One Generation to Another

Merry Christmas!!!!

2010-12-24T23:56:00.000-05:00

so then, let us consider Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith.

Because of Him,

Love from the Brandt Family

Advent Activities...

2010-12-24T22:45:00.000-05:00

...a beautiful performance of Handel's Messiah by the St. Mary's College Choir

Gingerbread Houses...

...family games...

...making a banner to send to far away family...

...attending a concert with Windham Hill recording artists...

...evening devotions and reading from our advent book.

Advent Begins!

2010-12-15T01:49:00.000-05:00

For years we have used Arnold Ytreeides's trilogy: Jotham' Journey, Bartholomew's Passage and Tabitha's Travels as part of our daily Advent Family Devotions. This year we return to Bartholomew's story as he discovers the Messiah. We have also been using a book describing the origins of Christmas carols. We use this before we sing. After closing in prayer, Steven reads the benediciton and we sing the Doxology.

Mihret's First American Christmas

2010-12-15T01:40:00.000-05:00

Yes, Christmas is celebrated in Ethiopia, as some of the country is Orthodox.

However, it's certianly different than here!

The Boy's First Deer Hunting Season!

2010-12-15T01:32:00.000-05:00

It's good to have meat right in your back yard!

Retirement from the Air Force - October 8, 2010

2010-12-12T22:37:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken just following the ceremony at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. We celebrated 20 years of faithful service that day.

Showcase 2010

2010-08-21T11:06:00.000-04:00

Team member Unit Leader Joan Flannery was 6th in Personal Volume.

Director Beckie Belote and Unit Leader Lynn Brau received recruiting awards.

I received a $1,000 gift card from Best Buy for my award in Leader Development.

Director Beckie Belote received numerous awards, including the prestigious Masterpiece award. She's shown here with co-founder Rhonda Anderson and the CM CEO.

The formal dinner after the closing session was, as always, fun and full of delightful fellowship. Above I am shown with Lynn, Karen and Joan. Below, with Shelly and Cassie.

Our Creative Memories national convention in Minneapolis earlier this month was the best I've attended in my 15 years as an Instrustor. Truly, preserving the past, enriching the present and inspiring hope for the future makes a very positive difference in our lives. In the Bible, the Lord commands us to remember His great works and this is yet another means to do that.

Catching Up...

2010-08-21T10:50:00.000-04:00

They are such buddies!

A recent trip to historic St. Mary's City in Maryland.

An amazing evening marine parade by "The President's Own" band at historic 8th & I in Washington D.C.

A walk down to the river...

Our new barber :)...

Bedtime reading with the world's best Daddy.

Six Months today!

2010-07-19T13:57:00.000-04:00

On January 19, 2010 one of our daughters, Grace, turned eight years old. That same day, we received another daughter into our care by way of adoption. In the six months Mihret has been with us, she has gained 10 pounds and grown from a 4T to 6x dress size. Her umbilical hernia has been surgically corrected. She is no longer malnourished...or lonely...or afraid.

We have learned much on this journey. One thing I'm learning to discipline myself about is wondering about her past. Almost every time she wants to wash her hands at length or have her third helping of food I think about this. Did she walk far to get water? Did she, like so many we saw while we were in Ethiopia, drink water carried from miles away in yellow jeri cans? Did she ever take a bath in clean, clear water? How many times a day or week did she eat? Did she only eat injera? Did she have access to any protein? Was she loved by her family? What did they think of her hernia? Did they not know what it was? Only a few hours south of her region (Wolayta), the tribes believe if the top two teeth come in before the bottom two the child is "mingi" and they kill them, so this quesion is not unreasonable.

These questions, and countless others, have regularly flooded my mind. They are unanswerable in this life. SO, I'm realizing that I must let them go and discipline my mind to not think about them. Even when I do that, questions about the future rapidly replace them. Such as, "Will she want to go back and help her people? Will she long to know her culture? Will she embrace it? Will she take the Gospel to them?" Those, and others, too, are unanswerable.

This is part of that issue of faith to which we have been called in Hebrews, " ...for without faith it is impossible to please God." We pursued Mihret in faith, we have her now because we trusted in God's Word, and we continue to live by faith. "My righteous one shall live by faith and if he shrinks back, My sould shall have no delight in him", says Almighty God.

Daily life with her is good. She's a joyful, sweet, pleasant child and we are very glad to have her. Not only are we glad to have her, but we're so grateful to the Lord for all we've learned about Him, His kingdom, this world and ourselves along the way. If I were to share all of that, this would be a very lengthy post! Suffice it to say we have become more sanctified because of this choice. We do not regret it. We rejoice in it and in the One who put it in our hearts. The end purpose of all of our choices should be to worship Christ more fully, as He deserves. Our prayer is that this is happening...daily.

Mid-Summer Update

2010-07-14T22:38:00.000-04:00

Here we are at the Test Pilot School Graduation in June.

The school graduates two classes per year. It's such a rigorous program, graduation is a big deal!

The two youngest in the pool with Daddy! Mihret, especially enjoys the swimming pool.

She is still fascinated with clean water!

It's been hot here. That was the catalyst for cutting her hair.

Thirty minutes of effort every morning just to make it look nice should have been enough for me, but everyone kept saying, "It's so beautiful, don't cut it". After I felt the density and weight of it in my hands, I understood more fully why she sweat so much. Perhaps this will make her a littlemore comfortable.

Our house addition is finally done! We love it. It so practical. We now have a full bath near the loft bedroom and kitchen, an enhanced laundry room, pantry, coat closet and covered front porch with an external closet for coats and shoes (more pics to come). We also have a brand new sidewalk. I found the azealas at a local Amish store on closeout for $6.00 each. What a gift! They will look lovely as they grow.

Over the past month, most of us have experienced a nasty virus that lasts for almost a week (hence, the lack of blogging or other efforts at communication). When I got it last week, I was in bed for a few days.

One morning I came downstairs to find this lovely banner from my children.

"Children are a heritage from the Lord..."

This is Mihret on Monday at the hospital for her umbilical hernia. We were aware of it when we were introduced to her and the adoption agency asked us if we'd still accept her with it. We knew we had the resources to have it repaired and thought it was a minor issue. Here she is looking at the iPhone the anethesiologist gave her as she was headed into surgery.

Lack of good communication has been difficult in this.

But, she looked at me and said, "Tummy fixed, Mommy?"

Meanwhile, Stirling and Rachel have been in PA at White Sulphur Springs, the Officer's Christian Fellowship family camp. We get them back on Friday and Steven leave for Mexico to visit for two weeks.

Memorial Day Update

2010-05-31T22:42:00.001-04:00

Since our last post our friend, Jim Dutton, returned from space.

We're grateful for his safe return.

We receieved 35 new chickens via USPS from McMurray Hatchery.

Our 11 yr. old son has a plan to sell eggs to raise money for missions trips.

Everyday life with two small children, plus all of the others, keeps our days full to overflowing.

This is morning milk time!

Learning how to manage African hair is...whew!...an education!

