Micah Temesgen is offically ours! We have been waiting on this for 18 months and he is finally ours! Only one step left in the process...pick him up! We will not be able to travel to Ethiopia until May 22, but we have much to do to get ready. We have put together a little video, although not real professional, it has most of the photos we have of Micah. Hope you enjoy....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5I3Rb_lSyg
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Waiting Again
I haven't posted in a while as we have had a rough month of court drama. Our most recent hearing was April 8th. Again, we did not pass for the fourth time. This time, the judge dismissed our case for the hearing because of logistical reasonings. From what we can gather, the judge had ordered five separate law officials to come to court to testify about Micah's orphancy. The police in his village believed sending three of their people to be adequate. However, the judge got angry that all five didn't show. Consequently, the judge refused to pass us and set a new date for the 29th of April. We are heartbroken, confused, scared, and tired. It has been difficult swallowing the fact that a mistake such as this could prolong Micah's joining our family. Our fear of traveling in May has come to fruition. Among some "important dates" in May are: Kelsay's graduation, end of my school year, Kelsay's graduation party, Dennis' trip back to Togo, Andrew's birthday and other various events. I can admit my reaction was close to mourning as I physically yearned to hold him and bring him home. We seemed so close to be shut down again. It has taken me days for my tears to dry, but I stand in the truth that what He says He will do. Thanks for your continued prayers.
Sobering Truths
* One in ten children in Ethiopia die before their first birthday
• One in six children die before their fifth birthday
• 44% of the population of Ethiopia is under 15 years old
• 60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted because of malnutrition
• The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years
• 1.5 million people are infected with AIDS (6th highest in the world)
•720,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS alone, and there are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia.
• Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa
•In the 90s the population (3%) grew faster than food production (2.2%)
• Drought struck the country from 2000-2002 (first year no crops, second year no seeds, third year no animals)
• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school. 88% will never attend secondary school.
• Coffee prices (Ethiopia’s only major export) fell 40-60% from 1998-2002.
• Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000.
• In 1993, after 30 long years of war, Eritrea broke from Ethiopia and became an independent nation leaving Ethiopia landlocked without any major seafaring ports."
• One in six children die before their fifth birthday
• 44% of the population of Ethiopia is under 15 years old
• 60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted because of malnutrition
• The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years
• 1.5 million people are infected with AIDS (6th highest in the world)
•720,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS alone, and there are 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia.
• Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa
•In the 90s the population (3%) grew faster than food production (2.2%)
• Drought struck the country from 2000-2002 (first year no crops, second year no seeds, third year no animals)
• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school. 88% will never attend secondary school.
• Coffee prices (Ethiopia’s only major export) fell 40-60% from 1998-2002.
• Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000.
• In 1993, after 30 long years of war, Eritrea broke from Ethiopia and became an independent nation leaving Ethiopia landlocked without any major seafaring ports."
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Our Hannah...
Meet Hannah...almost high-schooler, resident bookworm, speedy texter, laugh-a-minute, kind-hearted, smart beyond her years Hannah! This is a picture of her this past June with one of her BFFs from Togo, Africa. She would have brought this little one home if she could have! Hannah is headed to 9th grade this fall and is an awesome daughter, friend, and student. She loves to take pictures and hang out listening to her IPod. I'm fairly certain that she is more mature than all of us put together!
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun..."
Meet Bethany. Second child, resident chef, Wii Fit fanatic, math whiz, hair and makeup consultant, good for a laugh and Ray-Pec junior. Bethany and Kelsay are ultra BFF's and have no memory of life apart. She will head to MIZZOU next year and major in architectural design. An awesome day for her is hanging out at Nebraska Furniture Mart and coveting all the funky, modern furniture!
"I am sixteen going on seventeen..."
Meet Kelsay. Oldest child, mom's clone, empathetic, efficient, clipboard carrying, hi-liter maniac and senior. This is her on her 17th birthday in November. Although a young senior, she is gearing up for Fall as she heads to UMKC as a proud member of the Nursing School, Class of 2013! She received an early acceptance letter just today!
