"I will not leave you as orphans..."

No More Training Wheels!

2011-08-31T21:37:00.004-04:00

Mayah has become quite the bike-riding pro -- no longer needing the training wheels on her bike to cruise the neighborhood!

Just one.

2011-08-23T20:15:00.002-04:00

Sometimes the numbers of children suffering are OVERWHELMING! Sometimes I feel frozen and wonder do I really make an impact? where do I even start? sometimes the numbers are so HUGE I feel like giving up and think I can't do anything to help! BUT, God calls us to do SOMETHING even if we think it's not much. God can take that small thing and make it HUGE, just like the Bible story of the fish and the loaves.
While I was looking for something I came across this post on one of my favorite blogs.
here is her post:

"I've been thinking about something a lot recently. Actually, truth be told, it consumes my thoughts. It's something that never leaves me and I talk to God a lot about it.

I'll call it my "Just ONE" conversation with God.

Many, many of us have read the same incredible books over the last year. It seems that God brought the same authors into many of our homes. Books like Crazy Love (Chan), The Hole in Our Gospel (Stearns), and Radical (Platt) have touched us deeply (if you have not yet read them, I urge you too!). They have shaken us up and given us such a fresh perspective on suffering in this world. They have most definitely opened our eyes to a crisis we knew was there but perhaps forgot about. Or didn't want to think about. Or tried to ignore.

If you're anything like us, we have been on our knees. Asking the Father of the universe the same question over and over and over again...

"What can we do, Lord?"

What is our role? How can we possibly make a difference in a worldwide crisis that is affecting children every second of every day?

It sure can feel overwhelming when we get into the statistics...the REALITY of it all. Statistics don't lie. They give us the hard facts. The things we don't really want to know. The things, perhaps, we would rather ignore because it is so much easier that way.

Sometimes it is hard to stomach facts...reality.

I'm ashamed to confess that on most days I would rather pretend that I don't know what I know. I want to move on with my "normal" life and just forget about all the things I have read and the stories I have heard from my husband's recent trip to Africa. I would rather choose to live in my comfortable little bubble--nice and protected--than think about the harsh reality outside of my four walls. It's safe here. It's easy here. It's quite comfortable...and I like it that way. Even in my church. I have everything I need right here, thank you very much.

I so badly want to forget...

That over 26,000 people will die of starvation today. In just one day. Or that thousands upon thousands of children will be orphaned today as one adult after the next dies due to AIDS. Some days it's just too hard to think about.

But my God does NOT want me to forget! He does not want me to forget about the things I have read, nor the things that I have seen in my daughters' orphanages, nor the heartbreaking pictures Anthony took in Africa. He never wants me to forget the images I see when I close my eyes at night. Why? Because He uses all those things to change me and challenge me so that I am moved to ACTION!

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
James 2:14-17

Going backwards and living my same old life the way it was is no longer good enough. I believe that God expects us to act. He expects action. It's biblical, really--right there in Proverbs.

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act."
Proverbs 24:12

God requires ACTION...and He holds us responsible for it. "He knows what we know!"

Ouch! My God knows all that I know...and He expects me to DO something about it.

"But what, God?"

"What difference can I possibly make?"

"The problem is so overwhelming!"

"Sickness, dying children, starvation, poverty worse that my human heart can comprehend, HIV everywhere, disease, overflowing orphanages."

SHEER DESPERATION!

And then. In the quiet of my heart. He reminds me--again. He gently whispers about the ONE.

JUST. ONE.

He reminds me about the time when Jesus went to the pool called Bethesda in Jerusalem. Many, many disabled people lay there. The Bible calls then “a great number.” Jesus went in and singled out ONE man to be healed. Just ONE. He did not look at the overwhelming problem, but went to the ONE, and what a difference He made in the life of that one man!

Taking action needn't be saving the mulitudes and feeding ten thousand at a time. It needn't even be taking in twenty orphans. I don't know about you, but I try to find these massive solutions that will make an extraordinary difference at one time. I lie in bed at night thinking about some crazy solutions that will put an end to children suffering. Of course they don't exist this side of heaven.

But you know what?

That is not what God requires of me. He doesn't require me to go out and save the world--that's His job, not mine (whew!). JUST ONE! That's it. That is my only responsibility. To be obedient and take care of one at a time, as He brings them across my path.

Because one leads to something else, to something else, to something else...and before we know it, something amazing has taken place. The ripple effect is glorious. Recently someone reminded me that Mother Teresa took in ONE leper when she began her ministry. That was it. That ONE was the seed, the catalyst, that led to so very much more. More than what one woman could ever have imagined. God used her obedience to help ONE, then to eventually help countless more. Just like the story of the starfish on the beach that we all know so well.

JUST ONE.

I think about ONE a lot.

ONE orphan.

ONE widow.

ONE lonely.

ONE hungry.

ONE prisoner.

ONE poor.

ONE child sponsorship.

ONE in need.

I think about what a profound difference the body of Christ could really make in the world if we just started with ONE at a time. If we were just obedient to step out in faith and help the ONE God lays on our heart. If we didn't write off the overwhelming desperation in the world as "hopeless," but instead started with ONE...

AT...

A...

TIME.

Like many of you, I don't want to regret anything. I never want to reach the end of my life and know that I missed out on doing the ONE THING that God has placed in my hands to do. I never want to stand before Him and give Him all my lame and pathetic excuses about why I was not more courageous to live a life of reckless abandon.

I never want to regret. Time is so short."

"The Lord said to him [Moses], "What do you have in your hand?"
Exodus 4:2
http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2011/02/just-one.html

It's been a while:)

2011-08-04T11:49:00.005-04:00

We are doing great!
Here are a few photos to catch everyone up!
sorry the photos are not in order!

Amira

2010-05-05T19:04:00.003-04:00

We are here!

2010-05-05T18:46:00.003-04:00

WoW, it has been a long time since we posted. Amira is doing wonderful! She is happy and beautiful and we are so crazy in love with her! We are so blessed to have her as part of our family. For the first 2 1/2 months she had explosive diarrhea, it was everywhere and I couldn't keep up with the laundry or anything else. I also felt so bad for her. We were also up at night a lot which is normal but it makes it hard to function during the day with little sleep and taking care of 3 little kids. The diarrhea has FINALLY stopped! praise God! We tried so many things and many doctors appts.
Amira has made amazing strides since coming home, it still blows me away the changes made when given a loving healthy family!
Amira could not put any weight on her legs they were jelly, now at 11 months she can stand holding onto the couch. She can also sit without help and now army crawl. She has 4 teeth since coming home and I can see 3 more coming in. She has also started sleeping better only waking up once or twice:)
The girls LOVE Amira and love playing with her and helping her and kisses her (sometimes in her face a little too much). There has been no jealousy from them, amazing.
Three kids under 5 is a lot of work and takes a little getting use to in order to keep the house clean and the kids fed and bathed and the laundry done, etc. But I LOVE it! I really love having 3 kids and have never doubted it even on the hard days. I do need a break every once in a while so I am working on how to make time for myself, which makes me a better mom:)
I will post more about our trip to Ethiopia soon.

Little Chatterbox

2010-02-07T22:04:00.003-05:00

Hi, Everyone,

Here's some video we shot of Amira shortly after arriving home. As you'll see, she is quite the little talker. I apologize for how dark the video is -- it was taken at 5:45am when Amira decided she was ready to start the day. :)

Little Miss Chatterbox from Chris Ellens on Vimeo.

We're Home!

2010-02-02T00:09:00.004-05:00

Hi, Everyone,

We are home with our beautiful daughter, Amira Ribka Ellens! She is a healthy and happy little girl who is loving all of the attention she is getting from her two older sisters.

Here is a brief video of Amira visiting the orphanage run by our adoption agency, where she stayed for 3 weeks while she needed additional medical attention. Unfortunately, the orphanage where she spent the majority of her time was not nearly as nice.

(In case you're not sure, she is the baby being held by the nannies in each of the video clips.)

Amira at Layla House Orphanage from Chris Ellens on Vimeo.

2010-01-18T18:21:00.003-05:00

Less than 1 week...I can't wait to hold our daughter and give her lots of kisses:)
I'm starting to get nervous about all the children we will see and have to leave behind at the orphanages we visit... last time it bothered me for a LONG time.

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or darkness of destructive selfishness."

- Martin Luther King Jr.

thanks mindy:)

Less than 2 weeks!

