Thank you to everyone for your emails, prayers, calls,texts, etc. We have felt supported and well loved. We got home last night after TOO MANY hours of traveling and it was great to be back as a family of 4 however we still don't feel complete yet since we really are a family of 5!
We have had several conversations with our agency and are feeling more hopeful since the last time I posted. From what we understand, we have been assigned another court date for next Friday (June 1). Meanwhile, the ad has gone or is about to go into the public paper. It is technically supposed to run for 2 weeks. So, there are 2 scenarios....
1) Our case goes to court next Friday and the judge doesn't pass us because it hasn't been 2 weeks. Another court date will be assigned... perhaps the next week
2)The judge decides to pass us because the ad has been placed and they can put a "check" by that item on the list.
Of course we hope for #2 but at least if we have to wait for the ad to run for 2 weeks, that timeframe is better than we originally feared.
Some of you have asked if this makes us fearful of his mother being found. Actually it does not. The decision for the ad to be run is purely a formality. They had investigated his case thoroughly by interviewing the police in Mekele and other member of the community and there is a good bit of supporting evidence. We wish we knew more about his mom but unfortunately we do not.
So, we loosely hang on to the hope that we will pass court in the next 1-2 weeks. Someone from the in country staff will appear on our behalf so we do not have to return to Ethiopia for our court date.
What happens once we pass court?
The US embassy paperwork begins . The average time it takes to prepare that paperwork is 3-4 weeks. Once it is completed, it is submitted to embassy. Then, the embassy reviews it. Sometimes, they clear you within 24 hours and you can come pick up your child as soon as you can get a flight to ET. Sometimes the embassy requests more information and there can be a delay in being cleared.
SO..... we wait, we pray and we ask God to give us a peace during this waiting period. We also are asking God to keep something about us sealed in Jeremiah's little mind. We had an amazing visit with him each time we saw him and we hope when we return, there is something he remembers about us.
thankfully we know we have left him in good hands. He seems very happy with his friends. The nannies love those children well and there will be other families in and out of the transition home over the next month visiting and playing with the kids.
We have so much to process about what we have seen in Ethiopia. To come back to a beautiful place like Nashville with green grass and too many luxuries to list, we are humbled by how richly we are blessed. We are so thankful to have had a safe trip, little to no health issues, no lost luggage, wonderful families to travel with, and a glimpse into another part of this world God created and filled with His people. We appreciate you all praying for us while we were gone and know that you all will continue to join us as we pray Jeremiah home!
Jeremiah 17:7-8 “ But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Jeremiah 29:11
When we chose Jeremiah's name, one of the first reasons was because of this verse. So, today we are claiming this verse. We did not pass court today nor did the family we are traveling with. After waiting about 1 1/2 hours in the waiting room, it was finally our turn to go in and see the judge. She asked us all the questions we were prepared to be asked and then she told us that they would have to run one more ad in the Mekele newspaper in order to confirm that Jeremiah's mom could not be found. We were taken by surprise by this since our agency had not prepped us for this. We obviously have a laundry list of questions to ask our agency so that we might better understand what happens from here.
We are sad and also feel a little like throwing a tantrum because this little boy has stolen our hearts. Every time we see him he steals more of our hearts. We wanted to hear the words, "He is yours" today yet we didn't. So that is why we have to lean in really hard on our faith and remember that God loves Jeremiah more than we do and that He knows the plans for his life.
We are sad and also feel a little like throwing a tantrum because this little boy has stolen our hearts. Every time we see him he steals more of our hearts. We wanted to hear the words, "He is yours" today yet we didn't. So that is why we have to lean in really hard on our faith and remember that God loves Jeremiah more than we do and that He knows the plans for his life.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Back from Mekele... Time to catch up! Day 3 and 4
Wow! What a whirlwind of a 24 hours it has been! I will start with yesterday which was day 3 here...
