HOME & LOTS OF LOVE

Day 6&7 in Ethiopia

Thursday and Friday we spent just loving on Ramiah and getting to know her. Our agency offered a hair class and cooking class that we enjoyed on Friday.

Once again thanks to all who have helped financially and with prayers to get this sweet bundle home to us. As you look through the pictures please see what you have helped accomplish through our great God!

May He receive all the glory for our precious gift of Ramiah!

Plane ride HOME! Oh by the way never cryed once and slept for almost 16 out of the 17 hours!

Day 5 in Ethiopia

Wednesday was a life changing day in both of our lives. This day we had a going away ceremony at the care center for all of the adoptive families and their children.

We sat all in chairs looking over at the toddlers all trying their hardest to stay still while we waited for the children being adopted to come down the stairs to start the ceremony. I sat anxious waiting for Ramiah to come down and be forever in our care. While I sat I looked at all the toddlers wondering what they must be thinking. When would it be their turn, would they have parents coming soon for them? My heart ached for those little ones that were just spectators that evening.

When the ceremony started those toddlers started singing and clapping for those who would be adopted. It was a sweet moment.

The nannies gave out letters to the parents about the children they took care of. The letter made me fall apart as i understood just how much Ramiah had meant to the nannies that had been taking car of her for the past few months.

It was a touching ceremony and very memorable.

Here are a couple pictures from the ceremony...

Here is one of ramiah's nannies. On the back wall is handprints of all the children who have been adopted in 2007. Ramiah's in one of the little blobs behind me!

Days 3&4 in Ethiopia

Monday we went to the care center and saw Ramiah for a little while and got to hold her and stare at how beautiful she was once again. She seemed sweeter than the day before!

There were 10 other families from our agency with us while in Ethiopia. Our agency took us to the National Museum for the afternoon. We were able to learn more about the history of Ethiopia and its culture.

Tuesday was our big day out. We went to the care center and got to take Ramiah with us to our Embassy appointment. She was a sweetie and did very good with us for the first time. We all got through the embassy appointments with out any problems. After the embassy we had to go to the Hilton to confirm our flights home and Ramiah again did very well. Shannon spent his time trying to get online, but it was impossible. We were really frustrated with the lack of connection options.
That evening we dropped the kids off at the care center and our agency took us to the Crown Royal Hotel for dinner and traditional dancing. The dancing was fun to watch and hard to contain Shannon from jumping up and joining in.

Since we have been home he is still breaking out in traditional dance!

Days 1&2 in Ethiopia

Many of you have asked about the trip so here is a start to how it all went.

The hand of the Lord has been upon us.
The flight was very long, but we were surrounded by God’s people the whole way. Our flight starting in Detroit we met 3 men traveling to Africa on a 3 week mission trip, so they traveled all the way to Ethiopia with us. On the Ethiopian Air, we were in awe of the love the Ethiopians have for one another. We met so many wonderful and kind people.
As soon as we landed we came to the guest house and found a room to put our things and minuets later we were off to the main center, were we had an informational meeting. After that we were traveling to see Ramiah. We had not slept for about 30 hours and were still in our same clothes from the flight, but we didn’t care.
Our moment……
As they brought us in the see Ramiah we were so anxious. The moment I laid my eyes on her I wept and thanked God once again for our baby girl. I picked her up and she fit perfectly in my arms. She just stared at us with her gorgeous big eyes trying to figure us out. The nannies said she was a serious baby. Shannon did get her to smile a little.
She is so beautiful! I could not take my eyes off of her. She has a good amount of hair, and is just perfect.
After visiting Ramiah we came back to the guest house and finally crashed.

Sunday as many of you new we had a chance to meet Ramiah’s birth mother. I am pleased to announce God answered our prayer and she was there. We got to talk to her for about 25 minuets. It was so wonderful, everything we got to tell her and she got to tell us was moments in time I will never forget. We then went and had a candle ceremony where she lit a candle and handed it over to us, passing responsibility on to us.

We then said good bye and headed back to the guest house. About two hours into the trip we got into a car accident. We were at a stop waiting for a donkey to get out of the way and the land rover behind us did not stop and hit us going around 45MPH on a BRIDGE! We got whip lash pretty bad, but we all walked away from it. Within minuets the whole village was running down to see what had happened. We had to wait 3 hours before someone could come and take us back. We are now just trying to recover, but God was there and saved everyone involved from serious injury. There was a woman on the bridge that I thought for sure they hit, but missed by inches. The rail was strong enough that the jeep did not fall into the river, and there was no one in front of us besides the donkey. AND YES the donkey was fine. He scooted up to a grassy area and started grazing within minuets.

