A Silent Epidemic in Ethiopia...Shame keeps them from talking....Fistula

Here's what I'll be watching over the weekend.  Feel free to watch it also and come back to comment to share your thoughts....find out more about this epidemic below as shared by the writers of this story....

What Is Obstetric Fistula?

The World Health Organization has called fistula "the single most dramatic aftermath of neglected childbirth", estimating that more than 2 million women live with fistula worldwide. But, it fears even this number may be a gross underestimate.
Short of death, the most devastating effect of neglected childbirth is obstetric fistula, a hole that forms between the vagina and the bladder or rectum during prolonged, obstructed labor. This horrific injury leaves victims incontinent. Some develop nerve damage in the feet and legs.
The Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia has treated more than 32,000 women with obstetric Fistula. Learn more about obstetric fistula or the work of the Fistula Hospital.

What Happens to Women Afflicted with Obstetric Fistula?

If the misery of uncontrolled leaking of urine (and sometimes feces) isn't enough, these women and girls are ostracized and disdained by their families and communities. Without being cured, women with fistula commonly spend the remaining years of their lives in shame and isolation, literally waiting to die.

How Is Obstetric Fistula Treated?

Obstetric fistula is almost entirely preventable. Women in the affected regions worldwide must gain access to doctors and medical facilities that can intervene when complications occur. Those who do not have access during childbirth must have ways to seek treatment, which is usually a surgical procedure.

Who Is Most Vulnerable to Obstetric Fistula?

Eradicated in developed countries at the end of the 19th century when cesarean section became widely available, obstetric fistula still plagues women throughout the developing world, specifically in parts of Africa, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nepal. It is estimated that there are 100,000 new cases each year, but the international capacity to treat obstetric fistula is limited to only 6,500 per year.

Fast Facts

• For every woman who dies from pregnancy-related complications, 20 women survive but experience terrible injuries and disabilities.
• In Ethiopia, there are 59 OB/GYNs and 1,000 midwives for a population of 77 million.
• One woman dies from pregnancy-related complications every minute worldwide; 95% of them live in Africa and Asia.
• More than 99% of The Fistula Hospital patients are illiterate. (The hospital teaches all patients the Amharic Fideles and the Oromiyffa alphabets.)
• Number of patients treated at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital every year: 1,200
• Number of obstetric fistula cases occurring in Ethiopia alone each year: 9,000
• Number of new obstetric fistula cases resulting from childbirth occurring worldwide each year: 100,000
• Number of new obstetric fistula cases resulting from childbirth occurring in the U.S. each year: 0
• The year the last U.S. hospital treating fistula patients closed its doors: 1895.

Devastating News But We Said "YES"!

Yesterday, families who are adopting from Ethiopia such as our family received some devastating news. Ethiopia's Federal Government made a decision to require families to now make TWO trips to Ethiopia during the adoption process instead of the one trip where you go just to pick-up your child and bring them home.

As shared with families yesterday, this is what the TWO trips will now look like:

"Beginning today, families need to be prepared to travel to Ethiopia approximately 4 - 8 weeks after receiving a referral in order to be present in Ethiopia for their appointed court date. Families will remain in Ethiopia for roughly 5-7 days and will then return to the United States. After officially passing court, families will then travel back to Ethiopia approximately 10 -12 weeks later to pick up their adopted child(ren)."

No one is exactly sure about the specifics on why the government would make this drastic change that would affect so many families and more importantly waiting children.

There are four major challenges with yesterday's ruling:

1. This will leave more orphans in this particular region.  Many families will decide to NOT adopt from Ethiopia because of the three reasons I list in #2, #3, and #4. 
2. Families will now incur a hefty financial expense in addition to the $25,000 that I've shared with you before.  This will now mean that in addition to the $25K, families will now need to pay such as in our in total and on the low end approximately another $5,200 to complete the adoption process.
3. Families with children at home will need to make arrangements to leave their children twice for a week within a 3 1/2 months - 5 month period.  WOW!  That's a lot of time to leave our 9 and 11 year old with relatives while we're thousands of miles away!  It will be hard on us and them.  This will also mean that we will eat up our leave at work very easily resulting in less time for us to bond with our daughter before leaving her with a daycare provider.
4. It will be heart-wrenching for the adopting parents to leave their child behind in Africa after the first court visit.  Imagine this...for almost a year, you are actively and aggressively going through the adoption process.  You're pleading for papers to be signed by the U.S. government, saving money, holding fundraisers, and making sacrifices at home to take care of all of the costs associated with the adoption along with preparing your child's room and what they will need when they get home.  (Trust me, I have learned that international adoption is not for the faint at heart.)  Upon the issuance of the first court date in Ethiopia, you go to court and during your time there, we will meet our daughter for the VERY FIRST TIME.  Can you imagine the excitement, tears, and joy?  Days later, we must leave her behind in the orphanage while the courts hear her case to ensure that she is a true orphan.  As we leave, it will be heart-wrenching to leave her behind knowing that it will be another two and half to three months before we see her again (and that's if all goes well within the court system).  During that two and a half months, we'll continue to miss some of her firsts.  We'll miss holding her again and looking in her eyes.  What an ordeal to put parents and children through.

As irritating as all of this is and knowing that we are just in the beginning stage of this adoption, I still have joy.  Why?  Because none of this caught God by surprise.   He knew this would happen before we signed our first contract agreeing to the adoption process.  We are committed to the fight for our daughter.

So Satan, let it be know on this day that if you thought this would shake us, let it be know to you that it hasn't!  If you thought it would break us, it hasn't!  If you thought you would make us lose the fight for our daughter who will accomplish great things in God's kingdom, it hasn't!  We said Yes to this journey no matter how tough it would get and we intend to see it all the way through to the finish line until God says "It is finished"! This journey is not about us, it's about Him.  We said Yes and we meant it.

As you can probably tell by now, I love music.  Here's a song that speaks of our commitment to God through this adoption.  As you listen to the lyrics, think about what is God asking you to do in your life that needs a Yes to Him and His Will....something that will take you totally out of your comfort zone and cause you to rely on Him to complete.





Here are the lyrics....