We started the day visiting Jeremiah. When we arrived, Jeremiah was in an open air room with some other of the children his age watching some sort of video. They brought him out to us and he greeted us with his normal "fives" but then quickly made a break to get back to his friends. At first we thought "oh great, he is thinking to himself Oh its those people again. We quickly began to put it all together that this was the first day that the toddlers had been at this Transition Home when we arrived. Usually anyone over 2 stays across the street. The other 2 days they had brought him to us from there so his little pack of people weren't in sight. He obviously takes great comfort being with the pack which is very reassuring (for now!) So, after we gave him some space and went in and interacted with his friends, Mallory and Tony finally got him interested in going outside and playing ball. We had some great time with him on the porch looking at the sticker book and playing. My favorite moment during the morning was when he stood up on the couch on the porch and could peer around the corner and see his friends who were in that open air room with the nannies. They started waving at him then he started waving at them and blowing them kisses. Within a minute, these kids (about 15 of them between the ages of 2-5) came running past the porch and to the playground area. Jeremiah's excitement went to a 10+ and he jumped off the couch to join them. One of his friends took his sticker book and once Jeremiah realized it, he went and got Tony to come help him solve the problem. We loved that he already felt like Tony might be able to help him! We played with all the kids on the playground for awhile. Jeremiah loved the swing (Mallory told him he could swing everyday that he wanted to when he came home). He second favorite was the slide. He wanted my help coming down because it was quite steep and then would grin ear to ear afterwards.
As soon as the nannies started gathering up the children to go back across the street Jeremiah began to run to the line. We were trying to get in a quick goodbye since we would be leaving then too. Tony gave him a little hug and then Jeremiah kissed his cheek. Of course Tony loved that! He was ready to get back to his pack of people where he is obviously very comfortable. We were so thankful to see that he is well loved by the nannies and even his little buddies.
We went to lunch before we headed to the airport. Flying on an inter country flight is quite an experience. Security is very loose yet you have to go though it twice (taking shoes, belts, jewelry, etc off yet you can bring water, food etc on with no problems.) The flight was full of some people who could have used some speed stick or something stronger! Once we landed, we went straight to our hotel. The Axum Hotel is an older hotel that has a newer section which we stayed in thankfully :) We had a great night there with the exception of a very hard bed!
Mekele had a completely different feel than Addis. The population is definitely smaller and the landscape is much different. There is more stone "homes" if you can call them homes..."stone shelters". It reminded just a little bit of Phoenix. The city sits in the valley and the mountains are all around. The weather was amazing, breezy and probably 70 degrees. In Mallory's words, "I like Mekele much better than Addis". Yes, Mekele is not as overwhelming for sure. You still see the poverty, you still see people who look like they are begging on the side of the road, yet the numbers are fewer in comparison to Addis.
This morning we went to the Bana Orphanage. We weren't really sure what to expect since no other American World families had ever been there before. We were very impressed with this orphanage, as impressed as you can be with an orphanage. It was very small, clean and the children were the sweetest most joyful kids. We were able to see the room Jeremiah lived in for the 3 weeks he was there. Then the orphanage director took us into the room where about 13 kids ages 3-maybe 10 or 11 were sitting watching a movie. They began to perform for us, nothing formal and rehearsed, just spontaneous singing or dancing prompted by the director. Several times he joined them. It seems as though these children really loved him as much he seemed to love them. This is a private orphanage that is supported by other adoption agencies like Gladney and now American World. We had brought 2 full bags of donations (thanks to our friends!) to this orphanage and he was thrilled to receive all these goodies. We had also brought some toys to play with the children. Balls, jump ropes, bubbles, stickers and silly bands. All the children were swarming Mallory as she was handing out the silly bands(thankfully it was a small group!) We ended out time there with a traditional coffee ceremony where they roast the coffee beans in front of you, and serve this extra fresh coffee with popcorn. It is there way of showing hospitality to guests.
After we left the orphanage, Mallory said the she would like to be a nanny at that orphanage when she grows up. Obviously Mekele and Bana Orphanage was a highlight in the eyes of Mallory Jones. It was for us too!
We are so thankful that we had this opportunity to go and experience the city where Jeremiah was born. We hope it will be a wonderful gift to him to tell him about this city one day.
Tomorrow is court. Its hard to believe this day is finally here. We feel like we have been here longer than 4 days. We have obviously packed ALOT in these 4 days! We will post as soon as we know if we passed or not! Keep praying!
