Court Trip - Post 1 - Leaving on a Jet Plane

We had been waiting for this day for a LOOONG time, and finally it had arrived! Our departure date! The day we'd be leaving to head to Ethiopia to meet our new son.

My parents arrived Thursday evening around 8:00. Daniel was at ice hockey practice with Eric while I finished up last minute packing & list-making. Meals were prepared and in the freezer for the kids while we were gone. Emergency numbers were compiled and amongst the other papers containing schedules, directions to the various hockey rinks where Daniel had games while we were gone, and medication, doctors, and insurance information. We were as ready as we were going to be.

Friday morning, we awoke early and left for the airport before anyone else was awake. We had 4 large suitcases packed to the maximum weight - all containing donations for AHOPE and Holt. Then, we each had a personal carry-on item and another small carry-on which contained all of our clothes and stuff for our trip. Good thing we were only staying in Ethiopia for 2 days total!

At the airport in Pittsburgh, things went very smoothly and we were happy to discover that once we had successfully managed to haul our luggage to the check-in point in Pittsburgh, we did not have to retrieve it again until we landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! Yay! Somehow 50 lbs. in a suitcase seems a lot heavier than picking up a 50 lb. child.

Our first flight went very smoothly and we landed in Toronto an hour and 1/2 later. Then we had a few hours lay-over before boarding another flight to Frankfort Germany. Aside from having to sit on the tarmac for close to 30 minutes to wait for the crew to dig through the luggage to find someone's bags that had to be pulled from the plane, it also went off without a hitch. Despite the length of sitting on the flights, my back held up amazingly well. Again, in Frankfort, we had a few hours lay-over, but we just got something to eat and sat around, trying to rest before our final flight.



Finally! It was time for our last flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! We're coming, Markos! We boarded our final flight from outside due to construction in the Frankfort airport. That was a little strange, but I didn't care as long as we got there ASAP.



Although we were exhausted by this point, adrenaline, anxiety, and excitement kept us going. Not to mention, with views like these, who could sleep?!



When we were ready to land in Ethiopia, the pilot announced that there was a backlog of flights waiting to land and so we would have to circle for a while before we could land. Yuck. We circled for about 20 minutes, before we finally landed at 9:35 pm, Saturday night.

Once in the airport, we anxiously made our way through customs (which could not have been easier!) Neither of us was asked a single question. Then, we happily retrieved all 4 of our bags from baggage claim and exchanged our U.S. dollars for Ethiopian burr. We exchanged $400 U.S. and received a huge pile of Ethiopian burr -- 6,587.84. The exchange rate is $1 to 16.4696 burr. You know how you see those commercials asking for your donations and they claim that you can feed a child for only $1 a day? Well, it really IS true and that is why! Our money goes a long way over there!!

We walked outside the baggage area and there was a large crowd waiting outside. Almost immediately, we saw our driver holding the "Holt International" sign. Then, we saw the others in our travel group who had also just arrived. At this point, Mariah and Brian from South Dakota, Stephanie and Mike from Vermont, Heather and Tyler from Oregon, Amanda and Justin from Oregon, and Eric and I were there. We waited and waited for Kendra and Dic (also from South Dakota) but they were stuck in an unusually long visa line, so our driver decided to take us to the guest house and come back for them later. The rest of us had gotten our visas through the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, DC before we left the states.

We quickly realized, after loading all the luggage and all the people into two vans, what the other families meant went they warned us about the roads and the driving there. It is controlled insanity. The roads are awful; and there are few, if any, traffic laws, signs, or stop lights. It was dark when we arrived, so we couldn't see much, but as we turned and began driving out of the airport, I looked out the window to see a man walking down the sidewalk with a machine gun strapped on his chest. Hmmm. "Now, there's something we don't see in the U.S.", I thought.

The guest house was not far from the airport, although it WAS definitely tucked away off the road. We eventually figured out that this was the sign that marked the turn for us:



The Jemimah Guest House (pronounced Gem-e-mah, not Jemimah like the syrup!) was surrounded by a large, gated wall. There were guards working the gate all the time. Each time we approached, the van honked the horn and they opened the gate so we could get in. The staff working the desk were extremely friendly and helpful, as were the drivers. They always insisted on helping with your bags and helping you carry things to your room -- not because they wanted tips, just because that is how the Ethiopian people are. Very caring, very helpful, very service-oriented.

