Monday, October 31, 2011

Citizenship

Kidist was adopted 4 1/2 years ago, but we never completed the citizenship process for her.  When we finally decided that all four of us would travel to Ethiopia in January, we knew we had to get that done asap.  We did not want to take her back to Ethiopia without her being a full-fledged American citizen.  The application was submitted many weeks ago, and we have been praying earnestly that it would be reviewed and approved expeditiously without any of the delays for which INS is so well known.  From the beginning of our adoption journey, God has sheperded our paperwork through the federal government with incredible speed and accuracy.  We trusted the same would be true this time.  We need her citizenship finalized in order to get her an American passport (which takes at least 6 weeks), so time really is of the essence.

On Saturday morning, the doorbell rang.  Dave and Kidist answered the door and found the postman standing there.  Kiki immediately began giving him a hard time.  (Normal for this child and an enormous embarassment to her older brother who tried to stay out of sight in the dining room.)  The conversation went something like this:
"Who are you?" 
"I'm the postman."
"Why didn't you just put the mail in the mailbox?"
"Because I have something you have to sign for."
'Who is it for?"
"A Kidist Valadez."
"Hey, that's me!"
"I suspected as much."

The earliest possible date we could have expected her citizenship paperwork was November 4th.  I wasn't even thinking about it and couldn't for the life of me figure out what Kidist would be getting in the mail that would require a signature.  When she brought me the envelope and I saw "US Citizenship and Immigration Services", my heart jumped.  I immediately had a quick thought of "I hope this is good news!"  You never know.  We quickly opened the envelope and found a blue folder with gold embossed letters on the front forming the US Department of Homeland Security Seal and "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services".  I knew we were in good shape.  Inside was a very fancy certificate of citizenship, along with a letter from the President.  The child was proud of herself!!  I swear she grew an inch just standing there proud and tall.  In true Kiki-like fashion, she promptly asked, "Will I get to see the President?"  No, child, I'm sorry.  Carlos piped in, "I bet Mrs. O'Bama would really like Kiki!"  You know what, Carlos?  I think you are right!

At any rate, we are one step closer.  And this piece was fun.  Now we pray that passport issuance goes just as well. 

Thank you, God, for shepherding our steps, one at a time.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Humbled

Last night was the fund-raising dinner hosted for us by our Sunday School class - amazing and wonderful friends who truly live out the words of Christ:  "No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends."  (John 15:13)  These people have laid down their lives and taken up my own more times than I can count.  And they do it in such beautiful ways!  When we walked in last night, there were beautiful items laid out for a silent auction.  Incredible artwork by dear friends who have the gift of creativity - paintings, photographs, jewelry.  Donations of babysitting services and home cooked dinners.  Fun things like a Colts helmet grill and a cooler that cools without the need for ice or can heat for you if you prefer!  I was struck by how those gifts, those donations, illustrated how we are all called to give - of our time, our talents, and our treasures.  Then, of course, there was the food.  Tons, it seemed, of delicious home-made Italian dishes.  (Thanks, girls!)  The most delicious sweet tea.  (Thanks, Kelly!)  A cake decorated as the Ethiopian flag!  Prayer cards were handed out with our family's prayer requests.  (Thanks, Elizabeth!)  And thank you, Amanda, for it all.

Our friends had asked that all four of us speak.  Dave spoke so clearly right to the point of why we go:  obedience to the Lord, teaching and training our children, and because it is a privilege.  I spoke about beautiful feet and pure and undefiled religion - to care for orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27, our family verse for this trip).  But the most profound moment of the evening came from my eight year old son.  We had told the kids just a week ago that our friends wanted all four of us to speak.  We gave them a few days to think about it.  We didn't make a big deal of it or even discuss it with them.  Just let them think.  Yesterday after school I reminded Kidist that she had been asked to speak and asked her if she knew what she was going to say.  She told me "Yes!" and then said two or three short things, mostly about returning to see her family.  I asked Carlos if he knew what he was going to say.  He, too, said, "Yes."  I asked him if he wanted to talk about it.  He said, "No, I think I've pretty much got it."  I left it at that. 

After dinner, Dave spoke first, and then Kidist got stage fright and couldn't speak at all.  Carlos went next.  He has terrible anxiety about speaking in front of people, especially a room full of adults, not all of whom he knows well.  However, he seemed perfectly calm, and when I asked if he'd go ahead, he just nodded his head yes.  He stood beside the small podium, not much taller than it, and said, "Well, I'm not much into this" (meaning the trip).  He then described how he was "not courageous enough to go".  He openly shared his fear and ended by saying, "So, please pray for me."  I'm not sure I can even describe to you how I felt - so proud of him for being honest and brave enough to admit his fear, so humbled by his complete humility in submitting to something he fears and having no anger or rebellion against it, so amazed to see God working in my own children as we prepare for this journey, young as they are. 