The benefits of our children far outweigh the challenges. See how beautiful they are!

We're having a new bathroom and front porch built on the front of our house.

The kids have found it fascinating to watch!

I checked on Mihret during naptime one day and her hands were covering her ears!

I didn't realize the construction was so loud in her room!

Last weekend was very special because we celebrated our 18 year anniversary! We walked down our road to the beach and enjoyed a perfect evening on the river enjoying our children over a glass of champagne.

Mihret has so much fun on the beach. Water remains a novelty to her.

What an amazing gift we have, yet we take it for granted every day.

Toward the end of the evening, the kids found a black snake.

Today is Memorial Day and some friends invited ALL of us to go out on their boat with them.

What a treat for our children!

It was Mihret's first boat ride...first swim in the river. She loved it!

We're approaching five months with her in our home. She has adjusted so well. Today we viewed blogs of several families who were in our Ethiopia travel group. She hugged me and voluntarily said, "Thank you, Mommy." Often, when I correct her she responds, "Yes ma'am, Mom." She rarely throws tantrums, although she can really stick out a pouty lip. Overall she has been a joy and we are so grateful to the Lord for a smooth transition. We know it isn't this way for everyone who adopts. Harder times may be ahead, but for now, it's peaceful. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with that hair!

A Call from the Space Station!

2010-04-17T11:33:00.000-04:00

On Friday April 9 our phone rang at 6am. I answered it and heard, "This is Jim!" My response, "You're kidding!" Who knew we could get a phone call from space?????!!!? We talked for about ten minutes. He was so overwhelmed with the beauty of our planet from space and shared his astonishment. Steve asked, "What's weightlessness like?" and he shared that experience. Finally, he affirmed the value of our friendship, which meant much to us. It was one of the highlights of our lives!

Here they all are on the space station. Jim is almost at 12:00 (upside down). They undock today and return to earth on Monday.

STS-131 Launches

2010-04-17T10:55:00.002-04:00

On April 5 our good friend, Jim Dutton, launched into orbit in Discovery STS-131. We were the recipients of VIP passes to watch the launch. We traveled to Florida to be there.

While in Florida we celebrated Faith's (April 5)and Steven's birthday (March 29) at a picnic on Patrick Air Force Base with Jim's family and others from the test pilot world of Edwards Air Force Base, home of Air Force flight test.

On Easter Sunday we went to a sunrise service on the beach. Jesus Christ has risen indeed!

Later that morning we attended a special mission briefing at the Kennedy Space Center with our friends the Marcolescos. We also viewed an IMAX film on the Hubble Space telescope (highly recommended!).

The IMAX was in 3-D!!!

Then the biggest moment came! At 1am on Monday morning we packed up all of our children and headed to the launch. 5....4....3....2....1....BlastOff!

It was a spectacular display of power (but only a fraction of the power we'll experience on the Day of the Lord...it was awesome to ponder). What a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

That afternoon we attended a reception for Jim's friends and family at a planetarium where we viewed a video Jim had made recounting his journey. His closing line was, "All of this points to a greater reality: God wants us to know Him and have a relationship with Him through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Thank you, Duttons, for allowing us to share in your dream and joy!

TeenPact in Annapolis!

2010-03-08T22:27:00.000-05:00

When the time comes to learn lessons in political science, Christian students all across the nation are turning to a TeenPact state capitol experience instead of just a textbook. TeenPact teaches the foundations of government with the legislative branch, beginning with a week-long session at the student's own capitol.

Spiritually, TeenPact teaches Biblical principles of government and family, going hand-in-hand with the values of families who participate. It is very important that our young people see that spiritual revival is the answer to America's problems - not politics. We teach students that every Christian must pray and vote according to Biblical principles.

First (new) Family Picture!

2010-03-08T22:17:00.000-05:00

When the three girls came downstairs Sunday morning wearing black and red, I said, "Quick! Everybody else has to wear black and red to church so we can get a family picture!" Our friends, the Barts, took this photo for us after lunch at our home on our back porch. Thanks, Barts! What a joy to have our new family addition in the picture!

Shepherd gets a hair cut!!

2010-02-24T22:44:00.000-05:00

This took about 30 minutes! I think I'll do it at home next time!

Look what we got in the mail!!!!

2010-02-24T22:10:00.000-05:00

This cute scarf and hat were knit by one of Steve's students and her mom. Thank you, Lowerys! The bear and blankie were courtesy of the Ballards. The beautiful handmade quilt below is an heirloom from the my dear friend, Mrs. Copp.

How is she adjusting?

2010-02-10T22:25:00.000-05:00

She's still washing her hands and playing in the water a lot!

She's eating and eating. Her malnourished tummy, whuch was very round, is diminishing. Although she eats well, her manners are surprisingly good! It's sweet to see her enjoy her food. I'm so grateful to be able to give it to her!

I was a little skeptical about tacos, but she loved them! She gathered the filling that had fallen out in her hand and ate it too...Ethiopian style (those of you who have seen how they eat injera understand what I'm saying!).

Shepherd seems to enjoy Mihret so much! He asks for her when he wakes and looks for her when she's not in the same room.

...such an engaging Dad, building puzzles with them. Mihret likes Papa (where did THAT come from?) and Rachel best out of all of us.

It's a Blizzard Here!

2010-02-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

Steve, GraceAnn and Faith on the back porch. The inlet behind our house was frozen solid! Steve says we've gotten 45" in the past three weeks....10" inches today, 5" another day, 15" last Saturday and the Saturday before that!

Stirling has been faithful to manage getting the firewood in!

Mihret and Shepherd have stayed indoors but enjoyed a snowball "fight" through the back door...

Happy 2nd Birthday, Shepherd!

2010-02-03T19:56:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Rachel for the birthday cupcakes :).

Curious George and new clothes from Aunt Chris were a hit!

Shepherd is such a joy to our whole family. He is a great blessing to us all!!!

First Commissary Trip!

2010-02-03T19:28:00.000-05:00

I could not help but ponder the abundance Mihret must have noticed during her first shopping experience in America. Only five months ago she was in a hut, probably eating one meal of injera per day. One of the biggest complaints I heard while visiting the orphanages was they have little money to spend on protein for their diets. Mihret has been eating and eating. Yesterday she had two bowls of pasta with sauce and three rolls...for one meal! We'll create some eating boundaries soon, but for now, I was her to be reassured there is a next meal.

...feeding Faith one of her crackers :).

Fascinated with Running Water!

2010-02-02T21:25:00.000-05:00

Mihret spent over an hour today feeling the clean, warm water on her hands and playing with the bubbles in the sink. We should not take this gift for granted!

Day 10: A 2:35am Flight Home!

2010-02-02T21:10:00.000-05:00

On Saturday morning we hired a driver to take us to meet Levi and his family. They run an organization called Drawn from Water. They rescue children from cultually mandated genocide. The child in his arms is one of the children from the orphanage they have personally adopted. Very salty!

Mihret did NOT like the stroller, but it was helpful containment!

