Three Miracles

Since we started this whole process we have experienced many astonishing things that seem like miracles to us.  Remember the "loaves and fishes" that we kept finding?  They just keep coming.  And because of this, our faith has increased exponentially.  Here's my latest story...

On Saturday I got an email from another adoptive family traveling to ET in June that they had contacted their travel agent about flights and it was going to be way more expensive that they (and we) had estimated.  We were thinking around $6-$7,000.  They were quoted $2500 per round trip ticket and $1800 one-way.  For us that would mean $8600 just to fly!  Plus two $400 visas for the kids, plus food, lodging, taxis, etc... we were suddenly looking at nearly $11,000.  Now up to this point, we have managed to pay for everything from our savings, but I checked and nope, we didn't have $11,000 left.  At this point, Miracle #1 occurred:

Miracle #1:  Joan Did Not Freak Out

Not only did I not freak out, my first thought actually was "I can't wait to see how God pulls this one off!".  In all honesty, I just knew that somehow it would work out.  My biggest concern was telling Brian.  So I bit the bullet and went down to the basement where Brian was working out on the NordicTrack to give him the bad news.  I laid it all out and stepped back, expecting him to completely lose it.  This was when Miracle #2 occurred:

Miracle #2:  Brian Did Not Freak Out

Brian kept right on exercising, was silent for about 5 seconds, and finally said, "Okay.  God didn't get us this far to leave us now, so I guess we'll just wait to see what happens."  Seriously.  This from the man who used to manically check his 401K statements and mortgage amortization schedule.  I wanted to hug him, but he was disgustingly sweaty, so I just told him I loved him.  So about four hours later, Brian had taken Thomas to his baseball game and Meredith and I were getting ready to go to the ball fields to watch.  Mere was in the bathroom and my neighbor Kristof came by with our mail that he had collected for us while we were in Indiana that past two days.  I started looking through it and came across an envelope from our good friends at the IRS.  It was our federal income tax refund that I had completely forgotten about and didn't actually know how much we were getting in a refund.  I opened the envelope and this was when Miracle #3 occurred:

Miracle #3:  God (and Uncle Sam) Sent Us $3000

I looked at the check and started laughing and crying simultaneously.  Remember how Meredith was in the bathroom?  She yells out, "Mom!  Mom!  What's going on?  Are you okay??"  I managed to stop blubbering long enough to reassure her.  She chalked it up to another one of mom's crazy adoption episodes.  She's getting very used to them. 

Isn't this just the coolest story?  If it didn't happen to me, I wouldn't believe it.  I truly think God keeps doing stuff like this for us because we get to tell people the story.  We told our pastor and he said, "Really, the first two miracles were tougher for God to pull off that the last one."  That is the TRUTH!   Overcoming our fears and relying on God has been what this whole journey has been about for us.  If there's anything I've learned it is that I can worry all I want and it does nothing but waste time and energy.  God has it all worked out and the more I rely on Him the more peace I find and the more blessings I see. 

So we're feeling pretty good about the money now.  We're at least a lot closer than we were before.  And we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's all taken care of by the Big CPA in the sky!

I'm So Proud!

Just checked on AAI's blog and found a report on the school at Layla House.  At the end of each quarter there's a celebration to honor the students that had the best academic performance and behavior and I discovered that one of the most recent honorees was our Solomon!  Here he is with his certificate (and behind it, the more important item... a goodie bag full of treats!).  What a little smarty pants!  I am seriously so proud of him.  I am so grateful that the kids are getting a good education and I feel confident that they will be able to transition into American schools without problems.

Immigration update

We got a notice from USCIS last week granting us "special needs" approval to adopt, the last piece of paper we were waiting for!  Now we wait to hear final word on our embassy appointment.  The agency said we could pretty much plan on June 16, but we won't make travel arrangements until the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa issues us the date for certain.  We are tentatively planning to fly out on Saturday, June 12 and return the following weekend.  Right now we are in a flurry of activity trying to get the kids' rooms ready... purged all old crap (there was LOTS of it!) last week, painted both rooms, got rid of old furniture, still figuring out new furniture, reconfiguring closets.  It is really overwhelming, but I have to keep reminding myself I still have 8 weeks to get it all done. 

Mehlkahm Faseekah!

Happy Easter (or Mehlkahm Faseekah in Amharic)!  We are trying to learn a tiny bit of Amharic, although I am certain we will just embarrass ourselves in Ethiopia.  On Saturday we all went with my friend Sara and her adopted Ethiopian son to a tiny, very authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Southfield owned by a beautiful Ethiopian woman.  She came out to welcome us and was very happy to learn of our new kids coming soon.  We had a terrific traditional meal of injera (flat bread made with teff, a grain unique to Ethiopia) and many traditional dishes.  We also had a traditional coffee ceremony.  The owner came to our table with coffee beans roasting in a pan for us to smell while she was roasting.  Then she ground them by hand and brewed us a tiny pot of incredibly strong and spicy coffee and served it to us along with a dish of burning frankincense that we were supposed to smell while we drank the coffee.  Very cool.   

While we were talking with the owner, she told us that Tinsaye is pronounced "tin-SIGH".  We have been pronouncing it incorrectly, which is super embarrassing, but at least we know before we go.  More importantly, she told us that "tinsaye" literally means "resurrection".  How cool and amazing is that?  Especially at Easter, when our adoption was finalized on Holy Thursday.  Another Easter blessing! 

Passed court!

We cleared the biggest hurdle yet- yesterday our adoption was officially approved in Ethiopian court.  They told us to expect to travel to get them in early June.  Tinsaye and Solomon are now and forever our kids.  It's hard to get my head around that fact, and yet I think "of course!".  From the very beginning of this process I have felt like God has this plan that I am just a part of .  It's not my plan, He's up to something here and I just get to be involved.  So of course we passed court the first time and ahead of schedule!  And although I'm a little slow to remember it, as my friend Bobbie reminded me when I needed to hear it REALLY badly, "Our God is bigger than paperwork."  So even though I'm a little concerned that we're still waiting on immigration stuff, I know that it will all be fine and exactly how He wants it to be.  And even though God clearly did not check my June calendar, it will all be fine and exactly how He wants it to be.  

Now since they are officially and legally Baerts, I can post their photos!  Here are the newest Baerts.

This photo was taken by the orphanage staff last week when they got their "welcome packages" from us.  They are wearing the tee shirts we made them using a photo Brian photoshopped to include all 6 of us!  They must have been incredibly confused to see themselves in a picture with people they've never met!  I am praying that they are happy to be coming to our family and that they are not too scared.  It must be easier to know that you will be with your sibling.  I hope they are excited to think about having a new brother and sister.

Here's some more of Tinsaye:

And Solomon too:

There are more photos on my Facebook page, so you can check them out there.

These photos were all taken by other American families traveling to pick up their kids at the orphanage.  Families just take as many pictures of as many kids as they can and they post them to a shared Snapfish account when they come home.  Those of us waiting spend lots of time sifting through thousands of images to find our kids!  There are a million photos of Tinsaye, always hugging other girls.  The reports from the social workers say that she is very affectionate and I believe it!  There are remarkably fewer photos of Solomon.  I believe it is because he is running around most of the time and standing still for a photo is not on his agenda.  

Joy shared is joy doubled, and it is so awesome for me to be able to share these photos with everyone now that they are ours!