Will your heart and soul say yes
Will your spirit still say yes
If I told you what I really need from thee
Would your heart and soul say yes
Soul just say...Yes

Open up your heart and tell the Lord Yes
Say yes, yeah yeah
Say I'll obey Jesus, I won't stray Jesus
But this time I've made up in my mind, I've made up in my mind
I'll say, say say yes
My soul says yes, my mind says yes, my heart says yea, yea, yes I will Jesus,
Yes,Yes
I'll do what You want me to do
I'll say what You want me to say
I'll go, if You lead me, if You lead me, if You lead me, if You lead me, if you lead me I'll go oh oh
Lift your hands and tell the Lord yes
Come on open up your heart and say yes, yes, yes
ALL God wants is yes, all God wants, all God wants, all God wants is yes, yes yes
I won't be afraid
I'll step out on Your Word
I'll declare Your glory
Yes I will, Yes I will
My soul says yea yea yea yea yea yea ~
submit your way to His, tell Him yes tell the Lord yes
I wanna do Your will Jesus,
I wanna do Your will, I wanna do Your will
My soul says yes, yes, yes,yes yea yea yea yea yea yea~
My soul say yes jesus
My soul says yes
My soul says yes
My soul says yes
He's sayin' there is more that I require of thee
There is more that I require
He's calling you higher
There is more that I require of thee (repeat)
He said don't be afraid of men and their faces
Don't be afraid, don't be afraid
There is more that I require of thee

Ethiopian-American Baby Shower -- FUN! FUN! FUN!

A really good friend of mine, niki, over at Moms Like Me (DC), shared a great event with me that I attended yesterday.  An organization called Empowerment Women International (EWI) hosted an Ethiopian-American baby shower for an Ethiopian couple.  I learned a little more about Ethiopian customs and had an opportunity to just hang with a group of great people.

One of the major differences with Ethiopian 'showers' in comparison to American baby showers is that they are not held until AFTER the baby is born.  At that time, family members and friends are invited over to bring gifts and eat something called porridge -- not the kind that you've probably tasted.  The porridge that I experienced yesterday looked like applesauce but the texture was more like a gelatin.  Personally, it wasn't my favorite dish but there were others that I really enjoyed.

The couple whom we brought gifts for Mekbib Gebertsadik and his wife, Meseret Desta are from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city and came to the DC area in 2001.  They are amazing artists and are anticipating the arrival of their first child.  Through working with EWI, they obtained business education to really get their art business off the ground.  After googling them today, I found that they are well-known in the States and of course in their homeland.  You can see additional work here:  http://www.artmesk.com/mekbib1.swf

I've been wanting to try Ethiopian food because I'd like to prepare it from time-to-time for our daughter and family.  The funny thing is that if you know me, then you know I am NOT a big risk taker when it comes to food.  I was born eating southern food and never really experimented with lots of other cultural foods.  As I said in an earlier blog post, this adoption journey is opening my life up to lots of firsts and pushing me out of my comfort zone for which I am grateful.  In doing so, here's what I had on my plate yesterday:

• Sambusa - crispy outside fried wrapper with an amazingly great filling
• Injera - a bread used to eat your food...no forks please...yes, I cheated!
• Chickpeas - liked it with the injera!
• Lentils - yep, like it with the injera!
• Cabbage - seasoning was great
• Kale --this was seasoned differently than what we do at home and it was REALLY GOOD!!!
• Porridge -- not my favorite thing to eat but it was great to at least try it.
• Rice with raisins...this was really good also.

Well...see, I surprised myself with how much I actually liked!  The funniest part was that I couldn't get the injera right!  As I mentioned, the injera is used to pick-up your food.  It has a spongy-like taste to it.  It came rolled up, almost like a small roll of paper towels.  I kept taking the roll of injera and would dip it into the chickpeas and lentils...well, this didn't pick up much food.  Smiling and sitting next to me as I ate was a beautiful elderly Ethiopian woman who tried to tell me how to eat with the injera.  This beautiful woman spoke very little English and was very soft-spoken.  Well, finally, I think she had enough of trying to tell me and decided to show me.  She took my injera roll, pulled a piece off an then told me to pick up the food...oh!!!  Now, if you really know, then you'd know that normally I would TOTALLY FREAK OUT if someone touched something in my plate...but you know what, the crazy thing was that I was just so grateful for her trying to teach me.  I ate my injera and then ate some more....the right way this time!

At the close of the event, there was a coffee ceremony; however, it wasn't the elaborate ceremony that I was expecting and hope to experience when we go over to Ethiopia to pick up our daughter.  (Stay tuned because I'm really hoping that before that time, we'll be able to host one at a venue...you don't want to miss it!  Ethiopian coffee is considered by many to be the BEST coffee.)  Yesterday's coffee ceremony was just a demonstration of the pouring of the coffee and sharing it with the guests. 

There was definitely plenty of laughter, sharing, eating, and dancing that I don't want to forget. To share my experience from yesterday, I captured a few photos and put it to a video.  The man dancing is Mekbib.  He and another Ethiopian guest decided to play a little by demonstrating a bit of Ethiopian dancing...it was fun.  Meseret is sitting with Mekbib in the first photo.   You'll see me holding my yummy plate.  You'll also get an opportunity to see some of this couple's phenomenal art work.  Enjoy!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Gotcha Day? Got Who Day?

Gotcha Day is a day celebrated by families of adopted children to recognize the day they received the child. The Gotcha Day is the day that the child was placed into the family's home for adoption, in other words, the day the family well....Gotcha!

Please know that I DO NOT like to travel.  I mean, I really don't so when God put this in my heart, I was like you want me to go where....and the flight is how long? And the conditions are what...I can't drink the water, huh?  I have to get how many shots before I travel???  Okay, God this is sooo out of my comfort zone but the crazy thing is that I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be when I think about the children there and my daughter that will be there.  I can't wait for that Gotcha Day!

To help you understand the excitement and emotion involved with Gotcha Day, I thought I'd share some past Ethiopian 'Gotcha Day' videos. There are videos that show older children as well being brought into their forever families. Turn up your volume as they all share great music to accompany the video and photos.....and just think, our family will one day be able to share the love of our daughter's Gotcha Day with you. Until then, take a peek into the lives of some of these families:

Here's one video but the family does not have it posted on YouTube. You can click here to go to their website and view it under the title "Our First Date": http://www.gracieib.blogspot.com/

....okay, i know. I owe you a box of Kleenex. (smile)

Saving Her???

You may know that for a little time now, I've been adamantly opposed to others referring to our adoption as us saving our daughter.  It's something that has gotten under my skin by very well-meaning family members and friends.  Yesterday, I started thinking about it and started asking myself the question, "Why does that term bother me so much?"

As I began to think over it, I began to realize that it all comes from my childhood.  Just before I turned 5, I was taken in and later 'adopted' into my family by my aunt and uncle after my mom died.  (They are pictured here with "C" and "MJ".)  I always worried about whether or not I would be good enough for my new parents.  I wondered if they would love me the same as their biological children.  The truth of the matter is that they did and they have.  You would have never known that my aunt and my uncle who I still call mom and dad were not my biological parents.  They never treated me any different.  In fact, sometimes my siblings thought I was the favorite child.  When I think about those years, I worried a lot about fitting into my new family no matter how much my 'new' parents tried to reassure me.

