe how I felt. Crew had a blast!! He LOVES to be in the "peepee" (car). I wish I had a van full of crackers to pass out!! I could do this everyday!! We passed a very old man carrying a HUGE load and I asked the driver to stop. We backed up and I reached out the window to give him my full bottle of water. His smile about killed me!! PRECIOUS!! His eyes said thank you and his smile said I love you!! I love him, too!! A bond was made right there!! I said "I care" and he said "I know!" AMAZING beyond words!!!
We went to dinner tonight so I could treat Yonatan and Solomon to a nice meal since they drove me all around while I've been here. We went to a nice buffet. It was delicious!! Crew loves both these guys very much and enjoys being with them! I call Yonaton my other son! If only he were not 25...I would adopt him, too!! He told Solomon I am like his second mother!! Dang! I wanted him to say big sister!! haha!! Anyway, Crew fell asleep on the way home so he is now in the hotel bed out for the night!! We will have breakfast and take our time in the morning getting ready....then I will take him back to the transition house. I fly out tomorrow night!!
Something else we did today was go to FashionABLE. This is the place where they make the scarves (by woman who have decided to make a living and be discipled, rather than make money in other ways such as prostitution). I got each of the nannies at the transition house/orphanage a scarf from FashionABLE, so I will give those to them tomorrow. They are all so sweet and just LOVE the kids! I will be sad to leave Crew, but I am okay again....disappointed, but okay, because they truly do love him and take very good care of the children there! They are like a family!!
OH!! We passed a wreck on the way home from the countryside, where a person died (so sad!!), and then within minutes we came upon an accident where a truck hit a woman walking on the side of the road. Solomon thought she was dead. We stopped and they asked if we could take her to the hospital. I couldn't look from the minute Solomon said DEAD. But when they put her in the van, she groaned, and he said she wasn't nearly as bad as he thought. I turned around to look and she was a teenager with blood on her and seemed to be in and out of conscieneness. The man that hit her held her and we drove her to Addis. I am sure she will be fine, and praying she did not have any internal injuries. It was just wild. I couldn't believe what was happening!! All I could do was say JESUS and pray!!
For those of you who have never been to a Third World Country...GO!! Look at your neighbor and see what you can do for them!! They need you!!
For those of you who have been to a Third World Country....REMEMBER!!! Remember what you saw and never think you need MORE! We do not need more!! We do not need bigger houses, or better cars, or more jeans, or more shoes or more purses!! These people live in MUD HUTS if they are lucky! They work harder than anyone I've ever seen (from young children to very old), yet have very little to nothing!! The Bible says to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS!! Are we doing that? Or do we just say a little prayer for them before we fall asleep on our tempurpedics and then forget about them the next day? What is wrong with us? Why do we think so highly of ourselves that we continue to drown in material things, yet people are starving? Why do we have the "right" to MUCH....even extravagance....when these people struggle to feed their families each day? If we are Christians, how do we live so selfishly? Do we really care?
Jesus was not treated as a king on this earth....so should we live as if we are?
"Whatever you do for the least of these.....you did for ME!!" ~ Jesus
Something for all of us to think about!!!
I will post ALL the pictures when I get home!! UN.BE.LIEV.ABLE!!! Just wait til you see!!
xoxo!
Debbi
So, here I am in Ethiopia.... and today was a great day!! Driving outside the city was amazing!! I saw PURE BEAUTY.....and PURE POVERTY!! I am simply dumbfounded at how poor it is here!! We went to the store before we left the city and bought crackers and cheese and we passed them out to the kids on the side of the road (most of them carrying large loads). To see their smiles like it was Christmas morning....OH MY!!! I cannot describe how I felt. Crew had a blast!! He LOVES to be in the "peepee" (car). I wish I had a van full of crackers to pass out!! I could do this everyday!! We passed a very old man carrying a HUGE load and I asked the driver to stop. We backed up and I reached out the window to give him my full bottle of water. His smile about killed me!! PRECIOUS!! His eyes said thank you and his smile said I love you!! I love him, too!! A bond was made right there!! I said "I care" and he said "I know!" AMAZING beyond words!!!
We went to dinner tonight so I could treat Yonatan and Solomon to a nice meal since they drove me all around while I've been here. We went to a nice buffet. It was delicious!! Crew loves both these guys very much and enjoys being with them! I call Yonaton my other son! If only he were not 25...I would adopt him, too!! He told Solomon I am like his second mother!! Dang! I wanted him to say big sister!! haha!! Anyway, Crew fell asleep on the way home so he is now in the hotel bed out for the night!! We will have breakfast and take our time in the morning getting ready....then I will take him back to the transition house. I fly out tomorrow night!!
