A City on a Hill: Sharing the Heart of Adoption

I have not sat down at the computer to write a coherent thought in over three weeks. I am in Ethiopia, Africa completing the adoption of my son, Samuel. I left the comfort of my home a month ago, saying goodbye to my husband and embarking on a journey to pick up our son. Now, while we wait for the courts to complete our case I reside in a small flat above a grocery store. In the mornings I watch herds of goats walk by and in the evenings watch the sunset over the near by highlands. I have spend each day of three weeks learning to be a mom in a very well- run but still third world orphanage. Although I have much to write about living in Ethiopia, meeting my son, and becoming a mommy African style I need to take a moment to encourage the adoption of older children.
I have, without a doubt, fallen head over heels in love with Ethiopia’s waiting children. There are many of them. They are beyond wonderful. They needs homes. Period.
This adoption, of the most adorable little tyke in the world, is not only my first adoption but the first child for my husband and I. Until this trip to Ethiopia I always knew that I could adopt young children but was unsure about what bringing an older child into my home would be like. Let me tell you from first hand experience getting to know these children- it can be done, should be done, and desperately needs to be done. Once you meet these older children their sweet spirit are impressed upon you. I have found myself saying more than once, “I could easily and gladly parent this child, these siblings, all of these kids!”.
I urge you today to consider opening your heart and home to a waiting child who may otherwise not be adopted because they are a part of a sibling group or older than an infant. These are the children who know that they have experienced loss and lay in bed at night and pray for a mom and a dad of their own. They make it through each day with great hope, perseverance, and humor. If you met them you would desire to be a part of their story and not overlook them. I am asking if any of you have considered adopting an older child to please do it! If you have not considered it, please learn more about the children that need families and pray that the Lord would soften your hearts to their stories and faces. There are thousands upon thousand of children that need a home. You may not be able to help all of them, but you can absolutely mean the world to one or two that may not experience a family’s love otherwise. Show these orphans the love of Jesus in a powerful way- become their mom and dad.
In the coming days I will write more about my adoption and about Ethiopia. I am on the adventure of a lifetime and my heart has absolutely been changed. I can proclaim that God is alive and moving strong throughout nations and at the same time in my own little story. I can proclaim that adoption, even with its unpredictability’s, is a miracle of love.
Learn about adopting older children. They are eagerly waiting and hoping for a mommy and daddy just like you.
Thankfully we have electricity tonight so I was able to get online for a moment. There is chanting outside my window and dogs barking like crazy. Those two noises here mean that it is bed time! As I go to sleep tonight, thankful for my son and this entire experience, I will be praying that God would raise up families for these children that have touched my heart.

This evening, I walked across a soccer field hand-in-hand with Josiah, age seven. Autumn twilight, with a lovely breeze. Josiah was prattling away to me about …. I don’t remember. (He talks about a lot of things during the span of one day!) I do know that he enjoyed being with his mom and telling her the details of his life.

I had to brush the hair out of my eyes. But I found I didn’t want to let go of that little hand. He was really holding on, not tightly, but not limply either. And I didn’t want him to have to let go. Ever. I let myself just enjoy the feel of that hand in mine.

What a privilege to be the big hand that he puts his little hand into. To be the one he can talk to about everything. I want to walk across field after field with him, trusting, by my side.

Oh, yes. Josiah was adopted.

I think now of his birth mother. She didn’t have the joy of feeling that hand in hers this evening, and hearing his lisping voice tell her about the intimate details of his life. She didn’t hear him pipe up “Can I come, too?” when I was headed off to the soccer field to pick up his brother.

God, please bless her.

Our friends and family have heard me rant about this for the past few days, so instead of telling the story one more time to them, I thought I would share it with you. Oh, so lucky!

On Friday after, just about the same time that the people are beginning to feel antsy for the weekend, we found out that we needed to get our fingerprints taken again and processed.
The big problem about this is not the inconvenience of driving two hours, paying another fee, or filling out more paperwork- but that getting a fingerprint appointment can take up to six weeks simply to schedule. I did not have six weeks, I had five days!

Over the course of the next few hours this is what unfolded. Read more…

We are having so much fun in our studio producing They Way Home Adoption Podcast!
What a blast it is to have conversations with various people who are helping orphans, raising awareness, adopting children, and creatively using their talents to reach out to the world. Coming up we will be interviewing Heino Erichson, Director of Los Ninos International Adoption Center. Mr. Erichson will be talking with us about the Hague Convention.

We are inviting anyone with questions about the Hague Convention on International Adoption to send your questions to us. We will ask them to Mr. Erichson during our
podcast for you!