That brings us to our Ethiopian daughter.  I guess I've been so hard on anybody using the terms saving or rescuing when referencing our daughter because I don't want her to ever overhear anything from well-meaning people who might refer to her as being orphaned, rescued, or saved.  That term isn't used with regards to our two biological boys "C" or "MJ".  I simply don't want her to ever feel in heart that she might be a charity case.  Whether it's said or not, I believe when you don't live with your biological parents, you go through so much mentally and internally wondering why your parent(s) didn't fight hard for you.  There's a lot of self-talk that goes on and sometimes a lot of feeling rejected even if those around you shower you with love.  For many, many years into my early young adult life, I went through people-pleasing because of this insecurity as an adopted child.  I'm not saying that all adopted children will go through any of this; it's just my story.  Yet no matter how much I went through at the age of 5 and older, God is a complete healer.  He is a restorer.  I am amazed at what He has done in my life and who He has used to help me accomplish His purpose for my life.  Who would have thought that a child who was once orphaned herself would become a mother to an orphan?  So here I am, God.  Take all that was meant to harm me and use it for Your glory.

The truth of the matter when I look at the facts is that my husband and I ARE taking her from a life that without the proper medical treatment, nutrition, and resources, statistics say she may not reach the age of 5, nevertheless make it into adulthood.  It is our hope that as a family we will continue to sow into the lives of Ethiopian families even after her adoption.  So if this is rescuing her, I am okay with it because it's not me doing the rescuing or saving.  This is God's doing, His mission and He's the same One who has rescued and saved me time and time again. 

Post Office = Bringing Our Daughter Home

Right about now, a trip to the post office is such a happy occasion for me.  Why?  It's because I've started mailing out our fundraiser items!!!  Happy, happy, joy, joy!  I can't wait for more orders because I really enjoy making the pendants and packaging up the t-shirts with the "C" and "MJ" who send a special hug in each package...it's really cute! 

So I'm happy to say that t-shirt and necklace packages were sent out with love by the boys -- "C" and "MJ" on Saturday and are on their way to:

• Thomasville, GA
• Fort Worth, TX
• Erin, TN
• Greenbelt, MD
• Indianapolis, IN
• Artesia, NM

We were also blessed by a donation by a friend in Washington, DC!

...and from what I hear, there are a few more orders on the horizon that will be going out this week!

Drum roll, please.....(go ahead, tap your desk now...smile)  So to date, with us saving as much as we can and our fundraiser that started last week, we've saved $2,075.50 towards our goal of $3,863 to start our home study and to get our fingerprinting and some of our clearances completed.  We are thrilled because this means we are more than halfway there in starting our home study!!!  (If you remember, we're breaking our total adoption cost of $25,000 into small bite-sized pieces so that we're not overwhelmed by what we need to save.)

Thanks so much everyone for your prayers, encouragement, and financial contributions!  Keep spreading the word!

Hugs to you!

T-Shirts & Jewelry Fundraiser

We are super, super, super excited! We have partnered with Mocha Club to offer their amazing original "I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me.  If you haven't checked out Mocha Club before, see how they are changing Africa with commitments of $7 per month, mostly from college students.

Understand what this means and see the t-shirts here:

...and there's a surprise on the inside of the shirt.  It's the explanation of I Need Africa More than Africa Needs Me...

Shirts are $20 and $5 shipping via USPS within the United States.

Sizes run from Small - 2XL

To order, click here to go to our fundraiser page.

Ethiopian Glass Tile Pendants:

The second item is really special also.  I have designed and created Ethiopian glass tile pendant necklaces.   Each handmade necklace is $20 plus $5 shipping.  Find all about these handmade necklaces here.

Please share with family and friends about our new products.  Facebook it, Tweet it, and e-mail our links.   Thanks for reading!!!

Now That I Have Seen, I Am Responsible

Lyrics to Albertine by Brooke Fraser

I am sitting still
I think of Angelique
her mothers voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine
there in her eyes what I don't see with my eyes
rwanda

[CHORUS]
now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda

[CHORUS]

[BRIDGE]
I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine

[CHORUS]

I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine

Random Photo Collage: It's All About Family

On a random day like today, I thought I'd post my little photo collage that shares some of the cool people in my life...

So here's what you're lookin' at:

1.  "C" at his basketball banquet.  I'm always so proud of his public speaking skills.  At his elementary school, they have family literacy day once a month where beginning in Kindergarten, the kids practice speaking in public.  Love it!  It's worked!

2.  Yep, we're a Chuck-E-Cheese family.  One day when they've graduated from college, I know I'll long for those days that we went to Chuck-E-Cheese and spent the day playing skeet ball, basketball hoops, and eating pizza.

3.  "MJ" and I in our football jerseys.  The funny thing is that he looks like me but acts like his dad whereas "C" - our oldest - looks more like his dad but acts more like me.

4.  "MJ" and one of his cousins hanging out.

5.  Me and my babe after working hard in his mom's backyard for a summer BBQ dinner party she had for a group of teachers.

6.  One of our first family pictures.  The baby is "C" and the oldest in this picture is our son Anthony...he's grown now with a child of his own.

7.  That's "C" playing in the snow.

8.  That's me at probably 6 years old or so.  My mom (who was also my aunt...my birth mother passed away when I was young) had 3 girls.  She ALWAYS kept our hair soooo nice and neat.

9.  The brothers showing some love!

10.  My sister-in-law, my boys, and my niece/nephews.  This was so much fun.  I REALLY have the BEST sister-in-law ever!  It's so cool because her first name is the same as our birth mother's first name and her middle name is my first name....God had to have His hand in this!

11.  My self-portrait after taking the boys and one of their friends to the waterpark which is something I RARELY do without my husband.  This day was a big deal
.
12.  Me and the boys just hanging out in front of the computer.

13.  Me and my baby at a friend's wedding.  It was one of the hottest days but was one of the COOLEST weddings I've been to in a while....come to think of it, I don't get invited to too many weddings...go figure...maybe it's because most of my friends are already married...hmmm.

14.  "MJ" with his iPod.  It's really hard to find anything beyond Christian music that the boys like and that I think have decent lyrics.  I am forever googling lyrics before downloading songs they request for their iPods...sigh.

15.  Are those legs under the car??? Yep, that's Tony removing a bunch of oil out of the truck after I put way too much in the car...oops!  He said it was low...I guess not that low.