Departing in the middle of the night was perfect for Mihret. She fell alseep upon take off and slept for 5 hours with only a few more hours remaining ot Frankfurt.

She was pretty fired up with the drinks and food. She eats EVERYTHING given to her. There's no complaining about food with her.

This is what we saw as soon as we passed through immigration and customs.

Day 9: A Trip to the Coffee Factory

2010-01-31T21:19:00.000-05:00

In the few days following taking possession of Mihret, each time we had to drive somewhere I got the feeling she was afraid we were taking her somewhere to leave her. She would break out in sweat and be very reserved. It created much compassion in my heart for her as I contemplated all she had been through, alone, over the past months.

The Robera Coffee Factory did not have a sense of time or customer service. We were there for several hours waiting on our orders to be filled. However, the tour was, indeed, very interesting!

The next time I'm tempted to complain I'm going to think about what it would be like to sit and pick through coffee beans all day, like these ladies.

This is the bean roaster for their company (only one).

Now I am so much more educated on my favorite beverage!

This is the one bean grinder. Most beans are exported before roasting or grinding. This company primarily exports to the Middle East and Europe.

They had stencils with their company information they would lay on each burlap bag and two ladies hand stamped every one with ink!

...all filled with that aromatic delight! Mmmmmm...

Day 8 in Ethiopia

2010-01-31T20:51:00.000-05:00

A crib was in our room and we decided that would be the best/safest place for her to sleep when we came home until we learned how to speak the same language!

We went to the local pharmacy and purchased amoxicillin for her high fever, which we supposed could have been a bacterial infection. It must have been the case because it worked.

...fascinated with running water. It was evident this was a new thing to her. She would stand for 20 minutes just washing her hands and feeling the warm, running, clean water....a luxury to many in Africa.

Day 7: Children's HopeChest/ Mihret's Home

2010-01-31T20:36:00.000-05:00

Peter, the Director of CHC Ethiopia took us to this location which has a school with 56 children sponsored. However, they are wanting to use the land for agriculture to feed area orphans. In order to do this, they need a deep well because the water in the nearby river is polluted with toxins from a textile factory. Peter said that if the children get their feet in the water it burns their skin. That water is not suitable to sustain any development on the land. They also want to raise chickens so the children have protein via the eggs that are produced.

The site of the potential well.

The toxic river.

The "kitchen" where they cook every morning for 56 children. They need a new kitchen, too!

The Director of the school with the gate guard. The school building is in the background.

Sam & Stirling enjoying a shake after lunch at the Hilton.

Approaching the gate of the transition home where Mihret was living after the orphanage.

One of the nannies expressing apprciation for the "minkies" made by Mrs. McLaren and Mrs. Reed.

"So, what does she eat?" Crackers...water....

Since she was sick (and exhausted) for the first few days, she fell right asleep in my arms.

Day 6: Meeting Mihret Asnakech

2010-01-28T15:16:00.000-05:00

Morning paperwork at the guesthouse.

The moment for which we've been waiting...

Here she is...just as we imagined (except a little bigger! She gained 8 lbs. in the four months she was in the transition home.)...

What an indescribeable moment!

She was shy and reserved for the first hour we were there. This balloon brought a smile to her face. We stayed at the transition home for three hours before returning our children to them for the final night.

That evening we went to an Ethiopian cultural dinner with live music and native dancing. It was like nothing we had ever experienced! If you go to Ethiopia, you've got to do this!

Here we are in the lobby of the guest house all trying to get onto our blogs to post about our day. Unfortunately, Google was having some problems and most of us couldn't post, which was frustrating. Look at this group of American techies!

Home Now...

2010-01-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

We arrived home Sunday evening with friends and family awaiting us at the airport. Mihret is thriving. She's eating, eating, eating and sleeping well, too. She is enjoying the children SO much. It wasn't until we got home that I heard her laugh. She loves playing with the girls and Shepherd.

Over the next few days I will go back and post trip pictures. Right now I'm just trying to recover from jet lag!

All's well. We're grateful and so convinced we have done the right thing. It's an amazing thought to ponder where Mihret has come from and how she got here. There are so many more, though....so many more. Shall we turn our heads and pretend they don't exist? What shall we do? How shall we live?

Day 5: The Road back to Addis

2010-01-26T13:46:00.000-05:00

Every time we stopped for pictures people would gather around us. These girls were so lovely. They had beautiful braids and meek dispositions.

I will never forget this common scene of young girls with babies on their backs. Many had little clothing. This child appeared to be sick with eyes full of signs of infection. It broke my heart...and still does. We gave her food, but longed to give her more.

Donkeys everywhere!

These yellow jugs are used to carry water from the nearest well to their homes. Often the water is polluted. A deep water well can provide clean drinking water to a village of 500 people for $10-15K, depending on the organization who digs it. Imagine walking miles for water that contains deadly parasites. Several families are pursuing efforts to provide one of these wells for an African community. If you are interested in contributing to the solution for this problem or becoming more educated, please let us know and we'll inform you of how you can help.

We got back to Addis in time to attend the International Evangelical Church, where our America World guide and the Children's Hope Chest director both attend. It was a good service filled with authentic worship. I was overwhelmed when they led "From the Inside Out" by Hillsong United...a song that had helped to prepare my heart for this trip. They also read from Psalm 146, which includes, "He upholds the widow and the fatherless". A coincidence?

Ethiopia Day 4: Kingdom Vision International Orphanage, Sodo (Part 3)

2010-01-26T13:20:00.000-05:00

The staff prepared a meal of local fare to honor us.

Mihret's mother had walked three hours on foot to meet with us. Her tribe speaks Wolayta, not Amharic, the national language. Solomon, the director of the orphanage, translated for us. We asked why she had brought her daughter to the orphanage. "She was very sick (pneumonia) and I do not have enough food for her", was her reply. Instead of being very emotional and crying, as we had imagined, she was rather stoic. We wondered if this was the way of her people. Perhaps we'll never understand.

See her hands...hard labor...a hard life.

We checked into our hotel with two other families. We slept little and were awakened at 4:30am by the loud speaker blaring Islamic prayers.

This is our driver, David, showing us how to eat injera. It was amazing! They stuff their mouths so full it's a wonder they don't choke on their food. It was truly an art form!

Update...

2010-01-22T19:16:00.001-05:00

Hello all - Sorry about the video of Shepherd. I'm not sure why it didn't work...will try again...

Dad and Stirling are home! They got in to D.C. yesterday evening. Mr. Warmka picked them up and they stayed the night at the Warmka's house. They came back to MD at about noon. The rest of the Warmkas (Mrs. Warmka and their four girls) left around 2p, after we looked at the pictures from the trip. Now, Dad and Stirling are very tired, glad to be home, but missing Mihret at the same time. Mom, Mihret, Mrs. Perrin, and Sam will start flying home tomorrow and will get back here in the U.S. Sunday evening.

