Prayer Warriors

This adoption process, although Nick and I have yet to hit the real tough period, opens your eyes to so many new things. You are able to relate to others you have never met through the blogging world and feel a sense of connection because you share an experience that some can't relate to.

There is a family who is in the process of adopting a boy from Russia who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome. They have had a hard road to begin with, having lost the referral of another boy, but they did not allow that to deter them. In fact, they allowed it to create more blessings in their life. They recently had a court date and the judge rejected their adoption, stating this child was "not socially adaptable" because of his "medical condition." If you have followed Nick and I before, you know that my heart is with the children in Kebeb Tsehay in Ethiopia, particularly all the children that have disabilities. I adore them and advocate for them. I believe with everything in me that those children would THRIVE in an home environment with a family unit. This family is appealing the judge's decision and are asking for help. Please PRAY for this family. Pray for a favorable decision from their appeal. The boy who they consider their son, Kirill, deserves a family just like any "typical" child. By the way, the judge said they would approve an adoption for this family for a "typical" child. But not for a child with Down Syndrome.

Go check out their blog to read about their story. Share their story. Pray for their family. They deserve all the support they can get right now.

Our Eyes Opened 

What's it like?

If you haven't had the opportunity to travel to a third world country, you may be interested to know what it's like. What things could look like, what they could be, what you may experience.

It may include three separate trips to the pharmacy, because who needs to go to the doctor in Ethiopia when pharmacists can prescribe anything?

And once you still aren't feeling better, it could look like a day spent at the emergency department in Ethiopia, crossing your fingers that indeed those are brand new, out of the box needles and wondering what century that x-ray machine came from.

It might include two days worth of time spent between the US Embassy and Immigration trying to have emergency passports and visas issued because someone decided they needed your wallet more than you did.

And even though you're "done" with your trip, it may look like a trip to urgent care and follow-up doctors appointments, resulting in a serious list of prescriptions, many of which need to be taken with food (or without food), once per day, twice per day, not within two hours of each other, repeat again following one minute, prn, etc, etc, etc...

Then you're back to work and for the first time feeling like yourself, just to wake up to a mysterious rash that would be diagnosed as ringworm, causing you to be sent home from work because let's be honest, a physical therapist working in the school district shouldn't be running around with a highly contagious rash on her exposed skin.

A trip to a third world country may look like a lot of inconveniences. It may seem even more expensive when the medical bills start rolling in and the "sick days used" are piling up faster than "sick days earned." None of that, absolutely none, makes it any less worth it. The joy we experienced and what we learn from those who have so little, the people that rallied around us when we were down or needed something; all of that teaches us what really matters in life.

Nick and I are settling back into things here, but not forgetting what we experienced in Ethiopia. We're looking forward to sharing more of our hearts and our trip on the blog soon! 

We're home, we're sick and it's Nick's birthday!

Ekk, we've been home exactly one week now. And we are both sick. Different kinds of sick- Nick has a cough and some respiratory issues, I have some of that lingering with a weird spinning, vertigo-but-not-really-vertigo sensation that has made me pretty useless on and off this past week. I'm hoping to be having the final appointment with the doctor on Monday with some sort of answer.

More importantly than all that, though, is that it is Nick's birthday today! YAYYYYY! I really love birthdays and although I'm feeling pretty much in the dumps, I've tried to still make him have a few special days because he definitely plans my birthday out for what seems like weeks (and I am certainly not complaining, it's like all of my favorite things shoved into a week...wondering how he is going to throw a trip to Ethiopia in this year! :) ). I think he's had a good time and tonight will likely be filled with some couch and movie time. Nick is a wonderful husband, a wonderful man and I am still in awe that we had the opportunity to experience Ethiopia together. We definitely feel connected from our trip and are unpacking what it all will mean for us and our lives.

Nick and I are absolutely still processing everything from our trip. We had emotional highs and lows, life changing experiences for the good and were broken from seeing sinful human nature. We have some (possibly many!) more blog posts and of course PICTURES to post about our trip. I'm not sure when we'll be at that place to describe things that feel so indescribable, like I absolutely don't have the words to truly explain what we saw. Hopefully Nick is feeling more comfortable with his words than I am :) What I do know is that we love Ethiopia, we love the people and feel like there will be life-long ties for us with this amazing country.

Walking down Entoto Mountain together.

This little one has a VERY special place in my heart.

Nick will be Nick wherever he is :)