16.  That's my granddaughter.  After having 2 boys, she's the reason that I learned how to do little girl's hair.  I scoured blogs and youtube videos to get it down....thank God for the internet.

17.  "MJ" on a scooter I found at the Thrift Store for around $7.  I love thrift stores and yard sales.

18.  Our first time at Rainforest Cafe.  We hung out with my sister-in-law and her kids...no hubbies...trust me, they didn't mind!

19.  Speaking of my sister-in-law, there is my brother.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my brother.  We've gone through so much together so I think we really understand each other in a way that many people can't.  He shows me lots of love but is not afraid to challenge me when I'm wrong which I appreciate.

20.  "C" at this really cool dental office that I found.  Where was this when I was a kid???

21.  Tony and I on our very first ski trip.  He took lessons.  I was too chicken and I don't like being cold.  Maybe next time...

22.  Tony with his brother's children and a couple others.  Our kids get along really well and it's a ton of fun hanging out with their family.

23.  "C" at the waterpark with an Obama basketball that he won...doing what, yep, playing basketball.  This little boy has loved sports since he was a toddler.  He's very athletic...the funny thing is that today he told me had a body like Reggie Bush...we died laughing....although I think he really thinks he does....gotta love the boy!

That's mi familia.  I love them....there are still lots more of them for you to meet. 

Since we're talking about family, there is no way I can close this post without this all-time favorite family reunion song.  In the African-American family, I don't think it's a good family reunion or family gathering UNLESS you play this song.  Hope you enjoy....I'm grabbing a glass of lemonade and doing a two-step.  (smile)

We Are the World....Where Do You Fit?

I've got rich man's problems, what about you?  In the past week, I've heard this a couple of times.  I'm challenged by these words whenever I hear them because I'm convicted by how blessed I am.  How I was chosen to live in a land of abundance and another child thousands of miles away lives in unbelievable poverty is a mystery to me.  The fact that I can choose bottled water and a child somewhere else is dying because they don't have access to clean water just the polluted water in their village.  Or how about the fact that I have to go to the container store to organize my shoes so that they're not all over the floor and another child in a village overseas has never had a pair of shoes even at the age of 10.  How did I end up with so much but they have so little?

Could I possibly have been blessed with so much so that I can share it with those who have nothing at all?  It's a great thought but I pray the thought doesn't just stop there for me.  I pray that God disturbs me by it so much that it causes me to change.  I pray that it disturbs me so much that my goal is not to fatten up my 401K fund so that I can retire and live on easy street.  I pray that it disturbs me so much that if I fatten up my 401K fund it's so that I can cause change in the world for those who are disproportionately impoverished.  The crazy thing about a prayer like this is that I know God will do it.  I know He will disturb me and interrupt my suburban fog to the point of change.

I was a little girl when the original song We Are the World came out.  In fact, I believe my parents still have the LP in the basement of their house.  Although the focused causes are different from then to now, the words still have the same bone-chilling affect in my soul.  I pray that you don't merely enjoy it because of all of the great music artists that were brought together.  I pray that it stirs and awakens in you what you were created to do here on Earth.  We Are The World and you, yes you, have such an important part to play.  We can't do it without you and me.

Lyrics:

There comes a time
When we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it’s time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can’t go on
Pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God’s great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me

Well, send them your heart
So they know that someone cares
So there cries for help
will not be in vein
We can’t let them suffer
No we cannot turn away
Right now they need a helping hand

[Chorus]


When you’re down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There’s no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That a change can only come
When we stand together as one

Repeat Chorus 4x


We all need somebody that we can lean on
when you wake up look around and see that your dream's gone
when the earth quakes we’ll help you make it through the storm
when the floor breaks a magic carpet to stand on
we are the World united by love so strong
when the radio isn’t on you can hear the songs
a guided light on the dark road you're walking on
a sign post to find the dreams you thought was gone
someone to help you move the obstacles you stumbled on
someone to help you rebuild after the rubble’s gone
we are the World connected by a common bond
Love the whole planet sing it along

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
Got to start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me

Everyday citizens
everybody pitching in

You and I
You and I
Uh, 12 days no water
What's your will to live
we amplified the love we watching multiple
Feeling like the Worlds end
we can make the World win
Like Katrina, Africa, Indonesia
and now Haiti needs us, they need us, they need us

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
Got to start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we’ll make a better day
Just you and me

Haiti, Haiti, Ha, Ha, ha, ha, ha
Haiti, Haiti, Ha, Ha, ha, ha, ha
Haiti, Haiti, Ha, Ha, ha, ha, ha

Copycat Blessings

Back in 2007, as an independent consultant, I started selling a product line called Blessings Unlimited, a subsidiary of DaySpring and Hallmark.  The products are scripture-based and simply amazing.  In fact, I still display and use some of the pieces in my home.  I gave up selling the products and just last week threw out ALL of my catalogs and order forms.  Although Tony and I have been brainstorming about ways to increase our income to support our adoption, I totally dismissed Blessings Unlimited as an opportunity because the commission is 25% and I was thinking...hmm...25% for the sale of a box of $10 greeting cards...no, I don't think so -- I need something a lot bigger. 

Well, out of the clear blue yesterday, I got a call from the corporate office because a woman in Washington, DC wanted to place an order.  (To tell the truth, I was waiting for Ms. D from our corporate office to stop talking because I wanted to interject and tell her I've been meaning to call them to cancel my status as a consultant.  For some reason, I just couldn't do so.)  I politely told Ms. D, okay, I'll call her.  When I called this mystery customer, she was the sweetest elderly woman who said she'd been trying to reach the woman who gave her the catalog back in August but the woman wouldn't follow back up with her. Because of this, she called the home office.  We spent some time on the phone as she shared some wisdom with me about life and I later prayed with her about some situations in her own life.  When it was all said and done, this mystery customer was such a breath of fresh air in my day.  The icing on the cake was that she didn't want to place a small order.  In fact, her order totaled a little over $100.  She decided to purchase these two items:

Hope Framed Print for her granddaughter 

and a desktop compass for her grandson-to-be

I was totally blown away.  Throughout this process, I've been talking to other families about what 'they' have done to finance their adoption.  I wanted to know what worked well and what didn't so that I could try to duplicate much of it.  What I took to heart yesterday is that the way that God works out our adoption journey will sometimes be different than the way He works it out for amazing families like the Dubois', the Boyd's, the Wages', the Davis', the Kidd's, or the Bottomley's.  God is sovereign and an out-of-the-box creative kind of thinker.  Sometimes there will be delays but all the while I know that He is writing our child's love story.  He loves her and us so much that our story and testimony won't be cookie cutter.  He's created our story and testimony for a specific purpose.  I think so often we look at the lives of others and the ways they have been blessed and we want God to replicate that for us in some capacity.  Of course, we want Him to do it RIGHT NOW!  We try to put God in a box that He was never meant to occupy.  It's not that we should stop asking God for what we want and even desire because He tells us to do so; however, let's be open to the billion ways that God can work out your situation.