Since blogger hasn't been working in Ethiopia, I'm sure Mom will update when she returns...once she's had a good night sleep. :)

God bless you all for your prayers...thank you also to those who have spent the week and a half with us kiddos here at home, and also thanks to those who brought us meals. We have been SO blessed.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' " ~Matthew 25:34-40

To the One who cannot be unfaithful...
Rachel

Update from Ethiopia

2010-01-20T15:16:00.006-05:00

Mom and Dad can't access blogger there in Ethiopia, but she emailed me an update:

We’ve just come form the US Embassy where we spent the morning getting Mihret’s Visa and Passport application processed. There were ten families in our group. By the time we waited and finished it was about 1230, so we went to the ‘Lucy Café’ (yes, the one who propagates evolutionary theory) for lunch with the group. We’re back at the guesthouse and Mihret’s taking a nap.

I was a little concerned at how she would go to sleep, but last night and this afternoon we laid her down and she didn’t make a peep. In the middle of the night we heard her whimper a little. We looked at her bed and she was sitting up, staring at us. She needed to go to the bathroom. Then I put her back in bed and she went right to sleep.

Many of the children have coughs and colds. Fortunately we have a few medical people with us. For those of us who have children who have had pneumonia and are still struggling with a cough, we’ve decided to use a round of antibiotics, just in case. The testing here isn’t the most reliable. SO, we’re walking down the street to the pharmacy to get some…no prescription required!

Mihret is very quiet and reserved. Steve said, ‘Her radar dish is going constantly’. She’s very observant. I wonder what she’s thinking. We’ve only seen one tear (that’s when Stirling accidentally startled her). Having seen her home in Wolayta and the culture from where she came, I can only imagine how foreign all of this is to her. Our hope is that she’ll quickly realize she can trust us and we’ll see her more relaxed and comfortable. Getting her healthy will help, too. It seems all of these kids are accustomed to a high carb diet. So far all she’s really eaten is bread and a banana. She does like water and can drink well from a cup.

Stirling is better. We think he had a case of altitude sickness (playing soccer for 2 hours in 8,000 ft. altitude). He’s been so good with Mihret. It’s so beautiful to see his love extending to her. He’s played with all of the children so well. Having him here has been an affirmation of our relationship and a real joy.

Steve & Stirling are leaving tonight, so we’ll be on our own with Tracie & Sam for a few days. Tomorrow we visit a few orphanages in town and Friday we hope to meet with the founder of DrawnFromWater. Sunday, we hope to be home! Yea!

For those of you interested in digging a well with us, we went to a property yesterday that is VERY promising. Wait until you see the pictures! One fresh water well could make such a difference in the lives of these children, families and community.

Since the blog isn’t connecting here in Ethiopia, I’ll post the remaining photos when I arrive home. There’s still so much of the story to see in pictures! All of the families who are using Blogspot are frustrated with not being able to connect.

One last thing: THANK YOU to Mrs. Reed and Mrs. McLaren for the minkies (see previous post for a picture). Not only did the transition home appreciate them (I have a picture to prove it!:), but Mihret loves hers! She plays with the ribbon tabs and is constantly wrapping her little $3 Target baby doll in it (THAT was a good investment). It’s so sweet to see that nurturing side of her.

This has been an amazing, eye-opening trip. I expected to be changed upon our return to the States and I believe we all are. It’s been worth all we’ve invested to be here.

New picture!

2010-01-20T11:39:00.000-05:00

Here is the definition of precious . . .

Monday - Tuesday in MD

2010-01-19T22:24:00.004-05:00

Monday: Mrs. Warmka and I went grocery shopping, ran by the library, and went to the coffee shop :). The girls stayed home with Mr. Warmka. Steven left with Mrs. Bart (from church) to go to his debate club...he returned around 10:20p. When Mrs. W. and I returned, I had chemistry and government classes. The girls played outside most of the afternoon. Mrs. Heather Harris from church brought (actually, her hubby brought...) a creamy, delicious chicken spaghetti with a baguette, and salad. Very enjoyable. Mr. Warmka left around 5ish to go back to D.C. The young ones went to bed around 10p...we were having a very intense game of Apples to Apples. ;-) Mrs. Warmka and I then stayed up till about midnight preparing the house and making the cake for GraceAnn's birthday.

Tuesday: Gracie's 8th birthday! We did school during the morning, Steven had biology at KCA (local Christian school) around lunch time, I wrote a hermeneutics paper during nappie time...GraceAnn requested chili for dinner, so I made that around 4p. Isabel, Aislinn, Grace, and Faith played outside all afternoon again. Then, when Shepherd and Mallory got up from their naps, they watched the Heffalump movie. They were enthralled. :) The girls then came in and watched the rest of the movie with them. Our neighbor, Andrew, came over for Gracie's birthday dinner by her request...we ate the chili, then had cake with fudge/vanilla swirl ice cream. YUM. Then Grace opened her presents. She got some fun stuff =].

Isabel, GraceAnn, Aislinn, and Faith with the birthday cake.

Gracie's cake...*unable to rotate* :)

The kiddos with the birthday girl...

Dinner, cake, and presents...

A present to all the kids from Mom...The North Star.

Outfit from Target....from me :)

Most of her other presents...earrings, a watch, horses, a bag, coloring books, a beanie...

Trying to post a funny video of Shepherd...but Google's kinda weirded out right now...

With love...

Rachel

Friday - Sunday in MD

2010-01-17T23:31:00.000-05:00

Friday we spent at the Dittmar home. The kids played during the morning, then ... that evening, Connor (13) had a speech presentation at our church for the homeschool co-op. Mrs. Dittmar, Charis, Shepherd and I stayed at home while everyone else went to be an audience for Connor. We had ice cream with yummy toppings and watched the new Pilgrim's Progress movie from Vision Forum till about 11pm. All the girls (GraceAnn; Faith; Sophie, Suza, and Charis Dittmar) all piled in the girls' room. Steven slept in the basement on the sofa and I slept in the bed in Sophie's room. Shepherd slept in Charis' old crib. We made it through the night with no problems.

Saturday morning we woke up at about 7ish. Mr. Dittmar made great waffles, then Mrs. Dittmar took us Brandt bunch :) home while the rest of the Dittmars went to Micah’s (11) basketball game. Once we all were home, we cleaned the house. The Warmka family arrived around noon. Isabel (10), Aislinn (8), Mallory (2), and Grace played outside and took a walk down to the river with Mr. Warmka while Faith, Shepherd, and Selah (6mts) took nappies. That evening, Mrs. Eastburg, a friend from church, brought us a wonderful pot roast with garlic bread and salad along with cookies for dessert. We all went to bed relatively early…

Sunday morning….was quite an adventure to say the least. :) We had cereal, eggs, and mini donuts for breakfast. We were all on time to leave until…the dreaded iceberg had a dead battery. So we had to jump it twice before we could actually get it to start. We made it to church only about five minutes late. But then, of course, the one morning when we have to fit eleven people into a row, the sanctuary was packed to the seams. Deacons had to bring in extra chairs and put them against the wall to fit all of us in…we only slightly disturbed the peace. :) In the end, we finally got some seats…the only bummer was that they were on the left side of the church…we always sit on the right. ;) Anyway, I digress…

The afternoon went well. GraceAnn and Faith spent the afternoon at the Disarufino’s (family from church) home. Isabel, Aislinn, and I made cookies and played Apples to Apples. When Mr. Warmka left for AWANA with Steven, Isabel, and Aislinn to meet the girls there, Mrs. Warmka made pumpkin bread. We chatted some and then a friend from Edwards AFB, CA called me….we talked for a while. :) After everyone returned home from AWANA, we ate (you guessed it!) pot roast, mashed potatoes, rolls, and broccoli from the Smiths at church. Mm! After dinner, we played (yes…again) Apples to Apples till about 10p. And…here we are!