Something else we did today was go to FashionABLE. This is the place where they make the scarves (by woman who have decided to make a living and be discipled, rather than make money in other ways such as prostitution). I got each of the nannies at the transition house/orphanage a scarf from FashionABLE, so I will give those to them tomorrow. They are all so sweet and just LOVE the kids! I will be sad to leave Crew, but I am okay again....disappointed, but okay, because they truly do love him and take very good care of the children there! They are like a family!!
OH!! We passed a wreck on the way home from the countryside, where a person died (so sad!!), and then within minutes we came upon an accident where a truck hit a woman walking on the side of the road. Solomon thought she was dead. We stopped and they asked if we could take her to the hospital. I couldn't look from the minute Solomon said DEAD. But when they put her in the van, she groaned, and he said she wasn't nearly as bad as he thought. I turned around to look and she was a teenager with blood on her and seemed to be in and out of conscieneness. The man that hit her held her and we drove her to Addis. I am sure she will be fine, and praying she did not have any internal injuries. It was just wild. I couldn't believe what was happening!! All I could do was say JESUS and pray!!
For those of you who have never been to a Third World Country...GO!! Look at your neighbor and see what you can do for them!! They need you!!
For those of you who have been to a Third World Country....REMEMBER!!! Remember what you saw and never think you need MORE! We do not need more!! We do not need bigger houses, or better cars, or more jeans, or more shoes or more purses!! These people live in MUD HUTS if they are lucky! They work harder than anyone I've ever seen (from young children to very old), yet have very little to nothing!! The Bible says to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS!! Are we doing that? Or do we just say a little prayer for them before we fall asleep on our tempurpedics and then forget about them the next day? What is wrong with us? Why do we think so highly of ourselves that we continue to drown in material things, yet people are starving? Why do we have the "right" to MUCH....even extravagance....when these people struggle to feed their families each day? If we are Christians, how do we live so selfishly? Do we really care?
Jesus was not treated as a king on this earth....so should we live as if we are?
"Whatever you do for the least of these.....you did for ME!!" ~ Jesus
Something for all of us to think about!!!
I will post ALL the pictures when I get home!! UN.BE.LIEV.ABLE!!! Just wait til you see!!
xoxo!
Debbi
Monday, November 7, 2011
Could this be THE WEEK?
A lot has been happening lately!! It's been busy!! Each thing, each activity, each day...makes me think of Crew!! Even little things! For instance, when Kyler is playing he will often say, "When Crew gets here, we can do this together! I can teach him how!" Okay!! Precious!! Kyler is 5 and already has such a heart for Crew!! Then this past weekend we went to OU to visit Cassidi and Makenzi at college. Our family went to watch Makenzi's University Sing performance and during the show I looked over at Kason and Kyler smiling and enjoying the acts and I thought, "Aww, Crew would have liked this, too!" Even something as simple as the Christmas lights being put on the house this past week, I thought, "Wow! What will Crew think when he finally gets here and sees all this!!" He is already a part of us....our family!!
This week could be a week of GOOD NEWS for us and many other families!! A team from the USCIS (immigration) in Kenya arrived in Ethiopia to review the cases at the US Embassy that have not been cleared yet! These cases are the ones that are wayyyy overdue to be cleared!! Our "case" (Crew) is in that group. There is a very good chance that we will hear this week that they have finally cleared him!! Today was their first day working there. I woke up and the first thing I did was check my email. It's something I've done each day for the past few months....about 50 times a day! "Just MAYBE today they will clear us!! Miracles do happen!!" has been my mindset for the past few months!! FINALLY, this week could really be the miracle week! They are there...right now! They are going over the cases...right now!! This has to be the week of hearing "COME GET HIM!" Please, Lord!! PLEASE!!!
Yesterday was Orphan Sunday! I wore one of my adoption t-shirts (I love them and wear them all the time!!). I prayed for all the orphans that need a home...and food....and a family! I prayed for eyes to be opened! For hearts to melt when they see the faces of these precious little children who have nothing!! For people to be blessed by being a part of adoption and to see it for what it really is!!! If you haven't ever or in a while watched the video that inspired our family to adopt, watch it. It's on my blog! It's called "Depraved Indifference" by Eric Ludy! It is life changing!
For those thinking and praying about adoption.....don't let anything stop you!! If you wonder if you are called to adopt....you are!! It's biblical!! Really!! If it's money? You have enough to feed and clothe another child. You do! Yes, you do!! If paying for the adoption fees is stopping you....I'll help you with a fundraiser!! We did that! Adoption is expensive, especially when you have kids in college and driving! But it's possible!! Trust me...that's where we are!! Does the process scare you? The paperwork? Well, there is a lot of paperwork, but it's one piece of paper at a time! Is it hard? Yes, it can be! But so is pregnancy and labor! That's part of it!! It just makes it sweeter when it's all done and you have that new child to bless and be blessed!!!
