The Pierce Family's Ethiopia Adoption Adventure

Dinner with the Pierces - 05/09/11

2011-05-10T19:12:00.000-05:00

A glimpse into a typical dinner at our house.... We may be a lot of things, but boring isn't one of them. (Okay, sometimes we're totally boring, but that's just to make up for the crazy parts!)

Last night's dinner...

We had turkey breast, beans, and sweet potato casserole - NOT squirrel, rabbit, or squirrel with cheese no matter how many times Michael told TJ that's what it was!

Turkey under the napkin and an overly dramatic story about a cow - just a couple or average dinner time moments...

Brown-cake-m's (brownies baked in a cupcake pan with m&m's on top), "No, we don't eat eagles", and the musical portion of the after dinner entertainment.

Singing (Act 2), gymnastics, dancing, and bicycle tricks.

$100 for adoption

2011-04-11T08:48:00.000-05:00

We’ve recently been blessed with a generous gift that paid off the remaining adoption debt we had, but we still have some adoption t-shirts, tote bags, and wristbands to sell.
Now we want to bless someone else.

* * * * * * * * * *
If you will share the link to our fundraiser blog page where our items can be ordered, you will be entered in a drawing for $100 toward your own adoption or to an orphan care/adoption organization of your choice.

Ways to get entries:

1) Come back to this post and leave a comment that you shared our “event” either on FaceBook or your own blog each time you share it. (Up to once a day.)

2) Have your friends share the event and then leave a comment here stating that it was for you. Make sure they include your name so you can get credit!

3) The BIGGIE: Have anyone who places an order include a note on their order saying it was done for you, and you will receive one entry *for each dollar spent*!! (shipping fees not included)

We will schedule and announce the drawing as soon as we have sold out of all of our items, so please help us get the word out.

*And, EVERYTHING has been discounted!*

T-shirts for $12, Bags for $2, and Wristbands for $1!

WHERE TO ORDER: http://giftsfromafar.blogspot.com/p/fundraising.html
(Our "Fundraisers" page)

THANKS!

*ALL other proceeds from the sales of these items will be used to help fund a 2011 summer mission trip to Costa Rica for Michael, Deke, and Eli.*

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Going shoeless for the shoeless AND shoes for the shoeless

2011-04-05T22:02:00.001-05:00

All EIGHT of us are going without shoes today.

Puddly parking lot and fuh-REEEZ-ing floor in produce section of grocery store were no fun at all this morning. Neither were the odd glances. I just kept reminding myself that it's only one day, and tomorrow I'll choose a pair of shoes from my closet to put on my feet. In fact I'll probably wear at least 3 different pairs of shoes tomorrow for various things I'll be doing.

Honestly, I hate going barefoot. I don't even go barefoot at home. I always wear shoes. Always.

And how many times a day do I say, "Get your shoes off this floor and take them to your room!" It's not uncommon for a couple of the kids to have a pair in the kitchen, a pair in the living room, and maybe even a pair they left in the van. We have "church" shoes, soccer shoes, dance shoes, tennis shoes, sandals, and flip-flops left around the house at any given moment.

But millions of adults and kids have ZERO pairs of shoes and not only have no choice about which ones to wear today, but have no choice of even whether they will wear shoes or not.

And even though today's awareness event was created by TOMS shoes, we won't be buying any. (Sorry.) The idea is great, but instead of dropping $40 to get yet another unnecessary pair of shoes for someone in our family and ONE pair for someone else, our family is using that $40 to ship a couple of boxes FULL of shoes to our friends in Springfield, MO who are collecting shoes and light-weight blankets for people in Ethiopia.

So, thanks TOMS for raising awareness. We're doing our part.to help...

34 pairs of shoes that we mailed today...

The girls worked hard filling the box.

TJ showed up when he heard me tell the girls to smile for a photo.

At the Post Office mailing the box of shoes.
(Boy, that parking lot was a killer!)

In the mall...

How all of our feet looked at the end of the day - nasty. Just plain nasty.

