Corban in Ethiopia: A Picture at the Spot

I meant to put this in the other post about Corban going to Ethiopia.....but just forgot. 

I posted this picture on Facebook when we landed at Dulles International Airport  in Washington DC.  The description I put "Ladies and Gentleman: As of this moment, the newest U.S. citizen is Elias Dereje Reinard. We made it! Just a car ride tomorrow morning between us and home."

So the deal is that because we already cleared the Embassy in Addis Ababa....as soon as we cleared customs in the airport, Elias becomes a citizen.  Pretty cool right? 

Here's where it gets cooler.  We didn't just randomly take this picture.  This picture is taken in (as close to the real) the spot where we first met Corban.  They've re-designed the waiting area....but we are standing where we met a little toddler Corban who was very afraid and confused at what was going on.  He had been on a plane for hours and hours and didn't know us at all.  The spot where this picture is taken, is part of our journey with both boys. 

How cool is that?

Ethiopia Trip #1: Perception of Ethiopia

So what do you know about Ethiopia? 

You probably know it's in Africa.  But where?  East?  West?  South?  North?  Could you put your finger immediately on it if you were given a map?  Is it on the coast? 

What about the weather?  It's Africa right?....so it must be pretty hot.  Right?  Every movie you've seen of Africa is either deserts or jungle....so it has to be either hot and dry or hot and wet.  Right? 

How about animals?  Africa means Elephants, giraffes, crocodiles, and monkeys. 


OK let's be done with the guessing game.  Let me tell you about the country of Ethiopia that we continue to fall deeper in love with.

Ethiopia is located in Eastern Africa in an area referred to as the Horn of Africa.....because it looks like a horn.  See that was easy.   Ethiopia is a land locked country.  This creates some problems for the country....which you can probably imagine.  Importing things isn't easy or cheap. 

We talked to several people about cars particularly.  Most vehicles are old Toyota's.  Taxi cabs are early 90's Lavda's from Russia.  HOWEVER....a nice shape 92 Toyota Corolla would still cost 15k US!!!  There are a couple Chinese car manufacturers in country, but everyone says they're garbage and parts are hard to come by.  If you can figure out how to cheaply import Toyota's to Ethiopia you're golden!

Ethiopia is not a desert.  Though there are tiny parts of the country that are the edge of deserts.  It is not a jungle either.  I think of Ethiopia as lush.  It's green.  When I was a kid in the 80's we saw the massive drought in Ethiopia where thousands died of malnutrition......that's not Ethiopia today. Check out this picture we took just outside the city.   Be honest, if I hadn't told you where I that was...would you have guessed?  Doubtful.

 

Here are pictures from outside our house and from the top of a mountain looking down on Addis. 

Average temperature most of the year is in the mid-70's.  In rainy season (when we were there....Aug, Sept some of Oct) it's in the low to mid 60's and damp.  Since it doesn't get super cold few people have heaters.....so damp is everywhere.  Not exactly what you think of when you think Africa huh?

While we're at it, let's talk elevation.  Addis Ababa is HIGH.  You know when it's football season and everyone talks about playing in Denver and how the teams need oxygen and so forth.  Addis looks down on Denver.  Elevation in Denver is 5,690 ft.  Addis elevation is 7,726 feet.  I would get winded jogging up stairs.

 OK animals.  Yes there are giraffe's and elephants and hippos and so forth....but not in the quantities that you think.  When most people think of African animals, you're really thinking of Kenya.  Kenya is known for it's Safari tours.  So yes they're here, but much like the jungle that's not really here....neither are the animals like you think of in Tarzan movies.

But speaking of animals.....there are goats, and sheep, and cows all over the place....including walking across the city.  Actually the night we left there was a traffic jam because a cow was killed crossing a road by being hit with a car.  Boys about Corban's age take care of these flocks that roam around.  We actually called this trip.....the whip trip.  It seemed like all these boys discovered whips.  They cracked them for fun from dawn till dusk. 

Morning Frustration

This post is not sanctioned by my wife, our agency or the new Pope (though some of those might agree anyway)...it's just Aaron.


I'm ready.  I'm ready to know.  I'm ready for a picture.  I'm ready to see the eyes of our next child.  I'm ready to cry when I get that picture.  I'm ready to stare for hours at that picture and pour over every detail of their face.  I'm ready to speculate about how we're going to do their hair.  I'm ready to wonder what their daily routine is and how that's going to fit into our schedule.  I'm ready. 