Connor...Justin Beiber wannabe??

Shepherd and Micah - Peace out!

The Brandts and Dittmars (...most of them) in the car.

Faith and Suza.... :)

Mr. Warmka reading to Shepherd and Mallory....

Bathtime for Shepherd and Mallory... =]

The clock's telling me it's 11:30...Mrs. Warmka is reading excerpts from "Dug Down Deep," Joshua Harris' new book, about the importance of theology for life (available January 19 at your local bookstore! ;) ). I'm...well....updating y'all.

God bless and thank you for all your help, phone calls, and prayers. We appreciate it!

With joy,

-rach

To the Ends of the Earth (Sodo - Part 2)

2010-01-17T15:22:00.001-05:00

These are typical round, sod, thatched huts. They fill the landscape of the Wolayta region in southern Ethiopia. Some are painted. The floors are hard dirt inside. The children sleep on the floor.

Typical landscape near the mountains.

These people still grow their grain and thresh it the way it's been done for centuries.

The entrance to Kingdom Vision International. This is the orphanage where Mihret was brought by her mother.

The inside of KVI. The nannies(in blue scrubs) seemed very loving.

Holding baby Cocoa. She was bringht eyed and responsive.

Day 4: The L-O-N-G Road to Sodo (Part 1 - The Morning)

2010-01-17T11:59:00.000-05:00

We departed our guest house at 7am. About 45 minutes into the drive we pulled over at a gas station with a tire problem. Although the station was very busy, there was no waiting to have it fixed and we were back on the road in about 20 minutes.

The drivers swerved around herds of cows, donkeys and goats the during the entire five hour drive. Many people walked along the 2-lane road and were even IN the road. There is some kind of intuitive communication between pedestrians and drivers. Although it was chaotic according to American standards, we saw no wrecks and had no problems. It was a fascinating, yet somewhat unnerving, experience.

It was, indeed, like going back in time. Daily living is primitive.

We stopped in Butajira for lunch. Notice the soccer game on the television. "It's the world sport!" Steve says proudly.

The cut lamb pieces were serve in a pot that had a burning coal underneath to keep it hot. It was a spicy dish. The rolled bread was "injera", the national bread of choice. The other pieces were similar to a tasy sourdough. Even though this was good, we still ate sparingly and cautiously. With each meal I enjoyed a bottle of Ambo, which is similar to Perrier (sparkling water).

We enjoyed an Ethiopian (not Starbucks) style Machiatto. STRONG!

Tracie arrived safely only 14 hours before (Friday evening). She's having a GREAT time and helps us keep a jovial attitude:).

Day 3: January 15

2010-01-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

In the morning the boys visited the Abyssinian Lion Zoo while I stayed at the guest house and prepared for our meeting with Mihret's mom the next day.

The also visited the Addis Ababa History museum where the famed bones of "Lucy" are kept. Steve says, "The evidence still points to a Creator... Christ".

Local fare with Benjamin, one of our drivers. Few people here own cars, They walk and rely on public or private transportation.

This scaffolding is made of wood sticks tied together! There is much building going on here and even on a ten story building, this is what they use. You couldn't pay me enough to get on one of there! See the men?

After a visit to meet Andy Warren of Mission to the World who runs "the largest and most effective HIV/AIDS treatment program on the continent of Africa", Steve and Stirling played soccer with some street children via a ministry we read about on Tom Davis' blog. Stirling had SO much fun!

Wednesday & Thursday in MD

2010-01-15T10:56:00.000-05:00

Update from the home front....the Bakers stayed with us on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. Mrs. Dittmar came and picked us up on Wednesday morning at about 7:30a. We spent the day doing school (I did school with GA and Faith and Steven had online classes), playing with the Dittmar kids, and we watched the movie, Pendragon, during Shepherd's nap time. For dinner, we had manicotti, broccoli, bread, and salad. Then, we returned home, had marshmallows over the fire, and then GraceAnn, Faith, and Shepherd went down for bed. Steven and I stayed up with the Bakers, chatting and having a little down time without the little kiddos.

Thursday, I had two classes, then took my Veritas Press Omnibus final exam. Glad that's done. Grace and Faith went over to the Smith's (friends from church) house for the day. So, Steven and I were able to get some school done. Shepherd was a peach, as usual. Mrs. Baker had to run to KCA (the school at which she works) for a few hours...her oldest, Jocey (15), was inducted into the National Honor Society. That evening, we ate a delicious meal of chicken salad casserole (yum!), rolls, salad, and salad from Karen Swanson, and the little ones watched a Little House on the Prairie then went to bed. Jocey and Nate Baker, Steven, and I stayed up and made cookie dough ice cream. :) We ate it while playing The Green Game. We finally got to bed around 11:40p. Jocey, Mrs. Baker, and I sat up in the master bedroom and talked for about half an hour...mostly about Elisabeth Elliot's book, Passion and Purity, and items along those lines. Good chat.

That's been our life for the past few days...this morning, we're at the Dittmars again for the day. We'll be spending the night as well.

Shepherd taking a bath in the kitchen sink after little Lilly Baker (8mts).

Marshmallows on Wednesday night.

Shepherd proposing to 2 year old Charis Dittmar at their house on Wednesday. :) It's a signed contract now... doesn't she look thrilled?

Opening gifts from Mom...a First Words board book (we looked at it this morning while Shepherd was drinking his milk!) and a Bible story book. Thank you Mom! :)

Playing The Green Game. I was having eye problems... ;) Jocey was the first to reduce her carbon footprint.

Nate with our new bunny. We named it Sodo, after Mihret's village in Ethiopia.

Day 2: January 14

2010-01-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

We started the day with a nice hot breakfast. The omlette was good, just rich!

The plate in the center contains their version of pancakes.

A view out of the guest house window. First she washed clothes, then was snapping beans.

Then we spent the day with Peter of Children's Hope Chest (http://www.cthomasdavis.com/). He was wonderful!

Peter took us to Hannah's House. She runs 22 (?) houses for orphans in various parts of the city with children ages 4-20. We were there for at least an hour. I have many pictures of this visit to show our church. One of the greatest things I remember her saying was, "One of the greatest needs we have is more nutritional food for the children. They eat a lot of injera, but we can't afford eggs, fruit and meat." We suggested a chicken operation, but that won't work because all locations are in the city and they rent all of their properties. This was an eye opening visit!