2010-01-10T23:23:00.002-05:00

We leave for Ethiopia in less than 2 weeks! I really want to go and the last month has been DRAGGING! I'm all packed...I know it's funny but why not?:) I still have to add a few things I'm using now and any more donations for the orphanage we get, but other than that I'm ready:) Chris on the other hand will probably wait till the night before but he's a fast packer anyways.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T21:58:00.003-05:00

Collecting supplies for children in orphanages

2009-12-07T20:45:00.002-05:00

We will be visiting a few orphanages while in Ethiopia. We are collecting supplies that they currently need:

For Babies:

Hand Sanitizer

Borax (to keep away roaches)

Roach motels (don't know if they work here, but its worth a try)

A&D Ointment

For older kids:

soccer balls

soft juggling balls

hacky sacks

toothbrushes

small toothpastes

envelopes

And anything else you would like to donate - underwear and gently used clothes, etc.

New picture!

2009-12-07T20:43:00.003-05:00

We will be traveling in January, yes next month! We just don't have exact dates.

PASSED COURT!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-16T13:39:00.002-05:00

YEAH! We passed court!
We heard the week before we had a court date, we were shocked it was in a week and then we passed! We are SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!
Ribka is officially our daughter! We can't wait to bring her home:) She is about 7 months now.
We will be traveling in January but don't have an official date yet. We are waiting till we get an appointment at the US embassy in EThiopia and then we will be able to set up travel plans.
We don't have a lot of pictures, hopefully we get more soon.

court news

2009-10-04T11:39:00.003-04:00

We are hearing that courts will open on October 12 or 13th in Ethiopia. I'm SO excited! After courts open we should get a court date. The bad thing is when courts close there is a big back up in cases causing more waiting:(
We found out our baby has chicken pox which is hard to hear when you know she's in an orphanage.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!

2009-08-26T21:46:00.008-04:00

YES WE HAVE A BABY GIRL! We are so excited! She is beautiful, we can't stop looking at her picture. She is 4 months old and very small.

Please pray for her health and that she continues to gain weight.

It will be a while till we can go and get her -- probably January or later:( We are praying it will be sooner but doubt it due the way the court system in Ethiopia works.
Now we wait for a court date but since the Ethiopian courts are currently closed until the end of October we will not hear anything prior to then.

2009-07-13T11:08:00.001-04:00

2009-06-28T20:14:00.001-04:00

Dossier mailed!

2009-06-23T21:12:00.005-04:00

We mailed our dossier (large packet of documents including physicals, birth certificates, marriage certificates, recommendation letter, etc.) to our adoption agency last week. I just got word that it will be sent off to Washington DC this week and then finally to Ethiopia! Now we just wait to get the call that they have matched us with a baby. Not sure how long that will be...4 or 5 months? Maybe longer?

Thanks for being excited about our adoption!

SURPRISE!

2009-05-25T20:17:00.005-04:00

Hi All,
For all of you who don't know we are adopting from Ethiopia again!!!!!!!!!!!! We are SO excited!
I am so excited to hold, cuddle, comfort, play with, pray for, laugh and love another child and give them a forever family. We are adopting a baby and will not specify a gender preference.

Every time my children are sick, I hold and cuddle them, comfort them. I get up with them at night and wipe their noses and check on them if they can't stop coughing. They feel loved and safe and secure... And in my head I see all those children at the orphanage...
We can't ignore it...

Some people may not understand why we are adopting again. After all, doesn't adoption cost a lot of money? Yes. Or you may wonder if we're struggling with infertility. No.

Rather, we believe our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has called us to adopt again. And as His followers, we are called to live our lives for Him -- our lives are not our own. We want to be Jesus' hands and feet. Jesus cared deeply for the orphan, the widow, the sick and the lost and calls all His followers to care for them too.

Please pray for us...
- for the health and safety of our newest family member
- that we continue to follow God's will
- that God provides the needed finances

Mother Teresa

2009-05-24T00:20:00.003-04:00

"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."

-Mother Teresa

This quote is often attributed to Mother Teresa making a statement on abortion -- an issue of utmost importance and one to which we must lend the church's full weight along with our personal efforts and prayers.

Yet, I often wonder if we stop to think that the decisions we make -- or more often choose to ignore -- have an impact on countless children across the globe? All too often, it seems to me, we spend much time and effort to ensure that a child is not aborted, only to turn our backs on them once they are born. How else can we explain the fact that, according to the United Nations, more than 26,000 children under the age of 5 die EVERY DAY from preventable diseases?!?! The only answer I can come up with is that we simply don't WANT to deal with it.

I genuinely believe that, as Christians, we can not sit back and hope that someone else will fix this problem -- or better yet, that it will fix itself. We must actively seek out ways to get the necessary medicine, food, water, and supplies to those in need. And that may just mean that we need to change the way we look at "living as we wish."

CJE

World AIDS Orphans Day - please please read

2009-05-06T20:33:00.003-04:00

May 7th is World AIDS Orphans Day
I decided to use this long quote from one of my favorite blogs. It is so well put!

"World AIDS Orphans Day is a grassroots campaign to draw attention to and advocate on behalf of the millions of children orphaned by AIDS.

Here are some of the staggering facts. Please read them... please really stop and think a minute about these statistics.

There are over 15 million children orphaned by AIDS living around the world RIGHT NOW. 15 million is the equivalent to the number of all of the people living in New York, Paris, and Bangkok combined. That is an awful lot of children.
Well over 12 million AIDS orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa, alone.
Experts believe that millions more orphans remain unaccounted for in India, China and Russia.
At least 10 million more children will be orphans by AIDS by 2010.

Do you know how many TOTAL global confirmed cases of the swine flu there have been? As of today (May 6), there have been 1,516 cases. Do you know how many people, world wide, have died of the swine flu as of today?? 31. And look at all the hype... all the action... all the caring.

Do you know how many people around the world DIED of HIV/AIDS in 2007? An estimated TWO MILLION people. That is over 5,400 people a day, dieing of HIV/AIDS. It has been estimated that now, in 2009, 6,500 people will die every day from AIDS, and an estimated 6,000 of those people will leave behind children when they die.

So today, another 6,000 children will be added to the already 15 million children world wide who have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS crisis.

The result of being orphaned by AIDS is heart-breaking for these children. From the World AIDS Orphans Day website:

In addition to the trauma of losing a parent, orphans are often subject to discrimination and are less likely to receive healthcare, education and other needed services.
In HIV affected households lacking community support, food consumption can drop by 40% putting children at risk to hunger, malnutrition and stunting.
Impoverished and often without support to educate and protect them, orphans and vulnerable children face increased risk of HIV infection. (And there are already an estimated 2 million children currently living with HIV).
Orphans are often easy prey to many forms of exploitation: forced labor, prostitution and child soldiering.

In the United States, if a child loses a parent to accident or illness, it is considered a terrible tragedy. Such stories are covered by the media, communities mourn and show their support, etc. In Sub-Saharan Africa, parents dieing is a normal part of life. It is still a terrible tragedy for those children, but it happens so often that no one else really pays any attention.

And do you know what makes this really, truly horrible? Do you know what makes my gut twist and my heart ache? HIV IS COMPLETELY TREATABLE.

If a person contracts HIV in the United States or another country where there is treatment readily available, they have an excellent long term prognosis. Most HIV+ people receiving treatment now have close to normal life expectancies and can live in good overall health. With treatment, HIV+ children can be healthy and happy. They can go to school, grow up, go to college, have (healthy!) children, and live long enough to raise them and beyond. Without treatment, an estimated 50% of HIV+ children will die before the hit their second birthday. My Solomon was almost one of those 50%.

HIV does not have to be a death sentence, and yet for thousands of people every day, it is, because the world doesn't care enough to really do something about it.

Can you imagine for one minute if some terrible disease struck the United States (or whatever country you live in) and was killing thousands and orphaning thousands every day? Can you imagine if another country had treatment that could lead to good health and a long life, but it just was too expensive or too difficult or too much trouble to get that medicine to us? We wouldn't stand for it.

So why do we stand for it now?

I can't wrap my head around what 15 million orphans looks like. I can barely wrap my head around the 100 or so HIV+ orphans that I am trying to find adoptive families for. The numbers are staggering, and so is the need for action. Children are the future of our world, and I shudder to think about what this world will be like with so many millions of children growing up without the love and security of a family... and way too often growing up without adequate food, education and medical care. Where does that leave all of us?

Rich Stearns, President of World Vision, US said,

"I believe that this could very well be looked back on as the sin of our generation. I look at my parents and ask, where were they during the civil rights movement? I look at my grandparents and ask, what were they doing when the holocaust in Europe was occurring with regard to the Jews, and why didn't they speak up? And when we think of our great, great, great-grandparents, we think how could they have sat by and allowed slavery to exist? And I believe that our children and their children, 40 or 50 years from now, are going to ask me, what did you do while 40 million children became orphans in Africa?"

I know that it feels like the problem is way too big for us to really do anything to make a difference, but I know with all my heart that touching the life of just one, just ONE, child can truly make a difference. And if everyone touched the life of just one child, we could reach them all.