There was a family room off the lobby, and another family room on the first floor. Our bedroom was very simple, but very beautiful. Our bathroom was also very nice. It had only a stand-up shower, but it was very nice and clean. We were thankful that our room was only up one flight of stairs because Addis is at almost 8000 feet above sea level -- a very high altitude -- so just climbing one set of stairs nearly killed each of us. Our hearts would be beating out of our chests and we'd be completely out of breath. Tidbit for those who like trivia: This is why so many Ethiopians are good long distance runners! Their bodies get very good at processing oxygen due to the altitude! Ours, not so much. ;-)

We explored the guest house a little, tried (unsuccessfully) to get the internet in the upstairs family room to work, talked with the other families a little, then went to our rooms to unpack a little and crash in bed, anxiously awaiting our orientation and trip to the care center to meet Markos for the first time!

Our room

Our bathroom

The upstairs family room

The other side of the upstairs family room

Tomorrow, we meet Markos!!! Oh happy day!

"Markos is yours"

We are home, and now a family of 5. Our trip was absolutely amazing. It is so very hard to put everything into words. And, frankly, I am still so tired that I am not even going to try right now. Over the next few weeks, I will blog about our trip in detail, but for now, I will just say it was truly life-changing.

Markos was absolutely darling. He is a tiny little thing, full of personality with a little touch of ornery that we got to see. He is very curious, very active, very athletic, and reminds us a great deal of Daniel. Those two working together might spell trouble! ;-) We were able to spend about 3 hours with him the first day and an hour the second day. We had a great time playing together. We gave him a little car that talks when you push the light on the top and he absolutely loved it. When we arrived the second day, he ran to me and gave me a big hug (** heart melting **) then he smiled really big and said, "machina?" ("car" in Amharic) hee hee. So, I'm not sure if he was happy to see us or just happy to get his car back, but either way, we were happy!

I know you are all dying to see pictures (and believe me, I'm dying to share them), but our agency is very conservative and asks that we not share them on public forums until we travel to pick him up. But, copying the ideas of some of our creative adoption friends, we took this one to share with you now.



We gave Markos a bracelet and Eric and I each had one. We all put them on together at the care center and will wear them until he comes home. Mine says "Faith". Eric's says "Dream" and Markos' says "Courage". I was glad we had them because when Markos noticed my watch and was pushing all the buttons on it and then tried to take it off of me, I was able to say, "oh wait, I have something for you". (and keep my watch!)

Our travel group was AWESOME! We so very much hope that we get to travel again with the same group of families. We had a lot of fun getting to know some of my online buddies in person and getting to meet their husbands. There is something special about getting to share something like this with others. Here is one of the pictures our driver took for us when we were visiting St. Mary's Church, built in 1885, on top of Mt. Entoto.



We were able to give him the family album that I made for him. He was so darling as he looked through it. He had a very proud little smile as we looked through, and when we finished looking, he jumped up to play, but tucked the album under his arm and tried to play while holding it. When he realized that would be too hard, he went over and hid the book under the TV stand shelf. Then occasionally, he would go over, get it out, sit against the wall and look at a few pages, then hide it back under the shelf and play some more. He would also slam the door shut anytime someone would leave it open, as if to say "stay out - mine".



The nannies were wonderful and when each would see him in with us, they knew we were his family. They would come and stick their heads in and congratulate him, shake his little hand & kiss him on both cheeks and hug him. His little friend who was able to come and play with us the first day was equally thrilled for Markos. He would actually yell and tell anyone who came near the door, "Markos America!". So heart-warming to see a child be so genuinely happy and thrilled for another child.

Lastly, of course, as you have figured by now, we passed court. It was unbelievably fast. In fact, we were the last family to go in to the judges chambers and one of the other families timed us. We were in the room for 72 seconds, at the end of which, the judge proclaimed, "Markos is yours."

