Prayer Requests

I want to share with you some areas that we would like you to be in prayer about. Let me start by saying that this post may sound pessimistic and scary but that is not what it is to us. We are soooo excited about getting our kids but we understand that the next year will probably be a very difficult one for us. No matter how difficult it turns out to be, we are certain that this is God’s plan and that He has called us to these kids and are honored that He chose us to raise them. Having said that, there are going to be incredible adjustments we will all be going through. Here are specific areas we are asking for prayer in:

Emotional: The addition of 2 children will be disruptive to our current family structure.

• As parents, we will be trying to find balance and strength to parent 4 children all with very different needs. The adoption process is such a “high” with excitement and anticipation and then the reality of returning and making all these adjustments causes most adoptive families I’ve talked with, especially moms, to go through a post adoption depression. I am comforted to know before-hand that this is “normal” and that it is only for a time and that there is a light at the end as we trust God to reshape us.

• It’s also crazy to think about the fact that we are choosing to love 2 children that we’ve never met, cannot communicate with, already have their set personalities and are having their own life crisis. We may not “feel” love instantly but we pray that God will develop a love for each child regardless of the struggles and that our children will develop a great love for each other.

• Our bio kids will most likely struggle. They have to share their attention (and their bedrooms) with strangers and they have to deal with 2 kids that may be difficult to get along with for awhile. I pray that God will give them an incredible brotherly/sisterly bond that only He can create.

• One comment well-meaning people say to adopted kids is “I bet this is so much better than where you are from” or “aren’t you lucky you have a new family”. Well, for them, they may not feel so lucky. Yes, we realize they are from an area and situation where they didn’t have much hope of a future or family, but it was the only life they knew. It was home to them. Most of the time, kids don’t even understand what was “wrong” with their previous life. All they know is that they left everything: friends, community, language and culture, to live with people that look nothing like them, they can’t communicate with and they may never return to their “world” again. For Makeda (Mebrate), she may struggle with tantrums, aggression, biting, hitting and even just sharing. Isaiah (Medihanitu) may deal with (among other things) depression, sadness, anger and difficulty with authority. Because parents are lacking in Ethiopia, the village raises the family. Kids pretty much take care of themselves and come and go as they please. They are not used to household "rules". Some of them come to America having heard rumors that when you get here, you don’t have to do any chores, you are served, live in a mansion, and get to go to Disneyland all the time. They also, as a general rule, do not have experience with deep parent/child love and bonding. So, we will be going back to the basics of parenting—discipline them/love them.

Physical: Please pray for health.

Coming back from Ethiopia, we will be jetlagged, possibly having stomach “issues” and thrown back into the business of everyday life but with some major changes. We will need physical strength and rest to deal with the emotional “stuff”. The kids are in overall good health but we will be dealing with malnutrition, parasites and deficiencies. All fixable but can be taxing (especially the parasites!). Isaiah has a heart murmur, anemia, and some dental issues. They will both have to visit the doctor and dentist within the first month of coming to America. Vaccinations and dental work can be scary, especially when you don’t understand what is going on.

Financial:

Please pray that we would be good stewards of what we have been given and not struggle financially with the addition of 2 family members.

This may seem like doom and gloom to you but it’s not to us. We have been preparing for these difficulties knowing that “all things work together for the good of those who love Him”. Families say it takes a full year to feel like there is any “normalcy” again and a new family emerges (reminds me of the birth of your first child). Just know that if we seem tired or discouraged at times that it is OK. Just continue to pray for us.

Please don’t hesitate to call us or email us during these first few months. Depending on how we’re doing each week, we may want to visit and have company, or we may need to pull back and hibernate and bond as a family. I will do my best to be honest about where we’re at!


So many of you have asked us what you can DO for us. Please know that your prayers have been the ship that has carried us this far on this journey and that is enough! However, if you still want to DO something, here are some ideas of things that might help us as we make this transition:

• Meals that can go in the freezer
• Girl size 2 & boy size 4 clothing (hand-me downs are great)!
• Toys appropriate for 2-5 year-olds
• Restaurant, Safeway or Target-type gift cards
• Calls, cards and emails
• Babysitting (we have no idea if we’ll even be able to leave the kids w/ anyone but our parents at first, but one can always hope…)
• Prayer—it’s what has sustained us this far.
• We will be bringing disposable diapers, wipes, powdered baby formula, hand sanitizer, jump ropes, and deflated soccer balls (and pumps) to Ethiopia with us to leave at the orphanage. If you’d like to help by donating any of the above items, please let us know!