We started the day visiting Jeremiah. When we arrived, Jeremiah was in an open air room with some other of the children his age watching some sort of video. They brought him out to us and he greeted us with his normal "fives" but then quickly made a break to get back to his friends. At first we thought "oh great, he is thinking to himself Oh its those people again. We quickly began to put it all together that this was the first day that the toddlers had been at this Transition Home when we arrived. Usually anyone over 2 stays across the street. The other 2 days they had brought him to us from there so his little pack of people weren't in sight. He obviously takes great comfort being with the pack which is very reassuring (for now!) So, after we gave him some space and went in and interacted with his friends, Mallory and Tony finally got him interested in going outside and playing ball. We had some great time with him on the porch looking at the sticker book and playing. My favorite moment during the morning was when he stood up on the couch on the porch and could peer around the corner and see his friends who were in that open air room with the nannies. They started waving at him then he started waving at them and blowing them kisses. Within a minute, these kids (about 15 of them between the ages of 2-5) came running past the porch and to the playground area. Jeremiah's excitement went to a 10+ and he jumped off the couch to join them. One of his friends took his sticker book and once Jeremiah realized it, he went and got Tony to come help him solve the problem. We loved that he already felt like Tony might be able to help him! We played with all the kids on the playground for awhile. Jeremiah loved the swing (Mallory told him he could swing everyday that he wanted to when he came home). He second favorite was the slide. He wanted my help coming down because it was quite steep and then would grin ear to ear afterwards.
As soon as the nannies started gathering up the children to go back across the street Jeremiah began to run to the line. We were trying to get in a quick goodbye since we would be leaving then too. Tony gave him a little hug and then Jeremiah kissed his cheek. Of course Tony loved that! He was ready to get back to his pack of people where he is obviously very comfortable. We were so thankful to see that he is well loved by the nannies and even his little buddies.
We went to lunch before we headed to the airport. Flying on an inter country flight is quite an experience. Security is very loose yet you have to go though it twice (taking shoes, belts, jewelry, etc off yet you can bring water, food etc on with no problems.) The flight was full of some people who could have used some speed stick or something stronger! Once we landed, we went straight to our hotel. The Axum Hotel is an older hotel that has a newer section which we stayed in thankfully :) We had a great night there with the exception of a very hard bed!
Mekele had a completely different feel than Addis. The population is definitely smaller and the landscape is much different. There is more stone "homes" if you can call them homes..."stone shelters". It reminded just a little bit of Phoenix. The city sits in the valley and the mountains are all around. The weather was amazing, breezy and probably 70 degrees. In Mallory's words, "I like Mekele much better than Addis". Yes, Mekele is not as overwhelming for sure. You still see the poverty, you still see people who look like they are begging on the side of the road, yet the numbers are fewer in comparison to Addis.
This morning we went to the Bana Orphanage. We weren't really sure what to expect since no other American World families had ever been there before. We were very impressed with this orphanage, as impressed as you can be with an orphanage. It was very small, clean and the children were the sweetest most joyful kids. We were able to see the room Jeremiah lived in for the 3 weeks he was there. Then the orphanage director took us into the room where about 13 kids ages 3-maybe 10 or 11 were sitting watching a movie. They began to perform for us, nothing formal and rehearsed, just spontaneous singing or dancing prompted by the director. Several times he joined them. It seems as though these children really loved him as much he seemed to love them. This is a private orphanage that is supported by other adoption agencies like Gladney and now American World. We had brought 2 full bags of donations (thanks to our friends!) to this orphanage and he was thrilled to receive all these goodies. We had also brought some toys to play with the children. Balls, jump ropes, bubbles, stickers and silly bands. All the children were swarming Mallory as she was handing out the silly bands(thankfully it was a small group!) We ended out time there with a traditional coffee ceremony where they roast the coffee beans in front of you, and serve this extra fresh coffee with popcorn. It is there way of showing hospitality to guests.
After we left the orphanage, Mallory said the she would like to be a nanny at that orphanage when she grows up. Obviously Mekele and Bana Orphanage was a highlight in the eyes of Mallory Jones. It was for us too!
We are so thankful that we had this opportunity to go and experience the city where Jeremiah was born. We hope it will be a wonderful gift to him to tell him about this city one day.
