Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Busy days

March has been a busy month. We started the month off with the amazing news of our referral. Then the following week, we had 15 out-of-town visitors in 5 days. Our beloved pastor Imbumi Makuku from Kenya visited us for a few days, then we had family and friends in town for Paul's installation service. Paul is in Ireland this week with a couple friends, tough life, huh? Seriously though, Paul has been working hard and I am glad he gets to have an amazing trip. I'm also slightly hopeful that he will see Bono. This is my last week of full-time work, which is full of mixed emotions. I am sad to leave a job that I have worked hard at and given a lot of myself to, and sad to no longer worker with the amazing people I have worked with. However, I am looking forward to being a full time mom and having some time to relax and prepare- get Kenyon's room ready, line up pediatrician, collect donations for the orphanage, pack, etc. I've been working on my to-do list.

We did get an update on our adoption today- we have a court date set for April 16. At this court date, a judge will approve our case and we will be legally named as Kenyon Belachew's parents. Not all cases make it through court the first time, sometimes because additional paperwork is needed or because the court ran out of time that day to hear all the cases. We are hopeful and prayerful that we will get through court on April 16, although we are aware that this may not happen. If we are approved in court, we then wait for a new birth certificate to be issued in Ethiopia for Kenyon. Once this is issued, we wait for a travel date! We are still on target to travel in May or June. We will keep you posted, but please remember us and Kenyon in your prayers, especially as we hope for a positive outcome on April 16.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Big News!

REFERRAL! We got matched with a beautiful 2 1/2 year old boy on Saturday. On Friday afternoon, I called our social worker, asking if there was any news or updates. She didn't have much information to share. Friday night, Paul and I were at an art opening and my phone rang at 9:13PM. I was in the middle of a conversation, so I decided not to answer. We left at 10:30PM and I checked my voicemail. There was a message from our social worker saying she was trying to reach us. I said, "Paul, this is it." He wanted to know how I knew. I told him that a social worker would not call us on a Friday night unless it was big news.

We couldn't reach her Friday, so needless to say I had a sleepless night. Was it the referral call? Was it a boy or a girl, a 2 year old or a 4 year old? I finally was able to talk to our social worker Saturday morning. Our son is named Belachew, which means "say something to them." We will keep this name as his middle name and give him the first name Kenyon, after my mom's maiden name.

He is adorable and we couldn't be happier. We will travel to Ethiopia in 2-3 months to meet him and bring him home with us. I can not post his picture until our case is approved in Ethiopian court.

Oh, and our social worker said that she did not know when I had talked to her earlier on Friday. She had gotten several emails from Ethiopia that day and had not been able to read them all yet.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Why I love Bono

Many people know that I am a fan of Bono. Why shouldn't I be? He is an amazing musician, he fights for the poor, and he loves Africa.

"The one thing we can all agree [on]... is that God is with the vulnerable and poor. God is in the slums... God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives... God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."- Bono

Kibera Slum, January 2007




Kids love Paul!


With 3 of my "favorites" (I have been told that I describe many children as my favorite)
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