The Pierce family is THANKFUL for shoes...

and SOON we'll be sending more to those who really need them!

Is your pillow a luxury? Part 2

2011-03-19T20:13:00.002-05:00

Okay, we’re done with our first week of the World Vision ACT:s Lent program. It didn’t go exactly as I had envisioned - it was way better. The program was initially intended for college students and young adults, so we had to adjust some things to make it work for a family of 8 with kids ranging in age from 15 to 3 years old, but it was still a good learning exercise for all of us. Here’s how it went.

Beans and rice: (Monday and Tuesday nights) The kids LOVED it. All of them, and that almost never happens. I was hoping they wouldn’t, but they did – BOTH nights. Go figure. They did say it would have been better with some sausage or other meat in it, but still.

Spaghetti with meatless sauce: (Thursday night) LOVED that, too. Really?!?!

I was hoping they wouldn’t like them and that they would feel deprived and therefore more grateful for our “regular” food. They did say they are glad they don’t have to eat just that kind of stuff all the time, but they liked it and we’ll have it again. New options for cheap meals are always good. They did get tired of sandwiches every day and hardly any snacks, so it wasn’t a complete fail. I had never done the math before to see how much we normally spend per person per day on food, and this week I realized that we normally eat on about $3.25 per day per person, so $2 isn’t completely impossible to do on a temporary basis – or possibly even on a permanent basis if we had to. And since we hardly EVER eat out, not eating out was just normal. However, the realization that one meal at Chick-fil-A costs the same thing as ALL the food we each could have for 3 days was an eye opener.

Monday’s lost luxury was the dishwasher. All the kids had to wash, dry, and put away their own dishes for the whole day. Again, since it was something new, they thought it was kind of fun (though they did admit they were glad they didn’t have to do it every day). It was obvious that TJ and Brielle were the only ones with previous dishwashing experience, and now TJ tries to wash his dish every time after he eats and we end up with water ALL OVER the counter. Lovely.

Tuesday we didn’t give up anything. I asked the kids what they thought we should give up and they said that since I am always telling them , “School is a privilege, and there are kids all over the world who would love to have the opportunities you have”, that they should have to give up school for the day. (Can’t blame ‘em for trying, I guess!) In the end, we ended up not giving up anything that day, but I did have some “food for thought” (and a new plan for Wednesday).

First thing I told the kids Wednesday morning when they got up was that they did not have to do school that day. They were SO excited! (That was the distant sound of screaming and cheering you heard for a few moments but just couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from) But after the initial euphoria, a couple of the older ones began to suspect this was probably too good to be true. Next, we discussed our World Vision ACT:s story for the week again: Sophie and her kids sort rocks every day in the rock quarry. They make only enough money for food and rent. The kids cannot go to school because they must work every day just to earn enough money for food. Working all day every day means they cannot get an education, which means that there is no hope of a better life for them in the future. (Suspicion growing.)

Then I dropped the bomb on them. No school = all work. I told them they were going to have to work ALL day doing whatever I told them they had to do. There was plenty to do because were a lot of extra chores that had been neglected the week before due to me having to work on the yard sale every day. So, Wednesday my kids: folded, hung, and delivered multiple loads of laundry and towels to the correct places; wiped walls, baseboards, doors, and doorframes; organized the school shelves, movie cabinet, and book shelves; cleaned their own rooms; helped clean my room; cleaned bathrooms; cleaned and vacuumed under couches and couch cushions; cleaned the kitchen counters; swept kitchen, dining room, foyer, and hall; etc.

Throughout the day we talked about kids around the world who do much, much, much harder work than they were doing, with the added difference of terrible conditions and with no hope of ever having the opportunity to do anything else. When they complained about how “mean” I was being, I reminded them that they didn’t know what “mean” was. “Mean” is a boss who does not care anything about you – only about what you can do for him. “Mean” is a boss who beats you if you do not work fast enough. “Mean” is a boss who doesn’t pay you at the end of the day what you rightfully earned and doesn’t care if it means you and your family will not eat that day.