"Let Me Entertain You..."
Meet Andrew. Sixth grader, sports fanatic, brother of three sisters, resident comedian, and all-around awesome kid. Here he is before a Chief's game last fall kicking back with some brats and a Coke. Andrew quarterbacks for his football team and has been glued to the tv this March for all the madness...He claims to be ready to take on the role of big brother as long as Micah agrees to be taught how to throw, pass, shoot, dribble and kick a ball! :0)
A Rare Pic of the Six of Us...
This was taken on Christmas Day 2008. Dennis sets up the camera timer and we attempt to look somewhat "put together"! Sometimes we do and sometimes...well we don't! It does give a hearty laugh each year however.
Some Random Family Stuff
After reading through all of my rambling, I have realized that I don't have any pics of our kids on here! I'm adding a few pics and will start introducing them one by one. There are four of them and this will keep me occupied for a few days while waiting to hear from our April 8th court date. I haven't let myself think of what will happen if we don't hear good news...for the 4th time. I'm not sure what their Plan B actually is to be honest. Again, I am claiming that God will renew our strength as we wait.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Sundays...
Dennis and I have the privilege of being a part of an awesome church. Our pastor is one of our closest friends. We vacation together as couples, we hang out together, we laugh together and sometimes cry together. This past Sunday, Jeff preached a sermon that God gave Him the day before. We had been in the middle of a series called, "Wake Up!", but Jeff felt God leading him in a different place. Of course, I just knew he changed it for me, but I'm often conceited that way! The gist was this: what do we do when "stuff" comes up that we don't expect? Like sickness, financial problems, work hassles, a loss of a loved one, or not passing court? Do we use these opportunities to impact others? As the Apostle Paul did, do we "preach from our prison?" even if we seemingly have nothing to boast about? I felt such conviction for questioning, shaking my fist, and bemoaning my status. Perhaps, as Jeff said on Sunday, stuff comes up to give us more "weight" in the end to empathize with others in the future. God is good and he knows best. Although this can be a trite and pat answer, I'm seeing the truth in this more every day. Thanks Jeff. We are blessed to call you friend and pastor.
Rollercoasters
I used to love to ride rollercoasters as a kid. The scarier the better. The taller the better. They aren't what they used to be that's for sure. This stroll down memory lane is my way of sharing the rough and scary ride of not passing court. We realized this was a possibility, but the phone call is never what you imagine it might be. Apparently, Micah's grandmother who relinquished him originally was brought to Addis, four hours from her village on the 24th. She does not speak Amharic, the local language, and had to have an interpreter. Much of the testimony in front of the judge apparently didn't coincide with the paperwork as far as Micah's birth mother is concerned. Our papers state that she is gone, but the grandmother contradicted herself several times. The judge had her come back three days in a row, virtually unheard of! Finally, on the 26th, the judge deemed her as an uncredible witness and sent her home. The orphanage is now to secure the original police officer who investigated his case and have him testify on April 8th. Our prayer is this:
*the correct documents will be in hand on the 8th
*the orphanage has found the police men/women necessary to travel to Addis
*the same judge will see our case...for the 4th time...and have favor on us
*that we can travel at the end of April and not in May...Kelsay's graduation is May 15th
*that Micah is still thriving and gaining weight. We haven't seen any new pictures of him since February.
We continue to thank God for extending an invitation to join Him in this new journey. Our arms ache to have Micah home.
*the correct documents will be in hand on the 8th
*the orphanage has found the police men/women necessary to travel to Addis
*the same judge will see our case...for the 4th time...and have favor on us
*that we can travel at the end of April and not in May...Kelsay's graduation is May 15th
*that Micah is still thriving and gaining weight. We haven't seen any new pictures of him since February.
We continue to thank God for extending an invitation to join Him in this new journey. Our arms ache to have Micah home.
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