Tomorrow is court. Its hard to believe this day is finally here. We feel like we have been here longer than 4 days. We have obviously packed ALOT in these 4 days! We will post as soon as we know if we passed or not! Keep praying!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Day 2
We started our day at the Transition home playing with Jeremiah. It didn't take him long to warm up to us again and he gave us some more amazing smiles. I had several favorite moments today while we were visiting him....
1)Tony was playing a game with him of hiding the ball under Jeremiah's shirt. Jeremiah would smile really big and then lift up his shirt to get the ball, then he would hand it back to Tony for him to repeat it again.
2)We had been playing several things with him (all of us sitting down around him). We had some crayons and a coloring book, a small book and a match box car all out on the ground. When Tony brought the balls back out, Jeremiah began cleaning up everything and putting the books back into the bag they came in. It was as if he was cleaning up all he had been playing with before he moved on to the next activity. Very smart boy! :)
3)Tony initiated a shoulder ride and was convinced he would be nervous and might try to move off his shoulders. As they rounded the corner, we saw quite the grin on Jeremiah's face. There will be many more shoulder rides in this little guy's future!
After we said our goodbyes we headed to lunch. The restaurants they have been taking us to often have a very appealing menu, however when you are trying to avoid produce items (due to the water they are rinsed in) the menu becomes a tad more limited. So, we have had pizza 2 days in a row for lunch! The good news is that both days the pizza was very tasty!
We met another nice family that joined us today for lunch. They had their court date earlier in the week and are leaving tonight. They had brought 2 of their children ages 11 and 8. It was nice to have another family from America to share the day with. They brought us comfort when they told us that their daughter had not felt well the first day or so since Mallory has been struggling with her stomach. I think the trip/ lack of sleep did a number on her. The good news is that she has turned the corner as of this afternoon!
We came back to rest for a few hours before we went to the traditional Ethiopian restaurant for the famous injera meal and the famous dancing that Mallory referred to in her post. Let's just say that we all tried it and we probably will not be eating injera again anytime soon. Mallory describes the injera as "spongy bread that has a vinegar taste". The dancing was highly entertaining. These men and women move their bodies in a way that makes you think they are double jointed in every joint of their neck, back and shoulders. They always get certain audience members to stand up and dance with them. They pulled up one audience member on the stage and somehow I became that lucky person! Wasn't prepared to be that person!!
We are back at the hotel preparing for our trip tomorrow to Mekele. I am not sure what kind of internet connection we will have so if you do not here from us we will update on Sunday night. We are hoping that everything goes smoothly with our travels. We already feel like we haven't even begun to absorb Addis and now we are about to do a whirlwind 24 hours in another city. We are glad to be going to help us understand a little more of Jeremiah's past....another adventure to add to the ones we have already had here!
We have more priceless pictures that we will post as soon as we pass court! Keep praying that all goes smoothly on Monday!
1)Tony was playing a game with him of hiding the ball under Jeremiah's shirt. Jeremiah would smile really big and then lift up his shirt to get the ball, then he would hand it back to Tony for him to repeat it again.
2)We had been playing several things with him (all of us sitting down around him). We had some crayons and a coloring book, a small book and a match box car all out on the ground. When Tony brought the balls back out, Jeremiah began cleaning up everything and putting the books back into the bag they came in. It was as if he was cleaning up all he had been playing with before he moved on to the next activity. Very smart boy! :)
3)Tony initiated a shoulder ride and was convinced he would be nervous and might try to move off his shoulders. As they rounded the corner, we saw quite the grin on Jeremiah's face. There will be many more shoulder rides in this little guy's future!
After we said our goodbyes we headed to lunch. The restaurants they have been taking us to often have a very appealing menu, however when you are trying to avoid produce items (due to the water they are rinsed in) the menu becomes a tad more limited. So, we have had pizza 2 days in a row for lunch! The good news is that both days the pizza was very tasty!
We met another nice family that joined us today for lunch. They had their court date earlier in the week and are leaving tonight. They had brought 2 of their children ages 11 and 8. It was nice to have another family from America to share the day with. They brought us comfort when they told us that their daughter had not felt well the first day or so since Mallory has been struggling with her stomach. I think the trip/ lack of sleep did a number on her. The good news is that she has turned the corner as of this afternoon!