God has been good and had blessed us with meeting so many great people. Even our woman driving the land rover was a Christian. She got back into the jeep after the accident and put on a praise tape, the song that played was, “Change my Heart oh God”

The prize

We're home. And there is much to write about the trip, the return home, Ethiopia, and more. But first, the prize.

Many of you have spent months praying, giving, and encouraging. The result is Ramiah is home. So enjoy what is too many pictures from a very proud (and slightly exhausted) Papa.

Proud parents at the guesthouse in Ethiopia

After her first bath

Tummy time

pretty in pink

graceful mommy

Mommy holds on tight

Daddy got some turns too

So far, she's a great sleeper... and maybe the loudest thumb-sucker on earth

Ramiah meets her nanny. Hannah loves her new sister, and does not want to surrender her ever. She's great.

Fashion diva in traditional Ethiopian garb

Ramiah clings to her mommy

one more for good measure.

Thanks for the prayers. Be back soon.

Ramiah Denknesh

Things are going great and we're doing well!

Ready...... Set....... GO!!!

We are ready and I think we are all set, but we are definitely ready to GO!

I have those nerves that you get before the first day of school!
But we are thrilled beyond words and just ready to hold our baby!!

Thanks to everyone that has helped make this possible. I pray your life will be blessed through your prayers and financial contributions! I can't wait to have you meet the little bundle!

Cindie

Prayer Requests

On Sunday I (Shannon)preached from Ezra 8:21-23

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

Ezra was seeking;

1. Humility to fuel his trust.
2. Safety in travel.
3. The Hand of Our God to be on him.

As we approach our journey, we seek the same. This is what we will be praying for. We ask that you pray the same. Even fast if you feel compelled to do so. While we are at it a couple more things we are praying about (all of which would fall under number three really):

A. That we get to meet with Ramiah's birth mother.
B. That God allows us to have more energy and life than our rest will provide.
C. That we have ample opportunities to minister to other people while there.

Just thought I would share!

Celebrate Enkutatash

This month, Ethiopia celebrates its Millennium. Ethiopia uses the Coptic, or Julian, calendar, which is seven years behind the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world. The new year begins on Meskerem 1 -- or September 11 on our calendar. This year Meskerem 1 will mark the start of the year 2000.

JUST ONE!

HOLY COW ONE WEEK!!
One week. I thought it would never come and now it is coming at me full speed!
I have yet to even begin to pack, and I am still trying to finish my shopping list and "TO DO" list!

But I have to say whenever I start to get stressed out I think of God's loving child he has chosen for us, that is waiting for us and the stress seems to fade away. The importance of packing everything, shopping, planning, and to do lists, all will get done and soon, VERY soon I will be able to look into Ramiah's eyes and tell her I am her mom.

God has been answering so many prayers! He is continuing to redirect my thoughts toward our child and giving me the peace that each moment requires. My hope is that my actions will reflect God's goodness and faithfulness throughout the rest of this process.

ONE WEEK!!!
I just can't wait to put some pink on her and do up that hair in some bows!

Cindie

My LIST!

I have been writing a list of things to do since the beginning of the process and now that it is only 9 DAYS AWAY! Yes only 9! I am holding that list like it is attached to my body. It is in arms reach most all of the day. I check it and check it again, trying to find time to do anything on the list to be that much closer to getting it all done in 9 days. We have a to do list, things still to buy list, a borrow list, a what to do with the kids while we are gone list, while we are there list, and on and on. I have not been able to drive because of the medication I am on for pain with my wisdom teeth, so I have been doing the things around the house that need to be done and the things that don't really need to be done, but I somehow find myself doing. WOW! That was all said in one looong breath.

So to make a long story short, I am getting a little anxious and nervous and just plain freaked out to be real honest.

9 days! What am I doing sitting here! I gotta get back to my LIST!

Fundraising

We have had 3 garage sales and a change drive this past month. We have made a grand total of $700 at the garage sales. We have a total of $310.00 in the change drive. That is what we are doing in this picture, counting all that change!

PRAISE GOD!

Baby Shower Blessings

Thought I would share some pictures of
the Baby shower at church.


Here are the ladies that put the shower on for us!

Birth Certificate Photo

Count Down

HANNAH AND I MADE THE PAPER CHAIN TO COUNT DOWN THE DAYS UNTIL HER SISTER COMES HOME! ELI WANTED TO HOLD IT TOO!!