Please join me today and each day and PRAY that this is the week these cases (children) are cleared and can finally be HOME with their new FOREVER FAMILY!! Please also pray for the many orphans around the world that need someone to say, "I pick YOU!" Change a life forever!!! What is stopping you?
xoxo!
Debbi
This week could be a week of GOOD NEWS for us and many other families!! A team from the USCIS (immigration) in Kenya arrived in Ethiopia to review the cases at the US Embassy that have not been cleared yet! These cases are the ones that are wayyyy overdue to be cleared!! Our "case" (Crew) is in that group. There is a very good chance that we will hear this week that they have finally cleared him!! Today was their first day working there. I woke up and the first thing I did was check my email. It's something I've done each day for the past few months....about 50 times a day! "Just MAYBE today they will clear us!! Miracles do happen!!" has been my mindset for the past few months!! FINALLY, this week could really be the miracle week! They are there...right now! They are going over the cases...right now!! This has to be the week of hearing "COME GET HIM!" Please, Lord!! PLEASE!!!
Yesterday was Orphan Sunday! I wore one of my adoption t-shirts (I love them and wear them all the time!!). I prayed for all the orphans that need a home...and food....and a family! I prayed for eyes to be opened! For hearts to melt when they see the faces of these precious little children who have nothing!! For people to be blessed by being a part of adoption and to see it for what it really is!!! If you haven't ever or in a while watched the video that inspired our family to adopt, watch it. It's on my blog! It's called "Depraved Indifference" by Eric Ludy! It is life changing!
For those thinking and praying about adoption.....don't let anything stop you!! If you wonder if you are called to adopt....you are!! It's biblical!! Really!! If it's money? You have enough to feed and clothe another child. You do! Yes, you do!! If paying for the adoption fees is stopping you....I'll help you with a fundraiser!! We did that! Adoption is expensive, especially when you have kids in college and driving! But it's possible!! Trust me...that's where we are!! Does the process scare you? The paperwork? Well, there is a lot of paperwork, but it's one piece of paper at a time! Is it hard? Yes, it can be! But so is pregnancy and labor! That's part of it!! It just makes it sweeter when it's all done and you have that new child to bless and be blessed!!!
Please join me today and each day and PRAY that this is the week these cases (children) are cleared and can finally be HOME with their new FOREVER FAMILY!! Please also pray for the many orphans around the world that need someone to say, "I pick YOU!" Change a life forever!!! What is stopping you?
xoxo!
Debbi
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I want to see the big picture!
I'm trying to see the big picture. I'll be honest here.....I've gone back and forth with feeling sad, mad, both at the same time....frustrated!! I am angry!! I think it is righteous anger. I'm mad at "them". But then I am reminded to love my enemies and to pray for them! Okay, I can do that!! "God, please let them be struck by lightning!" OOPS!! Not what God intended when he said to pray for them. Okay, I'll try again later!!
Right now I am really trying to understand why we can't bring home this little orphan boy, who has lived his entire life in an orphanage, without a family, without a name, without a momma! Why isn't this easy? It should be easy!! He should be here now!!! We filled out the papers, we paid the fees, we even made the t-shirts!!! Why do we have these road blocks? Is there a lesson here for me? For my family? For the people around us? What does God want me to see?
Just a little bit ago when I was driving home from taking Kyler to preschool this came to me! I see this: Crew is an orphan that I want to bring here and give a home! A new life! A family! A bed! Clothing and food and shelter!! LOVE!! All these good things!! But there is a "distraction" that is stopping Crew from getting here, even though this would be better!! This would be so much better for him!! I see this.....God sent His Son to die for me. For you. Each one of us. Even if you were the only one....He still would do it! He wants to give us a home! New life! LOVE! I see that we get distracted by things of this world, sometimes by people, or influences that turn our hearts and minds away from God, or the love of stuff or fame, or sometimes just so we can have "fun"......and by choosing to set our hearts on those things, those "distractions", there is a chance of missing God and his abundant plan for us, and for some, it may mean missing out on eternal LIFE with God, even though that is BETTER!! I see the big picture. I see how Christ adopted me......how could I not respond to that? Why would I not want what is better? How can you not respond to that? Is it better to remain an orphan? You decide!!
Don't stay in the orphanage, people!!! Go to the One who LOVES you and will give you ETERNAL LIFE and a FOREVER FAMILY!!! You have a choice!! Crew doesn't!! Please pray with us that God will remove the road blocks and bring our son home!! He is our son!! We are gonna fight for him!! Afterall, his name is CREW DAWIT CODER.
xoxo!