Praise God!

Can Hardly Believe It!

Oh. My. Goodness. I can hardly believe that the time has finally come. Early Friday morning, we are leaving to go meet M. and go to court to legally become his parents. This has been such a long process, yet, now it seems like...."WOW! Seriously?! We're really doing this?!"

In my normal, neurotic fashion, I have been preparing for this trip for weeks...err, months. And yet, now I feel panicked and certain that I've forgotten something terribly important. Not to mention that I am not a fan of traveling. I'm not afraid to fly, per se. I just hate the rushing, hate the connections, hate the crowds, hate the security checks and the customs procedures. And, honestly, hate everything being out of my control. (Yes, I know, silly to even think that I'm EVER in control - God's been working on me about that for years.)

Anyway....

Please pray for us during our trip. It will truly be a whirlwind of a trip -- exhausting physically and emotionally. Please pray:

• Thursday, Nov. 18th - for my parent’s safety as they travel to our house to watch the kids.
• Friday, Nov. 19th- for our flights - that we make our connections, that my back holds up during 24 hours of traveling, and that we make it through customs without problem with all the donations that we have for the orphanages
• Saturday, Nov. 20th - that we arrive safely in Addis Ababa, ET (and that our bags ALSO make it to ET), that our transport is waiting for us, and that we make it safely to the guest house
• Sunday, Nov. 21st in AM - THE DAY!! We meet M.! Please pray for his comfort - that he would not be afraid, that we will react in a way that is not frightening to him (hey, it could happen!) ;-) - and that we would all be able to soak in and enjoy every moment of this blessed few hours that we will have together!
• Sunday, Nov. 21st in PM- that our meeting with M.'s pediatrician goes well, that we remember to ask any questions that we should, and that we gather all information that we need; Also that our meeting with the attorney goes well, that we, again, get all information that is needed for a successful day in court!
• Monday, Nov. 22nd in AM- COURT!! that I am not a complete bundle of nerves, that we speak from the heart but don't say anything that might jeopardize our adoption, and that the judge grants us favor
• Monday, Nov. 22nd in PM- that our final meeting with M. will again be comforting to him, that he will understand that we WILL be coming back for him, and that we can go through the family album that we made him before we leave so that he will have something to hold onto until we come back to get him
• Monday, Nov. 22nd, late - that our flights home are, again, safe and smooth

BTW, Ethiopia is about 8 hours ahead of EST, so we will actually be going to court around 1 - 2 AM your time Monday morning.

Also, please pray for:

• our health - that we wouldn’t get sick while in ET, that Eric’s allergies aren’t horrible there, that my back doesn’t flare up, and that we are able to get some sleep during the time we're traveling and in ET
  
• our kids back home - that they would not be nervous & worrying about us, that they have fun and have all their needs met, that they are well-behaved and don’t give Grammy and Pappy a hard time! (not that they’d EVER do THAT!) ;-)
• Grammy & Pappy - that they’d have the energy to keep up with the kids and their schedules, that they have fun and enjoy the time with, and that they also have peace and don't worry about Eric and I
• our paperwork - that everything is in order, that we have everything we need, and that the people who are handling our adoption case do so with speed and accuracy!!
  

Thank you all so very much for praying for our family during this time. We are so excited, nervous, thrilled, awe-struck, amazed, afraid, humbled.....the waves of emotion go on and on!!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Sadness & Single digits

Single digits first --- we leave for our first trip in 9 days!!!!

Yesterday, we received a few updates from our agency. First, we received a medical and a developmental update. The medical update was pretty sparse and was fairly unremarkable. Didn't have an updated weight which is always one of the more meaningful pieces of information to me -- is he gaining weight? But, there were no treatments listed which means that he is healthy and not receiving any medications so that's good news.

The development assessment was more telling. Because M. had a birthday since our last report, he now receives a 4 - 5 year old's assessment. This was a little sad for me because, once again, it is a reminder that he's growing up and we're missing it. However, there were also a few bits of information that gave me a little peace. First, he now "exhibits a sense of humor" and "enjoys jokes, poems & riddles". These are important in our family. Otherwise, he might think we're all nuts! :-) He is reportedly "self sufficient in daily skills", "uses eating utensils well", and "competently runs errands". Yay for M.! (and me!) Physically, he can "walk on a straight drawn line", "touch toes with legs straight", and has "good hand control when drawing". He does not "begin to resist adult requests", nor does he "have nightmares". Again, yay!