Here are some ways that you can help touch the life of an AIDS orphan this World AIDS Orphans Day.

- Get educated. One of the biggest roadblocks in getting people to care and take action is the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. This is not a disease that only strikes those who "deserve it" (yes, that is really how some people think!). This is a disease that strikes men, women and children... it strikes heterosexuals and homosexuals, it strikes people of all races and social classes and it strikes people in all countries. HIV/AIDS is a HUMAN problem.

Fear is another big roadblock. HIV can not be transmitted in any casual way, and people that are HIV+ are not a threat to those around them. HIV can only be transmitted through sexual contact, birth, breastfeeding and blood to blood contact (such as sharing needles).

Two excellent books to read about the HIV/AIDS crisis and the orphan crisis are There is No Me Without You and 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa.

- Sponsor an AIDS orphan. There are many wonderful organizations out there that allow you to sponsor a child for a very low cost per month. Doing so makes a great difference in the life of that child, and getting to know the child you sponsor through pictures, updates, letters, etc. will have a great impact on your life as well. I promise. Two wonderful organizations that I work with are AHOPE for Children (which supports AHOPE Ethiopia, a home and community support program for HIV+ children in Ethiopia) and Hardthaven, a home for AIDS orphans in Ghana. I know that financially times are hard for many right now, but we live better than most people in the world and would have to sacrifice very very little to sponsor (and truly help) an orphaned child.

- Consider adopting. Adoption is only an option for a tiny percentage of the 15 million AIDS orphans around the world and it is certainly not the solution to the AIDS crisis or the orphan crisis, but for the tiny percentage of children who do get adopted, it changes their world and their future dramatically (and for the adoptive parents, it is equally amazing). There are agencies and programs placing healthy and special needs orphans from all over the world with new families. If your heart may be open to adopting an HIV+ child, I have about 100 amazing children of all ages waiting for a second chance at love, family and life.

You can read here why I believe in adoption, and you can read here why I feel so passionately about adoption for HIV+ children.

- Support From HIV to Home, an organization that helps provide care for HIV+ orphans and supports and helps parents adopting HIV+ children.

- Support Project HOPEFUL, whose mission is to "encourage, educate and enable parents adopting children with HIV/AIDS".

- Visit the World AIDS Orphans website for other ways to touch your heart, get educated and get involved."

Chris and I sponsor a child through AHOPE (located in Ethiopia). Both of her parents died of AIDS and she is HIV+. We love getting updates on how she is doing and we pray for her. We hope to visit her since this orphanage/program allows this. Maybe next year????......:)

One year ago!

2009-04-28T22:33:00.003-04:00

One year ago today we met Hanna for the first time! We held her, kissed her, hugged her and cried. She was so little and beautiful. We cannot imagine our lives without her. She is such a wonderful blessing in our lives. Mayah and Hanna are buddies and are so funny together.
Here are some pictures of when we first met her at the orphanage in Ethiopia.

Thought for the day...

2009-04-09T13:58:00.001-04:00

If only 7% of the 2 billion Christians in the world would care for a single orphan in distress, there would effectively be no more orphans.

I'm so blessed!

2009-04-06T22:46:00.001-04:00

Check this out!

2009-04-04T21:14:00.004-04:00

Please watch this I really liked it! It's only 3 minutes long. It spoke to me.

p.s. I love home-schoolers:)

SO excited!

2009-03-31T21:46:00.004-04:00

I am SO excited! I want to scream! I have already jumped up and down:)

I found the coolest organization -- an International Down Syndrome Orphan Ministry. They help children with major special needs find families. Check out the website at http://www.reecesrainbow.com and click on "adopting families" to read about the children and numerous families adopting them. You can even pick a family to donate to help them with their adoption expenses. So, if you think "I could never do that" then you can help them:)

You may think it's weird that I am SO excited but it gives me great joy to know that these children will grow up in loving families and not be put in horrible mental institutions. I think often about the children who are rarely considered for adoption - the children with major special needs and older children. After children in orphanages get to a certain age they are put out and many live on the streets because they have no where to go and no family to take care of them. God has been showing me more and more families who are accepting His call to adopt these amazing children. Knowing there are these amazing families out there gives me such a feeling of hope!

-N

The Importance of Adoption

2009-03-31T16:48:00.001-04:00

"We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made, and his senses are being developed. To him we cannot answer ‘Tomorrow,’ his name is Today."

-Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poet (1889 – 1957)

One year ago we got the call

2009-03-13T20:40:00.005-04:00

February marked the one year mark when we got "the call." One year ago they called us and told us we had an infant girl. I asked what her name was and our caseworker said "Hanna"...I cried. "I've emailed her pictures to you," he said. Chris was at work so I called him and on the phone with each other we opened the email together...what a wonderful day!
She was so tiny and skinny...I remember being worried about her...

She went through so much but has thrived since being home:) We are so blessed!

2009-03-06T12:03:00.002-05:00

"God is with the vulnerable and the poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house...God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives...God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war....God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."

- Bono

Upsetting news

2009-02-24T21:00:00.004-05:00

We found out about a month ago that there is a formula shortage in Ethiopia. I found out through other adoptive families. It has been so upsetting to me...I haven't wrote about it. Within the last week I have heard from 2 adoption agencies about the shortage - one through an email the other through a newsletter on their website. Asking for everyones help...those who are adopting and those who are not. They need formula and donations to buy formula in the USA and ship it over. They are asking families who are flying to Ethiopia to get their children to bring as much formula as they can (they will give it to you).
Families are going out of their way to travel along with agency workers to get formula to the orphanages...how amazing!
One family who recently went to pick up their child said there was no formula in the store. When chris and I were there they had a few small stores that have basic food and they had formula (not as good as ours and very expensive for Ethiopians) but that is where we bought formula to feed Hanna while we were in ethiopia. It's hard to believe there is no formula in any of the stores.

PLEASE PRAY that all this formula makes it through customs and to the orphanages and that enough formula makes it to all the orphanages. PRAY that all the babies get enough food and nutrients.
Just typing this up is making my eyes water...
-N-

another quote - sad

2009-02-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

2009-01-30T10:31:00.000-05:00

2009-01-26T21:21:00.003-05:00

I love these 2 quotes and had to share them. I have often felt adopting one child when there are millions of orphans in the world is inconsequential. -N

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." Mother Teresa

"Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world when He could do something about it. But I'm afraid God might ask me the same question." -anonymous

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2009-01-19T23:19:00.003-05:00

Here are two video clips to help us remember this great man's convicting messages...

(I apologize for the less-than-perfect grammar in this video.)

Christmas

2009-01-16T23:03:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with our family. It was Hanna's first Christmas with us. God is good.
The girls love their mini trampoline:) They jump together all the time. Mayah is so great with sharing.

Aunt Carlyn holding Hanna

Hanna loved her car from nana and papa

Uncle Dave and Mayah with her new doll

Hanna loved her rocking horse from nana and papa

vacation

2009-01-05T22:56:00.005-05:00

We have had quite a busy month. Thanksgiving, birthdays, vacation and Christmas!
My wonderful in-laws took us to Florida a few weeks before Christmas. It was such a wonderful break and a nice time to spend as a family. Mayah loved playing in the sand but Hanna screamed at first. Mayah helped her see it was okay...then they were both loving it!
It was so beautiful! There was hardly anyone on the beach. Thank you to my in-laws!!!

I felt so small standing on the beach, staring out into this enormous ocean. It's huge and the waves are so powerful. It reminded me how mighty and omnipotent the Lord is. While in Ethiopia, and when we got home, I asked God many times, "Where are You?...Why haven't You come back yet?...All these children suffering..." This time by the ocean was a powerful reminder of God's presence even when He seems quiet.

2008-12-19T22:05:00.001-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday Hanna!

2008-12-04T21:35:00.006-05:00

Hanna, we can't believe you're already 1! You are such a wonderful part of our family and we love you very much!

Mayah turns 3!

2008-11-21T20:47:00.011-05:00

Mayah had two celebrations -- one with Chris' family and one with mine. She is so loved:)

What's on your Christmas list?

2008-11-15T22:23:00.004-05:00

Americans spend an average of $450 Billion a year each Christmas. That’s about $900 per family. Most of which gets returned anyway. Most of which is put on the credit card. Most of which isn’t paid off even by the time the next Christmas rolls around.

Is that the story God had in mind at Christmas? Or is God calling us to something more? Can we consider giving two fewer gifts this year and, instead, give the money we would have spent to those who are truly in need? Nicole and I feel like this is the least we can do and hope you'll consider joining with us.

