Claire Learns to Kick

Perfectly Said

This was posted on one of my fellow adoptive moms blog. When I read this post I felt like is described so perfectly how I felt after returning home from Ethiopia, and still feel today. The mother who could not feed her baby haunts me as well. We as christians are called to do more.
The Hole in Me
I have had such a heavy heart lately. It has been weighing on me and picking at me. I just feel such a burden for the world. This big broken world.
Honestly, I don't know who, if anyone, reads this blog. I suspect there are many "lurkers" That's fine, I do that, too, but like I said I don't know who is out there. So I imagine there is a large spectrum ranging from "believers" to "not-so-much". That said, I share my heart not knowing my audience, simply hoping someone will hear.
I've been reading THIS book, for the second time, actually. It rocks me to my core and lays bare all the things that are wrong with my way of life. And I have come to view the world quite differently because of it. And I just want to DO something, anything, to change this broken world. Now, you may say, "wait, they have done so much already" but let me be clear here. We don't see it that way. To those that tell us how wonderful we are or what a great or honorable thing we have done, we disagree. We have only done what the Lord REQUIRES of us and not one thing more. In fact, we began our journey of adoption for our own selfish desires and not because we truly understood the scriptures. But they began to speak to us and we began to understand.
Religion that God the Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27
So every day I look at the clothes in my closet (which are falling off the shelves and crammed together so closely that not one more hanger will fit), I look at the flat screen TV, the food in the refrigerators (yes, we have two for all of our food), I look at the cars in our garage, and on and on and I see how BLESSED we are and that we have so much. Then I remember the woman that I saw on the street in Addis Ababa. She was so thin that every bone in her body was sticking out, her teeth protruded from her sunken face, her eyes were hollow and pleading. And she carried a child. He was as thin as she, his expression blank. They both wore dirty, stinking rags. Her shirt didn't even cover her chest and as she begged for something, anything, to feed her child, he tried in vain to nurse from her completely empty body. She follows me to the grocery store, to Target, to the coffee shop. She haunts me, and she is just one of millions of desperate people around the world. She is one of millions of desperate people that I don't help.
Yes, we have started doing something, but is it enough? The Bible is very clear about God's heart for the orphans and widows. God's word really leaves no option about helping, providing, sharing our worldly goods with them. After all, all that we have been given comes from God. He even goes so far as to say that this will be the final decision-making qualification that He looks at on Judgement Day (read it here). Did you help those less fortunate? Did you do EVERYTHING I told you to do?
Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46
I don't know what the answer will be, which is what is gnawing at me. And I don't want what I have done to become a crutch that carries me through this life, thinking that I have somehow gained a "golden ticket" into Heaven. I want to do everything that is asked of me. I don't want to be a goat. I just want to be a sheep.

I just come across this on my computer

DAY 1 & 2: Traveling

Hey everyone! I am just going to tell you a little bit about our travels thus far.

On Friday we got to the South Bend airport around 2:45 p.m. to get checked in, but our flight was not until 5:05. Our flight went from South Bend to Detroit. Bless Mom’s heart, stayed until she wasn’t allowed to follow us through the airport anymore. J

The sounds of rolling suitcases and airport personnel over the loud speaker got us anxious. There were lots of smiles and the clapping of hands, but we realized this was the start to a long two days of traveling.

The plane from South Bend to Detroit was very tiny, but after only 48 minutes in the air, we made it safe and sound. From the Detroit airport to our next flight to Amsterdam, we had to rush. We only had one hour to get from one plane to the next and they were on opposite ends of the airport. We definitely broke a sweat. Ha.

The plane from Amsterdam to Ethiopia was rather large and very comfortable. We got to watch a lot of movies and had a nice meal on board. Of course Claire was running through all of our heads.

Jolene’s mood on the plane to Amsterdam: “excited, but not nervous.”

The hour change is 7 hours ahead, so we felt pretty out of whack. Watching the sun go down when at home it was the afternoon.

Our flight from Amsterdam to Sudan went pretty smoothly. We had to sit for an hour and a half in Sudan while they refueled.

From Sudan to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we ran into some bad weather. We had quite a bit of turbulence and had to circle the airport for about a half an hour.

Getting off the plane was quite a relief and knowing Claire was so close was such a great feeling!! We met our driver at the airport and he helped us with our luggage to his vehicle. A group of about 8 men surrounded us and insisted on helping us load our luggage into the car. They seemed friendly and were pushing their way through to touch our bags. The one was pretty demanding to Darin to give him some sort of payment. He was going to give him a 5, but he demanded more. Darin gave him a 10, and that still didn’t seem to be enough for him. Finally our driver had to shoo them all away. Darin asked him if that was enough…. He shook his head and let him know that that was more than enough.

We got to the house, which seems very safe. Darin and Jo are in one room and Laurie and I are in another. Another family who just adopted a 13 year old girl are here with us as well. We are actually chatting with them right now in the living room about all their experiences and they are giving us a lot of great information for being here. The currency here is called the birr. One of our dollars is about 14 of their birr. So our dollar has a lot of value here.

We were thinking we wouldn’t get to go get Claire until tomorrow afternoon. GOOD NEWS! We get to leave here tomorrow at 8:30 am to go get her!! We are so excited. Laurie helped Jolene pick out Claire’s outfit for tomorrow. Right now Claire is at what they call the transition house. The children at this house are waiting for their parents to come get them. I imagine we will stay there for awhile and love on the little children… J

Tomorrow’s agenda is just to get Claire and welcome her to the family in person. J

I pray that my loved ones know the presence of God in all that they do.

I send my loved ones this blessing: “You are dear to my heart, and my greatest desire for you is that you know the presence of God in your life. I pray with you and for you, knowing that what is best for you is not my will or your will; it is God’s will.

“God’s will is that you have life, understanding, joy, love, and peace. This does not necessarily mean that every day of your journey through life will be an easy one. When you need extra strength to reach some goal, God is your source of almighty strength.

“Yes, you are dear to my heart, but as great as my love for you is, God’s love is greater. So I pray that in all that you do, you know the presence of God.”

“We have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

--Colossians 1:9

When we traveled to Ethiopia my sister cam with us. She documented all of our days there in Ethiopia and this is the 1st I have seen this :)

New Pictures

Claire all dressed up after church

Showing off her new teeth!