One of Hannah's school rooms.

Peter also took us to this school in a very poor part of the city. One lady started it in her home and they are very pleased with how it's grown to over 100 children. They teach K-2 grade. All of the teachers were men (shown here). They are in need of help for feeding the children and are available for sponsorship through Children's Hope Chest.

When we walked in the gate the children were all over us, hugging and kissing us.

This is from Stirling's journal:
"They were all like, 'Peter,Peter'! (they were glad to see him). They came and wanted to shake our hands and kiss our arms:). They were so fond of us all. They wanted me to sit with them. We tickled each other for about 20 minutes...it was so beautiful. There were about five little girls and three boys that I didn't want to leave. I will miss them so much."

Day 1: Jan 12-13, 2010

2010-01-14T12:54:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to the Warmkas for getting us to the airport!

German beer for breakfast?

Walking down the stairs from the 777 at the Frankfurt airport to catch the shuttle to the terminal.

The Yebsabi Guest house bedroom. We have a family suite that includes a small kitchen.

After about 48 (preparation to leave on Tuesday and actual travel to Addis) we were ready for bed! Steve had the presence of mind to throw in a can of spaghetti sauce and a box of pasta before we left home. As soon as we arrived, Stirling was in the kitchen getting it ready to eat. That was the best hot meal we've had in a long time! Then we had an uninterrupted night of sleep that felt so good!

From Stirling....

2010-01-13T14:57:00.000-05:00

This is Stirling here and I really had a great flight....all 15 hours in the plane we flew fom D.C to Frankfurt ... that was a seven and a half hour flight then, to Addis that was seven hours away . I'll up date you tommorow!! we are safe in Addis YAY, HURRAY.

We're here....safe and grateful!

2010-01-13T14:44:00.000-05:00

We made it....we are in our hotel and connected. We've each slept about 4 hours since we left D.C., but thanks be to God, we're here.

On the plan from Frankfort, there was a family behind us who will be here 5 months teaching. THEN, he goes to work for......Dr. John Piper in Minneapolis. That was a BEAUTIFUL act of Providence.

We're SO tired. We cooking the pasta Daddy thought to bring then going to bed. Pictures to come tomorrow.

And they're off!

2010-01-12T11:50:00.001-05:00

Mom and Dad just left the house about 20 minutes ago. Mrs. Baker is here with all of us and we're about to eat lunch. Thank you so much for your prayers on this journey...

"But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." ~Isaiah 43:1-3

And for Mom, who will read this after they arrive in Addis Ababa: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7

Resting in His promises,
Rachel =)

Late night thoughts...

2010-01-12T03:10:00.000-05:00

This wicked cough has awakened me, perhaps, in order to record the words from this song by recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman:

“ My heart is racing and my knees are weak as I walk to the edge (literally!).

I know there is no turning back once my feet have left the ledge.
And in the rush I hear a voice, it's telling me it's time to take the leap of faith....So here I go”

Then,

"But we will never know the awesome power of the grace of God

Until we let ourselves get swept away into this holy flood
So if you'll take my hand, we'll close our eyes and count to three
And take the leap of faith
Come on let's go"

The Bible says, " ...but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:39)

Packing....Packing....Packing...

2010-01-11T22:43:00.000-05:00

Whew! Days of packing and planning for all of the children we're leaving at home. It's been exhausting! Then, last night at 2:20am I heard, "Mama...Mama". Our almost two year old has learned how to crawl out of the crib, walk across the house, climb our stairs (all while it's dark!) and innocently say, "Mama". Two days before we travel! SO, I was awake much of the night trying to develop a plan for containment while we're gone.

Many thanks to the Perrin family for allowing a few of their crew to travel with us this week. They made this journey to China a year ago to bring home LilyKate. And many thanks to all of you who are supporting this effort. We have meals lined up for about 12 days, friends transporting our children from here to there, many offers for prayer and verbal support. It's a beautiful thing!

Next post from Ethiopia (hopefully:).

Our Itinerary

2010-01-10T21:34:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, Jan 12: Depart Dulles on Lufthansa Airline around 5:00pm

Wednesday, Jan 13: Arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia around 7:00pm. Go to guest house.

Thursday, Jan 14: Tour Children's Hope Chest ministries in the city (http://www.cthomasdavis.com/)

Friday, Jan 15: Rest and welcome Perrin Family, joining us from our church to gather information for our H2O Orphan Care Team and be our personal photographers! :) Maybe a safari :)!

Saturday, Jan 16: Drive to Soddo (5 hours southwest) to visit Mihret's village and meet her birth family

Sunday, Jan 17: Return to Addis

Monday, Jan 18: We meet Mihret at America World's transition home

Tuesday, Jan 19: We pick Mihret up from the transition home and she is ours henceforth...much prayer need for this transition! The Perrins spend the day with Children's Hope Chest participating in their street children soccer ministry.

Wednesday, Jan 20: Embassy appt. to get her passport/visa; Steve & Stirling depart for States (late!)

Thursday, Jan 21: Visit two orphanages

Friday, Jan 22: Visit Levi Benkert with http://www.drawnfromwater.org/

Saturday, Jan 23: Shopping and departures

Sunday, Jan 24: Arrive back in the USA!!! YEA!

Look at this sweet face! Here we come!

A Time of Prayer

2010-01-10T19:07:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to our friends the Bakers who are assisting us with the home front for the first three days of our journey. Today they came over and we spent time together in sweet prayer before the throne of God.

Rachel's Gift

2010-01-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

A few days ago Rachel decided it was time to cut twelve inches off of her beautiful hair. Look how cute it is now! She donated her curls to Locks of Love, an organization who makes wigs for cancer patients who have lost their hair during treatment. She did this in honor of an 11-year old friend of ours who went through this some years ago. What a beautiful gift...from a beautiful girl! (see the Christmas picture for a comparison)

White as snow...

2010-01-08T22:19:00.000-05:00

We woke up this morning to snow. It reminded us of the Gospel of Christ....how we are washed as white as snow from our sin that is as red as scarlet. The truth of the Bible and the wonder and mystery of His words are breathtaking as we see models of truth, such as snow.

The past 24 hours have been spent wrestling with the knowledge that our travel agent routed us through Germany, which requires a "transit visa". We will not have time to obtain it before our flight departs on Saturday. Evidentally it hasn't been required for the past six months, yet the situation is changing. Therefore, we could be stuck in Addis for a few additional days.

Thank you Mrs. McLaren and Mrs. Reed for making these lovely flannel "minkies" to take to the orphanages. It will be such a joy to hand these to the children. (I could have spent ten plus minutes trying to turn this picture, but I coulnd't figure it out.... so here's to not succumbing to perfectionism!).

