To Ethiopia With Care

During the adoption process, we are lucky enough to get updated pictures of our kids when other families travel over for court and embassy trips. The first time around, I delighted in trying to match names with faces and faces with parents as the new pictures would come in. You feel like you know them and their families after a while. We went through the journey together via our yahoo group, emails and phone calls, but rarely ever actually got the chance to meet face to face with the other families. This time, God has woven four local families together and we've been able to take this journey hand in hand. Over the past few months, I've been able to meet up and become friends with 3 new adoptive moms (and one old one-Heidi) to support one another through this process of ups and downs and witness families unite. The coolest part of the whole thing is that as we met together here, ALL of our kids were hanging out in Ethiopia together at the same care center! Isn't that so cool? So when Rahel finally gets here, she'll be reunited with all of these sweet faces (well-minus the nanny-although I'm sure Jeanie wouldn't mind is she tagged along).

After this weekend, Rahel will be the last one standing as all of the other kids have recently come home. Jenny's three girls told me that Rahel cried as they were leaving-so sad. Having spent time with them all in Ethiopia, you could just tell how close they all had become. They've been each others' family for the past 6 months. It makes me sad to think of her being left there and having to watch all of her friends leave. One thing that has helped is that I've been able to send care packages over each time one of my friends have travelled over to reassure her that we haven't forgotten her (it's already been 8 weeks since we last saw her which I'm sure feels like forever to her).

It's nice to know that our little packages of "care" reached Rahel and were delivered by friendly faces-faces she will be seeing again (hopefully) REALLY soon.

Please continue to pray for a speedy embassy appointment to be assigned.