That is my life now. Mussie and I have adopted two children from Ethiopia. We are blessed and thrilled to have Fiker (7 years) and Rebirra (2 1/2 years) as part of our family. Fiker and Rebirra’s mother died almost 2 years ago from cancer. Their father (who was separated from their mother at the time of her death) was injured while serving in a war and he is disabled. He has been unable to care for his children since before Rebirra was born.
I first met Fiker and Rebirra when I came to Ethiopia for two weeks in October 2010. When I first visited Ethiopia I had no intentions of adopting but when I met them I felt as if God was leading me to be their mother. When I returned to the States in October 2010 I started researching international adoption and looking for adoption agencies. Things were progressing but I felt as if things were not right. I still felt as if God was calling me to full-time missions in Ethiopia so I was confused as to why he would tell me to adopt two children. I continued to fast and pray about this decision and God showed me that I could do both. I could move to Ethiopia, be a full-time missionary, and also be their mother.
I shared this news with only a few people when I returned from my first missions trip. I am a very private person with my personal life and when I am in the process of making major decisions I am more prone to keep it quiet. I don’t like getting a lot of outside opinions that may lead me to make wrong decisions. Also if I suffer disappointments I don’t like a lot of people knowing because I don’t want to relive it every time someone tries to console me. Right or wrong, this is just the way I am.
Some people have wondered if I knew that I would marry Mussie when I originally moved here. I had no idea. That was an unexpected, wonderful blessing from God. But I did know when moving here that I would eventually adopt Fiker and Rebirra.
Because Mussie is an Ethiopian and because we live in Ethiopia, the adoption was very easy and cheap. I thank God that it all went so quickly. I have known for almost 2 years that these are my children so it was a huge relief that the actual process went so quickly and I am now able to live with them as a family.
They moved in with Mussie and I last Saturday. Mussie and I were living in the BCI guesthouse but we found a house to rent. All four of us moved in on the same day which was hectic and crazy but I kind of like that the first night any of us spent in our new house was together as one family.
The kids have transitioned very well. I think it helps that Fiker has known for almost 2 years that I would adopt her one day. I was initially worried about Rebirra’s transition because he has lived in the same house with the same caretaker for the past 2 years and he is too small to truly understand what is going on. However, he has transitioned remarkably well. I think it helps that he moved with his sister.
Currently, the adoption is only legal in Ethiopia. We still have to clear it through US Embassy before the USA recognizes them as my children.
I am hugely blessed and I deserve none of it. I have been in Ethiopia for almost 11 months and when I moved here I had no idea that in just 11 months I would have a husband, and two children. But that is the wonderful thing about God-He takes you to places you never imagined but they are beautiful, wonderful places where He is with us always.
No comments:
Post a Comment