We came back to rest for a few hours before we went to the traditional Ethiopian restaurant for the famous injera meal and the famous dancing that Mallory referred to in her post. Let's just say that we all tried it and we probably will not be eating injera again anytime soon. Mallory describes the injera as "spongy bread that has a vinegar taste". The dancing was highly entertaining. These men and women move their bodies in a way that makes you think they are double jointed in every joint of their neck, back and shoulders. They always get certain audience members to stand up and dance with them. They pulled up one audience member on the stage and somehow I became that lucky person! Wasn't prepared to be that person!!
We are back at the hotel preparing for our trip tomorrow to Mekele. I am not sure what kind of internet connection we will have so if you do not here from us we will update on Sunday night. We are hoping that everything goes smoothly with our travels. We already feel like we haven't even begun to absorb Addis and now we are about to do a whirlwind 24 hours in another city. We are glad to be going to help us understand a little more of Jeremiah's past....another adventure to add to the ones we have already had here!
We have more priceless pictures that we will post as soon as we pass court! Keep praying that all goes smoothly on Monday!
My Day (MJ)
We visited Jeremiah today at the Transition Home. As I watch the videos of him with that big smile across his face, it makes me smile to think that very soon this little guy will be in our house. Thank you ( Amesage 'Nallo' ) for all your sweet prayers for me and my whole family. I am feeling much better with my stomach issues and tiredness. For dinner tonight we are going to a restaurant were they do head dancing. From what i have heard it is supposed to be amazing. If anyone is interested in ''head dancing''
look up on google '' Ethiopian head dancing ''. Please pray for me that my dad doesn't try the head dancing at this restaurant !!! Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers!
look up on google '' Ethiopian head dancing ''. Please pray for me that my dad doesn't try the head dancing at this restaurant !!! Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Day 1- a marathon
We left American soil at 11:00 am and settled in for our long flight. It was great to fly Ethiopian airlines because we were seeing many friendly Ethiopians on the flight. Mallory even made a new friend, Kaye, a 12 year old from Nashville who was born in Nashville but her parents are from Ethiopia. Ironically, her mom is from the Tigray region where Jeremiah is from. I tried to speak with her mom but her accent is still thick therefore I was having a difficult time understanding her. After a 13 hour flight with no sleep for any of us, we landed in Ethiopia. We got our visas in a room that looked like something that was from the 60's in America and everything was done by hand writing in a book, even using carbon paper to duplicate! Then we had success at baggage claim (praise the Lord! since we had had to disperse clothing from our carry on luggage to our checked bags since ET airlines had a 20 lb weight limit for all carry ons!) Thankfully customs was a breeze. We had been prepared that we might get stopped, but we didn't even have to put our luggage through screening. Once we got outside, it took us a minute to find Job, our guide, but once we did, all our luggage was whisked to the top of the van and we piled in. Within seconds of leaving the airport, the sights of poverty were everywhere. I was telling Tony that it really is too much to take in and process. In one block, there are so many sights you see that run the gamut of "that is so heartbreaking", "that is really odd", to "did I just see what I think I saw?" When you are riding in a car, it is almost more to take in than your brain can handle.
We were taken straight to the guest house to unload, shower, and regroup for 2 hours before lunch. While we were thankful to get to come here to shower and try to regroup, we were so tired that we didn't really want to sit in one place too long! While Tony and I were exhausted, Mallory had hit a different level. We let her take an almost 2 hour nap which was probably the best decision, yet no one ever wakes up from a 2 hour nap when they are that sleep deprived in a really good place. It was touch and go for her but she made it and seeing Jeremiah gave her a second wind!
We ate at an Italian restaurant which was yummy but sitting was reminding us all how tired we were! I may have mentioned this in another post but we are traveling with another family from Omaha Nebraska.They are adopting a baby girl who is also from Jeremiah's hometown. We will all be leaving tomorrow for the trip to Mekele, so it is nice to have another family to walk through all of this with.