Debbi
Right now I am really trying to understand why we can't bring home this little orphan boy, who has lived his entire life in an orphanage, without a family, without a name, without a momma! Why isn't this easy? It should be easy!! He should be here now!!! We filled out the papers, we paid the fees, we even made the t-shirts!!! Why do we have these road blocks? Is there a lesson here for me? For my family? For the people around us? What does God want me to see?
Just a little bit ago when I was driving home from taking Kyler to preschool this came to me! I see this: Crew is an orphan that I want to bring here and give a home! A new life! A family! A bed! Clothing and food and shelter!! LOVE!! All these good things!! But there is a "distraction" that is stopping Crew from getting here, even though this would be better!! This would be so much better for him!! I see this.....God sent His Son to die for me. For you. Each one of us. Even if you were the only one....He still would do it! He wants to give us a home! New life! LOVE! I see that we get distracted by things of this world, sometimes by people, or influences that turn our hearts and minds away from God, or the love of stuff or fame, or sometimes just so we can have "fun"......and by choosing to set our hearts on those things, those "distractions", there is a chance of missing God and his abundant plan for us, and for some, it may mean missing out on eternal LIFE with God, even though that is BETTER!! I see the big picture. I see how Christ adopted me......how could I not respond to that? Why would I not want what is better? How can you not respond to that? Is it better to remain an orphan? You decide!!
Don't stay in the orphanage, people!!! Go to the One who LOVES you and will give you ETERNAL LIFE and a FOREVER FAMILY!!! You have a choice!! Crew doesn't!! Please pray with us that God will remove the road blocks and bring our son home!! He is our son!! We are gonna fight for him!! Afterall, his name is CREW DAWIT CODER.
xoxo!
Debbi
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
It feels like I'm wayyy past my water breaking....
I really do relate this whole process to being pregnant. Many of the stages are the same.....without the weight gain! The decision to go for it!! The morning sickness (or all that paperwork, which can really make you feel sick!!!). Seeing the pictures for the first time, kinda like a sonogram!! (It's a boy!!!!) The "getting ready for baby" part, by getting the room ready and all the new little clothes hung up!! And then that point where you know you are just so ready....you'll do anything and go through anything to just get him here (with or without an epidural....or fly across the world to bring him home! Whatever it takes!). We are going on month 10. We thought it would be 7...maybe 8 months. It's time!!! Now waiting is getting really hard! Especially after spending the week with our little guy in July. He should be here. We will continue to trust God and His timing. We have to!! We know He has a plan. He's working out the details now. We wait. Thank you for all the prayers during this time. We are sure gonna celebrate when Crew gets home!! Are you ready to PAR-TAY? It's gonna be soon! It has to be!!
xoxo!!
Debbi
xoxo!!
Debbi
Thursday, September 8, 2011
It's just a matter of time!
Well, I keep coming back to my computer to check my emails.....about 20 times per day. Okay....probably more!! We are waiting for that last email from our agency saying, "IT'S TIME!!! GO GET CREW AND BRING HIM HOME!!!" Now that we've met him, it seems a bit harder waiting. I just want him home now!
A lady who was in Ethiopia while we were there for our court date (and she and her husband were there for their court date on the same day) is now in Ethiopia for her Embassy date and picking up their daughter. While at the transition house/orphanage, she took the time to take this picture of Crew for us.
Seeing that cute face and that big smile.....oh my!!! He is just so precious to us!! And THANK YOU, Amy, for thinking of us and sending that!! It made my day!!!
So, this short blog is really mainly to ask for prayers for the process to speed up!! I know that God's timing is by far better than mine...I do know that....but we are soo close to having him home. I think we are in the "pushing" stages of labor. Not the most fun part, but so close to the grand finale.....and I know it's worth it!!! PUSH!!!!!! ALMOST HERE!!!! LOL!! Pray for me to be patient!! :)
ALSO, this is the last order for the red CREW shirts, so if anyone wants to "be a part of our Crew" by ordering one, let me know before morning!!! They are $20 and you can pay on this blog and I can mail to you! THANKS SO MUCH!! It means a lot to us!
This journey has been like nothing else!! Thanks for being a part of our Crew!!
xoxo!!
Debbi
A lady who was in Ethiopia while we were there for our court date (and she and her husband were there for their court date on the same day) is now in Ethiopia for her Embassy date and picking up their daughter. While at the transition house/orphanage, she took the time to take this picture of Crew for us.
Seeing that cute face and that big smile.....oh my!!! He is just so precious to us!! And THANK YOU, Amy, for thinking of us and sending that!! It made my day!!!
