- Our travels were totally safe, I never felt nervous about being in danger of any kind. Every flight was on time. I felt much better physically getting off the long flights than I expected. We did not experience any serious sickness during our travels.
- I slept really well on the flights to Ethiopia and arrived feeling quite rested. During the week there I slept and napped when Gebeyehu did - so I got more sleep than normal. Sleep was not as restful with the noises of Addis surrounding us, but even so I felt really rested.
- Gebeyehu has been thrilled to be on my hip almost every minute since we met. He has faced so many changes and although there have been challenges, he is doing amazing.
- I hope we were a blessing to those we encountered... what I do know is that we were able to deliver quite a bit of stuff. The shoes made it, the scrubs did too. Because of a couple surprise checks that arrived in my mailbox the week before travel, I was able to purchase a good supply of vitamins to bring to the care center. I was also able to donate some cash in addition to the girls' shoes at Children's Heaven. And, I was able to give a "tip" to each nanny that took care of Gebeyehu as he waited and donate some cash for whatever needs they felt greatest at the current time. I hope that our gift.s were pleasing to both God and the recipients.
- It was really fun to meet the children at the care center, take pictures, and relay information to their waiting parents. I have the pictures from our trip set as the screen saver on our home computer, and there is something sobering about having pictures of orphans that I have met and tried to comfort in some small way scrolling through daily. The children we met are definitely a part of my heart and in my prayers daily.
- Our trip to bring Joshua home was absolutely filled with fun, joy, and laughter. Being with a silly toddler made almost every minute fun. It was a time of rejoicing - no doubt about it.
- It was a really hard week for Chad and the kids. Chad would never ever do it the same way again - but we made it. Thankfully the internet worked pretty good after our first 2 days there and we had lots of family in town trying to keep them distracted. A big thank you to all of you!
- My sister-in-law's surgery was tough, but the results have been awesome. I am so thankful!
- Although I was not at VBS 1 minute, my girls had a BLAST! I missed being a part of it and I am so proud of and thankful for the many people that worked so hard to make it such a fun event. My kids were blessed and I am sure many others were as well.
- I think the way I most felt God was in the calm peacefulness of my heart. Traveling to Ethiopia was like nothing I have done before. Many of the things I experienced were different or less explained than I expected, but I did not feel overly stressed. Only God could have help me steady. I also feel like I really enjoyed and soaked in the experience. It was a rich beautiful time.
I wanted share some of these things because so often we ask for prayer and never really report how God answers. He was very present, very real, and I am very grateful. Thank you for blanketing our journey in prayer. I am blessed to have your support.
