Crops Pics & Update

I've not had communication from Desalegn for the past few months but today I saw that he posted an update about the Crops for Widows.  When I was there last year, the widows were requesting improved seed to plant and fertilizer.  It was difficult because I wanted them to have heirloom seed and make use of compost.  Their viewpoint is that the improved seed (genetically modified) gives them more to harvest - something they need to make it through the coming months.  The fertilizer helps grow the crop of course.  The drawback is that it's short sighted.  But how do you teach them to plan long term when they don't even have food for the next 3 months?  Heirloom seed is something they can harvest for food but also save some to harvest for seed.  They could store the seed and then plant it the next season without having the expense of buying bags of seed.  Harvesting crops for seed is time consuming, I know.  I've been doing it recently with herbs that I planted this past spring.  Likewise, the use of compost would provide nutrients to grow the crops without the expense.  Both, the improved seed and the chemical fertilizers are expensive.

Regardless of them doing it different than what I had planned, I'm thankful that it was done.  Crops planted and ready to harvest.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU friends who so generously donated towards the crops program in the past.  Please take a few minutes and check out the link to Desalegn's blog post.

click here to read more 

In December I'm planning to return to Ethiopia on a visioning trip with Children's Hope Chest.  I'll get to meet their staff and see various sites at different places in development.  I'm eager to see the development plan for Shanto and how it might include livestock and crops!

Long Overdue, I know

While I haven't posted lately, it doesn't mean that we're not involved with Ethiopia.  In fact, with each passing month, I desire to be more involved in Ethiopia.  I know the need.  I've seen it with my own eyes.  I am daily reminded of the choices women have to make because they don't have options.  He is my son:

But it's not just about my son.  It's about this lady, Judah's birth mom:

And about women like her.  These faces are the motivation for what we do.  Not just what we do, but what we ask God to do.  Bethany prays regularly for people in Ethiopia to have enough food.  From what I know, people are wonderful about supporting children to go to school.  And I'm thankful for that.  In fact, in November, friends of Ethiopia FOVC will looking for more sponsors for children like this:  

In the village of Shanto, where we've done most of our work with FOVC, they'll be adding 80-some kids.  Ethiopia FOVC will be partnering with Children's Hope Chest to impact more kids.  If you can spare $34 a month, it will be money well spent.  One of the things I love about Hope Chest is that you can go on trips and see YOUR sponsored child.  How cool is that?!?!?  You can see your impact!  If you're interested, leave a comment and I'll connect you with Ingrid, our sponsorship coordinator.  

Like I said, many people help with child sponsorships, or building schools/libraries, or digging wells.  These are all good things.  All things we've personally and financially supported.  But what happens when those kids are done with secondary school and ready for college?  They don't have the means to afford college and so they don't go.  Friends, it's not like here in the US where you get scholarships or financial aid or take out loans.  No money = no opportunity.  But, some friends are helping out with that.  Cliff and Mary have a non-profit that help older orphans go to college.  If you scroll back up to that pic of Judah's mom, you'll see two boys - soon to be teenagers.  They're in school and even learning ENGLISH.  But they have no hope for college.  How cool if they had that opportunity through an organization like Cliff and Mary's.  Through Higher Education 4 Ethiopia's Orphans, you can help sponsor a student to go to college.   I can't remember the exact dollar amount but I think it's something like $500 a year sends them to university!  Cliff and Mary are in Ethiopia right now with 3 students graduating and 10 more getting started.  I can't wait to hear about their trip when they get back

And then there's our work with widowed women.  Specifically in the field of agriculture since most the country is agriculture based.  That has been on hold for a bit but we're hoping to get that going in the coming months.  I'm starting discussions with Children's Hope Chest on that too.  I'm excited to see how that might progress once we get the children's sponsorships taken care of.

More in the months to come...

On Hold

The June trip never happened.  It was delayed until October.  Since that delay, I haven't written or updated much.  Instead, Ryan and I have done a lot of praying, searching, chatting, and praying some more.  We desire to serve in Ethiopia helping women keep their families together.


For now, I continue to save up some vacation time to utilize to best serve.  The next trip may be to Ethiopia to work with the widows.  But I'm also considering using some time to get better training so that I can be better help.  My journey 4 hope might be seeking partners who can better serve in the actual training in Ethiopia.  Just so you know, I am committed to being in Ethiopia and helping.  I love my time in Ethiopia.  I find great joy in serving the widows.  I could even live there for an extended period of time.  But, I want to help.  I want for these women's lives to really be impacted.  So, I want to make sure we're doing this the best way possible.


What that means?  I don't know yet.  What I do know is that Ryan and I will continue to pray and search.   And for now, that's all I know.

adoption update

Not much of an update to speak of.  We sent the social worker our old homestudy like she requested and haven't heard anything back. 

I should call her.

But then again, I'm not 100% sold on adopting this little boy.  It's nothing to do with him and everything to do with my own fears.  The questions my friends have asked and thoughts they've given me to consider are HARD.  While some of those things aren't easy for me to consider, like quitting my job and losing the benefits, I also know that some times you just have to jump in with both feet and get wet.

For now, we are not moving forward but we've had a lot in the last few weeks so moving forward would have been a bit crazy then.  Time will tell.

Adoption Again...