Paperwork is officially done.  

Nothing is holding us back from knowing.....except time.  This is a hard wait.  This isn't the "your child is growing up on the other side of the world" wait.  With that one, at least I know who it is.  If I had to, I could get on a plane and get to them.  This one is, "who is it"...."when will we know".....and for Marjorie it's "when can I start decorating for them". 

I'm ready.  Any time now.

water

Today was our last homestudy visit. It was not as much of a relief as I hoped.  We were told we need to get a background clearance (which is not uncomplicated) for myself from Canada before our homestudy is final. 
It makes me want to be unfriendly to people.  To yell.  Is all this worth it I ask?
I read my post again about my trip to Ethiopia and the things I encountered there.
I hug and kiss my boys.
I look again at our family picture at the top of the page.
The reason all this is so difficult, is that we don't yet know for whom we are doing it for. 
Who is the question mark?  
If we knew it would be easier to plod on.
I'm reminded again of our verse Isaiah 43. 
It seems we are in the desert.  I need water, God will provide water.
water is tears.  water is rest/oasis.  water is strength to keep going. 
We keep going.  

Quick News, Thoughts and Updates 9/7

Just another quick update on what's happening around these parts....

-Sadly the Bring Love In event was cancelled.  Bummer.  We had this on our plans since early summer.  We're hoping to stop in to see the Benkert's when we have to travel.

-Laura from Pitter Patter Art gave away one of our T-shirts and our blog BLEW UP!  Awesome traffic.  Not sure how many of those folks will be following from here on out, but if that's you....welcome.

-Because of that, we've made some more t-shirt sales as well.  Now if the other people who "loved our shirts" but didn't win would order we'd be golden! HA.

-In T-shirt news...we made a second order that should be in next week.  We have a couple orders waiting to be filled.  If you've ordered a shirt and haven't got it yet (particularly mediums) it'll go out the day we get them...next week.  If you haven't ordered a shirt....you should.


-Our shirt design is on Pinterest.  I don't understand Pinterest at all, but if you're on there, "repin" us or do whatever it is that you do with that sort of thing.....That's here

-Monday is a kind-of big day for us.  Our homestudy lady (Nanci) comes for (hopefully) the last time until after #3 comes home.  We'd really appreciate it if you'd join us on Monday in prayer.  Thanks in advance.

-If you haven't already done so, you should sign up for instant updates on the right hand column.  You'll get an e-mail every time we update the blog, or if you're a blogger and have an RSS feed you can use that feature as well.  Feel free to share with others the process and what we're doing.

25 years

No...not of marriage.

This past Sunday church was out at Mission Meadows where we spent a week this summer while I (Aaron) taught at their Jr. High camp.  Every year on Labor Day weekend the district Covenant churches combine out at camp for Sunday worship.  It was good. Real good.

Two things stuck out for me:

1.  The pastor (Boaz Johnson), a professor at North Park University, sung the Benediction over us in Hebrew.  It rocked my socks.  For whatever reason I got instantly emotional.

2.  The second forced me to think a little harder.  It was the children's sermon.  Pastor Adam was talking about patience and waiting.  Now these are topics that I'm familiar with.  I've taught them myself before.  Particularly when we were waiting for Corban to come home, but again with Tobiah, God taught us a lot about patience.  So it's not like I wasn't ready for what was coming.....

He talked about Abraham.  Again....a story I'm familiar with....he reminded me that God promised Abraham that he would be the father of nations....and then 25 years goes by.  25 years! It was one of those times in life where I knew something but I needed someone else to say it out loud for it to register. 

So I re-read the whole chunk of Abraham today.  Here's what I got.  In Genesis 12, God makes a covenant with Abram and tells him that he is going to be the father of a great nation that God is going to use to impact the world.  Which is pretty awesome.  Except that God doesn't say that it's going to happen right away.  Abraham waits.  And waits.  And waits. 

Then he and Sarah try to take matters into their own hands.  Sarah gives Abraham (still Abram for those keeping track at home) her servant Hagar because God isn't making things happen quick enough.  Hagar gets pregnant and has Ishmael.....which isn't exactly what God had in mind.

It's not until Chapter 21....25 years later, that God's plan starts to take shape when Isaac is born.