'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40

Hanna's Baptism

2008-11-04T22:53:00.004-05:00

Hanna was baptized a few weeks ago. It was more emotional for me than I thought it would be. While holding her during the baptism, the past year and a half flashed through my head - the orphanage, Hanna being sick, knowing we prayed for her while she grew in her mom's stomach, and all she has overcome and how God has been there and brought us together. We love her so much:)

Her dress was the same dress Mayah wore. It was made out of Chris' Mom's wedding dress and was sewn by the girls grandma and great grandma - it's so beautiful!

Halloween

2008-11-04T22:43:00.003-05:00

The girls did great trick-or treating. Mayah went for a while getting lots of candy.

Hanna walks!

2008-11-01T14:04:00.002-04:00

Hanna took her first steps! Wow! Not even 11months yet! She jumps holding on to the table or couch, its really funny.
She also has 2 teeth:)

Something to think about...

2008-10-11T22:22:00.001-04:00

"It’s extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can’t find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases."

- Bono

Hanna is 10 months old!

2008-10-09T22:52:00.007-04:00

Family outing to Post Family Farm. Hayride to pick a pumpkin.

Hanna enjoying pasta! She loves to eat:)

Mayah wanted to shave just like daddy! Of course no blade on that razor.

Hanna loves to walk back and forth behind her walker. She just needs help turning around when she runs into something. The doctor says she'll walk before one:)

Celebrating Chris' Birthday

2008-09-13T23:10:00.004-04:00

The girls have a new record they actually made it 3 nights in a row without waking up and they slept in till 7am. It was so wonderful! I had so much energy. We hope that record is broken soon:)

2008-09-13T22:22:00.002-04:00

Hanna crawling around in the backyard.

We went to Fredrick Meijer Gardens. Here are a few pictures from the day. They have a childrens garden where they can play in the water and a tree house where Mayah and Hanna had a tea party.

On August 5 Hanna was 9 months old. It's hard to believe. She is so cute. She only ate baby food for three weeks because she wanted to feed herself. So she eats fruit, veggies and toast cut up into small pieces. Hanna crawls everywhere very fast. She can climb up the stairs and pulls herself to standing position on everything. She especially loves to look out the front door and the front window.

Mayah's new thing is to wear PJ's all day everyday except if we go somewhere then she will wear clothes. But as soon as we get home she has to change back into her PJ's. She is so funny and so caring. We got out some of her winter clothes to see if they fit and she insisted on wearing fleece one piece PJ's with the feet all day and to bed. It was humid and 70 degrees today...she had to be warm. We are always laughing at the funny things mayah says and does:)

2008-08-17T22:32:00.002-04:00

My sister and I celebrating our birthdays

2008-08-17T22:11:00.003-04:00

I can't believe Hanna is 8 months old. She is eating baby food and army crawling all over. She can move a little on her hands and knees but then moves back to the army crawl. She loves to stand holding on to the couch or window sill. She gets mad if you eat in front of her and don't give her some. She is funny. She can wave and likes to bounce to the music.

Hard to believe we were in Ethiopia, Africa 3 1/2 months ago. I think about Ethiopia every day. It seems hard to believe we were standing in an orphanage filled with children and babies 3 months ago...I think about those children a lot...especially seeing how happy Hanna is and remembering how skinny and lethargic she was...

Here are some pictures.

2008-08-17T22:00:00.003-04:00

Chris, Mayah, Hanna and I celebrated my birthday by going raspberry picking (what I wanted to do). It was so hot and humid. As soon as we got out into the field Mayah had an accident (doesn't usually happen) and we had no extra clothes so Chris created this fashionable baby blanket skirt for Mayah. She wasn't bothered by it at all.

2008-07-15T13:59:00.000-04:00

More pictures of my girls. Also my mom and sisters and Hanna and Mayah's cousin Lillian.

2008-07-15T13:21:00.004-04:00

Hello
Sorry it has been a while since I posted. The girls keep me busy and I still have a lot on my mind...thinking about the poverty in Africa.

Hanna can now sit up and scoot backwards when on her tummy. She is babbling and likes to scream which makes us all laugh. Lately I go into to her room after she is asleep at night and stare at her. She is so beautiful:) She is lying in a nice crib, clean and in a loving family...she is always smiling. I think of where she was... lying in a metal crib with 2 other babies in a room of cribs filled with babies...flies buzzing around...dirty and sick. How could she not be dirty when just a few woman supposed to give so many babies baths every other day?!

Mayah continues to be a great helper. The other day I laid down with her for her nap, with my back facing her, and I felt a little hand start rubbing my back...it made me smile. She is so sweet:)

Some things that have been on my mind lately...
What does it mean to be a Jesus follower (Christian) and an American?
We have so much here in America...so much food, water, money, and resources. Even the "poor" in the USA are wealthy compared to Africa... We can't ignore the poverty and the people dying... As Christians we cannot ignore the poor and the orphan. Jesus had such a passion for them.
We can't sell everything and donate the money and then be left with nothing...So what do we do?

A family who is adopting from Ethiopia recently lost their baby boy before they could fly to pick him up. If he was here in the US he would have survived. Speaking from our own experiences there with Hanna, the medical system there is a joke...it's horrible! The hospital consistently had its power going out, it had one bathroom with no soap and no toilet seat, the toilet didn't flush, and it was covered in bugs. And the nurses didn't even appear to know what they were doing. I could keep going on.

2008-06-08T22:18:00.002-04:00

Today is our anniversary. We have been married 6 years. 6 years doesn't seem that long. I'm thankful to be married to my best friend.

Hanna is six months old. She has been home to Michigan for a month now. She has recently learned to roll over. We also think she is teething because she has been drooling and chewing everything. She is still waking up at night not as many times (3-5) but I have to say I'm thankful for coffee. I started drinking coffee after I had Mayah...not in college like a lot of other people.

I have to say I love dressing the girls, its so much fun, their clothes are so cute:) Mayah insisted on wearing a sun dress with socks and gym shoes yesterday, she is so funny.

Here are some pictures of our girls.
Stay cool in this heat and humidity.

2008-06-01T22:06:00.003-04:00

Hanna continues to thrive. She continues to gain weight and increase her neck and back strength. She is a very happy baby. She loves Mayah and smiles whenever she sees her.
We were told by our case worker that children in an orphanage survive but when they become part of a family they thrive. This is very true for Hanna...it's wonderful to see:)

Hanna's middle name is "Sophia." We chose her middle name; it is also an Ethiopian name. It means wise. Hanna Sophia is almost 6 months old and we have been a family of four for almost a month.

Thank you for all your cards and emails:)

Hanna is thriving!

2008-05-17T19:31:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone!
We are happy to say that Hanna is very healthy and doing great. She went to our pediatrician right when she got back and they did a bunch of standard lab/blood work that's standard for all adopted children. We got a call from our pediatrician a few days ago that all her lab work came back clean :) She is very healthy and thriving and seems to have no major effects of the sickness and dehydration she experienced in Ethiopia. Since we picked her up from the orphanage she has put on almost 3 pounds!!! We are so excited! She is laughing and babbling. Thank you for your prayers.

She has trouble sleeping...she wakes up about 6-8 times a night and we are not supposed to let her "cry it out" right now because of attachment stuff. So we are very tired and I have been very sick with a cold that won't go away.

We also wanted to share God's hand in everything...we are so thankful that our travel plans to Ethiopia got moved up...we are not sure if Hanna would be here if we had not traveled early and taken her to get medical treatment right away. She is an amazing baby...she is so strong and has been through and overcome so much in her short life.

I am still trying to work through the sadness of all the poverty and the children without families...maybe God is calling me to something...How much we take for granted here in the United States...yes, the price of gas is high...but we don't have to walk 5 miles to get water and we can feed our children. What a blessing!

We love being a family of four and Mayah is a wonderful big sister. She is so helpful and Hanna loves her.

love to all!

Home!!!

2008-05-07T11:36:00.006-04:00

We are home...so very thankful to be home!

I am sorry we were not able to post while in Ethiopia. The internet connection was SO slow and, since we don't have a laptop, we were not able to type posts out ahead of time and post them from internet cafes.

We are doing great! Hanna and Mayah are doing well! Thank you for all your prayers! The flight was terribly long, but Hanna did wonderfully!

I am also sorry I didn't write as soon as we arrived home but we were SO tired and was emotionally drained by the many things we witnessed and experienced throughout Ethiopia and, more specifically, at the orphanage. The trip was a long and hard...but we never doubted that we were supposed to be there or that we were supposed to adopt. I am so thankful to live in the USA and glad to be home. We have so much here in the USA and how often we forget and complain about such trivial things.