We depart on Tuesday, January 12 and will arrive in Addis on Wednesday evening. While there we will visit Children's Hopechest (http://www.cthomasdavis.com/), Drawn from Water (http://www.drawnfromwater.org/ - they rescue children who are to be thrown into the river because of tribal superstition...their website video is engaging) and our denominational sending agency Mission to the World (http://www.mtwact.org/ ) who minister to AIDS victims, in addition to driving to our child's village in Sodo. If we have any time to fill, we hope to see a fresh water well being dug by a ministry such as Living Water or Samaritan's Purse. Several families have expressed interested in combining financial resources to bring fresh water to a 500 person village (a cost of $10-15K). SO, it promises to be a full time of learning and being challenged to do what Christ commands.

On Old Hymn from 1641

2010-01-07T03:44:00.001-05:00

This original German hymn was translated in 1863 by Catherine Winkworth and published in the Chorale book of England. Pondering the words and meaning of them is very hepful. The original translation:

If thou but suffer God to guide thee and hope in Him through all thy ways,

He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee and bear thee through the evil days.

Who trust in God’s unchanging love builds on the rock that naught can move.

What can these anxious cares avail thee; these never ceasing moans and sighs?

What can it help if thou bewail thee o’er each dark moment as it flies?

Our cross and trials do but press the heavier for our bitterness.

Be patient and await His leisure in cheerful hope, with heart content

To take whatever thy Father’s pleasure and His discerning love hath sent;

Nor doubt our inmost wants are known to Him who chose us for His own.

God knows full well when time of gladness shall be the needful thing for thee.

When He has tried thy soul with sadness and from all guile has found thee free,

He comes to thee all unaware and makes thee own His loving care.

Nor think amid the fiery trial that God hath cast thee off unheard,

That He whose hopes meet no denial must surely be of God preferred.

Time passes and much change doth bring and set a bound to everything.

All are alike before the Highest: 'tis easy for our God, we know,

To raise thee up, though low thou liest; to make the rich man poor and low.

True wonders still by Him are wrought Who setteth up and brings to naught.

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, perform thy duties faithfully,

And trust His Word: though undeserving, thou yet shalt find it true for thee.

God never yet forsook in need the soul that trusted Him indeed.

Trust Me

2010-01-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

God is it true that You’re thinking of me at this moment?

God is it true that You hear every prayer that I pray?

God is it true every time my heart beats that You know it?

Well if its all true, then that must be You I hear saying, "Trust Me."

God is it true out of all things You’re doing on this planet...

Could it really be true that You’ve counted the hairs on my head?

God is it true, very day of my life You have planned it?

Well if its all true, that must be You I hear saying, "Trust me."

"I’ll never leave you...I’ll never forsake you...Just trust Me."

God is it true that Your love for us is never ending?

Could it really be true that You died for letting us go?

God is it true that not even death can separate us?

Well if its all true, then what can I do but put all my hope, and all my trust in You?

Well I know its true and I know its You I hear saying, "Trust Me."

Where in the world are we going???!!

2010-01-05T15:37:00.005-05:00

Mihret is from Sodo, Africa. Find Addis Ababa and go southwest. My technologically advanced daughter put a rectangle around the name.

Do you see it? :)

Now you can see Ethiopia in relation to this vast continent.

...all for this little one. (see Matthew 25)

Christmas Pictures!

2010-01-05T12:25:00.005-05:00

Christmas morning: Daddy with our youngest, Shepherd. Isn't he CUTE ?!?
This is the third in a series of advent books. We rotate each year. The others are called Jotham's Journey and Bartholomew's Passage. We commend them to you! We all find them very engaging.

Christmas Eve service at our church, Cornerstone PCA.

Shoes for an El Salvador Orphanage

2010-01-03T20:50:00.012-05:00

At home we had the greatest snowfall in 10 years.

My husband, ever the weather enthusiast, missed it!

The weekend before Christmas my husband and a friend from our Orphan Care Team at church delivered 125 pair of shoes that had been collected from our congregation (thank you Sherri for coordinating this effort!).

Here they are at the airport! A successful and joyful mission accomplished!

The Question is: What do I...what do WE BELIEVE?

2009-12-26T10:33:00.002-05:00

Do I believe this?

1. All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (I Timothy3:15-17)

And do I believe this?

2. ...but these (the Scriptures) are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)

And do I believe this?

3. I was once dead in my trespasses and sins in which I once walked...I was by nature a child of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved me (us), even when I was dead in my tresspasses and sins made me alive in Christ....by grace have I (we) been saved...

For I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I (we) should walk in them (Ephesians 2:1-10).

Then, adopting Mihret into our family (or any kind of orphan care, including giving of time or other resources) is one of those preordained works in which we should walk. For Scripture says,

4. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliciton and to keep oneself unstained by the world (James 1:27)

And this,

5. Open your mouth....for all who are destitute...defend the rights of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:8-9)

And do I believe this?

6. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

Does the Body of Christ, the Church, in America believe this?

And do I believe this?

7. "Behold, children are a blessing/heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward"
(Psalm 127:3)

And, finally, the most crucial question about what I (and all mankind) believe is this:

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6)

DO I believe that what I believe is REALLY real?

Jesus said,

"He who hears these words of mine and does them will be like

the wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24)

We Passed Court Today!

2009-12-14T22:29:00.003-05:00

We are one of the blessed ones in the adoption process. As of today we are the proud new parents of Mihret Asnakech Brandt.

She officially passsed court as of today and now we will work the process of securing travel arrangements and doing all the required paperwork to get her American Passport and Visa.

We will travel to Ethiopia, Lord willing, in mid-January to bring her home to her new forever family. Right now Lisa, Stirling and I plan on travelling to Ethiopia to bring her home.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support as we waited. We will keep you updated on our process over the next month.

=)

2009-10-08T16:18:00.002-04:00

Ok, we'll really be updating this very soon.... :)

Five months of work...COMPLETE! Our dossier is DONE!

2009-05-22T21:59:00.002-04:00

We attended our first HomeStudy orientation at our agency's office (America World in McLean, VA) on Tuesday evening, December 30, 2008. After compiling a long list of documentation, waiting for many pieces of mail, notarizing documents, and having four home study visits by a state social worker, we finally have the dossier ready to send to the state department and Ethiopian embassy next week. This is kind of like going into labor...we're not far from knowing our child now.

As I drove through the narrow, one-way streets of picturesque Annapolis this morning, I thought about all of the effort we have made in the past year, on this journey to adopt a child. How very much it is like the way our heavenly Father pursues His children. He sacrifices for them, waits on them, but most impressing to me today was how He pursues His own: No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him (John 6:44). He relentlessly pursues us, His children.