We talked about the opportunities that become available ONLY when you have an education. And about what it would be like to be a kid and have your family depending on you to work and provide FOOD for them. And about what it would be like to never get to “play” – only to work. And about what it would feel like to live every day knowing they had to wake up and do it all again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.

Thursday morning they got up expecting to do some school work. Then I let them know they were going to work AGAIN. They were actually *disappointed* that they weren’t going to do school work. (“I love it when a plan comes together.”) They did more laundry and more sweeping and more wiping things until about lunch time. We had some opportunities to talk, and I could tell that just the tiniest peek at the reality of what life is like for some kids in other parts of the world had made an impact.

We stopped working around lunch time (when Dad came home early to watch basketball – it’s that time of year, you know). The girls and I went out to run errands, go to dance, and go to the grocery store (something I do NOT take for granted – it felt really good to go back to $3+ per day). On Friday I took the girls to the ballet, took Mattea shopping for shorts and TJ’s birthday gift, and then went to pick up the girls’ dance recital costumes. Friday night we went to the church for Family Fun Night.

Grocery shopping. Dance. The ballet. Shopping. Recital costumes. Family Fun Night. We hardly ever do that many “fun” things in one 24 hour period – I can’t even remember the last time we had a 24 hours like that. But it is “interesting” how it ended up being this week of all weeks. Some of the things just HAD TO be done. Some of them had been planned for literally months. But we are blessed that we are able to do any and all of them. And after a week of focusing on how unspeakably blessed we are, we viewed every single one of these things with a new gratefulness. The contrast between what we had been doing and learning throughout the week and what Friday was like for us was something God used to reinforce all the lessons we learned – and we will not forget them.

The subject of how blessed we are has come up several times this week, and it’s been mentioned by the kids instead of by me. I think they “got it” – at least to the degree that each of them can at this point.

It was a good, good week.

The last 2 and a half months ...in one post

2011-03-19T15:11:00.004-05:00

Okay. It’s been a while since I posted. Since we’ve been home I just haven’t done much with the blog. I’ve posted to FaceBook regularly, but not the blog. As we were in the adoption process and I read blogs written by others, I noticed that when the kids came home the postings became more sporadic. I claimed that that wouldn’t happen to me.

Famous last words.

I assumed that the lack of blog updates was the result of the newly adopted kids taking up a lot of time. While they do take time, that’s not the only reason I haven’t posted regularly. Another reason is that it’s just hard to think in an organized way. God has overwhelmed my mind and heart with more of Himself, and it’s just hard to communicate what’s going on in my spirit in a way that does it justice.

So this update is just a summary the last couple of months. I went back through FB status updates and chose some of the ones that give a glimpse into life at our house and also added a few new tidbits. Most of it is about the two new little ones, but the big kids are doing great, too…

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Jan 6
Brielle’s first day of dance!

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Jan 10
Just overheard from the other room:
BANG!
"Oy!"
"Are you okay?... Are you okay?... Pull up your pants."
(Later found out:
Brielle was running backwards across the living room and tripped over a pillow and fell down. Her pants fell down, too, but she stood back up and kept going BEFORE pulling up her pants.)
Always fun around here... :o)
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Watching the football game. TJ repeats after is dad, "Tackle him! YES!" He's learning all the important stuff - cheering for the SEC! :)

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January 11
God’s cost to adopt us was infinitely greater than any cost we will endure in adopting and raising children." - @JohnPiper - Is God calling you to adopt but think you can't afford it? (God calls people to do things all the time that THEY can't accomplish on their own... that's why it's called FAITH!) :)
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While I was updating the blog, TJ saw a photo of Wyatt and himself and said, "Brother! Cool brother!"
Ahhhh, that makes my heart SO happy....

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Jan 12
When God calls us to do something that:
(a) we can't do in our own strength/power
(b) will cost us dearly in comfort, finances, energy, time
We must ask ourselves two questions:
(1) "Do I trust God enough to live as if He actually is Who He says He is?"
(2) "Do I believe that obeying God and knowing more of His faithfulness is worth more than anything I could ever give up?"
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January 13

Cooking ramen for lunch.

