A Big Family Milestone

We finally have all of our kids out of diapers (well-at least during the day-I'm not ready to risk it at night yet:) Our youngest has proved to be a great defender of the "baby" title. He's definitely the most babied of all of our children-who can blame him? It's his spot and he's quite comfortable there.

The other two times that we've had to potty train were a breeze. Caleb was about 2 1/2 and was so easy and Caroline literally trained herself before her second birthday (she's very determined and wanted to do everything that her big brother did).

Colton is no doubt his own person. He showed absolutely no interest in potty training and for the longest time (up until he was three) I didn't care. To me, it is easier not to mess with it when they're not interested. Well, I was beginning to think we missed our window of opportunity because after a few months of trying (we made it his New Year's resolution to be trained in 2011) we still weren't getting anywhere.

Enter my mom. She decided to take Colton to the store this past weekend and let him pick out a few toys that he could "earn" after several days of going in the potty. Yep-good old fashioned bribery. We don't usually bribe our children, so I think this is why it worked so seamlessly. From the first day we started his potty chart, he knew that if he kept up his end of the deal, a nice prize was waiting at the finish line.

So glad to be past this little hurdle (although that means all my babies are all grown up:(

On to the next stage!!

MOUNTAIN MOVING PRAYERS

That's what I've been praying today. As I posted last week, many changes are happening with Ethiopian adoptions right now and it is a pretty uncertain time to say the least.

So, instead of worrying myself to death over all the different scenarios (I did that this weekend-driving me and my husband crazy:) that could take place with our case, I decided to pour over scripture instead (quite a bit more productive than my first plan of attack). Over and over, scripture points to the fact that our God is in the business of miracles and he is able to do all things. I repeatedly came across scripture emphasizing the power of prayer and petition.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Throughout this second adoption process, I've had quite a bit of peace (unexplainable at times). Even when we had our first court date, I prayed about it, but I trusted that everything would work out in God's timing (which I still believe to be true) and I can't say that I "petitioned" for a favorable outcome-although of course that is what we were hoping for. Now, I'm not saying that I didn't pray enough and that's why we didn't pass the first time. I'm just saying that this issue may deserve a little more focused time with the Lord than I was giving it (we are after all in a battle with an enemy that hates adoption).

I feel like maybe in an effort to be really relaxed about our adoption this time that I may have been depending more on my own patient spirit than on the holy spirit. As with all of life's trials, they are designed to teach and this is just another opportunity for me to die to myself and follow more fervently after the Lord.

So, as I read today, I noticed a couple of things that kept coming up.

First, I need to be diligent in my prayer and ask specifically for my heart's desire. I'm praying with a renewed passion that we will pass court even before our court date on March 18th (miracle working God-remember-it could happen). I'm also praying for a miraculously fast assignment of a final court decree and for all of our embassy paperwork to be in order when it is submitted to the embassy so that we may be assigned a timely pick up date (embassy appointments have taken as long as 15 weeks to be assigned lately, so I'm praying that "R" will not have to wait that long after we pass court to be given clearance to come home).

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

I also am going to try to take delight in the LORD, instead of our circumstances. Psalms 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord (in other words, seek your happiness in the Lord) and he will give you the desires of your heart." He knows that it is the desire of our family's heart is to have our daughter home as soon as possible, but it is even more desirable that I find my happiness, my joy, and my contentment in Him first.

LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. Psalms 84:12

We have several friends that are also caught up in the process of getting their kids home, so I am praying for God to move mountains in their cases as well and for us all to pray with renewed intensity and without doubt that we serve a God who has a heart for the fatherless and a God that is able to overcome any obstacle that is delaying our children's home comings.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:21-22

HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS

We made an unexpected trip to another Hopechest care point, actually an orphanage, on our way back from TOG. Nick had been there on his last trip and asked Fikre about how things were going with the kids there. Because we'd be passing right by it again on the way back to Addis, Fikre said, "we should stop by." I'm so glad we did. As we got out of the van, every single (and I mean every single) child hugged us-all 60 of them. They had just returned from school and were so excited to have visitors.



Nick took the picture above of this apple tree. It's only about 3 feet tall and when he visited Hope for the Hopeless in September, there wasn't any fruit on the trees and he didn't think they stood a chance of growing any. This little orchard is just like the kids at Hope for the Hopeless. They didn't stand much of a chance out on the streets fending for themselves, but with a little love and care, they're blooming like the apple trees that they so lovingly care for.

We also brought a little banana snack-which they loved (such joy from something so simple)

The director tossed up the final banana (all the kids had already had 1 and a half) for a little fun.

The kids grabbed our hands right away and led us around the property.

They have a chicken coop full of chickens-they eat some of the eggs and sell the rest (I think they said they eat eggs 2 days a week).

These women were hard at work pouring a concrete slab-Ethiopian style- for the new on site school.

The kids were so excited to show us their new puppies.

This group of girls really remembered Nick. They actually drew pictures that he brought home to our kids last time he was there.

The whole crew-just before we left.

When it was time to go, they once again hugged us. Then they asked, "Will you come back tomorrow?" I wish I could have said yes, but it was our last day in Ethiopia before we left for home. I look forward to visiting them again soon though (the sooner the better).