In conclusion to this day we say, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God". (I John 3:1)

A Prayer ~

2009-04-15T20:23:00.004-04:00

My dear LORD,
I can but tell You what You already know
I long for nothing but You
nothing but holiness
nothing but union with Your will.
You have given me these desires,
and You alone can give me the thing desired.
My soul longs for communion with You,
for mortification of indwelling corruption,
especially spiritual pride.
How precious it is
to have a tender sense and true apprehension
of the mystery of godliness
of true holiness!
What a blessedness to be like You
as much as it is possible for a creature to be like it's Creator!
LORD, give me more of Your likeness;
Enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness;
Engage me to live more for You.
Help me to be less pleased with my spiritual experiences,
and when I feel at ease after sweet communings,
teach me it is far too little I know and do.
Blessed Lord,
let me climb up near to you,
and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle with You,
and pant for deliverance from the body of sin,
for my heart is wandering and lifeless,
and my soul mourns to think
it should ever lose sight of its beloved.
Wrap my life in divine love,
and keep me ever desiring You,
always humble and resigned to Your will,
more fixed upon You,
that I may be more fit for doing and suffering.

From the "Desiring God" Blog

2009-04-06T22:57:00.001-04:00

10 Ways to Pastor Adoptive Parents and Those Considering AdoptionMarch 4, 2009 By: Jason Kovacs
There are many ways that you can express your pastoral care for those considering adoption and those who have adopted already. As an adoptive father and former pastor, I offer a few thoughts on how to help adoption become a biblically based, heart-led, missional movement in your church and not merely another program on your church’s list.

1. Develop your own heart for the fatherless.
God calls Himself a “father to the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5) and emphasizes throughout Scripture his special care for orphans. In fact, the very heart of the gospel is God’s passion to not only redeem sinners but to adopt them as his very sons and daughters (Ephesians 1:4-5).
Many adoptive parents and those pursuing adoption feel alone in their churches because it seems like no one understands. By communicating that adoption is fundamentally connected to the gospel and the nature of God you will challenge the view that adoption is a “plan B” if a couple cannot have children biologically.

2. Do a biblical study on God’s perspective on orphans.
As you develop your heart for adoption, pass this on to your people in your preaching. You can start by simply looking up all the instances in the Bible to the “fatherless.”

3. Educate yourself on basic facts about adoption and orphan care.
Did you know there are roughly 129,000 children waiting to be adopted today in the US and over 132 million orphans worldwide? That is a starting point to stir your heart to pray and cry to God for his justice and grace to be poured out on their behalf.
Some websites I've found helpful in keeping me aware of these issues are...
Cry of the Orphan
Joint Council of International Children's Services
US State Department Office of Children's Issues
US Department of Health and Human Services
Your awareness of these kinds of things will speak volumes to the church you lead. Whether it is through your preaching, teaching, or just regular conversation, your church will begin to hear this and will gain God’s heart and perspective on adoption.
Your understanding will also touch those who have adopted and who are considering it.

4. Ask questions.
Listening is one of the most powerful expressions of your care. Learn to ask the right questions. Here are a few good ones to ask:
Why are you considering adoption? Are you both on the same page? If not, where do you differ?
Do you both have the faith for adoption?
Are you aware of the risks, ups, downs, and unknowns of adoption?
Have you talked to other adoptive families about their experience?
Have you been praying together about this?
Where do you feel called to adopt from?
What kind of support do you have in place?
Are you aware of the cost of adoption? How will you pay for it? Will you need help?

5. Remind them that they desire a good and God-magnifying thing.
Encourage those pursuing adoption with God’s heart for the fatherless. Encourage them with God’s promises to direct their steps (Prov 16:9). Encourage them with God’s faithfulness to provide.

6. Keep on encouraging them.
Those who step out in faith to adopt enter a journey filled with many ups and downs. Keep supporting them throughout the process. Ideally, they will have a care group or some close friends that will be able to do this as well.

7. Provide financial counsel and help.
The majority of couples adopting are challenged by the high costs. Any ways that you can provide encouragement and help financially will express love in a very tangible way.
One way you can do this is by establishing a church adoption fund to offer grants and loans to members. You can visit Hope for 100 for an example of what one church in Texas is doing.

8. Cry with them and celebrate with them.
The majority of adoptions are filled with great highs and great lows.
There are often many tears shed due to failed placements and other setbacks. There is also unparalleled joy in being matched with your child and bringing them home.
Do what you can to enter into their experience. Embody the compassion and empathy of Christ in the hard times and magnify the joy of the Father in the celebration.

9. Celebrate adoptions publicly in services.
Give time during worship services not only to teach on God’s heart for orphans, but also to celebrate specific adoptions. You can perhaps do this as part of Sanctity of Life Sunday or in conjunction with another special day such as Mothers’ or Fathers’ Day. Also, November is National Adoption Awareness Month.
There are many ways you can publicly celebrate adoption during the service such having an adoptive family share their story, honoring adoptive parents in the congregation, or taking a special offering for your church adoption fund. Be creative!

10. Don’t feel like you have to have all the answers.
Use the wisdom and experience of the Christian adoption community. There are a growing number of resources available, including many churches that have ministries aimed at promoting and supporting adoption.
Encourage those in your church who have a passion for adoption to lead the church in caring for the fatherless and supporting adoption. And remember you are not alone! There is a community of others to support you and above all, God, the Father of the fatherless, is with you to provide all that is needed to follow his call to care for the “least of these.”
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For more information on the connection between our adoption by God and our adoption of children please visit Together for Adoption. We will be hosting our second national conference on adoption this October in Nashville.

Another View into Africa...

2009-04-02T14:06:00.001-04:00

I just finshed reading "An Ordinary Man", an autobiography by the man who was the central figure in Hotel Rwanda...a chillingly true account of the genocide in 1994. I concluded the book understanding further

1)the truth of the Biblical record of the depravity of man,

2)the geographic beauty of central Africa and

3)this saying: "Whoever does not talk to his father never knows what his grandfather said."

May we be a people who does not fail to tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD...and many other things, as well.

Some Books that Have Made a Profound Impact...

2009-04-02T13:59:00.001-04:00

Our "Bird Warehouse" ...with more coming

2009-03-16T14:10:00.008-04:00

This was from a while back...but good anyway. The rooster we no longer have....he was too mean to Mom and the little girls....don't train your boys that way.

Our chickens parding across our yard to the chicken coop...

Their BEAUTIFUL products...

Henrietta?...maybe?

A big male turkey that was in our back yard just the other day.

Our Only Snow Storm this Year

2009-03-14T22:57:00.004-04:00

This is our home....we believe it kind of looks like Narnia...

Thrift Store Discovery

2009-03-14T22:28:00.007-04:00

How did we fail to realize the economy of shopping at thrift stores all of these years? True, there is some picking through clothes that must be done, but the stores we visited today were so clean and organized. We bought all of this for less than $100! It took six children to drive me to the value of shopping this way? I'm ashamed!

#1 Child: 2 pair of shorts
#2 Child: 2 pairs of pants (1 Dockers), 4 pairs of capris (1 Abercrombie and Fitch Co.), 5 skirts (1 J. Jill skirt w/ price tag – retail $69.99), 3 shirts (Ann Taylor), 1 belt
#3 Child: 1 polo (Ralph Lauren)
#4 Child: 2 pair of pants, 1 skirt
Mom: 1 pair capris (Banana Republic), ¾ length-sleeve sweater (Ann Taylor)

See? Even our cat likes them!