As soon as we finished lunch, it was time to go to the Transition Home. I think we were in this survival mode given everything that we had been through to get to that point that we still hadn't really processed what was about to happen. However, it all became very real the minute I saw an American World sign on the side of the building and the gates to the Transition Home being opened. I think we all took a deep breath and the emotions began to flood over us. As soon as we got there, they told us to stand to front of the home and that they would be bring us the children. We all got our cameras ready and thought the baby would be first. Soon, they told us the baby was asleep so it might take a minute but that Jeremiah would be right out. Then it switched again and out came the other family's baby. We snapped pictures for them and watched them meet their little girl for the first time. Then within minutes, they told us "Jeremiah" would be coming in the gate. He lives at the Transition Home across the street since all children over 2 live there. So, we all turned around, swapped cameras and then the gate opened and there he was. He walked right in and waved to us.... serious face but yet he was greeting us. We all crouched down and then he began his greeting that Tony initiated of giving us all five. He would give each of us several "fives" almost like he was patting our hands and sometimes he would just leave his hand in our hand. He studied us and really was taking it all in. Tony said, "I would love to know what his little brain is thinking right now". Mallory was so sweet with him, rubbing his back and talking to him. After a few minutes we went and grabbed our backpack of surprises for him. Fist we gave him a bouncy ball. That was an immediate hit and he shows a love of playing ball! Then we blew some bubbles, did a little coloring and then played with a matchbox car. He was very interested in all of it and engages more easily than either of us anticipated. We saw grins that we never anticipated seeing and he was even saying some words to us.... would have loved to have known what he was saying!
For those of you all who know Tony, you may know many things about him but his love for children and his way with kids is one of his many strengths. He always knows how to get a smile or a laugh from a child even when they are hard to crack. As we greeted Jeremiah today, we knew going into it that this was going to be an overwhelming moment.... 3 strangers staring at him giving him so much attention. He has already lived through some difficult transitions, so for him to be suspicious of us would be a given. Yet in that moment, Tony worked his magic, and within short minutes, this little guy was smiling and playing ball with him. I am so thankful that this little guy is going to have such a great daddy. We don't know how long it will take for this guy to really trust us but we will give him all the time he needs.
We head back to see him this morning and then we will be doing some shopping after lunch today. We will finish the day with a traditional Ethiopian meal. We are all turned around on our sleep (all of us up at 4am. The barking dogs and the rooster crowing during the night can make it challenging to sleep even with Ambian!) We are so thankful for how well our first meeting with him went. God exceeded our expectations!
We were taken straight to the guest house to unload, shower, and regroup for 2 hours before lunch. While we were thankful to get to come here to shower and try to regroup, we were so tired that we didn't really want to sit in one place too long! While Tony and I were exhausted, Mallory had hit a different level. We let her take an almost 2 hour nap which was probably the best decision, yet no one ever wakes up from a 2 hour nap when they are that sleep deprived in a really good place. It was touch and go for her but she made it and seeing Jeremiah gave her a second wind!
We ate at an Italian restaurant which was yummy but sitting was reminding us all how tired we were! I may have mentioned this in another post but we are traveling with another family from Omaha Nebraska.They are adopting a baby girl who is also from Jeremiah's hometown. We will all be leaving tomorrow for the trip to Mekele, so it is nice to have another family to walk through all of this with.
As soon as we finished lunch, it was time to go to the Transition Home. I think we were in this survival mode given everything that we had been through to get to that point that we still hadn't really processed what was about to happen. However, it all became very real the minute I saw an American World sign on the side of the building and the gates to the Transition Home being opened. I think we all took a deep breath and the emotions began to flood over us. As soon as we got there, they told us to stand to front of the home and that they would be bring us the children. We all got our cameras ready and thought the baby would be first. Soon, they told us the baby was asleep so it might take a minute but that Jeremiah would be right out. Then it switched again and out came the other family's baby. We snapped pictures for them and watched them meet their little girl for the first time. Then within minutes, they told us "Jeremiah" would be coming in the gate. He lives at the Transition Home across the street since all children over 2 live there. So, we all turned around, swapped cameras and then the gate opened and there he was. He walked right in and waved to us.... serious face but yet he was greeting us. We all crouched down and then he began his greeting that Tony initiated of giving us all five. He would give each of us several "fives" almost like he was patting our hands and sometimes he would just leave his hand in our hand. He studied us and really was taking it all in. Tony said, "I would love to know what his little brain is thinking right now". Mallory was so sweet with him, rubbing his back and talking to him. After a few minutes we went and grabbed our backpack of surprises for him. Fist we gave him a bouncy ball. That was an immediate hit and he shows a love of playing ball! Then we blew some bubbles, did a little coloring and then played with a matchbox car. He was very interested in all of it and engages more easily than either of us anticipated. We saw grins that we never anticipated seeing and he was even saying some words to us.... would have loved to have known what he was saying!