Michelle said at our first team meeting that the journey has already begun, and she's right.  God is at work in us - in every one of us - and in those around us. 

For what was a fairly small group of people last night, an amazing amount of money was raised.  We won't know the final total until tomorrow, probably, but I believe another full 10% of our trip will be funded.  One check from one church family and one dinner event from another church family and we are 20% of the way there.  God truly provides.  But what I love most is the precious, beautiful way He provides and how He changes us and calls us into something new as He provides. 

I can tell already that my personal theme for this trip is going to be "Humbled".

Friday, October 28, 2011

Immunizations

Great news!  I went to the travel clinic this morning to update my immunizations for the trip.  I needed none.  However, that is not the good news.  The good news is that my kids will only need 2 vaccines!!  Carlos may have to have three, but I'm hoping for 2 each.  I hope they will be happy when they hear the news this evening.  Thank You, Lord, for your mercies!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Beautiful feet

I love that verse in Romans.  "How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good tidings!"  When I die (a long time from now, I hope!), I want it to be said of me that I had beautiful feet.  I want to be an announcer of good tidings, a giver of hope and encouragement, a teller of good news.  I pray that Dave and the kids and I will do exactly that in January when we travel to Ethiopia with Hope for His Children on a mission trip.

We will be going with about 20 others, and we will be staying primarily in the capital city, Addis Ababa.  We will be working with some amazing organizations:  Compassion Family International, a drop-in center for impoverished children; Ethiopia Youth Soccer Ministry, a sports program for street kids in Addis; Onesimus Children Development Association, a drop-in center for homeless street children in Addis.  The amazing thing about these organizations is that they have been started and are run by Ethiopians who have sacrificed everything to serve the suffering children of Ethiopia.  There will be other organizations as well, but these are ones we worked with on Hope for His Children's 2011 trip, which I went on with my mom, who is with me in the picture on the right waiting for her turn to be braided!  I sure look forward to going back and supporting these new friends.  We will take loads of donations, words of encouragement, and hearts full of love for the kids and the adults who faithfully serve them.

However, we have much to do before then!  First, there is a large amount of money to raise.  It costs alot to go on mission to Addis Ababa, and there are 4 of us going!  We have started our fundraising.  In fact, dear friends from our church will be hosting a fundraising dinner for us tomorrow night.  They have also asked all 4 of us to speak.  When we mentioned it to our kids (who are only 8 and 6), I expected a quick "I don't want to!"  But neither of them responded that way.  They were quiet and thoughtful, and Kiki, my wild one, responded with a short and sweet statement about why she wanted to go.  How humbling it is to see God working in my children as we prepare. 

I was also humbled when we went back home to Illinois to visit my parents this past weekend.  I attended the same church my whole life until I moved away to college and then married.  The church is a small, white country church, just like in the pictures you see in calendars and magazines.  The people in that church are family to me, many of them actual blood relatives, but the remainder every bit as much family even though our blood lines don't cross.  As we joined hands to close out the service on Sunday morning in prayer, the pastor stepped toward me and handed me a check - an offering of support and love from my home church.  I was moved to tears as I accepted that check and they prayed over our family and our upcoming trip.  I was absolutely blown away later that day when I opened that folded check and saw the amount.  That tiny little country church has already funded 10% of our whole trip with just one check.  I was drawn to my knees.

God is amazing, and I love seeing the wonder of Him in His precious children - living, breathing images of Him on this earth.  How much they mean to me.  What a beautiful representation of what it really means to be the body of Christ.

There is also the matter of immunizations.  I go tomorrow to get mine.  That visit should be easy, as I went before my trip last year and got everything updated from our trip 4 years ago.  I will need one or two at most, I suspect.  Dave will need a few more, but more than anything the kids are TERRIFIED about this part.  They heard all the stories about how Dave and I had to get 8 (all at one time - 4 in each arm) the first time we went.  Carlos has never handled shots very well, and when Kiki first heard that she had to get shots to go, she flatly said she wasn't going!  (This is the child that has talked non-stop about going since I went last year.)  Pray for us.  I pray for the wisdom to know what they really should have and what they can be spared.  I pray for no side effects or long-term consequences.  I pray they will be courageous and handle it with grace.  (Carlos actually kicked a nurse once in panic mode over an immunization!)

The list goes on, but for now that is enough.  Pray for us, please!  Pray that the funds will come and that God will cover us with His grace and mercy as we face the dreaded injections!  Pray that he prepares our hearts for the work He has laid out for all of us to do there.