As we finish up this paperwork I've been a little stressed.  I just want to be done with this portion of the process.  I want to move one.  I'm very aware that we're a long way off.  I'm that we have a lot of waiting yet to go.  I don't want to take matters into my own hands.  This was a great reminder of God's plan and it's perfectness.

I needed that.

Quick News, Thoughts, Updates 8/27

I realized that we haven't been incredibly good about updating lately.  I thought it would be good to just throw a bunch of stuff out there for you.

-Lots of people have been asking things like, "how's the adoption going?"  "when do you get your child?" "are you close?"   fine, no and no.  We'd like to believe that NEXT YEAR at this time we'll have great things to tell people.  What have we been doing?  Paperwork........still.

-Update of where we are with that.....NEXT week our awesome homestudy lady comes for our (hopefully) final visit.  We're working furiously to finish our paperwork for the homestudy.

-Because we're trying to double up on paperwork, we want to have our dossier done a week or so after that so that we're done with our part for awhile.  It's a little overwhelming, but with school starting tomorrow I (Aaron) hope to have a little more time to get to stuff.

-Bring Love In (well not the entire orginization...just the Benkert's) are coming this weekend.  SUPER stoked.  If you're local remember 7pm at the Crossing.  BE THERE!!!  Hoping the Benkert's can use our house as a retreat for a few days of relaxing.

-School starts tomorrow!!!!!!  Corban has spent all summer talking about how he misses his friends...and now doesn't want to go back to school even though his friends are there.  Tobiah has spent the summer not caring one bit about his friends...and now can't wait for school tomorrow so he can see his friends and his teacher.  We have had an awesome summer of Daddy Day Camp, but I'm kind of looking forward to a new routine of getting some more stuff accomplished in the mornings while T's at pre-school.

-T-shirts are selling slow but sure.  Adult Smalls are going faster than other sizes....if you want one before the next printing, you better get it now.  This is also me saying "you should buy a shirt."

I leave you with a picture of a normal day at our house.  The boys were in the other room and this happened.




























EDIT:  I just went and counted the T-shirts....on 2 smalls and 3 mediums left!!!!  Get them now!!!!

My new shirt

So yesterday a package arrived addressed to Marjorie.  I called her asking her what she ordered and if I needed to open it right away....turns out it was a very late birthday present for me and I was allowed to open it.  It's a new shirt!  If you can't tell, it says "Superman was adopted."  Awesome.

(I know mom, I need a haircut again...I'm working on it.)

Isaiah 43

Isaiah 43 

But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze. 
 These are verses that we claim for our child.  God has or is creating our child, God knows their name and they are His, even before we know them.  Prior to our child being adopted there are difficult things he/she will be struggling through that we currently don't know about.  God does.  God is there and will see him/her through.  In spite of those difficult circumstances God is seeing a path clear for our child, and will be redeeming their situation.

³ For I am the Lord your God,

    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom,

    Cush^[a] and Seba in your stead.

⁴ Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

    and because I love you,

I will give people in exchange for you,

    nations in exchange for your life.

⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
    I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west. 
This is a verse for us!

⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring my sons from afar

    and my daughters from the ends of the earth —
Bring our sons from afar?...daughters from the ends of the earth?  We're not making this up!  

⁷ everyone who is called by my name,

    whom I created for my glory,

    whom I formed and made. ”

⁸ Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
    who have ears but are deaf.
⁹ All the nations gather together
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold this
    and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
    so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
¹⁰ “You are my witnesses, ” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.
¹¹ I, even I, am the Lord,
    and apart from me there is no savior.
¹² I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses, ” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
¹³     Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

¹⁴ This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,^[b]
    in the ships in which they took pride.
¹⁵ I am the Lord, your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator, your King. ”

¹⁶ This is what the Lord says—

    he who made a way through the sea,

    a path through the mighty waters,

¹⁷ who drew out the chariots and horses,

    the army and reinforcements together,

and they lay there, never to rise again,

    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

¹⁸ “Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.
²⁰ The wild animals honor me,
    the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
²¹     the people I formed for myself
    that they may proclaim my praise. 
vs 18-21 spoke to Aaron particularly, as God is doing a new thing in our lives, pulling us from our comfort zones.  God is going to provide water/a way/money where there is none.  So that we can praise Him, so that the wild animals will not need to.   We want all the praise to go to God for the work He is doing. 

²² “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied yourselves for^[c] me, Israel.
²³ You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,
    nor honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands for incense.
²⁴ You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me,
    or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied me with your offenses.

