OFFICIAL WORD :)

PRAISE THE LORD !  We have heard from our case coordinator in Ethiopia the judge has officially aproved our case.  We legally have a new daughter.  Thanks for the continued prayer covering and support.  Love you all!  (She's a cutie :)

HOME SWEET HOME (for 1 more night)

Ontoto Mountain view with a "hat salesman" :)

Phew, we made it.  What a joy it was to get home today.  17 hours on a plane starting at 10 pm last night with a 4 hour layover in Washington DC before finally taking off to come home.  We are seriously feeling the time difference and the malaise of travel and can't even imagine thinking about all the stuff that needs done to be moved out of our house tomorrow, but we know our awesome God will carry us through.  The season of blessing; meeting Makeda and now moving to our new house on Friday is one God has ordained and what He establishes He carries through to completion.  We have not heard the final word that the judge did receive the MOWA letter and that Makeda's file is complete.  I believe the many prayers that were lifted up on our behalf allowed us to hear before we left Ethiopia that at least the letter had been generated.  Communication between the agency stateside and Ethiopia is often slow.  When we do hear we will finally be able to share a picture of her.  Once her adoption is court approved, Makeda will be moved to a transitional home in Addis Ababa within a few weeks.  She will stay there a couple of months until her birth certificate can be generated and all her paperwork for her visa made complete.  We will then be given an Embassy date to go back to Ethiopia to get her :)  (usually a 2-3 month process).  So grateful you have joined your hearts with ours in praying Makeda home.  Thank you so much!

HAPPY 19TH ANNIVERSARY :)

Praise the Lord!  Today Tim and I celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary and the best gift we could have received was word from our case coordinator that he got the MOWA opinion letter.  That is all we needed to complete Makeda's file.  He will deliver it to the judge tomorrow and then her adoption will be legal.  Thank you so much for all your prayers :)  We have to leave now, so I don't have the luxury of looking up what other emails were sent my way or blogging our events of today, but certainly will at a later time.  We are flying out of Ethiopia at 10:15 this evening and 17 hours later (fueling stop in rome) we should arrive in Washington DC Wednesday morning and be home Wednesday afternoon.  Please pray for us, as of course, we move out of our house thursday.  Phew.  God is Good.  Thanks much!  :)

COURT DATE

Monday May21st, court date.  We actually started the day by visiting Mission Ethiopia.  It is a mission that our guest house here supports and suggest we go to see.  I had no idea what to expect and was wearing my court best.  Well, it is a very very impoverished area.  The mission set up shop there to bring women and children who were living in the dump and let them know the love of Jesus and earn a living by making beads and scarves that are sold in outlets and bring them profit.  I was able to make beads with some of the women and try to talk.  The Spirit of the Lord joined our hearts and despite the language barrier we had a joyful time.  Tim and I then went to see the children who were hanging out in a separate area.  Hugs and love galore as you walk into their presence.  I had some extra cashews and would break them in pieces to pop them into the open little mouths all around me as they giggled and clamored for more.  It was the most thrilling and joyful time.  So many kisses and hugs as we left that area and went to explore where the food is prepared.  Beautiful people living in what would be considered deplorable conditions in our part of the world.  We look forward to returning next trip with some stuff to bless them with there.  We then came back for lunch and court.  As most of you know by now, our MOWA letter was not in Makeda's file, so we have to wait until that letter is received by the court to have our adoption legally fianlized.  Frustrating, but there is peace in knowing God has all planned as it should be.  Hoping all the extra prayers help tip the scale to a quicker completion of her file.  After resting a bit after court, we did a bit of "grocery" shopping in a local store and then headed off to our traditional ethiopian dinner, complete with traditional dance.  Amazing!  I even was blessed to dance with one of the dancers and it was just sooo much fun :) .  So, this is our last night here in Ethiopia.  Tomorrow evening at 10:15 our plane will take off to take us back to our side of the world.  Looking forward to all that God has in store for us tomorrow.  To Him be all the glory :)  AMEN!