So, this short blog is really mainly to ask for prayers for the process to speed up!! I know that God's timing is by far better than mine...I do know that....but we are soo close to having him home. I think we are in the "pushing" stages of labor. Not the most fun part, but so close to the grand finale.....and I know it's worth it!!! PUSH!!!!!! ALMOST HERE!!!! LOL!! Pray for me to be patient!! :)
ALSO, this is the last order for the red CREW shirts, so if anyone wants to "be a part of our Crew" by ordering one, let me know before morning!!! They are $20 and you can pay on this blog and I can mail to you! THANKS SO MUCH!! It means a lot to us!
This journey has been like nothing else!! Thanks for being a part of our Crew!!
xoxo!!
Debbi
Sunday, August 28, 2011
It's about time!!!
It's about time......that I finally found a little time to actually blog!! It's been so busy since the time we got back from our Ethiopia trip several weeks ago. Where do I start?
I'll start there! With our trip!! It was such an incredible experience, I don't even know if words could begin to describe it all. There was so much to take in! The travel over was smooth. We were so excited with anticipation of meeting our little boy face to face finally!! Ohhh my gosh, I can't describe that feeling!! Arriving in Addis Ababa was so surreal, as we knew that we were moments away from seeing him!! Our driver, Yonatan, who we now love and adore and consider a close friend, picked us up at the airport. He first took us to the guest house to unpack and get a little adjusted.
We walked to a coffee shop nearby to get a bite to eat. Shortly after, we headed over to the transition house! FINALLY! When we got there, the nanny that was taking care of Crew was so precious; she was cleaning him up from his lunch and was washing him off. He had on a little camo sweatsuit (which was a big deal to me, because Steve and Kason are huge hunters and I thought this was such a sweet coincidence!! He'll fit right in!!). :)
But she wanted him to be dressed up when we met him, so she was a little concerned that he wasn't ready! We assured her it was okay, but she insisted she change his clothes! It was actually very sweet that she wanted to please us so much!! Crew looked at us, a little puzzled, I think, and she whisked him away to go change. This gave us a little time to look around the transition house/orphanage and get to see the room he slept in, his bed and some of the other precious children! When we finally got to see Crew again, I was so amazed at how adorable he is!! I mean, this kid is just amazingly handsome! (I did notice that Ethiopian people, in general, are very "pretty" people!! WOW!!) Crew was not so sure about us, so Steve and I wanted to take it slow for his sake. We "talked" to him a little, we smiled at him a lot and then finally, the nanny said it would be best for her to just hand him to us and then we should head out to the guest house, where Crew would be staying with us the entire time we were there. So, she handed him over to me in the van and he started BAWLING!! Huge tears!! I happened to have a package of crackers in my purse and I opened them quickly and gave him one. It helped. A little!
As soon as we started driving away, he was mesmerized. Think about it...he's probably been in a car once; on the way from the orphanage to the transition house. So he liked that a lot! By the time we made the 15 minute drive to the guest house, Crew and I were friends! PTL!! But you could tell that he didn't know what to think of Steve!! Okay, for those of you who do not know Steve, he is a funny guy!! Kids love him!! But Crew was not sure about this big white man with curly hair and earrings!!! haha!! That first day at the guest house was pretty simple. I held Crew and he either slept on my chest or watched a video on the computer that was next to me on the couch, as he sat on my lap! He really liked that!!
That night I gave him a bath and he did not like that at all!! He couldn't understand the concept of SITTING in the bath water. So it was a short bath! ha! After getting his new little pj's on him that we took (he only came with the clothes on his back!), I prayed with him while I held him and swayed back and forth to rock him to sleep. I thought he was ready to be put in the crib for a good night's rest. (I had taken a blankie for him that I would leave with him there. I kept an identical one at home, just incase that blankie got lost at the orphanage, so when he gets home with us he would have one just like it and it would be something familiar from the orphanage! Thank you, Jackie, for this great idea!!) He was almost asleep with his head on that soft blankie and he looked so peaceful! But the minute I tried to lay him in the crib, he quickly made it clear he did not want to be in it. I knew he slept in a crib at the orphanage, but he was not about to lay down in this one! So I remembered what my sister, Wendi, told me that Sue, our adoption agency director, had told her. "This is a time to CONNECT, not CORRECT!" So I decided to just let him sleep with me and Steve in our bed. Sure enough, I layed down with Crew on top of me and within minutes he was sound asleep! Precious!! I rubbed his little back until I fell asleep myself. In the morning when I woke up and looked at him asleep between me and Steve, my heart melted and I knew....this is my little boy! Thank you, Lord!! Just like in the hospital when they put that new baby on your chest.....same feeling!! WOW!! Who knew?
