It's a Boy!!

The gender of our surprise baby has been revealed.  It's a boy!  He's due to arrive in June of this year.  The same month as Lincoln's birthday, so they'll be about a year apart exactly.  Praying that these two are the greatest of friends.

Starting a Movement

Watch for this ad during the Superbowl!

Tony Dungy, "We have an incredible opportunity to start a movement that says we won't rest until the orphan crisis has ended."

Trip of a Lifetime

We're back!  It's the middle of the night and my jetlagged self is wide-awake.  Since our return almost a week ago, I've been going to bed around 6 or 7pm and waking around 4am.  My pregnant body hasn't had the will to fight the jetlag, so the off-based schedule persists.  It's taken me all of this week to readjust after our trip and process all that happened.  Our time in Paris was a wonderful treat.  Our time in Ethiopia was amazing.  Our son was to die for.  The most precious, snuggly, sweet little boy I've ever had the privilege of holding.

We met some other amazing adoptive families, ate a traditional Ethiopian dinner, went to market, soaked up as much of the countryside as we could on our way to various restaurants, passed court, and cherished every moment we could with our little Lincoln Ryan Tesfa.

They tell us that it will be about 2-3 months until everything is processed with US Immigration Services, and then we'll get to go back and pick him up.  We're praying this is so!  Until then, we continue to pray blessings over this sweet boy, and praise God for bringing him in to our lives. 

Ethiopia or Bust!

In less than a day, we'll be heading to Ethiopia!  I'm super excited and yet have been trying to remain focused on all that has needed to get done to prepare for our trip--shopping, packing, Christmas cards, wrapping presents, trip to the bank, trip to the notary, clean the house, finish laundry, make arrangements for the dog, tie up loose ends and try to remember anything that I'm forgetting.  We have been so blessed by a great support system of people that have volunteered to help us as we prepare.  I'm not sure what we'd do without my parents who are watching the girls all week, our bible study who made us a sweet care package and are helping to take care of the dog while we're gone, Courtney who watched Grace so I could shop peacefully early this week, and everyone who has prayed and offered words of encouragement to us.  What a gift it is to have friends and family!

Later tonight, we'll be on a plane, headed to London, then Paris for a couple of days (a last little hurrah before we become a family of 6!), then on to Ethiopia.  I'm trying not to put too much pressure on the moment that we've been waiting for, but meeting Lincoln will be huge and wonderful even if he cries his eyes out the first time he sees us.  Can't wait to hold that little boy in my arms.

God has been faithful every step of this 18 month journey, and it has been amazing to take this step of faith and watch how he has brought every detail together thus far.  For anyone who has considered adoption but is afraid to make the financial committment, I would say that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and will provide every step of the way if He's calling you to do this.  We've made sacrifices and it hasn't always been easy, but He has moved in power to provide a family for this precious child.  Trust Him and be blessed!

We'll give updates if we can while we're there.  Otherwise, a little ditty will be written upon our return.  Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!!    Bon voyage!!

If You Feel Him Tugging on Your Heart

If you feel God tugging on your heart in the area of adoption, would you look at this list of waiting children through Lifeline Children's Services (our wonderful adoption agency, also used by David Platt and his wife!), and consider Brandon or Bobby?  Both boys are two year olds, with minor special needs who are only allowed to be on this list for a short time.  Very soon they will be removed from the special needs children list and put on a much bigger country-wide list which they could end up stuck on for years before being selected and adopted.

Could one of these precious boys be yours?

The Gospel Demands Radical Giving

I really needed this.  Thank you, David Platt.

Quote of the Month

"When people ask me, "How do you want to be introduced?"  I usually propose they say, 'This is Tim Keller, minister of the Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.'  Of course, I am many other things, but that is the main thing I spend my time doing in public life.  Realize, then, how significant it is that the Biblical writers introduce God as a 'father to the fatherless, a defender of widows' (Psalms 68:4-5).  This is one of the main things he does in the world.  He identifies with the powerless, he takes up their cause."
                                                                                            --Tim Keller, Generous Grace