Noah went medieval for the medieval fair. Costume by grandma.
Ranger, 1 year, 100 lbs...more than we bargained for...
The girls, Noah reading in the back ground, with our 4 year old terrier mix, Happy.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Our cast and crew
Noah went medieval for the medieval fair. Costume by grandma.Ranger, 1 year, 100 lbs...more than we bargained for...The girls, Noah reading in the back ground, with our 4 year old terrier mix, Happy.
Academia!
Been a while since I posted on the daily life of my children. Mercy is growing leaps an bounds. She is learning English a lot quicker than she is learning boundaries. She started preschool about 3 weeks ago and LOVES it! She is writing her name already, and is pretending to read. Above is a picture of her on her first day of school.
Noah went to district for academic team and was runner up for written composition. His school won overall. Then he proceeded to regionals where he placed 4th in written comp, quite an accomplishment with such gifted students. His school won regionals as well. He and Simon were in a play last week at school, Noah played a farmer and Simon played a rooster. :) Simon couldn't get his cock a doodle doo down and it came out "Cock a Doodley Do" and got a laugh from the audience. They are in upcoming productions of The Wizard of OZ and have started baseball practice. They get to be on the same team which is quite a treat for me. Lot less driving.
Beniam lost his other front tooth. Looks cute as a button. He has started tball practice and it loving it. He is really quite good. He is reading very well. He is in kindergarten. His birthday is coming up and Ryan is going to take him on a guys night out with a couple of his buddies.
Adam and Lauren are here for Spring Break. They are almost as tall as me. I know that's not too tall :-) But they have grown quite a bit. Later in the week I'm gonna post new pictures of all the children.
We received pictures of our two children in Ethiopia. I thought each adoption would be less emotional, a little less exciting, but I have cried more tears over these two children than I cried the last two adoptions! Reminds me of the scripture that says "His mercies are new each day." I can't wait to bring home my big kids. I love them already.
Logic: We need many things to prepare for our new children.
- a 15 passenger van
- another set of bunk beds
- another set of living room furniture
- a bigger kitchen table
- last but not least...50,000 dollars.
If you can help with any of these please let us know. If you have any rich relatives, please tell them about us.!
Love to you all.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
contemplations
We are facing some interesting decisions right now. We are trying to decide whether or not to add a little girl, Mercy’s age to our family as well as the two older children. In my mind I keep thinking of the financial responsibility. “Will we ever be able to eat out?” “Will we be able to go on vacation each summer?” Each time these thought enter my mind I think of the Mother Teresa quote that is on the Maas family blog: "It is a poverty that a child must die so you may live as you wish." Then I think, do I just want a little girl, because I desire another little one. I do desire another little one. But doesn’t God say he will give us the desires of our heart? Shouldn’t this include providing a child with a home? I logged on my computer today I went into the documents and opened one that did not ring a bell with me. His word is nourishment to my spirit. I am going to repost it here:
This weekend our church was trashed. Our current sermon series is called Bookends, from Eden to Eden. Our pastor talked about creation and how we have trashed it. Our church auditorium was literally full of trash. You had to kick around newspapers to get to your seat. He talked about our love of materiel things. When he was talking about this “stuff” I felt God speak to me. “You will never be wealthy. It is not your things I want people to see.” What joy I find in that statement. I don’t want people to see my stuff either; I want them to see my Father. I want them to see joy. To experience this overwhelming love I have for my family and for the things of God.
For the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
—Nehemiah 8:10
You make known to me the path of life;in your presence there is fullness of joy;at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
—Psalm 16:11
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
—John 15:11
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
—Philippians 4:4
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
—John 13:34-35
My prayer is only to know Him more, to need Him more, For Him to fill me, for He is enough. Below is some scripture I had Noah memorize some time back it is so meaningful to me now:
1 But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
"Do not fear, 8 for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 "For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 "Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
5 "Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
And gather you from the west.
6 "I will say to the north, `Give them up!'
And to the south, `Do not hold them back.'
Bring My sons from afar
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made."
8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
And the deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can declare this
And proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present their witnesses that 5 they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, "It is true."
10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD,
"And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
11 "I, even I, am the LORD,
And there is no savior besides Me.
12 "It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD,
"And I am God.
13 "Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?"