The funny thing about this call from Ms. D from our corporate office was that when I talked to her after I completed this sale, I was transparent with her and shared with her my thoughts about continuing with Blessings Unlimited and how I had just thrown out all of my sales aids.  I further shared with her how much I appreciated the way God used her to teach me such a valuable lesson.  What Ms. D responded with was that just earlier, she had prayed, "Lord, use me."  She wasn't specific about 'how' He should use her.  She just simply said, "Use ME" and He did.

Oh...and just in case you were wondering about Blessings Unlimited, yep, I've decided to definitely continue selling the products.  Click here to preview the products at  www.michellemckinney.blessingsdirect.com.

100% of my profits go towards the adoption.  AND YES, I've learned that even the $10 greeting card purchases are a HUGE WIN in our adoption journey.  If you'd like to support us in this way, you can choose to make a purchase now or wait until our home study is completed; it's all up to you.  Please don't forget to share the link with your family and friends.

Chew on this -- Joyce Meyer says this in her book Simple Prayer:

So we have to trust God enough to say, "You know, God, I have the confidence to ask You for anything.  But I don't want anything that is not Your will for me.  And I trust You, God.  If I don't get it I will know that the timing is  not right or that You have something better for me and I simply have not thought to ask for it yet.  But I am not going to get a bad attitude or go pout because You are not giving me everything I want."

So tell me, What about you?  What has God done in your life that has just blown you away because it's not what you were expecting at all?

Before & After on a Snowy Day

So, I tweeted earlier that I was "Sitting in my office with a seam ripper, scissors, and a skirt I don't wear anymore. Sewing machine staring at me. What will happen?"

Well, I'll tell you what happened...visions of Africa danced in my head.

Here's the skirt that's been sitting in my closet for a year.  I loved it at the time but due to the relaxed dress code of my job (which I love), I RARELY EVER wear skirts anymore so this baby has been taking up space:

 

And a few how-to conversations later with my AWAA/blog buddy Andrea, this unwanted skirt turned into the focal point of a very cool t-shirt design....so much more totally in-line with my life right now...comfortable and chic.  

I'm not sure yet but I may go in the direction of using these as our fundraiser tees.  The map colors and fabrics will all be different for each tee and I'll become more of a pro at sewing...I don't know, what do you think???

("CJ", our 10-year old, was my fashion photographer for this pic...at one point, he even said, "Open your eyes a little more." LOL.  Hopefully you'll get the gist of it to see that the skirt became a replica of the continent of Africa...do you see?)

What's the Title of Your Autobiography?

Right now in the DC area, we've been pounded with lots of snow.  I'm sure Chicago natives are getting a good laugh at us right now.  When it snows in places like Chicago, the folks there just keep it moving.  But in DC, if the weather man even calls for snow, EVERYTHING shuts down and the grocery store is jammed pack.  (I'm sure this is driving our newcomer, Barack Obama, crazy!  That's okay, we'll break him in!)  So if you don't believe the craziness of it all and you want proof, check out this grocery store line I was in yesterday...and this was the 'short' express lane...

My cart is just behind this guy's cart and then there were 7 more carts behind me...yikes!  (Just for the record, I went to the store days ago but we needed to take a relative to the store so my husband insisted that I go inside also and pick up some bacon, stuff for tacos, and more milk.)

Anyway, my point is that plenty of people here are hibernating.  With so much time on my hands, it's a great idea for me to dive into preparing for our home study.  There are lots of instructions and documents for us to read and fill-out.  In reading our Maryland Home Study guidelines, I found out my husband and I have to each write an autobiography of our life.  We're not talking about a one paragraph summary here...they are asking for approximately 2-4 typewritten pages.  Remember in school when you got these kind of assignments in school?  You'd try to double space it and if you got really creative, you figured that full justifying your document would really make the page look full!  LOL.  Knowing how thorough the requirements are, I'm thinking double-spacing and full justifying my document won't count!  It's all good because if that means it brings us one step closer to baby girl, let the writing commence.  Now if you know Tony and I pretty well, you'll know that I enjoy writing....now my baby Tony on the other hand, he'd rather be sentenced to changing baby girl's poopy diapers for a year by himself....hmmm...sounds like some bartering may be taking place soon.  (BIG smile)  But seriously, I'm sure I'll be taking notes soon while he dictates his life story to me.  And that's okay too because it's the yin and the yang of our marriage.

All of this got me thinking about my life story and how each of us has a book.  Whether you actually sit down and write your autobiography or not, we all have a story to tell.  If I had to write an autobiography of my life, here's what I'd title it and why:

My Book Title:  Not Forgotten
Why:  I always thought the death of my mom when I was young defined who I was going to be.  Although I missed so much from not having my biological mom in my life, God never forgot about me and the maternal nurturing I would need.  He sent woman after woman into my life to love on me, challenge me, and guide me along the path that God had created just for me.  Time and time again, God has shown me in my life that he has not forgotten about me.  He continues to restore all that I felt that I missed in my childhood and blesses me with so much more...more than I could ever ask, imagine, or think.  What I've learned through these years is that while my mom's death was a defining moment, it wasn't the whole book.  It was the introduction and the chapters of my life are still being written.

So that's me.

Your turn:  If you wrote your autobiography today, what would be the title of your book and why?

It's Home Study Time!!!

Our next major stop on the adoption train is the completion of our home study.

What is a Home Study?

The homestudy is a major part of the adoption process.  It allows our adoption agency, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Office (USCIS), and foreign government to assess our ability as parents to provide a loving and stable home for our adopted child.  It can be intimidating in the beginning to know that you and your family will be asked very personal questions and have every crevice of your life analyzed for someone to make a determination about whether or not you're a good parent.  At the same time, I'm anxious to get started because this is such a big piece to the puzzle.

In order to start our home study, we must finish saving for our home study fee and what I've called Phase One of the adoption process. 