A day in Addis

Our Sunday was wonderful.  We started with worship at Beza International Church.  The service is in English.  It was an amazing service and the message was great in contrasting the hearts of King David and King Saul and the call to true worship.  The tie in to the New Testament was about the alabaster jar of perfume being poured out on Jesus feet.  We need to break our flesh (the precious outside that God has created) to get to the even more precious inside (His spirit dwelling in us to be poured out in worship to Him).  And beware of the spirit of Mical.  (Had to put that in here to recall it all someday...it was good!)  After great worship our driver and translator took us to Lucy restaurant and museum.  Had some great history lessons there and at Addis Ababa university.  We then went to the Hilton hotel to exchange currency and did a bit of shopping.  We expereienced some sweet street children in Addis and bought some coffee as well (for you cess and kie :).  This was a day full of just as many amazing sights, only city instead of our yesterday "countryside" experience.  Our translater "AB" was such a blessing and we learned so much from him about the culture and just had a very nice time together.  We just finished our delicious dinner here at the guest house and it is dark by 6:30, so it feels like bed time.  It's likely no surprise to those who know Tim that he had a great sleep last night, and I am still struggling waking up a few hours after i fall to sleep and not being able to go back.  Should be interesting how moving day goes the day after we arrive home :) .  Tomorrow is court and if all her paperwork is there and in order, she should be legally our daughter by tomorrow evening.  All Glory to God :)  Sure appreciate the prayers!  Blessings to all!

WE MEET :)

wow, what a day.  It started for us with a breakfast at 5:45.  At 6:30 our land rover arrived with a driver and our social worker.  Another couple who is adopting a little boy from the same orphanage just arrived late last night and had to be awoken to join us.  We left at 6:45 am for our 5 hour trip to the orphange.  Oh my goodness, there are not words to describe the adventure, the sights, the wonder of it all.  Ethiopia is beautiful...driving on the roads in Ethiopia is an amazing adventure.  It's all a "negotiation" process as our one driver told us last night.  You go at great speeds, honk as a warning to the swarms of people, slower trucks, herding animals and plow right through.  It was exciting as I was confident in our drivers ability, but it does make one giddy as riding on a crazy roller coaster.  The people, sooo many ; the donkeys, wildebeasts, dogs, sheep, carts being pulled by people or animals and little blue scooter cars.  Just amazing.  After one bathroom stop we arrived at the orphanage.  The 25 kids there come out with kisses and greetings and excitment.  They know we have stuff and love each moment as the toys come out, the bubbles are blown and the balls are tossed around.  They bring out our little sweetie (as she was getting all primmed up to meet us) and we watch and take her in.  She starts playing and we are all having a wonderful time.  I showed the nannies how the music works and they play some songs having the kids sing and clap along and act out one of them in game form (kind of like the farmer in the dell).  Just precious.  We get to watch them eat lunch and then play a bit more before we go.  Keda sat on my lap for awhile playing with my purse and pens.  She liked her picture I had hanging on my purse so much i took it off for her to keep and told her special nanny to let her play with it, but when she is transfered to the transition home to keep it for herself as a rememberance.  Her special nanny and I share more than one special embrace through the connection we have with this one special little girl.  I am so grateful for all she has done over the last 10 months for her.  It is going to be tough for both her and Keda.  Pray for them please.  Our ride back was just as exciting and our driver even had us stop at his house to meet his wife and children and enjoy a few minutes of ethiopian coffee.  Very hospitable and kind.  What a treat.  We made it back to our guest house at 6pm, ate our pizza dinner with strawberry banana smoothie and are now ready for a good nights sleep.  Appreciate the prayers :)  Sure hope we can find a local church to worship in tomorrow morning.  Blessings to all!  Darlene :)

hello all,  WOW...we are in the final preps to go see our new daughter and her home country.  We leave for Ethiopia on Thursday morning.  Our first flight is from pgh to DC at 5:45am then we will leave DC for Ethiopia at 11:15am and arrive at Ethiopia at 7:45am their time friday morning :) (where did the night go??  hehe)  Your prayer covering means so very much as we make this journey.  From traveling mercies, to health, restedness, joy, peace and favor...all is so appreciated!!  We will be visting Makeda for the first time either the 19th or 20th.  It is a 5 hour trip to Awassa and we will be at her orphanage about 2 hours, then travel back to Addis Ababa.  Our court date is set for May 21 and if we pass court the first time  (all her paperwork is there) she will be legally ours :) .  We travel home the 22nd and will arrive in Pgh Wed. afternoon, the 23rd.  We pack our house into a truck on the 24th and close on our new house the 25th.  Wow, we REALLY appreicate your prayers, as without God this doesn't even seem possible ;) .  Can't wait to share pictures of our cutie when we arrive home.  Of course, that may be awhile as we haven't even signed up with our new internet provider yet.  Can't say it enough...THANK YOU !!