Adoption 2010 Ethiopia~Home... Let the Story Begin

Hi Friends and friends to be!

We are home.  I took a couple of days off from jumping back into the computer stuff to just work on simplicity and bonding here.

Our trip was amazing. God stretched us at times more than I thought I might be able to bear, but true to His word, He never gives you more than you are able to handle.  I left Ethiopia with a daughter who is more than we could have imagined and with a heart more broken and in love with Ethiopia and its people.

We love Celebrate Children International-  Sue Hedberg is not only the executive director, but she is adopted into our family (she gave me permission ;-) and forever into our hearts as a friend. I love her passion for the children, her heart is devoted to this call of God upon her life.  I miss her so much already. Amazing how God gives us the gift to love one another.

This is from our first moments with our Ethiopian Princess
(who ran and changed her outfit, typical girl, right? ;-)

Do you want to know more about her?

She is beautiful (you can see that right)?

She is tender hearted.

She is smart, smart, smart.

She is kind.

She is tall, but tiny.
(the clothes I bought fit (size 10 girls) but the pants are what we call high-waters.
Need to go shopping soon!)

She has a size 7 foot.

She is passionately in love with God.

She is thankful.

She is respectful.

She has excellent manners.

She is willing to try things that are new.

She is a people person and easily talks to anyone in two African languages: Oromiffa or Amharic (her second language).

She is affectionate (VERY!)

She is sweet.

She is thoughtful.

She is funny.

She chews with her mouth open.

She LOVES chocolate.

She doesn't like milk, juice or cheese.

She loves lamb.

She loves football (which is soccer to us.)

She is athletic.

She is tough- (she fell off her bike here, scuffed up her hands in the fall and didn't cry).

She is artistic. (pictures to come of her brothers in braids.)

She loves to sing-the girl is a worshiper.

She is a giggler and laughs easily and often.

She is SO generous...she gave away the things we bought her to bring home from her country.

(more on this to come).

AND she is ours and I am more than blessed.

She is perfect-God made her as an exact fit for my family.

God is so very, very good!

A few more pictures and then I am off to pray.  I am crushed for Ethiopia.  I am praying, as I did last year when shortly after our adoption when God asked me to make *orphan dolls* to send out into the world...as a wake up call for His Church.  This time, I am seeking His face again, but with a twist on: *How I can set up an orphan care ministry at my church? And how can I minister to Ethiopia better?*  Listening for His voice and what it is He is asking us (my family) to do.  Planning on 40 days of prayer.  My Knight and I need to work out the details, as we plan to take a day weekly to fast and pray for Ethiopia, adoptions, orphans and how God wants to use us.

More on that to come.

We covet your prayers for getting to know each other.  She speaks a tiny bit of English, and as you know we speak even less of her languages; but with God all things are possible.  Amen.