The rest of the trip was getting to know him and his little personality better. He is pretty easy going! He liked to kick the ball outside a lot! Steve would do that with him to try to bond!! He still wasn't buying!! haha!!
He would point at a cat and say, "meow!" and also point up in the air at the airplanes and say, "autoplane!". Yonatan had taught me a few words, like "gobez", which means "good job!" so we would say that to him a lot and he would smile!! One day I was tickling him and he just laughed and laughed! His giggle is precious!! He decided he liked Steve's sunglasses, so that was a small little bonding moment for them!! LOL!! If he had any other options besides Steve, he preferred them over Steve! But that's okay! They will bond soon enough!! :)
We passed court without a hitch and he legally became a Coder. That was a sweet day!! I just kept thinking over and over, "Wow! We have FIVE kids now!!" I had taken a little photo album with our family pictures in it, so that after we left, the nanny could look at them with him! So we looked at that a lot together!! "There's daddy! There's mommy!! Cassidi. Makenzi. Kason. That's Kyler!!" He liked the pictures!! When the time came to take Crew back to the transition house, I didn't expect my emotions to do what they did! I honestly thought I would just hand him back to his nanny, knowing we'd be back for him in a few months, and we'd go home! BUT, to my surprise, my emotions kicked into high gear! Now, a little side note here. The day we picked up Crew, his personal nanny was at church. The other nannies told me she was sad she would not be there to meet us when we picked him up, but that she wanted to meet us when we returned with him! I, too, wanted to meet her, as this has been someone as close to a mother as Crew has ever had!!! So upon driving up to the gated entrance of the transition house the day we were taking him back, Crew's nanny ran out to us!! She had a look in her eye that said, "Where is my boy!! I've missed my boy!!", as she kept saying "Dawit!! Dawit!" (which is Crew's Ethiopian name, and now his middle name). He was on my lap in the van and we were stopped at the gate. Crew looked at her for a minute, then he reached out to her, as she was reaching out to him!! Let me tell you what this said to me!! This lady loves this child!! She has been the one to hug him, feed him, pick him up when he falls, change his diaper and pray with him!! She had missed him while he was away with us!! WOW!! I was overcome with a flood of emotions!! Mostly I was so thankful that he has had someone who has loved him like a mother loves! She was now holding Crew standing next to the van. I told the driver to go ahead and drive in so they could have some time together before we got out to meet her. We pulled up to the house and got out of the van. When I turned around she was still hugging him and holding him right where she had been out by the gate!! Again.....WOW!! She loves him!! She slowly walked to the van where we were standing and I hugged her as she was holding Crew! And I hugged her tight!! I about lost it!! I tell you what......so much was said between this woman and myself just by looking into each other's eyes! Does that sound weird? It was just as if I was saying to her, "I know you love him!! I will take care of him!!", and as if she was saying to me, "I love him and I know you will love him, too!" What a bittersweet moment for both of us!!
I decided I needed to gather my composure a little, so I smiled at her and walked into the house for a bit as our friend was taking his 6 month old inside. When we came back outside to actually say goodbye and leave, by then Crew was standing by some other children. The nannies were all standing around talking and watching the kids play. I knelt down several feet away from Crew and just said, "Bye, little buddy!! I'll see you soon!" and as soon as the words came out of my mouth I just started bawling!! Oh my goodness, it was just so much harder than I expected it to be!! And at that very moment that the tears starting rolling down my face, Crew held out his hands and ran to me!! Oh geez Louise!! Could this be any more dramatic?!! So I picked him up, kissed him, and handed him to his nanny and said goodbye!! He started CRYING, oh yes, BAWLING, and reaching for me!! I looked at Steve, bawling the ugly cry kind of bawling, and said, "Let's go!!" I got in the van and a few minutes later we were backing out the driveway! Steve said, "Look!" and when I did, Crew's nanny was holding him and they were both waving to us from the top of the steps!! We drove away!!
Oh my goodness!! WOW!! That was exhausting!! ha!!!
So here we are today, Sunday afternoon! Today at church I had several different friends ask me if we know yet when we will be going to get the news to finally be able to bring Crew home. I told them all, "It could be any minute!!" Well, guess what? We got home from church to find an email from our agency director that said it looks like we will get our Embassy date the first week of September!!! IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!! OH my goodness, we are one stinkin, excited family at our house!!!!!