Brielle sees it and says, "Pasta! Pasta! Bravo! Bravo!"

TJ starts running around the living room screaming, "I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!"

Wish the first four were that easy to please! LOL

Brielle wanted to know Daddy's name so I told her, "Michael Pierce".
TJ screamed, "Michael Jackson!"
No. Not quite...
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Funny moment of the day: TJ running into the kitchen and trying to tell me (in made-up sign language and something besides english) that the toilet was overflowing. Wish I had it on video! (It would have been even funnier if I didn't have to clean it up.)

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January 15
We told TJ that tomorrow was Sunday so we would be going to church, and he said, "Church! Church! Hallelujah! Amen!" :)

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January 17
TJ and Brielle are watching BibleMan.
Every few minutes they scream, "Good job, BibleMan! Good job!"
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"I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama...little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

My family would likely not be complete were it not for the sacrificial efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and I am thankful in a new way this year for his work. Although he is best known for his gains toward racial equality, it would do him a disservice to limit his legacy to that one thing.

He continually taught that doing the right thing was always the right thing no matter the consequences. The most fitting way to honor him today would be not merely by studying his words but by taking action in ways that truly make a difference in the world.
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“If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The time is always right to do what is right.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Apparently, TJ enjoys green bean casserole. He ate all that was on his plate, screamed "I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!", then started licking the plate. Alrighty, then!

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January 18
I just said to the kids, "Okay, let's clean up the house." TJ and Brielle ran around screaming, "YES! YES! YES!" The others all just ran away...
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Yesterday and today TJ and Brielle have been on a cleaning spree. They have swept, used the whisk broom and dust pan, wiped down the fronts of the kitchen cabinets, cleaned baseboards, wiped doors and door frames and anything else within their reach - and then they kept asking for more jobs! (Unfortunately there are only so many jobs that are not more than 4 feet high!) This morning I put some towels on my bed and came back and Brielle had folded them! I sure wish this would rub off on the other four!

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January 22
Last night our Bible Fellowship group had a Family Fun Night in the gym at church. All the kids had a great time PLAYING, and all the adults had a great time TALKING!

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January 24
TJ and Brielle LOVE America's Funniest Home Videos! Wish everyone could hear them laugh - and see them cringe. SO funny! We're all laughing at them laughing!

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January 25
TJ went to gymnastics today for the first time! He had never seen any of that kind of equipment or even a trampoline. He was amazed by it all and loved every minute of it. It's just right up his energetic little alley. If it had been "speed gymnastics" it would have been even better!

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January 26
All the extra helpings of food that TJ and Brielle eat every day are beginning to show! I keep having to let out the elastic in the sides of their jeans! :)

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January 27
While much of the country is sleddin', in Mobile we're happy to be scootin'!

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February 1
TJ and Brielle's English is getting better every day. It's so much fun to watch them as they learn and to see how proud they are when I understand what they were meaning. :)

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February 2
Preschool choir sang in "big church" tonight. TJ sang some but barely did any motions. Brielle just stood there like a knot on a log the entire time - not even one smile. This is after both of them constantly sang the songs all week around the house. After we got home Brielle stood on a stool in the middle of the kitchen singing AND doing the motions. Figures... ;) LOL

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While trying to find ways to have fun and burn some energy this morning, we created "flippin' in the hall"! It was a big hit and I'm sure will be one we do again and again. :)

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February 5

TJ didn't like my answer to the question he just asked me.

He grinned and said, "What? I don't know English."

Yeah, right... :)

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February 7
Went out to ride "baskils" (bicycles) this afternoon. We were nearly blown away by the freezing cold wind! Brielle got her pullover stuck on her head because she tried to put it on OVER her bike helmet! And TJ kept saying "Touch my 'baskil'! Touch it!" Took me a while to figure out that he meant "HOLD it" so he could get on! LOL

Princess Brielle and Prince TJ!