Phase One

Application Fees:  $250 (PAID)

1st Installment program Fee:  $1,500 (PAID)

Home Study, Training, Background Checks, & Miscellaneous Documents:  $3,863 (Still Saving)

If you'll remember, we estimate that the total adoption cost will be around $25K.  What we are doing so that we are not overwhelmed is eating the financial elephant one bite at a time...so to speak.  By breaking this number into smaller goals, it definitely feels more attainable.
So to-date, we have saved $1252.02 towards the $3863 home study part of this goal.  We've already paid for the other two items in this phase.

I'm using this blog so that our supporters can cheer us on and so that we can chart our progress.  At this stage of the process, we are holding off on asking for support until we complete the home study which we feel gives us more of a green light to move forward with the adoption.  So what do we need from you???  Simply cheer us on and pray for us.  If you'd still like to donate towards the adoption prior to the completion of the home study, feel free to do so...ya know we won't turn that down (smile).

So here's our cute little Ethiopian piggy bank where we place our savings.  I try to go to the bank each week so that we can see our savings amount move up frequently....isn't it adorable???

 To help feed our little piggy because we definitely want it to get nice and fat (smile), we'll be doing a number of things.  We are:

• continuing to dramatically shrink our household expenses.
• selling some items on Ebay, Craigslist, and online garage sales (be on the lookout for some great deals!)
• taking some side work job assignments such as Tony fixing computers and me doing some administrative work (typing, organizing files, etc.).  If you know anyone who would like either of these services, please let us know.

We'll keep you posted on how things are going but before I let you go, I have to tell you how stoked I was when I saw the below image.  I've been with our staff in Leesburg, VA since last Thursday (I just got home on Sunday afternoon).  We were snowed in with 35 inches of snow on the ground.  As I was passing through the lobby, I saw the flight board.  It caught my eye so much, that I backed up quickly to do a double-take....can you see, can you see???  Pretty much all of the flights out of Dulles Airport were canceled except this one...

Hopefully, the next time I see this flight on a board again, I'll actually be getting ready to board it with my hubby en route to pick up baby girl!

Much love!

I Got A Facelift & Adoption Q&A

Yep, while I was on vacation from work for about a week, I got a facelift!  Well my physical body didn't get one but this blog sure did thanks to Katie over at Polka Dot Pig.  She's creative, does amazing work, has very reasonable prices, and her turnaround time is wonderful.  She also creates these amazing word albums (and a few other things) that are fantastic gifts.  I can't wait to order one for our little girl!  Check them out here!

So I thought I'd get things started with this new facelift by answering questions that others have asked about our family pursuing adoption from Ethiopia.  Let's roll...

"I thought you and Tony were finished having children.  Didn't Michelle even go as far as having her tubes tied shortly after giving birth to your youngest son?"
Have you ever heard that saying that goes, "Man plans and God laughs"?  I think that is so true in our case.  I was never one to want a large family; in fact, in my high school/college years, my friends could tell you that a family was so not a part of my jet-setting plans!  LOL.  Although we had talked about adoption very early in our marriage, after finally getting the hang of our boy's schedules and also going through our share of marriage trials (as do all married couples), we decided two little boys were enough.  (smile)  In fact, I had my tubes tied "the day" my ob/gyn gave me the green light and Tony signed the consent form (a necessity since I was 26 and according to the doctors had many child-bearing years left in me--smile).  After making that decision and over the life of our 12 years of marriage, my life has changed so much thanks to my relationship with God and the growth in my relationship with my husband.  Both of them have had a major influence in my personality, focus, and priorities.  I  began to do a shift that I believe are clearly more in line with God's purpose for my life/our life together.  (If you notice my language in the beginning of this paragraph, there is a lot of focus on what "I" wanted.  "I" never considered what God wanted from us as a family.)    Isaiah 55:8 (New Living Translation) says "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts" says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."  WHOA!  When God began to plant this desire to pursue adoption again, the crazy thing is that although we have this longing for a little girl, NOTHING in me longs to have a 'biological' child.  Nothing in me longs to go through pregnancy again....absolutely nothing.  I have to attribute this desire to God because if I did have any of that longing, knowing how determined I am and how much I love research, I would be doing everything in my power to reverse the tubaligation and go through the fertility process.  That's not my desire.  It's not my husband's desire.  We can only explain it as this has to be God's desire for our family.

"Why not adopt a child from the USA?  There are so many children here who need to be adopted.  Also, what made you choose Ethiopia as opposed to other countries?  With the devastation in Haiti, why not Haiti?"
Hmmm....those are great questions.  It's slightly similar to a man/woman who is going out to buy a car.  Some choose to buy foreign cars whereas others feel that domestic is the absolute only way...support local families, jobs/workforce, and business in the U.S.  Clearly, we're not  buying a car, goods, or even 'buying' a child (although some like to use those words which are absolutely incorrect.....after all, aren't there expenses associated with the children that you give birth to...medical, hospital, childcare, education, etc.)  Back to my point, what you choose still just comes down to a personal preference.  For some, what I am going to say may be pushed away as being "super" spiritual and if so, that's okay too because my answer is just absolute truth.  The only way to really explain this is to say that God has given us a burden for Ethiopia.  It has started with me and Tony is in agreement.  I have such a longing for Ethiopia.  I've never been and in fact I've never enjoyed traveling.  Even as I type this response, I'm holding back tears just thinking about Ethiopia.  My heart longs.  My heart aches.  My heart is burdened for Ethiopia which I believe goes beyond my daughter.  I can't explain it.  I didn't see a video about suffering in Ethiopia that changed my heart.  I didn't go on a missions trip that shifted my heart.  All I know is that there is a nagging on my heart and in my very being for a nation that I have never known.  Sure, there are many children in the USA and Haiti that need mommies, daddies, and families.  I can't deny that.  I also cannot deny what God has put in my heart for our family and my husband stands in agreement about it.  We are at peace about it and really pray that our family and friends would be at peace with it too.  At the same time, we understand that God has given the vision to us and not to them.  With that said, peace abounds but we can't deny that sometimes the snide comments, and lack of support hurts.

"What about your boys, MJ and C, how do they feel about the adoption and having a little sister?
They are so excited!  They just can't wait for us to finally get placed with a child and bring her home.  We're confident that they will adjust really well.  They even put their coins and sometimes dollars into our piggy bank.


"What would you say has been the greatest challenge with regard to foreign adoption?"
Honestly, being totally real with you, the cost of the adoption is the hugest challenge.  No matter how many families you talk to that are in our position, you'll probably get this same answer.  There seems to be more opportunities for financial breaks for domestic adoptions whereas international adoptions bring in their own set of additional costs.


