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 !!

Her new HOME

Yeah!  God has blessed us with a new house, which is to be Makeda's new home :) .  We are so excited.  We move May 25th.  We are hoping to hear by mid- may when our first trip to Ethiopia will be for our court date.  Showers of blessing pouring down on us from our Heavenly Father.  We are so grateful to be in this season of blessing and give ALL GLORY TO GOD :).

Going Forward :)

We have had the medical reviews and all looks good. Please join us in praying the molluscum (viral infection) around her right eye heals quickly and completely and we will not need to do any medical intervention. Thanks!! Also, there seems to be some question about her age. From the picture and some of her developmental skills it appears she may be over 2, perhaps closer to 3???...It doesn't really matter to us so we will have to make our own assessment when we get to meet her. She is such a cutie. We have verbally accepted the referral and have begun the paperwork necessary to get all the "legal" stuff going :) . Such a blessing! Thanks for your continued prayer covering for her and our process.

THE email announcement...

"I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry..."he has put a new song in my mouth-Praise to our God;"...Psalm 40:1 and 3a.
She was revealed to us yesterday (3/7) She's 2, she's precious and she is the product of a promise. We aren't able to share her personal information yet, as she is not legally ours, but we had to share the news :)
Please keep us and the process covered in prayer. Our next step is having her medicals reviewed, getting them signed off on and actually accepting the referral within a week. Then they will put together her paperwork on the Ethiopian side and give us a court date (probably within a few months). We will go to court in Ethiopia and legally adopt her and also get to meet her. Then we will have to come home again without her to await her embassy date, when she is given her visa to come home (perhaps a total of 6 months?). Timing is all in his hands and is different for each case. We are listing our house soon and are hoping God has us settled into a new house before we bring her home.
Words cannot express the gratitude we have for you sharing in this journey with us, both financially and prayerfully. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! All glory to God. For any backstory, please check out her blog at www.promiseforaprincess.blogspot.com .
With great joy, Tim, Darlene Cessie, Kiera, Joseph and Jameson and MAKEDA Grieco ;)

Product of a Promise (step 1 :)

TODAY SHE WAS REVEALED TO US!!! She is two, she is precious, she is our product of the promise. The call came around 2:30 and it is now 10:22 in the evening. I taught MOPS class this morning and AWANA CUBBIES this evening and in between there we were blessed to see her face. I am totally exhausted and look forward to digging into more about her tomorrow (and in all the days to come :) Praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him indeed!

Still Waiting :)

March 2, 2012

Dear Ethiopia Program Families,

We have learned that the review of processes and staffing at the SNNPR MOWYCA office continues. This review is expected to conclude in the next few weeks, at which point we should have a better sense of timing going forward.
Our staff in Ethiopia have been monitoring the situation closely, advocating for the best interests of children in care, and meeting with officials related to adoption at both the federal and regional levels. We will update families as soon as we learn more.

THIS IS THE LATEST FROM OUR AGENCY...HOPING IT IS SOON :) We are grateful to be blessed with an opportunity to sell our house and look for a new one soon. We are "preparing for rain"...the good kind that is...showers of blessing! We love you LORD!!