Picking Hanna up from the orphanage was wonderful but also very depressing. We were with two other wonderful couples also adopting through Adoption Associates. We all cried when they brought out our babies. After a few minutes, I noticed Hanna didn't seem to be acting normally...she was not moving her arms and legs and seemed spacey. To make a long story short, she was VERY sick and dehydrated and spent Monday through Wednesday in the local "hospital" (if you could call it that). It was a very scary time for us...the hospital had one bathroom with no toilet seat, it did not flush, bugs were everywhere and there was no soap anywhere. Hanna's diarrhea-filled diapers piled up for 2 days in the room but no one emptied the trash. She threw up all over the bed, floor, and myself and no one would clean it up or get us new sheets until the next day. Chris and I stayed that night in the small unsanitary room with no help.

Additionally, it took several failed tries to get an IV in. This resulted in blood getting everywhere and often times the nurses did not appear to know what they were doing. I cried a lot. Thankfully, we were able to email home when we left the hospital for a while on Tuesday and tons of prayer chains went out everywhere. Hanna was finally discharged on Wednesday morning and we are thankful to be able to return to the hotel with her.

God is good. Even though I felt very alone when we were stuck in a hospital (in a city we didn't know) with no phone, no one who spoke English, and no way of getting a hold of anyone, He never left our side.

Now you can see why we didn't post for a few days. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.
I will post pictures soon.

Nicole

2008-04-19T22:36:00.002-04:00

We sure have been busy! Chris is now fully recovered and ready to fly for 18 hours straight from Washington DC to Ethiopia. Mayah and I have been visiting my sister who just had her baby and I've been packing and getting all our paper work together.

Wow....we leave Wednesday morning...to head to Africa...I can't believe it is here. It just doesn't seem real right now.

This morning I cried because I'm so upset I have to be away from Mayah for 10 days. Please pray for her -- that she is not too upset. And pray the same for me too, please. We also ask that you please pray for our safety and health.

We will arrive back to the Grand Rapids airport on Saturday, May 3rd at around 9pm. Please feel free to come and welcome us back...however, we will have just been traveling for many hours with a 5 month old, so we will probably be out of it, tired/hungry, and excited to sleep in our bed and see Mayah! All this to say we will probably only be able to smile and say Hi.

Hopefully we will be able to post on our blog while in Ethiopia.

I'm an aunt!!!!!!

2008-04-09T22:02:00.002-04:00

Yeah! I'm a first time aunt! My sister had her baby! She is beautiful! 81/2 lbs and 21inches.
Mayah now has a cousin. Her name is Lillian Yvonne...born around 5:30pm today. She is so cute!

Travel dates!!!

2008-04-07T23:01:00.002-04:00

Our travel dates got moved around, but that's okay because now we get to travel sooner!
We are leaving early Wednesday morning April 23rd and will return May 3rd. We are so excited we get to go earlier than expected. I can't wait to hold Hanna! I'm excited for Mayah to meet Hanna too...she can't understand why baby Hanna can't come to our house now.

Please keep us in your prayers...I know I will miss Mayah so much! I think I will have a harder time than her.

Chris is still recovering from his gallbladder surgery...though he is doing a lot better.

More pictures!!!!

2008-04-03T20:57:00.002-04:00

Yeah!!! We got more pictures of Hanna! She is sleeping and looks so sweet.
Thank you for all the wonderful emails...it means so much to us that you all our excited too.

Thanks for your prayers for Chris' surgery...it went well. He has been resting a lot and is quite sore.

Praise the Lord!

2008-04-01T18:09:00.003-04:00

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!! Hanna is ours!!! Praise God!!! We are SO excited!!! I can't believe it! The court stuff went through and we are now legally the parents of Hanna (middle name) Ellens. We will leave for Ethiopia around May 1st. We will let you know when we have travel plans.

Thanks for all your prayers and support!

Also, please pray for Chris as he will have surgery to remove his gallbladder tomorrow (Wednesday).

P.S. We just received Hanna's updated measurements and she currently weighs 11 lbs. and is 18.5 inches long. Keeping in mind that she will be 4 months old on April 5, it appears that she's a little squirt at this point in time :)

Tomorrow....

2008-03-31T23:24:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is our court date...we have been praying so hard. We hope it goes through so Hanna will legally be ours and we can go pick her up in about 4 weeks. If it doesn't it will be a few more months till we see her. Because of the time difference we won't hear till the evening...like 4 or 5 o'clock. We will let you know.

2008-03-30T14:17:00.001-04:00

Immunizations:(

2008-03-23T10:17:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday we got most of our immunizations. We just have 3 shots left and our malaria pills to take while in Ethiopia. The shots hurt....well one didn't...the others hurt. Chris didn't think is was that bad but they hurt a lot more than just getting blood drawn. We got 3 in one arm and 2 in the other. They didn't seem to affect Chris but about 2 hours after my arm was in serious pain. After calling the nurse and taking a high dose of motrin and holding a warm pack on my arm I was better. Although for a few days after I was very tired, had a headache and lost my appetite.
Glad that's done! Well...almost done:)
4 days till our court date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why are we adopting?......

2008-03-19T14:43:00.003-04:00

I thought I would answer this question. We are adopting because God told us too. In short that is why. We had no problems getting pregnant and I am truly grateful for that. We were going to try and get pregnant for the second time when the Lord stopped us and told us He wanted us to adopt. I have to say that Chris was on board right away and I was a little hesitant...but God told me "step out on faith, obey Me." So here we are, and it has been the most amazing journey! God has done and shown me many amazing things. Even though I don't always understand Him I cannot deny He exists.

God has shown me many scripture passages in the Bible that call us, as Jesus followers, to take care of the orphans. I did not realize how many their were. So I hope to share many with you over time.

"Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress." James 1:27

"What good is it my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go I wish you well; keep warm and fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead." James 2:14-17

Nicole

Court date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-03-13T14:06:00.002-04:00

We got a call this morning that we finally have a court date...April 1st! This is the same day my sister and bother-in-law are due with their first baby. They are going to name their baby after me...well probably not...but I will be her favorite aunt:)

Our court date is the day our contact in Ethiopia goes to court for us and Hanna will officially and legally be our daughter. Then, we will travel around 4 weeks after that if our court date goes through. Unfortunately, many families are getting their court dates canceled and rescheduled a month later. We pray if it is God's will (since His timing is perfect) our court date will go through the first time.
So we could travel early May or late May if our court date gets rescheduled.
Nik

Yes, more pictures!!!

2008-03-12T21:22:00.002-04:00

Yes!!! We got more pictures of Hanna! She is SO beautiful! I can't wait to post her picture on our blog. She looks healthier. She has put on weight and looks a lot better compared to the first picture we got of her. Thank you for your prayers. We are so happy she is thriving and healthy.
It's hard to believe we got the call 5 weeks ago. I hope we hear about our court date soon. I can't wait to hold and squeeze Hanna!
Nicole

More pictures!!

2008-03-02T21:26:00.002-05:00

We received two more pictures of Hanna!!!! She looks so cute! She looks like she has put on a little weight in her face, which is great!

A couple who traveled to Ethiopia to pick up their daughter took some pictures of Hanna for us and emailed them to us! Their daughter was in the same orphanage as Hanna. We are so thankful they were willing to do this for us.

She has beautiful lips, a cute little nose, and big gorgeuos eyes. She has a little bit of dark hair that looks like it is curly. We can't wait to hold her! She will be 3 months old on March 5.

We are waiting to hear when our court date will be...hopefully within the next two weeks. Please continue to pray that our court date will go threw the first time, a lot of families are having their court dates canceled and rescheduled a month later.
Nicole

"Yeah Hanna"

2008-02-28T20:56:00.003-05:00

Friends had this special cake made for us the day we received our first pictures of Hanna!

Vaccinations

2008-02-20T22:04:00.000-05:00

Well...looks like we only have to get 7 vaccinations:
Hep A, Hep B, Meningococcal Meninigitis, Polio, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, and Malaria! We don't need to get the Rabies vaccine as long as we don't pet animals, which I didn't plan on anyway. It's a good thing we don't have to get the rabies vaccine because that is $140 a person!!!
With all these vaccines we have to get, I feel blessed to live in the USA. A country where we have enough food to feed our children and if we want water we turn on the faucet.
With priveledge comes responsibility.
N

My thoughts

2008-02-13T15:24:00.003-05:00

Thought I would share a few things.
I had no idea adoption was so emotional. Its like I'm pregnant all over again.

We go for our first appointment for our vacinations on Monday, should be interesting. Our insurance does not cover them, bummer.

A couple traveling to Ethiopia to pick up their child will hopefully be able to get some more pictures of Hanna and then send them to us. How exciting!!! I can't wait.

Thanks for being so excited for us!! We are so blessed with amazing family and friends.
N

Our Ethiopian Princess!!!