²⁵ “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions, for my own sake,
    and remembers your sins no more.
²⁶ Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;
    state the case for your innocence.
²⁷ Your first father sinned;
    those I sent to teach you rebelled against me.
²⁸ So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction^[d]
    and Israel to scorn.

Fast Tuesday Recap

I thought it would be appropriate to update you on what actually happened on Fast-Tuesday (today) and at the same time thank you for your prayers (whether you were fasting with us or not).

You'll remember that I talked about Levi and Jessi Benkert who live in Ethiopia and are working toward creating permanent homes IN Ethiopia for orphans.  They have had hurdles in the past and asked for people to pray and fast with them on Tuesday (today).

Our first homestudy for our newest adoption was also Tuesday so we found it a perfect time to be in prayer and fasting and asked if maybe others would join with us in that.

So here's our recap:

-First thank you to all who were fasting and praying for us (even if you weren't fasting).  It was a time of learning and growing for Marjorie and I.

-The funny part about saying "Tuesday" is that for the Benkert's...Tuesday is 10pm-10am yesterday-today our time EST.  So by the time we got up we already had word of what God was doing in Ethiopia while they fast and prayed!  They had their first girl placed in one of their "forever families".  This is big because it means the end of processing and that they are now officially a place for children who have been dropped off at local police centers.  VERY COOL!     Read more here.

-Our homestudy was awesome.  We have had the pleasure of working with the same lady for all three adoptions.  She works with Catholic Charities out of Dubois PA.  She makes the drive up for us.  Here's some cool stuff....since she's done the previous two homestudies for us, she's just going to update the last one she did instead of going through a long drawn out process of doing it all over again.  This is great because it means one less visit and hours less time talking and rewriting.  ALSO....because she's helped us bring our two boys home she's excited to come to our house and see skinny tall Corban who came home as a wobbly chubby toddler and the growth in Tobiah too.  She loves our energy and excitement and is really helpful in getting us where we need to go quickly.

-The day of fasting was "fruitful" in our thinking about what we're doing.  We talked about ideas and things we want to see happen.  Things we need communicate clearer here on the blog.  Different ways in which people can partner with us.  We'll be working on these shortly.  Thank you again for journeying with us.

ethiopia trip 2011

So many of you are thinking, well it was just a matter of time, that Marjorie would get the idea of adopting again since she took that trip last year to Ethiopia to visit the orphanages.....

Well, maybe that makes sense sort of....yet Aaron and I have been aware of the plight of orphans and been on mission trips before.  We (just like anyone else reading this) are comfortable in our current life, and if God hadn't gotten our attention and moved us out of our comfort zone, you wouldn't be reading this blog.

Prior to last years trip, I would say that I was finished adopting.  Yes there is a need for children to be adopted, but there are also lots of other things that kids need too.  Is adopting a good use of my resources to help a child in need? I went on the mission trip partly to seek answers to that question.  How else can I be serving God and children without adopting?

 One thing I realized is that children around the world need love, advocates and safe places to live.  God did not call me to move somewhere else to serve kids, he called me to live in Warren, PA to (for now) work in a nursing home, be a wife and mother to two children. So I do my best to support missionaries who are called to serve in other countries and advocate on behalf of orphans and the poor as I can here. 




I also saw that the plight of women in Ethiopia is very difficult.  They do a lot of the hard labor, and they often give birth with no medical attention.  Ethiopian culture loves children but it is not supportive of women who have children out of wedlock.  This link from YWAM blog tells one of the stories from our trip...
http://thatwemightbeadopted.blogspot.com/2011/08/from-abortion-to-adoption.html

There were lots of other hard stories of children and women we encountered on my trip.   Adoption is a solution for a small percentage of children,  yet that small percentage of children also desperately needs someone to love and care for them.

Unfortunately, there are unethical things that do happen in the adoption community and 2 years ago I doubted I would ever adopt again.  Seeing YWAM projects in Ethiopia gave me a trust for their work, and faith that if a child is being cared for by them, it is because the child has no other way.  YWAM first of all is a ministry serving the 'least of these".

Read other good but difficult stories from the YWAM blog... and you'll see what I mean.  Warning: you may need tissues.

http://thatwemightbeadopted.blogspot.com/2009/08/two-boys.html

http://thatwemightbeadopted.blogspot.com/2009/03/where-have-all-babies-gone.html

http://thatwemightbeadopted.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-saw-jesus.html