We encourage you to take a few moments to listen to The Way Home Adoption Podcast.

Enjoy your weekend!

In Ethiopia, today marks celebration day of a year of anticipation. The millennium is here and Ethiopians worldwide have entered into the year 2000. The Africa Ethiopian New Year and all of the celebrations that have been occurring in this past year, leading up to this day, have had a two-fold purpose. First, the purpose is to celebrate the distinct and ancient culture of Ethiopia. Just as the millennium was covered in the news all over the globe when nations using the Gregorian calendar celebrated the year 2000, Ethiopia wanted the eyes of the world to turn to them this year and notice that which makes Ethiopia a distinguished and unique civilization. The second purpose of the energy, efforts, and finances put into the yearlong celebration is for Ethiopia to open a new chapter in their history. When the year 2000 came across the globe nations used the new millennium as a motivator for political and social change.
In talking about Ethiopia today, more is heard about the poverty, AIDS, illiteracy, and devastation than about the rich and ancient heritage of the civilization. It is good that we talk about the conditions of Ethiopia as they are real and need attention in order to change. The call of the new millennium celebrations is to remember that the wealth of Ethiopia is its people and that the conditions must change in order to Ethiopian rich heritage to be focused on once again. Ethiopians are hoping to use the new millennium as a motivator for change in helping their nation establish a strong political system, recover economically, cure and reduce disease, and provide resources to decrease the number of families in poverty.
Today is truly a day of celebration. Many adoptive families who have adopted from Ethiopia are using today as an opportunity to celebrate their children’s unique and beautiful heritage.
If you are interested in learning more about the Africa Ethiopian New Year I have provided some resources below.

Enjoy learning about Ethiopian culture and by the way- have a Happy New Year!

You Tube Video: Happy New Year, Ethiopia!

YouTube Video: Ethiopian Millennium Song

Ethiopian Millennium Website: Know the Past, Dream the Future and Take Action in the Present

Washington DC Millennium
Celebrations

Illinois Ethiopian Kids Community

Our adoption agency moderates a Yahoo forum for all of the parents that are currently in the adoption process or have recently adopted through them. There are most definitely people on the forum that are more popular than others and they tend to contribute a great deal of useful information. I could tell you their screen names, yet have never spoken with them. They carry an almost superstar status on the forum that I find to be most interesting. I have been one of those participants that sit in the background- doing a lot more reading than contributing. When I do manage to post it is always a big deal to get a personal response from the illustrious mega-posters who are quite honestly experts in their own right on all things adoption, family, and travel. The other day as I was packing one of my two humongous suitcases in preparation for my Ethiopia trip I began struggling with the uncertainties of my trip. Here I am packing for a trip that I have no idea of when I will return. Read more…

I speak about adoption and read about adoption. I try to keep up with some websites, articles, and adoption-information sources. National Public Radio just featured a week’s worth of features about adoption, for example, and I’ve joined a new e-group for people who write about adoption, and receive a weekly update from Adoptive Parents magazine.

There is a lot of information out there these days. I’m glad that adoption is out of the secretive closet of a few decades ago, and glad that so many have been helped by the increase in information, research and support. Read more…

As I write my husband and his father are outside in a fierce ping-pong tourney verses the energetic and trained staff of the hotel. We packed the car up a few days earlier putting Grandma comfortably in the front seat and the rest of us situated between luggage, coolers, and our supply of road trip music- including Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas Album. No, you did not misread that. We actually listen, on purpose, to chipmunks sing about cookies and salvation in the middle of August. It has become one of those family traditions that is so eagerly anticipated and dreaded at the very same time.

The town we are visiting is one that in all reality I never need visit again. Read more…

One of the little thoughts that is often in the back of my mind is how wonderful it is going to be to be able to look at my son and tell him that I love him. Yes, with actions but also with the words of his own language. I thought it would be neat to share this list with you all.
Now, you can spend the weekend telling your loved ones how much you care in langauges from all around the globe.
Have fun!

Ek het jou liefe - Afikaans

Te dua - Albanian

Ene ewedechalu (spoken to females) - Amharic Read more…

Each day I learn something interesting from the adoption forum that I belong to. Just recently we were discussing how older adopted children often come into their new families with cultural stereotypes and prejudices that are completely unique to the region that they were raised in. Even though I know this is very true, it was so interesting to read about some of the specific stories that families have encountered and had to help their children overcome.
This was a catalyst for me thinking about things that I truly did not know before I began the adoption process. None of my thoughts are profound or complex either. I think many of those may come in the years that are to follow. Read more…