2008-02-10T20:40:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone--

It is with overflowing hearts of joy that we write to you today! At 12:15 Friday afternoon (Feb. 8) Nicole received a phone call from our adoption case worker letting us know that our daughter in Ethiopia has been found! Her name is Hanna (her given name that we will be keeping) and she is approximately two months old. She was born in Alaba, Ethiopia and currently weighs 7lbs. Just three weeks ago she weighed only 5lbs, so this recent weight gain is a very positive sign.

We will now wait to hear when our court date in the Ethiopian courts will be (this can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months). At that hearing, our court advocate will legally complete the adoption. When we hear that the adoption has been made official, we will then begin to make travel arrangements to head over to Addis Ababa to meet our daughter for the first time!

We can't begin to express how excited, joyful, thankful, and blessed we feel right now. This truly is an answer to prayer! Thank you to everyone who has helped us throughout this process -- your prayers, kind words, and encouragement have meant so much to us. We echo the words of David when he said, "Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!" This day of wonderful news makes us want to shout along with with David, "We serve a wonderful and faithful God!"

Unfortunately we cannot send you her picture until she is legally ours, as it is against Ethiopian law. However, we ask that you please continue to pray for Hanna's health and safety.

Love,
Nicole, Chris and Mayah

pulled out the baby clothes

2008-01-28T13:30:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
I pulled out all the cute little baby clothes packed away in the attic. I couldn't wait any longer. Mayah had a blast pulling all the clothes out and saying' "awe little baby" after each piece of clothing. They are so little, it feels like Mayah just grew out of them. Man time flies!
I cannot wait to add to our family. I wish we had a picture and knew the age and weight of our new baby -- then I could pull out the clothes that would fit her. Well today is 4 months we've been waiting...its been a long wait...I don't know how people wait a year for their referral! I have a new, greater respect for people who adopt.

later!
Nik

The Latest News...

2008-01-22T00:47:00.000-05:00

We received the following message from our adoption case worker this afternoon...

"Hi Chris and Nicole,

I just wanted to let you know that we are still waiting for a referral for you. I know that Alemu [the adoption agency's contact in Ethiopia] continues to work with the orphanage directors to find your daughter. I hope to have information for you very soon..."

We continue to hold hope in the knowledge that God has a plan for our daughter and that, at His ordained time, we will receive the call we have been waiting for since last April.

Until that time, I find Proverbs 13:12 expresses much of what Nicole and I have been feeling over the past days and weeks...

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

Chris

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 21)

2008-01-22T00:39:00.000-05:00

Please Watch This Video

2008-01-19T22:58:00.000-05:00

We saw this video on a friend's web page and thought it has such a powerful message that we wanted to share it with all of you...

still waiting....

2008-01-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
Still waiting.... three months and 20 days ....since our paperwork made it to Ethiopia. Its gotta be soon, I hope! I made a counter on a dry erase board, surprisingly it has been encouraging.
Thanks to all you who have asked and been encouraging about our adoption, it means a lot.
Thanks also for the prayers. I feel more at peace today.

We are happy to say that a generous couple bought us a computer so now we have internet access and I (nicole) can blog more. Yeah!

Bye!

"Finding My Daughter's Roots"

2008-01-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting link to article that was recently featured in Parade magazine...

"With thousands of foreign adoptions taking place in the U.S. each year, many parents want to give their children a connection to their pasts. Writer Melissa Fay Greene recently took her daughter Helen, 10, to visit her native Ethiopia."

http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_01-13-2008/Finding_My_Daughter

STILL waiting

2008-01-14T22:17:00.000-05:00

We are still waiting for our referral (picture, age and medical record) of the child God has for us.

We have been waiting a total of 3 months and 17 days since our paperwork arrived in Ethiopia...it feels like it will never come and is quite frustrating. Given that other couples using our adoption agency have received referrals in a shorter period of time than we have already been waiting, we wonder when our call will come. I can't wait to hear, yet at the same time am nervous at about the idea of leaving Mayah when we travel to Ethiopia; I will miss her so much. Please keep us in your prayers. I (Nicole) have been feeling especially discouraged during this long wait. However, I find comfort in knowing God knows who our newest family member is and I pray for our baby's health and safety daily.

-Nik

Waiting Followed By...A Little More Waiting

2007-12-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

"I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end." Margaret Thatcher

It's been a while since we've posted an update on how things are progressing on our journey to meet our daughter in Ethiopia. This is due, in part, to the fact that there isn't a whole lot to report. Here's what we know at this point in time:

Our paperwork is currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and is/has been translated from English into Amharic -- the official language of Ethiopia
Once our paperwork has been translated, the adoption agency's contact in Ethiopia (a gentleman named Alemu) will begin looking in several different orphanages for a child that we can adopt
Once Alemu finds a child, he will send our adoption agency (in Jenison) a picture(s) and a medical report
At that time our adoption case worker, Kurt, will give us a call letting us know that we have received a referral
Nicole and Chris will then collectively dance around the house screaming for joy (while trying to let Mayah know that mom and dad haven't completely lost it) :)

After having watched other adoptive families move through this process ahead of us, we are guessing that our referral may come sometime in January or February...but you just never know. Some families have gotten their referrals after only a few weeks of waiting, while other have had to wait close to 5 months.

In the end, Nicole and I know that we will be united with our daughter according to God's timing. And when that time comes, we know the days, weeks, and months of anxiously waiting will seem to melt away the first time we see a picture of our beautiful daughter.

Everyday Miracles

2007-12-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

A colleague of mine recently opened a meeting with the following devotional by Martin Luther...

"Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them." Psalm 111:2

The works of the Lord are great. But in this passage, the psalmist points out that only a few devout people notice what God has done. Most people don't praise God or thank Him. They never say, "Great are the works of the Lord." Though they are completely surrounded by His gifts, they have gotten used to them. They take advantage of what God has given them, rooting around in God's gifts like a hog in a bag of feed. They say, "What is so special about the fact that the sun shines, fire gives warmth, the ocean provides fish, the earth yields grain, cows have calves, women give birth to children, and hens lay eggs? These things happen every day!"

Is something insignificant just because it happens every day? If the sun wouldn't shine for ten days, suddenly it would be a great thing when it began shining again. If fire existed only in one place on the earth, I think it would be more precious than gold or silver. If there were only one well in the world, I would imagine that a drop of water would be worth more than a thousand dollars.

God showers people with rich and wonderful blessings. But how ungrateful and blind people are! They don't recognize these blessings as amazing miracles from God, so they don't admire them, give thanks for them, or act happy about them. However, if a clown can walk a tightrope or train monkeys, people are ready to admire and praise him for it. The psalmist points out that the Lord's works are great, but these works are appreciated only in the eyes of God's faithful followers.

--Martin Luther; Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional

An Answer To Prayer

2007-11-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone--

We wanted to take a moment to let everyone know of the most recent way God has blessed us through this adoption process.

A few months ago, Nicole and I began the process of

During this past summer we began the

1) filling out an initial application and writing a letter explaining why we feel called to adopt,
2) obtaining letters of recommendation from our church, employer, friends, etc., and
3) composing answers to questions such as...
"What do you believe to be the most important thing you can impart to your children? " and
"What desires do you have for your children as they grow and mature?"

After this initial flurry of activity, we were told it would be a month or two before we received notice as to whether or not we would receive . We've been praying that God would guide us through the adoption process, helping to make available the resources that we will need to complete the adoption of our daughter. At the same time, we tempered our hopes and expectations as, during the application process we were told,
Well, God works in wonderful and unexpected ways...we received a letter from Shaohannah's Hope yesterday informing us that we will, indeed,
We couldn't be more excited and are so very thankful for the tremendous blessing that organizations such as this are to families like us. Halloween (or Reformation Day as we proper Reformed Christians would say) will now forever hold a special place in our family -- the day God brought us another step closer to being united with our daughter.

What An Amazing Story!

2007-11-01T09:48:00.000-04:00

This movie was recently recommended to us (once again, thanks for another great movie suggestion Dave!) and, after having watched it last night, Nicole and I would STRONGLY recommend that everyone try to see it!

One Step Closer!

2007-10-18T17:12:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone--

Sorry that it's been so long since we've last provided an update on our adoption journey. Late August through early October is an extremely busy time for me here at Calvin (students returning, the beginning of the academic year, etc.) and since we don't have internet access at home, I simply haven't taken the time to fill everyone in...sorry about that :)

Well, after 12 very long weeks of waiting, we are very excited to let everyone know that the final document needed to complete our adoption 'dossier' arrived a few weeks ago (a form from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service)! So, our packet of documents in now working its way through the U.S. State Department and the Ethiopian embassy in Washington D.C., and will finally on to the Department of Women's Affairs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! So all we can do now is wait...