My biggest....oh, I don't know what to call them....concerns? items of note? I can't say worries, because I really am trusting God to see us through this process and I believe that it will be what it will be and we WILL get through whatever comes our way. It's not keeping me up at night, but, in every report that we have gotten thus far, M. has not been rated well in the more cognitive/spatial tests -- counting to 5, drawing recognizable person, drawing houses, identifying colors, copying squares, crosses, triangles, or circles. In fact, he is still unable to do any of these things. Cognitive and spatial memory problems and developmental delays are, of course, one of the many possible effects of severe malnutrition. So, it's something that I'm watching and reading about and trying to prepare for. Yet, I also acknowledge that this is a little guy who probably hasn't had much practice with pencil and paper, or drawing, or being taught specific information, so it could just be something that he hasn't yet been exposed to. After all, his daddy was a farmer. Perhaps he could teach us all a few things about the land?! Still, something to be praying about if you all would be so kind!

Speaking of M.'s daddy, my heart has been hurting for him these past 2 days. Yesterday, I went and had a Power of Attorney for the Care and Custody of Minor Children notorized. This POA gives my parents the ability to seek medical care; submit insurance claims; talk to the doctors, the school, or any other confidentiality-concerned entity about my children; sign school field trip permission slips; etc., while we are out of the country. It is easily revoked and it was a very simple thing to do, and yet, I was having issues with it. It just FELT weird. Was scary thinking about anyone else being allowed to basically function as my kids parents -- even though we're talking about my parents here, who I love and trust completely. Understandably, this started me thinking about M.'s dad and how very, very hard it must have been for him. What an amazingly selfless thing to do for your child. I don't know if I could do it. I really don't.

I shed a lot of tears for him during the day, then received an email from my agency with M.'s "Relinquishment Decree". This led to a lot more tears. This document is from the lower courts in the area where M. lived. It is the document wherein M.'s dad is relinquishing his parental rights and giving M. to the orphanage to put him up for adoption. What struck me was how much was involved. Aside from the emotional difficulties that he must have gone through, he also had to go to court and testify. He had to complete paperwork and basically make a case for why he had to do this. He also had to have 3 people come to court with him to also testify why they believed this was necessary.

I won't go into details about it all, but it was heart-breaking to read the testimonies of these 3 friends or relatives. I wondered how many times they had gone to court for other friends or relatives, if others had done the same for them. The depth of the poverty around the world -- we just have NO IDEA what it's like. We really don't. We're like spoiled little children who are blinded to how lucky we are, how blessed we are, how very much we have. It's sad. It's so sad.

It is evident from the testimonies and also from the intake paperwork that we received with our referral that an education for M. is important to his dad. Perhaps this is another reason why I notice and feel concern about M.'s cognitive deficiencies at this point. What an amazing, selfless gift his dad is giving us and entrusting us with -- his son. I so very much want to do the very best I can to honor his dad, to grant his wishes for his son. When we go for our second trip, we will have the opportunity to meet M.'s dad. I am told that this will be the most gut-wrenching few hours of my entire life, but I feel so blessed to have this chance. I pray that he will show up for the meeting. Most birth parents do.

Lastly, I look at M.'s daddy and his incredible act of sacrifice and I think of God and how he made that same sacrifice for me (and for you). We didn't deserve it, but He did it anyway. Our first report from the orphanage reported that M. spent the first few days just "crying for his daddy", like Jesus on the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?" And the answers are the same: Love and Hope for the future.

What an honor it has been to play a part in this adoption.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Ephesians 1:4-6

November is...

National Adoption Month


What are you willing to do to help care for the 153 million orphans around the world?






"...counting down the days until they hold you close and say 'I love you'..."

18 days until we leave for Ethiopia. 20 days until we hold M. and tell him we love him!!