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February 9
We put TJ in gymnastics because he was constantly flipping, standing on his head, climbing on things. Yesterday was his 3rd time to go to gymnastics, and he has now been moved up from the preschool class to Level 1. I SO wish I could have seen more of what those boys did at the Transition Home every day! :)

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February 10
Brielle: "Mommy, lunch?"
Me: "In just a minute - I have to cook it first."
Brielle: "YAY! YAY! TJ, cookies first! COOKIES FIRST!"
Me: ("Oh, great...")

And, of course, she got a cookie.

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February 13
TJ and Brielle (especially TJ!) are so funny-looking with bicycle helmet hair with all the bumps and ridges that are just like the inside of the helmet! LOL
But they did have fun! :)

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February 14We went to Pump It Up today (or as Brielle called it "Pump A Rump" LOL). TJ and Brielle's first time there and they had a blast!

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February 15
We've been together as a family of eight for 2 whole months today! So how is it possible that it seems like we've been together forever? And how could God work out all the details to bring us together? And then work in our hearts in such a way that could make *family* out of strangers from two different parts of the planet? Because HE'S GOD - that's how! And He had planned it all from before time began. Wow. :)
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The kids rode their bikes for a while this afternoon - took these pics of them looking so cute!Bike riding!

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February 16
Come on, gymnastics (4:00pm)! TJ can't wait... and he's driving me crazy about it! LOL
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So we're at gymnastics today and Wyatt says, "Is that TJ on the rings? Which one is he?"
Me: "He's the one in the red shirt."
Wyatt: "Oh. Yeah."
(TJ is the only kid in his class who is NOT white, and his brother couldn't figure out which one was him! LOL ~ I love it!)

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February 17
Went to Clinton to visit with Uncle Wayne, Aunt Donna, Parker and Mattie. Everybody had a great time. Always good to visit with family!

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February 18

We had a great reception in Vicksburg last night. So many friends and family came by to visit with us and meet the 2 newest Pierces. It was such a great reminder of how blessed we are - which is WAY too blessed for words.

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Four wheeler riding with Papaw!

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February 23
Me: "Okie Dokie"

Brielle: "On a donkey?"

(Well, guess it makes about the same amount of sense! LOL)

(I recently read that there are 85% as many donkeys as people in Ethiopia. I believe it.)

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Hopefully he got a little bit of that toothpaste on his teeth, too!

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February 28
TJ and Brielle arguing with each other in English... is that good or bad? LOL

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March 2
I showed TJ and Brielle this video. When they saw the well, they both started smiling and screaming and jumping up and down. They said they had a well just like it where they lived before. Wow. I'm thankful that "someone" gave MY babies a place to get clean water. I plan to do the same for someone else's...

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” Dr. Seuss

Sierra Leone from The Water Project on Vimeo.

If you would like to change lives by donating to a water well, please visit this link. These are acquaintances of ours who are asking for money to build a water well as a wedding gift. What a great way to begin a marriage!

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March 8
God calls.
We say yes.
Lives are changed.
See how easy it is?

Please read our friends’ blog post. You WILL be blessed!

Is your pillow a luxury?

2011-03-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

I'm afraid it is, but I'm so spoiled it feels like a necessity...
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World Vision Act:s has a Lent program that we have signed up to do. Well, it isn't exactly a traditional lent program, but it is during the season leading up to Easter. They send daily e-mails with ideas of how to identify with “the least of these” in the world so that we can pray more and find ways to care for them. We will adjust the ideas given to make them fit our family as we go on this adventure. This week we will be learning/talking/praying about those who feel and may be seen by others as “worthless”.

Today we talked about luxuries we take for granted:
Pillows
Beds
Blankets
TV
Video games
Computers
Minty toothpaste
Shampoo
Conditioner
Chairs
Ceiling fans
Refrigerator
Washer/dryer
Dishwasher
Soccer
Dance
Gymnastics
Piano
School
Coffee
Eating out
Too many to name...

(How many things do we consider necessities that others would consider luxuries?)