For those of you all who know Tony, you may know many things about him but his love for children and his way with kids is one of his many strengths. He always knows how to get a smile or a laugh from a child even when they are hard to crack. As we greeted Jeremiah today, we knew going into it that this was going to be an overwhelming moment.... 3 strangers staring at him giving him so much attention. He has already lived through some difficult transitions, so for him to be suspicious of us would be a given. Yet in that moment, Tony worked his magic, and within short minutes, this little guy was smiling and playing ball with him. I am so thankful that this little guy is going to have such a great daddy. We don't know how long it will take for this guy to really trust us but we will give him all the time he needs.
We are here and we have met him!
We have just returned from meeting Jeremiah... what a day! There is so much I want to report in about our trip thus far but the most important news to report is that we met him and he is absolutely precious. We were prepared for all serious business from him since so many of his pictures show a serious face. He has a serious/ cautious side to him but we also got to see a playful side too! The first thing he did was give Tony five after Tony extended his hand to him. Then he did the same to me and to Mallory. Seemed very comfortable with this so we of course kept it to that kind of greeting. (Very difficult not to just scoop him up! We played ball with him which he really liked and then a few other activities. He is very observant... watches everything going on around him especially when he hears sounds. THe funniest part of the whole visit was when the couple we are traveling with started to take his picture he would tilt his head, smile, bat his eyelashes and squint his eyes repeatedly. It was as if someone has trained him how to "work the camera". We never would have predicted this... will be interesting to see if this is something he continues!
I can't post his picture yet but tomorrow I will post a few from behind.... my eyes just can't stay awake anymore!
Please continue to pray for us... this is a rigorous trip and Mallory is definitely feeling the effects the most.
I know after getting some good sleep she will feel so much better. Africa isn't really like any place I have visited before... HArd to leave this place without a perspective check!
More tomorrow!!
I can't post his picture yet but tomorrow I will post a few from behind.... my eyes just can't stay awake anymore!
Please continue to pray for us... this is a rigorous trip and Mallory is definitely feeling the effects the most.
I know after getting some good sleep she will feel so much better. Africa isn't really like any place I have visited before... HArd to leave this place without a perspective check!
More tomorrow!!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Leaving on a jet plane...
Tomorrow is the day! We will be getting on an airplane for a very long flight and when we touch down, we will be in Ethiopia. We will arrive early in the morning on Thursday and that will be the day that we meet Jeremiah. We will try our best to update the blog on Thursday night but we may be crawling into bed from exhaustion if we aren't able to sleep on the plane tomorrow!
We still cannot believe it is here. The wait has been long and the anticipation of this day is at a level 10+!
We start early in the morning so for tonight I will keep it short and sweet. Thanks for coming alongside us on this journey and for all your support. We feel so blessed!
We still cannot believe it is here. The wait has been long and the anticipation of this day is at a level 10+!
We start early in the morning so for tonight I will keep it short and sweet. Thanks for coming alongside us on this journey and for all your support. We feel so blessed!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Donations, donations and more donations!
It is hard to believe that 2 weeks from today we will be standing in court and hopefully hearing a judge saying "he is yours". We don't really know what that day will feel like, but I'm sure it will be amazing.
I would say that we are full of anticipation, just like children are in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Just like "Santa Claus" does, we are making our lists and checking them twice to make sure we are taking everything we need! We are trying to wrap our minds around all the emotions we are about to experience. In the meantime, we are doing dance recital rehearsals, field trips, work trips, Mother's Day celebrations, softball games and all the other daily life routines that always seem more hectic in May! Life is full, our hearts are full and we are ready to go! Please continue to pray for safe travels, healthy bodies while we are there, and for us to pass court so this little guy can officially become a "Jones".
These hands and feet need to be in our house very soon!!
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