"If you don't mind me asking, exactly how much will the adoption cost?"
The total cost is estimated at around $25,000 which includes our travel for me and Tony to pick-up our daughter.  This cost includes fees to our agency to work on our behalf, childcare/medical and orphanage charges for our daughter while in Ethiopia, hours of required training for me and Tony, homestudy (thorough investigation of our family by a social worker), and TONS of paperwork that must be authenticated for the United States and Ethiopian governments.  We truly don't mind this question because our desire is to share as much information as possible about our adoption journey and remain totally transparent as a way to educate others who hopefully would like to adopt (whether domestically or internationally). Our second desire is that our family, friends, and acquaintances will be prayerful about financially supporting our adoption once we have completed our homestudy.

"How do you keep the faith amidst setbacks?"
To be honest, sometimes it's tough.  Just like anything else in life, sometimes we experience doubt that God would deem us worthy enough to be blessed with such an amazing opportunity to expand our family.  We really believe that this little one will be more of a blessing to us than we will be to her.  (Just as a side note, please, please, please, do not refer to our adoption as us saving her.  We are not saving her.  Yes, we believe that we can provide opportunities for her that she otherwise may not receive while in Ethiopia and in an orphanage but please understand, we are just so blessed to be a part of something so big that God will do in her life and in the lives of others in Ethiopia through extended missions work in Ethiopia after our adoption is completed.)


There are times when my faith is low in terms of the mountains that we must climb through the this journey.  In fact, there are some times when I don't feel/see God's hand at work in our situation.  There are times that I want to rush the process.  Right now, as I type this I'm listening to a song that I discovered today by one of my favorite singers, Brooke Fraser.  It's called "Faithful". The verses say:

There's a distance in the air and I cannot make it leave

I wave my arms 'round about me and blow with all my might

I cannot sense you close, though I know you're always here

But the comfort of You near is what I long for

When I can't feel You, I have learned to reach out just the same

When I can't hear You, I know You still hear every word I pray

And I want You more than I want to live another day

And as I wait for You maybe I'm made more faithful

WOW!!!!  What if in this process, God is doing such a work in me that even the waiting, the heartache, and the disappointments cause me to willingly become more faithful, more hungry, more thirsty for my relationship and intimacy with God.  For that alone, every heartache and disappointment is worth it if it makes me desperate for my Savior.  It's so worth it! 

Thanks so much for your interest and questions to get more clarity.  We really appreciate it!  If you have more questions, just leave them in the comments section of this blog post.

Much love!

Ways to Support Baby Girl's Adoption

Adoption is such an amazing opportunity for prospective parents and children but there are often obstacles that can stand in the way of uniting an orphan with their forever family.  If you are wondering how you can assist us in bringing baby girl home, we've listed some ways below.  Please remember EVERY person's efforts counts!

• Pray:  Please pray for baby girl, her birth family, Ethiopia, the 147 million orphans in the world, and our family.  Please pray for the process which we have to go through with the adoption.  It's a long process and can sometimes feel discouraging, overwhelming, and fearful.

• Financially Support Our Adoption:  Whether you contribute $1 or $1,000, every single dollar goes towards the cost of bringing baby girl home.  If we find that we are overwhelmingly blessed by financial contributions, the remainder of those funds will go towards helping other families bring home their adoptive child(ren).  For now, you can make donations by sending checks and money orders.  Please contact me at michelle365@me.com for the mailing address.  If you'd like to give on-line, you can do so via PayPal by clicking here.  If you'd prefer to mail your contribution, please send it to our post office box at:

Michelle & Anthony McKinney

P.O. Box 4965

Largo, MD  20775-4965

•  Purchase a T-Shirt or Other Fundraiser Item: Partner with us by purchasing a t-shirt or another fundraising item.  All of the items for our fundraisers make excellent gifts.  Take a look here.
  

• Share the Plight of Orphans:  Consider adoption as an avenue for you and your family to make the total number of orphans in the world 147 million MINUS ONE.  You may also consider becoming a foster parent.  Other ways to help orphans is to support families who have become foster parents, donate goods/services/finances/time to foster group homes, or sponsor a child through agencies such as Compassion and World Vision.

Still in Love: Me & Tony

My husband and I have been married for 11 years now and I am so happy to say that I am still sooo in love with him. Now don’t get me wrong we’ve had what has felt like more than our share of challenges in our marriage from the very start. We’ve struggled through having a blended family, financial challenges, balancing home/career, both or one of us not feeling loved and/or respected in the marriage, and a boatload of other things that you probably cannot even begin to imagine…or maybe you can because if you’re married, you may have your own challenges that the two of you have conquered/are conquering.

When I say I am still ‘in love’ with Tony, it has nothing to do with my emotions or butterflies when he comes into the room. I’ve learned over the years, that my roller coaster of emotions can’t be trusted; they are as fickle as my moods and hormones! Instead, me being ’still in love’ is really about my commitment to him, God, and our marriage. Me being still ‘in love’ with him also has nothing to do with what he does or in my eyes ‘doesn’t do’. It has everything to do however with my commitment to Christ.

Just in case you’re not a Christian, give me just a moment to explain before you click me off. These are my convictions and what I am held to as a believer. You see, I believe that Jesus Christ is synonymous with Love. As a believer, I believe that I am also in Christ. So for me, when I say I am ‘IN LOVE’, it really has everything to do with me being ‘IN Christ’ and seeking to love others, especially my husband, with the same type of love that Christ illustrates…agape love. Agape love being the type of love that is unconditional and not reciprocal. This kind of ‘in love’ with my husband means that I see him through the eyes that Jesus Christ sees him. It means that I seek to fully practice 1 Corinthians 13 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2013;&version=31;). Paying special attention to verses 4-7 which states “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Every time I hear someone read this passage, especially at a wedding, I’m thinking in my mind…awwww….that is soooo nice. Now let’s fast forward to days later (okay, well sometimes, hours later) into the real life of my marriage when things aren’t necessarily clicking on all cylinders in terms of us communicating well or meeting ‘expectations’ that we place on one another….now that’s a whole separate discussion. In any case, it’s during these difficult times that I need and rely on God’s help to help me have that kind of love that is discussed in this chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. I HAVE TO, it’s not an option, see my husband through the eyes of God. When I pray and ask God to see my husband through His set of eyes, even after a disagreement or disappointment, it’s so much easier for me to be patient and kind because God is patient and kind with me. In God’s eyes, it’s much more difficult for me to keep records of wrongs because God keeps no records of my wrongs when I ask for forgiveness. I have tried it and know that it is impossible for me to have a successful marriage unless I am in Christ so that I can remain IN LOVE with my husband.