Still waiting.....

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything. There really isn't much new to report and, honestly, I find it easier just to stay busy and try not to think about the wait anymore than I have to. Thankfully, our travel time is approaching and doesn't seem quite so far away now. We leave in 25 days and meet M. in 27 days!!!! Less than a month! FINALLY!

Initially, it seemed like our process was going so quickly. Then, the laws changed requiring the second trip. Then, the courts closed down for six weeks. Then, our court date was scheduled for months away. And, next thing we knew, we were looking at waiting for 24 weeks from referral to court date. Unfortunately, that's how it goes with international adoption.

So, we're staying busy. I have prepared and frozen all the meals for our kids to eat at home while we're away. (Remember, Daniel has boatloads of food allergies so he isn't the easiest kid to feed!) I'm working on notes regarding schedules and such for my parents for the time they're here with the kids. And, we've been collecting donations. Lots of donations.

One of the blessings of adoptive parents being required to travel to Ethiopia for court is that it allows for an additional trip to take donations for the orphanages. I am pretty sure that Eric and I are each allowed to check 2 suitcases, plus take a carry-on bag. Therefore, we intend to pack most of our personal items in our carry-ons and maybe one suitcase. We will use the other suitcases to haul donations to the orphanages.

It's been humbling to purchase some of the items on the list of greatest needs that our agency provided us. Things like OTC anti-fungal cream, aspirin, band-aids. Things that I can hop in the car and drive to the dollar store and load up on. Things that are in great demand but very limited supply there. Mosquito nets to protect them from a preventable disease that causes the death of children everyday. Battery-powered lanterns and flashlights for the frequent power-outages. Clothes and shoes in desperate need when our closets and drawers are overflowing with items we haven't even worn in years. So much that we take for granted. So many blessings that we fail to acknowledge. So much that we have, but don't even think to give.

If anyone local wants to donate anything, let me know and I can send you a list of the current greatest needs.

"Then the righteous will answer him,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in,
or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.'

Matthew 25: 37-40

How It Came to Be

I know that when we first announced that we were adopting, many people’s first reaction was one of shock. What? How did this come about? Are you doing this through your new church? There were a few close friends with whom I had shared my desire and the fact that I felt called to adopt YEARS AGO, who weren’t surprised. When I told them I had some exciting news to share, their first response was, “you’re pregnant?!” quickly followed by a shiver and emphatic “oh, dear God, no!” , “you’re adopting?!” But, for those who didn’t have a clue, I figured I’d take a few minutes to fill you in on how this all came to be. In order to do that, we have to go back. Way back. To 2003. Yep, SEVEN YEARS before we began our adoption journey.

In 2003, just prior to the birth of our second child, Eric and I were fortunate enough to be able to put an addition on our home. A fairly large addition. An entire second floor, in fact. Our original home was very tiny modest -- a 2 bedroom and 1 bathroom ranch with an unfinished basement. We’ll say it was.....cheap cozy. :-) The addition was actually larger than the original house thanks to cantilevers and other construction methods that kind of boggle my mind. The new floor had 3 large bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, plus 2 large walk-in closets. <cue the heavenly music> I was very grateful for this opportunity to enlarge our home and found that my prayer became, “Thank you, Lord, for this home. Please let us always use it to glorify You.”

Fast forward 2 years. Happy little family living in the bigger house. Eric and I were regularly holding couple’s studies in our home with 4 or 5 other couples. We held some Friday night small groups. We were holding occasional Bible studies in our home. God was hopefully being glorified in our home. My prayer was being answered.

Then, in July 2005, most likely during one of my insane, neurotic, detailed searchings of the web for some information (probably attempting to diagnose some new injury that Eric had sustained), I stumbled upon an article about an orphanage in Romania. What I read blew my mind. As internet searchings often go, one article led to another, and another. One agencies’ website to another agencies’ website. One shocking statistic after another shocking statistic.

