It's hard to believe that tomorrow (Wednesday) marks one week since our last post and since Martha became a member of our family! :-)
The rest of our time in Ethiopia continued to be just as wonderful as the first few days. We spent some time shopping in local outdoor markets, had a great night out at a wonderful restaurant complete with Ethiopian dancing and local food (which we love!), had our hearts filled with joy when we were with Martha, and had them broken as we continued to see the poor and the many needs all around. We wish there were words to explain what we saw - God stirred our souls deeply through our experiences in Ethiopia.
Leaving Martha was one of the most difficult things we have done in a very long time. We have given her over to God and know He cares for her. During her lifetime, as parents, we will need to do that again and again, just as we currently do with our children here in Ohio. After all, they aren't really ours - they belong to God and He has entrusted them to us for but a little while....to love them, care for them, teach them about Jesus and His Amazing love and grace. That is our job - and we feel humbled and privileged that God has blessed us with another child and the big responsibility it is to raise her.
Our trip home went very smoothly - it is just a very long trip! It was so good to get home and see our kids here and catch up on their week and share stories, pictures and video of Martha. Our Jet Lag has been very manageable and we are grateful for that!
We heard a bit today about when we might be able to go back to Addis Ababa and attend the U.S. Embassy and bring Martha home. We don't want to get into details about that, because it is all just an estimation at this time (and if you've read this blog for a while, you know that things can change quickly in International Adoption) but we do have a prayer request about all that......please pray that the timing and details all fall into place easily. We are approaching a bit of a crazy, busy time/season for our family and are a little anxious about how it will all work out. We KNOW that God's timing is PERFECT - we've learned and lived that every step of this whole process. But, we silly humans can get a bit uptight about how it all is going to work out. Please pray that we rest in God's peace as we wait these final steps and that we trust God's got it all covered (Okay, we know He does, but we may need some reminders.....)
We have been amazed at how many of you are reading this blog and sharing in our Joy - you have made our Joy greater! Thank you again and again - we feel so very blessed!!
The rest of our time in Ethiopia continued to be just as wonderful as the first few days. We spent some time shopping in local outdoor markets, had a great night out at a wonderful restaurant complete with Ethiopian dancing and local food (which we love!), had our hearts filled with joy when we were with Martha, and had them broken as we continued to see the poor and the many needs all around. We wish there were words to explain what we saw - God stirred our souls deeply through our experiences in Ethiopia.
Leaving Martha was one of the most difficult things we have done in a very long time. We have given her over to God and know He cares for her. During her lifetime, as parents, we will need to do that again and again, just as we currently do with our children here in Ohio. After all, they aren't really ours - they belong to God and He has entrusted them to us for but a little while....to love them, care for them, teach them about Jesus and His Amazing love and grace. That is our job - and we feel humbled and privileged that God has blessed us with another child and the big responsibility it is to raise her.
Our trip home went very smoothly - it is just a very long trip! It was so good to get home and see our kids here and catch up on their week and share stories, pictures and video of Martha. Our Jet Lag has been very manageable and we are grateful for that!
We heard a bit today about when we might be able to go back to Addis Ababa and attend the U.S. Embassy and bring Martha home. We don't want to get into details about that, because it is all just an estimation at this time (and if you've read this blog for a while, you know that things can change quickly in International Adoption) but we do have a prayer request about all that......please pray that the timing and details all fall into place easily. We are approaching a bit of a crazy, busy time/season for our family and are a little anxious about how it will all work out. We KNOW that God's timing is PERFECT - we've learned and lived that every step of this whole process. But, we silly humans can get a bit uptight about how it all is going to work out. Please pray that we rest in God's peace as we wait these final steps and that we trust God's got it all covered (Okay, we know He does, but we may need some reminders.....)
We have been amazed at how many of you are reading this blog and sharing in our Joy - you have made our Joy greater! Thank you again and again - we feel so very blessed!!
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