From Adoption to Redemption: Our Attachment Plan

If you are a mother who has given physical birth, I’m sure you remember when the nurse first gave you your baby. You were the first person your baby saw. You held her against your chest and she took in all your smells. Over the following weeks, she realized you must be someone important. You fed her, changed her, and rocked her. After a few more weeks, she probably smiled as you entered the room. Maybe she even cried when you left.

As you are aware, I was unable to have all those moments with Eden. I didn’t give birth to her. I haven’t been there to change, feed, or rock her. She is now 8 months old and the “someone(s) important” to her are her nannies. In a few months, her new daddy and I will become the important ones. At first she won’t realize it. She may even wonder where her nannies are. She’ll wonder why she has been taken from her familiar bed and from the familiar sounds and smells of Ethiopia. Just because her life is “better” based on our standards, it doesn’t mean the adjustment will be easy for her.

So for a while, her daddy and I will be the ones who will hold, feed, change, and rock her. We will be the only ones meeting her needs. We will not be leaving her in the church nursery or with any babysitters for a while. We don’t know how long this phase will last. We remain hopeful that she will attach to us rather quickly and you all will be able to love her like you do Raine and Seth. But until then, we ask that you love her from a distance.

We appreciate each and every one of you who have prayed for us, supported us, purchased items from us, and given us money. While her adoption is almost over, her redemption is just beginning. What we need from you now, is time.

We love you all!

Grab some popcorn and a cola and enjoy the video I put together of our first trip!

To Jew or Not to Jew

We were in our small group class Sunday morning, looking at Acts 2:42-47. During part of the discussion someone spoke up and said, “They had to leave everything since Jesus came to do away with the Jewish religion and replace it with Christianity.” Oh, my heart started pounding, I think smoke may have even come out of my ears. I shook my head and just looked down at my Bible in disbelief. 

Why did I get so angry? Just a year ago I probably would have agreed. Though now, having read the book of Acts with an open mind, I see that the apostles’ mission was simply to preach about the resurrection. They kept the feasts, the Sabbaths and even met in the Synagogues. They didn’t celebrate Christmas or Easter. They were Jews and they remained Jews, just like their, and my savior, Jesus Christ.

Together for the Good

I just got home from our adoption agency’s annual women’s event. The event features the testimonies of 4 women who play some role in orphan care. Out of the 4 speakers, one is a foster parent and one adopted from Uganda. 

Somehow, I missed the memo about this event. I found out about it last minute. A fellow adoptive mom encouraged me to sell my soaps there as a vendor. There is no cost to have a booth and all vendors get free admission. Sounded good to me, even though at the time, I had no idea what the event was about.

I arrived, set up my booth and sold one bar of soap before the speakers began. Our booths re-opened after the last speaker, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that God did not send me there to sell soap. 

A few weeks ago, when we were submitted to Embassy, I thought that was evidence our case would go quickly. A few days ago, we received an email stating they were ready to interview the police officer in charge of Eden’s case. We got word that the police office would go to the Embassy at their earliest appointment. I thought, “Alright, we’re days away from clearing!” We then found out that the Embassy was backed up until August 7. No big deal, that is just one more week. I pictured me waking up the next morning with an email saying her appointment was on August 8. The next morning, I did get an email, but the appointment wasn’t until August 13. Seeing that 13 was like a punch in the gut. I know, looking back now, it’s not that big of a deal. It is just 2 weeks, though it is 2 weeks away from getting our daughter. 

Then, we started finding out that not only are plane tickets high, there are no seats available on returning flights until late in the month. 

Let me just get to the point here because I really don’t feel like writing all the details of what has happened in between. It’s just a bunch of me trying to come up with a solution instead of being still and knowing that God is God. 

So tonight, as I sat in that room listening to other mothers’ stories, I knew why He sent me to that event. It was not so I could sell a total of 9 bars of soap. It was so I could see what other parents have gone through and see that this little problem of ours is just that… little. I have been so foolish to dramatize this and make it feel so huge. Though even if it were huge, it wouldn’t be too big for my God. He created Adam from the dust. He parted the Red Sea. He saved Daniel from hungry lions. He made the lame walk. He made the blind able to see. Most importantly He rose from the grave. So, this little problem regarding seats on an airplane… that’s nothing to Him. 

He may still choose for us to wait until September to travel. But that would only be because it fits into his plan – not because He couldn’t clear seats on the plane.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28