There are so many adults and children in the world whose lives consist of working many hours day after day doing menial jobs or hard labor just to make enough money for food and rent. Literally nothing else. They work so they can live another day and do it all over again. No hope. Nothing but working to exist. They often go unnoticed and are considered worthless by most.

Millions of the world’s poor live on less than $2 per day. Many on less than $1 per day.

We have decided that our family will be eating on $2 per day per person for the next week and living without a few selected luxuries that we will be deciding on as a family. $2 per day is nothing. The smallest burger and small fries at a fast food restaurant may be possible - only if you choose the right restaurant - and that would have to be your food for the entire day.

With 8 people in the family, we have $16 per day to feed our family this week. Grocery shopping for a family of 8 using less than $112 for a week was interesting. Very eye-opening - there are not many choices on that budget. The menu so far has included cereal, PB&J sandwiches and chips, grilled cheese sandwiches. Tomorrow will be cereal, ramen, and beans and rice. Tuesday will be cereal, sandwiches, and rice and beans. (See the subtle difference? Monday is beans and rice. Tuesday is rice and beans. Yep. I’m creative like that.) Wednesday will be cereal again, ? for lunch, and something at church that will be provided by friends. Dinner Thursday and Friday will be spaghetti noodles with meatless sauce. Beyond that I don’t know yet. I have $39 left to spend for things I need during the week.

Hmmm... We are so blessed.

I'll have to post the "lost luxury" list later - it's still being "debated".

Bike riding!

2011-01-29T11:59:00.001-06:00

Today was a beautiful day - January 29th and 70 degrees! (Yes, it was wonderful, but when it's 90+ degrees and 80% humidity for 3 solid months this summer, you won't be so jealous!)

A friend down the street gave TJ a bike. He was (almost) a natural. Michael helped him for a while, and he was having a great time.

Brielle didn’t have a bike yet and was really disappointed. She said, “Eli – cycle. TJ – cycle. Me – no cycle.” So I HAD to go get her one. .. I couldn’t let her go very long with “no cycle.” It took her a little while to get the hang of pedaling, but by the end of the afternoon they were both doing great!

(So you don't have to watch the entire videos, I've put a few of the highlight times beneath each one.)

Part 1 – TJ riding (sort of…)

0:35-0:50 - TJ falling with style
2:40-3:00 - TJ falls, blames Dad
3:25-4:05 - TJ runs into car AND house

Part 2 -

0:40-1:00 - TJ falls, blames Dad again (a scenario that was repeated many times today!)
1:45-1:59 - crashes into house AGAIN

Part 3 -

0:50-1:15 - Brielle on bike, TJ tries to hog camera time
5:20-end - Wyatt's crash (background)

Part 4 -

1:11-1:13 - TJ helping Brielle ride bike
3:30-4:40 - Brielle getting better
5:55-6:40 - Brielle riding
7:10-7:50 - 2 new bike riders

When I got up this morning I never would have expected that we would have 8 bikes in the garage by the end of the day and two more riders, but, wow, what a great day!

Dinner time!

2011-01-25T21:15:00.003-06:00

Dinner time is always an interesting time at our house. Here are a few of our experiences from Jan 8th and Jan 22nd. The Jan 8th videos cover the entire dinner - 30 whole minutes - but I have noted some of the "highlights" below. If you only watch one part of one video, be sure to watch "Brielle, beans, carrots". On the Jan 22nd videos, I only recorded a few portions of our dinner. Here is a glimpse into dinner at the Pierce home. It's sometimes wild. Sometimes crazy. Always real.

January 8, 2011

Part 1

0:00-1:00 - “no photo”, blessing

2:30-3:15 – “Deke, you’re driving me crazy

5:10-7:00 – Brielle, beans, carrots

8:30-8:40 – “How are you?”

9:40-10:00 – “English, please”, “How are you doing?”

Part 2

0:00-:010 – winking

0:40-1:50 – Deke takes Brielle’s glass, winking, dancing

3:00-4:00 – Eli and Deke take TJ’s glass and hide it

5:30-6:30 – TJ tries to put food he doesn’t want on Dad’s plate

8:00-9:08 – “No sleeping!”