What?! Children actually live in orphanages for their entire lives without EVER knowing the love of a family?! Not all countries have foster care like the USA?! (I know - I was very sheltered and pathetically ignorant.) The children are just asked to leave the orphanage at the age of 16 or 17 with no place to go?! They never have their own clothes or their own shoes or their own toys?! Babies stop crying because they learn that no one is coming to pick them up no matter how much they cry?! With each word that was read, my heart broke piece by piece. Then I read, “do you have room in your home for one more?” and of course, we had just done this addition a few years before, so the answer was yes. And my prayer came back to mind....”Thank you, Lord, for this home. Please let us always use it to glorify You.” and I began to feel called to this. I thought about it and read more and more. I began to pray and was more and more certain.

I read verses like:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ...
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:35,40)

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18:5)

God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (Psalm 68:6)

Yep - we were being called. Surely this was God’s will for our family. So, I talked to Eric about it, fully expecting an affirmative, "YES, this is definitely our calling!"

Surprisingly, he said, “nope. sorry. not going to happen. no way.” I was shocked. What?! How could we NOT do this?! He apologized. He said he was praying about it. He said he’d think about it. “Ooooh, ok”, I thought, “He’s definitely going to change his mind”. I am certain about this. I know it deep in my soul that we’re doing this. I patiently waited and occasionally sent an email with a little quote or a link to a website or a Bible verse that I stumbled upon. I...umm....bought 2 of the comforters for Daniel’s big boy bed because, well, I wanted them to match when we added the second bed!! :-) But, weeks went by. And nothing. He wasn't changing his mind.

Here’s where my neurotic, crazy, very organized nature becomes kind of fun. I still have the emails that we sent back and forth during this time! It is SO COOL to be able to look back and know that God’s hand was on this the entire 5 years that it took for us to begin this journey. Here’s a quote from the last email that Eric sent to me regarding the idea of adopting (back in Aug. 2005):

As for the adoption, I wish I were inclined towards it.  I wish God had

impressed it upon my heart.  I don't understand why we have been

differently led in this.  I'm guessing there is something larger here

in the works. Where it goes, only He knows.  Further, I don't see a

firm schedule to this - all things happen in His time.  I'll keep my

heart open, and I'll keep talking to Him about it.

Following this exchange, still a little shocked because I was SO certain that this was our calling, I eventually began to believe “this must have just been MY desire for our family, not God’s will for us”. I kept telling myself, “surely if He was calling us to this, He’d have called BOTH of us!”, so I gave up the idea and accepted that it just was never going to happen.

OK, now fast forward to 2010. Eric and I sponsor a couple of kids through Compassion International. One little boy, named Maxxon, was born on the exact same day as our Daniel. Maxxon lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. So, on January 12, 2010, when the earthquake hit, we began praying for him. We watched the devastating news reports and we waited for news from Compassion regarding his safety. We watched the news stories about the Haitian orphans being evacuated to Pittsburgh and about all the newly orphaned children. We saw the government shut down to adoption due to the devastation. And, we just kept praying for Maxxon and his family.

During this time, Eric was home from work one day and we went out to lunch. I was telling him about a recent report that I had seen about the earthquake. And, completely out of the blue, he says, “you know, if you’re still open to adopting, I’m open to it now.” (????!!!!!!)

What?!!!!! That was FIVE YEARS AGO!!!!! I was just accepted into a Master’s program and had finally figured out what I wanted to do for a career when I went back to work.

I just sat, dumbfounded. Every time I started to talk, I would start to cry. It was the strangest lunch date EVER. We barely spoke because neither of us could speak. No. I hadn’t changed my mind. Yes. I still felt called to it. But, I just....I had given up on it ever actually happening. And seriously, you’re just telling me this now?! Couldn’t you have given me a little heads up that you were thinking about it? Did you just now decide this?

He explained that he couldn’t really explain it. That he had felt his heart softening to the idea over the years and that he DID say that he’d keep his heart open to it and keep praying about it. (5 years ago!) :-)

I teased him later about him being SLOW on the uptake, but in all honestly, it is truly amazing to look back and see the things that were taking place during the 5 years to prepare us and to make straight the path. God's timing is perfect! He is amazing!

This post is long enough for today, but I’ll post again soon & explain the 5 years of prep and how we can now clearly see God's handprints along the way.