I don’t get it right 365 days a year, yet each day, I’m learning that marriage is LESS about me getting my way and MORE about me becoming and looking more like Christ. So before you give up or call it quits, ask God what is He trying to teach you about becoming more like Him through your marriage. To set the record straight, I deeply love my husband but I am finding that to have a lasting marriage, it is so much more important for me to be ‘IN LOVE’ with him, especially in the difficult times.


What do you think is the most challenging thing about marriage?

Focus Friday: Children in Haiti

This week, there has been so much heartache for Haiti.  Prayers and support has poured out all across the globe to help with the devastation.  In no way can I begin to imagine the pain experienced by those who are there.  Especially for the children affected, I can't wrap my head around the emotions they must be going through right now.  As you pray and support Haiti, please remember the children.  I don't know why God allows pain like this but what I do know is that He is sovereign.  What I also know is that we can unite in praying for Haiti.  While it is important that we use our financial and physical resources to support Haiti, prayer is the most effective tool that we have.  I'm reminded of the Lord's words to Solomon 2 Chronicles 7:13-16:

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there."

Let me be clear that in sharing that verse that I am in NO WAY implying that Haiti is a land of sinners and so we must pray...please get off of that!  If that were my point, then hold on to your seat because each of us should be experiencing our own little earthquake right now!  (smile)  I'm simply emphasizing the importance of prayer. 

Take a look at Save the Children's discussion about the children of Haiti during this turmoil:

Below, I have listed the names of reputable organizations if you are interested and moved to donate. In many cases, support is as quick as a text message from your mobile phone.  In the words of Haitian Born music star Wyclef Jean, "idle hands will only make this tragedy worse".

Save the Children

https://secure.savethechildren.org/01/web_e_haiti_earthquake_10

World Vision

http://www.worldvision.org/worldvision/eappeal.nsf/egift-haiti-earthquake-relief?Open&campaign=113655125&cmp=KNC-113655125

American Red Cross

https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=1721482090&df_id=4437&4437.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=swslr04pa2.app196a

Yele – Wyclef Jean’s Non-Profit

http://www.yele.org/donation/

As you seek other ways and venues to support Haitian Earthquake relief, please click here to review the precautions provided by the FBI to avoid scams. 

Much love,

Michelle

Focus Friday: Pray for Kate McRae

Focus Friday is all about turning the attention away from me and my family...our small world...and focusing on someone else.

Today, I'd like to focus on Kate McRae.  At the end of this post, you'll find the video of her parent's sharing part of her story shortly after finding out about this massive tumor on her little brain.  

Please take the time to pray for Kate....she needs your prayers...it doesn't cost you a thing except your time....such a small donation that reaps so much.  Can we count on you?  Please watch the below video in its entirety....

As I type this blog post, it is 2am and my own babies are tucked in their beds, healthy, without any pains or cares so my heart goes out to the McCrae family.  Although they didn't ask for it, please also pray for their marriage because I know that sometimes tragedies like this can take their toll on a marriage.

Want to keep up with Kate's Story?

Here is Kate's website to keep up with more up-to-date information:  www.prayforkate.com

If you're on Twitter, you can follow her parents, Aaron (http://twitter.com/aaronmcrae) and Holly (http://twitter.com/hollymcrae) for more frequent updates on how Kate is doing day-to-day.

Want to support the McRae family?

Beyond your prayers which we believe to be the greatest gift, if you'd like to support the McRae family financially, here's more information:  http://prayforkate.com/#/support/

Want to share Kate's story?

Repost it to your Facebook page, Twitter account, or your own blog.  Ask your family and friends to pray for her.  If it's easier for you, just copy and paste the link to this blog post or Kate's website to an e-mail....whatever works but just rally the nation to pray for her....yes, YOU....one person can make a HUGE difference.

Much love,

Michelle

What a Tony the Tiger.....GRRREAT morning!

It is a Tony the Tiger kind of GRRREAT morning!  I'm sitting in Starbucks (it's my day off), sipping on a venti Caramel Apple Spice, and thinking about what happened yesterday.

Yesterday, I took a 35 minute drive to McLean, VA to drop off our adoption agreement and make our initial deposit!!!  Wow!  It was sooo exciting.  Excited because we're moving along in the process with the adoption.  Excited because of the provisions that God made to even have the funds to use thanks to a sweet angel family that blessed us and the grinding we've been doing to purposely and consistently put money into our adoption account.  Thank you Lord!  

I love McLean, VA because I think it's such a beautiful community.  When I arrived at the agency's building and went to the floor where they are located, I was greeted by the most amazing staff!  The office is so warm and feels like someone's home.  They just radiate love in that place.  In fact, I told the ladies that all I needed was a blanket, fireplace, and a cup of cocoa!

I absolutely adore our intake coordinator, Ms. A., she's fabulous!  If you ever begin to consider the possibility of adoption, take a look at America World....their hearts are fabulous! By this Friday, we'll get the name of our adoption coordinator and the instructions for the homestudy process.  

Next stop on the adoption train for us....saving the additional funds to take care of the homestudy fee and completing an online training course that our agency requires of prospective parents.  In the next few weeks, I hope to get a timeline up on our blog of the steps involved in the adoption process so that you can chart the course with us.  Thanks for your love and keep prayin'!

In the meantime, take a look at this family's amazing journey to a family of 3 teenagers in Ethiopia that are now a part of their family.  It makes me cry every time I see how the 'Power of One' can change someone else's eternity.

Baby Smell & Day Dreaming

I've recently had the pleasure of washing the clothes of a relative's baby girl. I've also learned to even do her hair pretty well (that is, thanks to Nikki's blog at http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/). Right now, I am just absolutely smitten, in love with the thought that we will prayerfully have a little girl living with us within the next year and a half.

A blogging buddy of mine (http://threeplusone--ethiopiaherewecome.blogspot.com/) is actually in Ethiopia as I write this picking up their beautiful little girl. Another blogging family (http://asformyhousehold.blogspot.com/) just received their referral for their little boy. Hopefully, they'll be traveling in the next couple of months to bring home their precious son. I am sooooo thrilled for both of these families. It's so exciting.

As I daydream, I dream of the day when I will finally convert my home office to a nursery filled with pinks and maybe browns. I dream of the day when Tony and I will travel to Ethiopia to experience her culture and see where she has grown up. I dream of the day when we will get the phone call and see the pictures of our sweet little girl. Most of all, what I really can't wait for is to get that first smell and snuggle with her. It's something that can't be captured with words. How can you have love this deep for someone that you've never even met???

The only way I know this is possible is that this love must be planted in my heart from God. Only He can do something so amazing like this within me....and for that I am ever so humbled and thankful.