This weekend our church was trashed. Our current sermon series is called Bookends, from Eden to Eden. Our pastor talked about creation and how we have trashed it. Our church auditorium was literally full of trash. You had to kick around newspapers to get to your seat. He talked about our love of materiel things. When he was talking about this “stuff” I felt God speak to me. “You will never be wealthy. It is not your things I want people to see.” What joy I find in that statement. I don’t want people to see my stuff either; I want them to see my Father. I want them to see joy. To experience this overwhelming love I have for my family and for the things of God.
For the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
—Nehemiah 8:10
You make known to me the path of life;in your presence there is fullness of joy;at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
—Psalm 16:11
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
—John 15:11
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
—Philippians 4:4
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
—John 13:34-35
My prayer is only to know Him more, to need Him more, For Him to fill me, for He is enough. Below is some scripture I had Noah memorize some time back it is so meaningful to me now:
1 But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
"Do not fear, 8 for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 "For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 "Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
5 "Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
And gather you from the west.
6 "I will say to the north, `Give them up!'
And to the south, `Do not hold them back.'
Bring My sons from afar
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made."
8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
And the deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can declare this
And proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present their witnesses that 5 they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, "It is true."
10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD,
"And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
11 "I, even I, am the LORD,
And there is no savior besides Me.
12 "It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD,
"And I am God.
13 "Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?"
Thursday, March 5, 2009
TWO MORE!!
As many of you know, when we went to pick up our little Mercy, we traveled to Woliso to visit with Simon Derara’s (and Mercy’s) biological family. We met the other siblings and God really pulled on our heart strings. We knew on the drive to meet the family that our lives were about to change. With Shane and Shane on my ipod and tears on my cheeks we drove to the dusty village to meet, what I knew then and was recently confirmed, our children.
Sunday the 22nd while dropping off our children for the children’s service we ran into a family who also adopted from Ethiopia. We told them about the children and our attempts to have them placed so we could proceed to adopt them. The Mom told me that her agency, Celebrate Children International, has an orphanage in Woliso. I emailed the country rep the next day and she left for Ethiopia on Tuesday the 24th. Friday the 27th we received word that the eldest, Biruk 17, was signing the children over to the orphanage. We are so excited. We are blessed beyond measure. Two more children to love, to teach, to guide. Selamawit is 14ish and Guta 12 ish. We have no clear time line, but because of the age of the children we are going to push this as fast as we can. Please be in prayer that we can raise the funds we need to bring these kids home. Our desire is to take our whole family with us this time. Simon D and Beniam need some closure. We’d like Simon D to get to say goodbye to his Grandma and Grandpa and a host of other relatives that we met. We’d like to drive the 8 hours to Beniam’s home village and let him remember. We’d like to all the kids to once more feel the African soil beneath their feet and kiss the cheeks of the elderly.
My guess is we need about 50,000.00$ Seems impossible. But I know that “Thru Christ ALL things are possible.” Not some things. Not 1,000 dollar things but even 50,000$ things. Join with us in prayer as we do what it takes to give two more children a Mom and a Dad.
Sunday the 22nd while dropping off our children for the children’s service we ran into a family who also adopted from Ethiopia. We told them about the children and our attempts to have them placed so we could proceed to adopt them. The Mom told me that her agency, Celebrate Children International, has an orphanage in Woliso. I emailed the country rep the next day and she left for Ethiopia on Tuesday the 24th. Friday the 27th we received word that the eldest, Biruk 17, was signing the children over to the orphanage. We are so excited. We are blessed beyond measure. Two more children to love, to teach, to guide. Selamawit is 14ish and Guta 12 ish. We have no clear time line, but because of the age of the children we are going to push this as fast as we can. Please be in prayer that we can raise the funds we need to bring these kids home. Our desire is to take our whole family with us this time. Simon D and Beniam need some closure. We’d like Simon D to get to say goodbye to his Grandma and Grandpa and a host of other relatives that we met. We’d like to drive the 8 hours to Beniam’s home village and let him remember. We’d like to all the kids to once more feel the African soil beneath their feet and kiss the cheeks of the elderly.
My guess is we need about 50,000.00$ Seems impossible. But I know that “Thru Christ ALL things are possible.” Not some things. Not 1,000 dollar things but even 50,000$ things. Join with us in prayer as we do what it takes to give two more children a Mom and a Dad.
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