Earlier this week, one of my adoption buddies linked to her blog on facebook.  Captain Murdock's blog post, My Heart is Broken, grabbed at my attention.  Little did I know, it would also grab at my heart strings.  Murdock has been looking for one of her son's friends from the care center.  She recently found out that "Abe" has yet to be adopted and is now advocating for a family for him.  As I read her post, I chuckled at the details.  I had recently been praying about adoption.  You might recall a short post in mid April where I mentioned that Ryan was ready to adopt again.  Adopting again brings two issues to mind.  The first is that it's not common to allow a family to displace their oldest child.  We would be doing that if we pursue this little boy and would need the blessing of the agency providing his care.  The second is that I'm selfish and was really looking forward to a break from penny pinching.  After 9 years of marriage, we're finally building a garage.  I'd also love, love, love to add a dish washer to my kitchen and do some minor work in that room.  Pursuing an adoption would mean penny-pinching and fund raising once again.    My prayer was simple in that I shared that I was willing to obey if God provided a child in need.  This boy that Murdock is advocating for is indeed a little boy in need.  

There's only one problem.  Ryan was clear that he wanted Scott to remain the oldest.  Abe is 8.  Which puts him one year older than Scott.  Which presents a problem for Ryan.  

An hour later after sharing the story with a co-worker, I thought to email Ryan.  I simply asked him to read Murdock's blog if he had a minute and asked him to consider the little boy.  What I didn't know is that Ryan and I were likely reading Murdock's blog at the same time - he from his office and me from home.  Well before I had even shared the story at work, Ryan had emailed me at my home email suggesting we consider adopting Abe.  When we made that connection, I was floored.

I do believe that we serve a God who sees the big picture and knows how it's going to play out.

In the mean time, I've contacted the agency and had some brief discussions with the waiting child coordinator.  I've also contacted some knowledgeable friends and asked them to help me understand all that I need to consider if we choose to move forward.  Adopting an eight year old wouldn't be easy.  It could, but it could also be very, very hard.  We have a lot of things to think through and consider.  I thought I'd share a few things that Semiferalmama and murdock are helping me to consider in case you're also considering doing something similar:

1. Find someone who's been there, done that and ask lots of questions.

2. How might displacing the Scott's "oldest" status impact him?

3. I love that my kids are close in age.  And I selfishly desire for any future kids to also be close in age.  But close in age and developmentally different are a potential for struggle.

4. If you run a tight ship, are you ready for that boat to be rocked?  Are you patient enough and willing to wait for an 8 year old to start acting like an 8 year old?

5. What are your plans if things are really a mess?  What if he needs counseling?  Are there counselors available nearby to help?

6. It might be helpful to have a trusted amharic speaker who's willing to help communicate here and there...

7. Would your family be supportive of the adoption?  In my specific situation, my mom is my daycare provider.  Would they be patient enough to deal with a struggling 8 year old?

8. Which brings up the next concern: are you willing to stay home while that child adjusts?  What if it takes more than "maternity leave" and you need to stay home 6 months?  Or a year?

9. Attachment challenged kids can come off pretty charming.  His personality could be very different than the agency or visiting Americans have seen.

There is a lot to consider in adoption.  How will it impact my marriage, my 3 children, my sanity?  Our finances?  At this point, we are certainly not saying that we are all in.  In fact, at this point, there might be other families interested in him that would be better suited.  I called a friend on Wednesday who I thought was a good candidate.  Kids are mostly grown and adoption has been on their heart.  If we're not the family for Abe, I'm okay with that and will advocate for a family for him.  Maybe there's another child that would be a better fit for our family... we shall see.

Cleaning

My house is a pig sty.  The floors need swept and mopped.  Clothes need folded and put away.  Bathrooms need cleaned.  You know, the normal stuff.  But it's so much worse than the normal stuff right now.  My house needs de-cluttered.  Each and every single room needs de-cluttered.  On top of that, I took a bunch of totes down from the attic to have a garage sale.  Then for various reasons, the garage sale didn't happen.  I really want to get rid of all the clothes and baby items.  I don't like clutter.  At all.  In my perfect world, everything would have a place it would call home.  

I began de-cluttering.  The first room took me over an hour.  We still had all our winter hats and mittens out.  It's almost 90 today, I guess the winter apparell can go to it's home.  The next room was horrendous.  Too much stuff.  As I began in that room, my kids woke from their naps.  My head is pounding and I'm just not motivated to clean anymore.  

I should begin fixing supper, and bathing the kids so they're all cleaned up for church tomorrow... I better hop to it.

Judah's Hair

B: He needs to turn white

me: Umm, no, he doesn't need to turn white.  He'd look like a ghost.

J: I would look like a scary cat.

and the conversation continued about the white scary cat he could be.  We'll have to work on that with Bethany.  It's innocent on her part but I want her to know the impacts of her words before they fly out of her mouth.  This is something I could have learned earlier in life... and fail at sometimes.

On another note, Judah's hair has been growing out for months and months.  It's all uneven.  The front is shorter than the back part of the crown of his head.  The back lower part is shorter yet.  Regardless, it's long enough to do something fun with it - twists or something.  It's so hard to keep it from getting all dry!  I need to find the a guy at our nearby university who would be willing to do Judah's hair.