The truly exciting aspect to all of this is that the next time we officially hear from our adoption agency, it will be with a picture and medical write-up of our daughter! So, in approximately two to four months we'll finally get to see the daughter God has chosen for us (and Mayah is DYING to have baby in the house:).

Please continue to pray for the health, safety, and well-being of our daughter in Ethiopia and her birth parents.

Love,
Nicole, Chris, and Mayah

A Glimpse Into the Life of Our Daughter

2007-08-20T17:27:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone--

Several weeks ago, our adoption case worker traveled to Ethiopia and during his time there he visited the three orphanages in Addis Ababa that Adoption Associates currently has a working relationship with. During his time there, he was able to take a few photos of those orphanages and the children currently residing in them and he shared those pictures with us. We can't begin to tell you how moving it has been for us to look at the pictures of these beautiful children and the orphanages in which they are staying -- all the while knowing that our daughter will be (or already is) sleeping in those same beds, being held by those very orphanage workers, longing for the comfort, care, and love that every child desires.

A few things to keep in mind as you look at the video...

There are approximately 4.8 million orphans in Ethiopia
In 2006, 732 Ethiopian orphans were adopted by families in the U.S.
That means that 99.98% of the orphans in Ethiopia still do not have a family to call their own...

Not Too Much To Report

2007-07-21T17:05:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the lack of activity on our blog as of late -- unfortunately there just isn't a whole lot to report. We recently received notification from the Customs and Immigration Service that they had received our documentation and that, within the next few weeks, we will be receiving notification of when and where we will fingerprinted for our FBI background checks.

While recently discussing how the adoption has been proceeding as of late, Nicole and I were recalling some of the most frequently asked questions we're received since we began the process back in the beginning of April. The more we talked, the more me realized we really haven't taken the time to explain how we arrived at the decision to adopt. So, over the course of the next few posts, we'll do our best to give you a glimpse into how we answer some questions we've been asked over the past few months.

Love,
Chris and Nicole

Would you like a DNA sample while we're at it...

2007-07-09T10:28:00.000-04:00

We thought it was about time for a brief update on where things stand in the adoption process...

As some of you may recall, international adoptions require that various forms, applications, and documents be sent back and forth between approximately 492 different governmental agencies over the course of several months. Last Thursday (July 5) we sent several forms, along with our recently completed home study (due to an error in the initial home study, this process was delayed), to the United States Customs & Immigrations Services office in Detroit. Over the course of the next 1 to 3 months, the good folks over at the USCIS will review our documentation. Should we get the 'thumbs up' from them, we will receive another form to fill out along with a date, time, and location to be fingerprinted for our FBI background check. We've been hearing from couples a bit further along in the process that lately the USCIS has been turning things around in about 2 months. So, we're keeping our fingers crossed that things will move quickly over there in Detroit!

Once we are fingerprinted and fill out the next set of required forms, all of the documentation we've accumulated to that point (our 'dossier') will be sent to both the State of Michigan and the U.S. State Department to be officially sealed and stamped. It makes me smile to think that, in this day in age, we will be waiting for someone to literally stamp and bind our documents with official State Department ribbon! I'm a bit surprised our dossier isn't then sent by horseback and sailboat over to Ethiopia :)

Once all of that formality has been completed, our dossier will be sent to the Department of Women's Affairs in Ethiopia for official review. Once we receive official approval from those kind folks, the Adoption Associates contact in Addis Ababa will begin looking for a child to place with us!

So, as you can see, this is a very intuitive and easy-to-follow process :) We'll be sure to update everyone along the way.

Love, Nicole and Chris

A Wonderful Success!

2007-07-09T10:07:00.000-04:00

A huge 'thank you!' to everyone who supported our adoption this past weekend -- it was a tremendous success! We are very grateful for all of the support we received --

Despite some rather foreboding weather predictions of oppressive heat and humidity, the shade of our giant oak tree and a fairly consistent breeze helped to keep things quite comfortable. And our concerns about

It was very cool to hear how many people -- in one way or another -- have been touched by adoption!

So, once again, a big 'thanks!' to everyone for their prayers. We are truly blessed!

Love,
Nicole and Chris

The Ellens Family Adoption Benefit Garage Sale!

2007-06-23T22:24:00.000-04:00

Hi Again Everyone--

We just wanted to let everyone know that we will be hosting a garage sale on Friday, July 6 and Saturday, July 7. All profits from the sale will be directly applied to the costs of our next adoption fees payment.

And if you happen to come across any items that you no longer need or want while going through your closet, basement, attic, etc. in the next two weeks, we'd be glad to take them off your hands in an effort to increase our garage sale selection :) Thanks!

And please join with us in praying for good weather and large turn-out on the 6th and 7th!

Where Do Our Children Learn This?

2007-06-23T22:16:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone--

I recently saw this video and was shocked, and saddened, to see that at such a young age these children are already beginning to notice that the color of their skin (something over which they have no control) will play a large role in how they are perceived in our society.

Did you know?

2007-06-23T15:33:00.000-04:00

While recently looking at the web site for World Vision, Nicole and I came across the following comparision of the U.S. and Ethiopia. We thought it was pretty interesting and wanted to pass the info along to you guys.

Ethiopia
Population: 75.6 million
Land Mass: 432,310 sq. miles
Life Expectancy: 48 years
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000): 110
Literacy Rate: 42%
Primary School Enrollment: 31%
Access to Safe Water: 22%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita): $110

United States
Population: 295.4 million
Land Mass: 3,537,439 sq. miles
Life Expectancy: 78 years
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000): 7
Literacy Rate: 97%
Primary School Enrollment: 92%
Access to Safe Water: 100%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita): $41,400

We were both very troubled to read that the infant mortality rate in Ethiopia is 15 times higher than in the United States! It definitely gave us a moment of pause to think that more than 1 out of every 10 babies born in Ethiopia will not survive to their 2nd birthday.

As Nicole and I continue to move further down the adoption path, it feels as though every day our desire to meet our daughter grows stronger! We can't wait for the day when we finally get to see her picture for the first time :)

Love,
Nicole and Chris (and Mayah)

Our Home Study Is Complete!

2007-06-23T15:31:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone--

Just wanted to send out a quick note to let everyone know that our home study is officially complete...the first major hurdle is now past!

We are now waiting for the staff of Adoption Associates to review the home study and give it their official "thumbs up." Once this is accomplished, the home study will be sent (along with various other governmental forms) to the United States Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) for approval.

Once we receive word from the USCIS that we have a "green light," we will be given a date and location to be fingerprinted for our official FBI background check.

At this point in time, we will also be trying to finish all of the remaining paperwork required to complete our "dossier" -- the large document that will make its way through both the U.S. and Ethiopian governments.

Presently, our case worker at Adoption Associates (Kurt) is in Ethiopia working to establish relationships with additional orphanges in Addis Ababa and meeting with the Ethiopian liason who is responsible for pairing adoptive parents with their future children.

We are eager for Kurt to return, as he will be sharing first-hand information about the orphanages, will be showing pictures of Ethiopia, and will explain in further detail what it is like to work with the U.S. embassy in Ethiopia. Nicole can't wait for the meeting on July 9!
Please continue to keep us in your prayers and we'll post further updates as soon as we find out anything more.

Love,
Chris, Nicole, and Mayah

We'd Love To Have Your Old Stuff!

2007-06-23T15:31:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone--

In late June or early July (which is only a month away...can you believe that!), Nicole and I will be hosting a garage sale -- with all proceeds going towards our adoption fees.

If you have any items that have been sitting in the back of your closet, up in the attic, or out in the garage and would be willing to donate them to our garage sale, that would be great!

Just let us know (you can e-mail us at ellens.family@gmail.com or call us at 616-248-3265) and we will be more-than-happy to come pick up your items (assuming you live within the greater Grand Rapids area :).

We'd like to once again thank everyone for your continued prayers and the many kind words of encouragement we've received over the past few months. They have truly been a blessing!

"My Uncle's Ethiopia"

2007-06-23T15:10:00.000-04:00

This brief article was included in the most recent edition of the National Geographic Traveler
magazine and we thought you might find it to be of some interest (thanks for bringing it to our attention Dave!).

My Uncle's Ethiopia, by Danielle Pergament

I was always interested in Ethiopia. I knew it as the place where the oldest human was found, where the Ark of the Covenant was purportedly hidden, and where an uncle I vaguely remember from childhood had been working as a surgeon for 34 years. Then one day, I picked up Ryszard Kapuscinski's The Emperor, a book about the last days of Haile Selassie's rule, and wide-eyed fascination replaced interest. Kapuscinski's world was mystical and fascinating and terrible and cruel and utterly foreign, like a fable from the Arabian Nights. Moments after finishing the book, I was on the phone with the airlines. I didn't have anything in the next few weeks that couldn't be rescheduled. And I realized this uncle of mine, who is 81 years old and knows the city and its history as well as anyone, won't be around forever. If I didn't go now, I knew I'd never go. I bought a one-way ticket to Ethiopia. A few days later, I had a visa. By the end of the week, I was on my way to the eastern edge of Africa.