9:50-10:00 – dance beginning

Part 3

0:00-1:02 – dance/song cont’d

2:15-5:00 – Did you like dinner, carrots? Days of week. “We go to church.”

7:15-7:42 – Do you like church?

8:20-10:00 – Dance and hand-jive

January 22, 2011

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Hair!

2011-01-18T10:28:00.000-06:00

I've admitted from the beginning that the whole "hair" issue has been a big area of fear for me.
"I am SO unqualified."
"What if I really mess it up?"
"I have no idea what to do!"

So for the last four and a half weeks I have avoided doing anything but washing, conditioning, combing and putting a headband in Brielle's hair. It looked pretty cute, but I knew I couldn't stick with that plan forever.

So last night I mustered up the courage to "do" Brielle's hair. I am so thankful that she is such a sweet and patient child. It was like she knew I was clueless and she just had pity on me. She sat amazingly still for a LONG time (much longer than that hairsyle should have required!), and here are the results!

Even though it's not perfect, it will do for now. Of course, I used every bit of knowledge, creativity and skill that I have so I'm not really expecting to do much better than this. I posted the photos on Facebook last night and someone jokingly asked if I could write out the steps... so I did.

Here they are:

Wash.

Condition.

Condition again.

Wipe conditioner off your hands.

Drink some tea.

Comb. Comb. Comb.

Drink some more tea.

Try to make a straight part.

Try again.

Take a tiny ponytail holder and open with your teeth.

Try it again because that one broke.

Finally get that tiny thing open and work like crazy to get it around the teeny tiny pony tail.

Say, "Just a few more minutes, okay?"

Go back to the "Comb. Comb. Comb." step and repeat all following steps about 15 times.

Voila! You're done! EASY as that!

I plan to research some other options and probably go find some "professional" help, but this will have to do for the next several days.

3 weeks...

2011-01-05T09:46:00.004-06:00

3 weeks together. Wow. Here are some thoughts about the last 21 days…

Some moments of the day it’s hard to believe we’ve been together 3 whole weeks already.

Some moments of the day it seems like we’ve been together forever.

Some moments of the day it seems like that single day has lasted (and probably will last) forever.

I know God has miraculously brought all of us together on this journey, and I am so thankful for that. God brought us kids #1, #2, #3, and #4 each in their own way, and it has been the journey to # 5 and #6 which has reminded me of God’s intricate plan to join people together for His glory and for their own benefit and blessing. It was HIS plan. It IS His plan.

God certainly chose TJ and Brielle for us, prepared us for them and prepared them for us. Mr. TJ’s little tricks and schemes have all been seen before by these two well-seasoned parents, and Little Miss Brielle’s pouting spells just don’t work with us. TJ actually seems glad to when he gets “caught” trying to pull things over on us. I think it makes him feel safe to know that we’re not just some ignorant people he can fool all the time. We’ve been through it all before, and we’re not fooled or swayed by drama, crying, or blaming others. And Brielle will try to get her way by pouting and being pitiful, but when we ignore it she just does what needs to be done and is over it in a few minutes. God’s been preparing us for these battles for years, literally years! We’re ready for ya, baby!

One of the things I was most concerned about beforehand was Mattea needing her personal space and “alone time” and how sharing a room with a 3-year-old sister would affect that. Thankfully, that hasn’t been an issue so far. Mattea loves Brielle so much, carries her around, asks if she can help her get her bath, etc. I am so proud of her for stepping up and being such a big helper. Mattea has been able to be alone in her room some, so that has been good, and so far things have gone incredibly smoothly. Praying that continues.