And some of you have asked about giving......Yes, we still have a large amount due towards all the expenses of the adoption, plus the travel expenses that we will have for the trip over for Steve, and the trip back for Steve and Crew!! You can make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation towards our adoption and that would be a huge blessing to us and hopefully a benefit to you, as well!!! I do believe God will bless those who give!! Make your check payable to WORLD WIDE COMPASSION and they will send it directly to our agency on our behalf. Just let me know if you'd like to do this and I will give you the rest of the info (where to mail, etc..).
Well, it's been a ride.....and I tell you what!!! It's just begun!!!
See you soon, Crew Dawit Coder!!!!!
Thank you for being a part of our CREW!!! xoxo!
Debbi
I'll start there! With our trip!! It was such an incredible experience, I don't even know if words could begin to describe it all. There was so much to take in! The travel over was smooth. We were so excited with anticipation of meeting our little boy face to face finally!! Ohhh my gosh, I can't describe that feeling!! Arriving in Addis Ababa was so surreal, as we knew that we were moments away from seeing him!! Our driver, Yonatan, who we now love and adore and consider a close friend, picked us up at the airport. He first took us to the guest house to unpack and get a little adjusted.
We walked to a coffee shop nearby to get a bite to eat. Shortly after, we headed over to the transition house! FINALLY! When we got there, the nanny that was taking care of Crew was so precious; she was cleaning him up from his lunch and was washing him off. He had on a little camo sweatsuit (which was a big deal to me, because Steve and Kason are huge hunters and I thought this was such a sweet coincidence!! He'll fit right in!!). :)
But she wanted him to be dressed up when we met him, so she was a little concerned that he wasn't ready! We assured her it was okay, but she insisted she change his clothes! It was actually very sweet that she wanted to please us so much!! Crew looked at us, a little puzzled, I think, and she whisked him away to go change. This gave us a little time to look around the transition house/orphanage and get to see the room he slept in, his bed and some of the other precious children! When we finally got to see Crew again, I was so amazed at how adorable he is!! I mean, this kid is just amazingly handsome! (I did notice that Ethiopian people, in general, are very "pretty" people!! WOW!!) Crew was not so sure about us, so Steve and I wanted to take it slow for his sake. We "talked" to him a little, we smiled at him a lot and then finally, the nanny said it would be best for her to just hand him to us and then we should head out to the guest house, where Crew would be staying with us the entire time we were there. So, she handed him over to me in the van and he started BAWLING!! Huge tears!! I happened to have a package of crackers in my purse and I opened them quickly and gave him one. It helped. A little!
As soon as we started driving away, he was mesmerized. Think about it...he's probably been in a car once; on the way from the orphanage to the transition house. So he liked that a lot! By the time we made the 15 minute drive to the guest house, Crew and I were friends! PTL!! But you could tell that he didn't know what to think of Steve!! Okay, for those of you who do not know Steve, he is a funny guy!! Kids love him!! But Crew was not sure about this big white man with curly hair and earrings!!! haha!! That first day at the guest house was pretty simple. I held Crew and he either slept on my chest or watched a video on the computer that was next to me on the couch, as he sat on my lap! He really liked that!!
That night I gave him a bath and he did not like that at all!! He couldn't understand the concept of SITTING in the bath water. So it was a short bath! ha! After getting his new little pj's on him that we took (he only came with the clothes on his back!), I prayed with him while I held him and swayed back and forth to rock him to sleep. I thought he was ready to be put in the crib for a good night's rest. (I had taken a blankie for him that I would leave with him there. I kept an identical one at home, just incase that blankie got lost at the orphanage, so when he gets home with us he would have one just like it and it would be something familiar from the orphanage! Thank you, Jackie, for this great idea!!) He was almost asleep with his head on that soft blankie and he looked so peaceful! But the minute I tried to lay him in the crib, he quickly made it clear he did not want to be in it. I knew he slept in a crib at the orphanage, but he was not about to lay down in this one! So I remembered what my sister, Wendi, told me that Sue, our adoption agency director, had told her. "This is a time to CONNECT, not CORRECT!" So I decided to just let him sleep with me and Steve in our bed. Sure enough, I layed down with Crew on top of me and within minutes he was sound asleep! Precious!! I rubbed his little back until I fell asleep myself. In the morning when I woke up and looked at him asleep between me and Steve, my heart melted and I knew....this is my little boy! Thank you, Lord!! Just like in the hospital when they put that new baby on your chest.....same feeling!! WOW!! Who knew?
The rest of the trip was getting to know him and his little personality better. He is pretty easy going! He liked to kick the ball outside a lot! Steve would do that with him to try to bond!! He still wasn't buying!! haha!!