Addis Ababa sprawls out at 8,000 feet, making it the third-highest capital city in the world. When I woke up on my first of 30 mornings in Ethiopia, it wasn't the thinness of the air or the sting of the pollution in my eyes that startled me. It was the green. From horizon to horizon, the city was embedded in a lush, verdant blanket. It was the first surprise of many.

Addis has many faces. There's the vibrant Mercato district that sells food, jewelry, donkeys, shawls, T-shirts, and trinkets to locals and curious backpackers. There's the poolside bar at the Hilton that sits empty all day until happy hour, when it fills up with every expat, diplomat, and U.N. worker in the city who comes to drink cold beer in the blazing sun. There are the fancy restaurants where beautiful young men and women dressed in tribal wraps perform traditional Ethiopian dances for the patrons. And there are the unfancy roadside stands, the ones with neatly swept dirt floors where businessmen cram inside for platters of kitfo—raw beef and spicy sauce. There's the crowded Bole Road, where cafés and bars spill onto the streets, pumping Ethiopian jazz and the smell of weed into the evening air. Then there's the Addis that doesn't show itself until well past dark—the hustlers, the petty thieves, the 60,000 children who live on the street. There's the Black Lion Hospital where my uncle is the head of surgery, the country's best medical facility where the power dodges in and out and pools of muddy water collect in the hallways.

There's nothing refined about Addis. Everything here is raw and untamed, as if the city spontaneously sprung from the land underneath it. It's a place where many of the roads are unpaved, where eating utensils are frowned on, and where flocks of sheep cross four-lane highways with ten-year-old shepherds cracking a whip behind them. Everything about this place brings you closer to the earth.

On my last night in Addis Ababa, I had dinner with my uncle—the uncle I hadn't seen for 20 years until I showed up in his city a few weeks earlier. I asked him what he thought of his adopted home country. "It's a mess, there are problems we can't even begin to solve," he said and paused. "But I'd never live anywhere else."

Danielle Pergament is a contributing editor at Allure and writes for the New York Times, New York, Departures, Travel and Leisure, and Outside. She divides her time between New York and Rome.

Every 15 seconds...

2007-06-23T15:09:00.001-04:00

...another child becomes an orphan in Africa. Every year 2,102,400 children will become orphans (in Africa alone)!

I'd encourage you to take just a moment and really think about the magnitude of those numbers...

...every 15 seconds, a little boy or girl, just like Mayah, loses their parent(s). They most likely no longer have anyone to shower them with the love that little children need so desperately. They probably don't have anyone to provide them with food, clothes, or a house to live in.
And every year, there are so many children orphaned in Africa that if you placed them all in one city, it would larger than all but the 3 largest cities in the United States!

This tragedy is so large...of such unfathomable proportions, that it's almost impossible to wrap your mind around. And as such, I've found that it's very easy for me to treat it as if it's just one more statistic that I can tuck away in the back of my mind.

Yet, God calls us to care for the orphaned and the widowed. And I believe that God is calling Nicole and I to follow His desire for us to adopt one of His orphaned children in Ethiopia.
I often wonder to myself, "Practically, what kind of difference will it make if we adopt one child from among the millions who long to be a part of a loving family?"

And then I take comfort in remembering that God does not call us to work miracles on His behalf. Rather, He simply calls us to have a willing heart and a love for Him...and then He will take care of the rest.

Father's Day Frosty Weekend!

2007-06-23T15:08:00.002-04:00

Hi All--

We want to pass along this cool opportunity we recently heard about...

During the Father's Day Weekend (June 16-17), $.50 of every Frosty product purchased at participating Wendy's will be donated to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (www.DaveThomasFoundationforAdoption.org).

This is a great opportunity for all of us to start making a difference in the lives of children seeking to find their "forever families." And if you're not a big Frosty fan, please feel free to drop them off at our house!

Love, Nicole and Chris

Home Visit

2007-06-23T15:08:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone--

Earlier this morning the social worker that Nicole and I have been meeting with came to our home to see first-hand where our adopted child will be living (ensuring that we don't have exposed electrical lines, appropriate "child-proofing" of cabinets, no loaded bear traps lying around, etc.). This marks our last official meeting with her. So, she will now begin writing the formal home study report that will be included in our adoption dossier that will eventually be sent to both the U.S. and Ethiopian governments.

Nicole and I still are plugging away at the approximately 495,000 pages of reading we have to do in order to move on to the next stage of the adoption process, so I hope to get a lot accomplished this holiday weekend -- either that or revert back to my college days and write a few reports on books I never read :)

In any case, one of the first major bench marks of our adoption process is nearing completion...yeah!

Thank you for all your kind notes and please continue to check back every once in a while to see how things are progressing :)

Love,
Nicole and Chris

Our Home Study Begins

2007-06-23T15:07:00.001-04:00

We recently received news that we have been assigned a case worker (who will conduct our home study) and an adoption consultant (who will guide us through the adoption process). We're very excited that process is officially under-way!

We are also beginning the next phase of paperwork which includes: gathering copies of our birth certificates, marriage certificate, medical forms, getting fingerprinted, etc. We've also recently applied for our passports -- as neither of us have traveled abroad before. The sheer volume of necessary paperwork and documentation is amazing!

Next week we will begin our transracial adoption educational seminars and look forward to learning more about a topic that will become such a central part of our lives in the months and years ahead.

If you have a second, please sign our guestbook! And we covet your continued prayers as we move through this process.

Addis Ababa Here We Come!

2007-06-23T14:13:00.000-04:00

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers you did it for me.” Matthew 25:40

Over the past several weeks, God has been moving in unexpected and amazing ways within our family. For some time now, we have been seeking God’s guidance as to how, and when, we should expand our family. Adoption was something we talked about, but we kind of assumed that God would hold off on that idea for a few years. However, in His goodness and patience, God continued to bring the idea of adoption to the forefront in ways we never would have expected.

So, after much prayer and discussion, we decided to meet with a representative from Adoption Associates, Inc. to gather more information about the adoption process. Within 48 hours of that meeting, God made it crystal-clear that adoption was the way He intended for us to add a new member to our family.Through our discussions with the Adoption Associates staff and hours of prayer and discussion it became apparent to both of us where He was directing us……to adopt an infant daughter from Ethiopia!

Yeah, we were surprised too!

Yet, this revelation came with a peace and assuredness that could only come from God.
It’s difficult to put into words how blessed we feel to have this opportunity to bring one of God’s precious children into our family. In the book of Psalms, the author describes God in the following way:

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…” Psalm 68:5-6a

This description of God has come to life for us throughout this process – a loving parent for those who do not have a family to call their own. God has so richly blessed us with families that love us unconditionally. And in response to that blessing we hope to, in some small way, reflect His love to one of His precious children in Ethiopia.

We are currently in the process of working through the seemingly endless stacks of applications required at the beginning of the adoption process. Within the next few weeks, the adoption agency will conduct a “home study” to gain further information about our family, our home, and environment in which our child will be raised. Upon the completion of that process, the massive compilation of paperwork assembled to that point will be routed through various government agencies for official approval. Once that has been completed, the paperwork will be sent to the Ethiopian government for their approval. After they have given the adoption request a “thumbs-up,” a representative of Adoption Associates who lives in Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa will work with two orphanages within the city to find a child for referral back to us. We will then receive several pictures and a medical profile of the child. Should we decide to accept this referral, we will travel to Ethiopia within 2-3 months to be united with our child! We anticipate that this entire process will take anywhere between 10 and 12 months. So, Mayah will most likely become a big sister in early 2008!

We covet your prayers in the days, weeks, and months ahead. If you are willing, we would be so very grateful if you would partner with us in praying for the following:

1. That the adoption process will go smoothly — without any major delays
2. The health of our Ethiopian child and her birth mother
3. Our continued trust in God
4. The many changes Mayah will face as we add another child into our family
5. Wisdom and guidance to be the parents God wants us to be for this child

We feel humbled and blessed that God has chosen us to walk this path of adoption. And we can’t wait to share this blessing with you – the people we love and care about! Please feel free to contact us any time and we would be more-than-happy to share more about this exciting news with you. In the near future, we hope to create a web site as a way letting people know how the process in progressing, so we’ll sure to pass that information along as soon as we get the site up-and-running. Thanks for sharing in this amazing experience with us! And we hope to talk with you soon!

Love,Chris, Nicole, and Mayah