He would point at a cat and say, "meow!" and also point up in the air at the airplanes and say, "autoplane!". Yonatan had taught me a few words, like "gobez", which means "good job!" so we would say that to him a lot and he would smile!! One day I was tickling him and he just laughed and laughed! His giggle is precious!! He decided he liked Steve's sunglasses, so that was a small little bonding moment for them!! LOL!! If he had any other options besides Steve, he preferred them over Steve! But that's okay! They will bond soon enough!! :)
We passed court without a hitch and he legally became a Coder. That was a sweet day!! I just kept thinking over and over, "Wow! We have FIVE kids now!!" I had taken a little photo album with our family pictures in it, so that after we left, the nanny could look at them with him! So we looked at that a lot together!! "There's daddy! There's mommy!! Cassidi. Makenzi. Kason. That's Kyler!!" He liked the pictures!! When the time came to take Crew back to the transition house, I didn't expect my emotions to do what they did! I honestly thought I would just hand him back to his nanny, knowing we'd be back for him in a few months, and we'd go home! BUT, to my surprise, my emotions kicked into high gear! Now, a little side note here. The day we picked up Crew, his personal nanny was at church. The other nannies told me she was sad she would not be there to meet us when we picked him up, but that she wanted to meet us when we returned with him! I, too, wanted to meet her, as this has been someone as close to a mother as Crew has ever had!!! So upon driving up to the gated entrance of the transition house the day we were taking him back, Crew's nanny ran out to us!! She had a look in her eye that said, "Where is my boy!! I've missed my boy!!", as she kept saying "Dawit!! Dawit!" (which is Crew's Ethiopian name, and now his middle name). He was on my lap in the van and we were stopped at the gate. Crew looked at her for a minute, then he reached out to her, as she was reaching out to him!! Let me tell you what this said to me!! This lady loves this child!! She has been the one to hug him, feed him, pick him up when he falls, change his diaper and pray with him!! She had missed him while he was away with us!! WOW!! I was overcome with a flood of emotions!! Mostly I was so thankful that he has had someone who has loved him like a mother loves! She was now holding Crew standing next to the van. I told the driver to go ahead and drive in so they could have some time together before we got out to meet her. We pulled up to the house and got out of the van. When I turned around she was still hugging him and holding him right where she had been out by the gate!! Again.....WOW!! She loves him!! She slowly walked to the van where we were standing and I hugged her as she was holding Crew! And I hugged her tight!! I about lost it!! I tell you what......so much was said between this woman and myself just by looking into each other's eyes! Does that sound weird? It was just as if I was saying to her, "I know you love him!! I will take care of him!!", and as if she was saying to me, "I love him and I know you will love him, too!" What a bittersweet moment for both of us!!
I decided I needed to gather my composure a little, so I smiled at her and walked into the house for a bit as our friend was taking his 6 month old inside. When we came back outside to actually say goodbye and leave, by then Crew was standing by some other children. The nannies were all standing around talking and watching the kids play. I knelt down several feet away from Crew and just said, "Bye, little buddy!! I'll see you soon!" and as soon as the words came out of my mouth I just started bawling!! Oh my goodness, it was just so much harder than I expected it to be!! And at that very moment that the tears starting rolling down my face, Crew held out his hands and ran to me!! Oh geez Louise!! Could this be any more dramatic?!! So I picked him up, kissed him, and handed him to his nanny and said goodbye!! He started CRYING, oh yes, BAWLING, and reaching for me!! I looked at Steve, bawling the ugly cry kind of bawling, and said, "Let's go!!" I got in the van and a few minutes later we were backing out the driveway! Steve said, "Look!" and when I did, Crew's nanny was holding him and they were both waving to us from the top of the steps!! We drove away!!
Oh my goodness!! WOW!! That was exhausting!! ha!!!
So here we are today, Sunday afternoon! Today at church I had several different friends ask me if we know yet when we will be going to get the news to finally be able to bring Crew home. I told them all, "It could be any minute!!" Well, guess what? We got home from church to find an email from our agency director that said it looks like we will get our Embassy date the first week of September!!! IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!! OH my goodness, we are one stinkin, excited family at our house!!!!!
And some of you have asked about giving......Yes, we still have a large amount due towards all the expenses of the adoption, plus the travel expenses that we will have for the trip over for Steve, and the trip back for Steve and Crew!! You can make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation towards our adoption and that would be a huge blessing to us and hopefully a benefit to you, as well!!! I do believe God will bless those who give!! Make your check payable to WORLD WIDE COMPASSION and they will send it directly to our agency on our behalf. Just let me know if you'd like to do this and I will give you the rest of the info (where to mail, etc..).
Well, it's been a ride.....and I tell you what!!! It's just begun!!!
See you soon, Crew Dawit Coder!!!!!
Thank you for being a part of our CREW!!! xoxo!
Debbi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)