Mattea doing her school work with Brielle in her lap

I was also concerned about Wyatt adjusting to not being the center of attention anymore. Wyatt LOVES being “on”. That’s where he is most comfortable. He is a true baby of the family personality who expects everyone to give him all their attention all the time. I knew he would have some issues with having to share his “attention” with his little brother, but I completely misjudged how much it would affect my sweet baby. He has had such a hard time with it. It is so sad. I have cried several times just watching him struggle with trying to figure out where he belongs now and what his place in the family is. Yesterday was the first day that he actually played with TJ – it took 3 weeks for two boys who have been together 24/7 to play together. They just haven’t connected very well. I have confidence they will, though. God can handle it, and I’m praying for Him to join their hearts together in a miraculous and beautiful way.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2010-12-30T14:42:00.002-06:00

Shopping for ribbon and fabric
Lunch at Island Breeze
Lion Zoo
Transition Home
Packing
Leaving for home!

Today we stopped at the coffee factory to try again to buy some coffee and go on the tour. Success! We were able to get coffee gifts for friends and also to take the kids for the tour. It’s very interesting. This is one of the suppliers of Starbucks, but you can get a caramel macchiato there for less than a $1.50.

These ladies hand-sort and choose quality raw coffee beans.
They remove the defective ones and leave the "good" ones.
The belt moves every few minutes to deposit the good ones in a bin at the end of the row.

Wyatt's expression after chewing a coffee bean.
We were told that many people just chew the roasted beans, so all the big boys tried it.

Then we went on a search for some ribbon and fabric. There are lots of places that sell dresses other hand-made items, but I wanted to purchase just some ribbon and fabric to make some dresses for the girls myself. Dawit was very sweet to help me go on this wild goose chase. We asked a few people and the only place anyone could think of that might possibly have ribbon or fabric was the market at the bottom of Entoto Mountain. We looked and looked and finally found ribbon all the way at the back of the market. Then we went in several shops to see if they had fabric, but in all of the ones that would sell just fabric, the fabric was SO expensive. I finally found some that I really liked and Dawit was able to get me a really great deal on it. I can’t wait to make Easter dresses for the girls!

While I was shopping, the boys entertained themselves by trying to jump up on some of the raised sidewalks, etc. The market is on different levels, and there are many places with 2 or 3 steps to go up or down. The boys decided to try jumping flatfooted up to the other levels. All was going great until Eli missed the level and scraped the front of his leg on the concrete wall. I was talking to someone about ribbon and his fall caught their eye. I saw them cringe and look at me as if to say, “Isn’t that your kid?” I just looked around and said, “Yeah, he’s mine. He’ll be fine.” Job went and found some medicine and cotton and doctored Eli’s leg. (Thanks, Job!) I kept shopping…

Next was lunch at Island Breeze again. We had a great time visiting with Dawit and Job and eating the delicious food. The owner of the restaurant is originally from Ethiopia but lived in the US for a while. So glad we got to go there again before we left Addis.

We went to the Lion Zoo after lunch. It was very interesting. We’d heard that it didn’t take long to see it all, and that was correct. They had about a dozen lions, a couple of ducks, 6 or 7 monkeys, a tortoise, an twiching and jumping animal that was kept on a rope, and a few greater kudu. It was sort of like a cartoon zoo in that the animals were all kept in concrete-bottom cages with metal bars. We were not very far from the monkeys or lions at all. And we just walked right up to the greater kudu wire fencing. I had to tell a couple of the kids to get their hands out of there!

greater kudu

duck

???

Tortoise

After the zoo, we took the kids back to the Transition Home to say goodbye to their friends and nannies. Again, they were so excited to go down that street again. It was bitter sweet for all of us. Glad ours now have a family and so happy that we ARE that family, but sad to know they may not see many of their good friends who have become like brothers and sisters to them again. We do plan to keep in contact and try to visit with all the ones we can. Their closest friends will (or already do) live in TX, IL, IN, and MO, so it will be difficult, but we will work hard to allow them to maintain any relationships they have from Ethiopia. It's the least we can do for kids who have already lost so much. We pray for all the kids who do not yet have families and for the families who are still waiting for the children God has planned for them.

TJ and 3 of his friends (2 of the families have not yet passed court, so I can't show their faces.)

Brielle and her friend who now lives in Indiana.

We went back to the Guest House to finish packing, eat dinner, and get showers before the long trip home. It was hard work trying to figure out how to pack things so they wouldn’t break and to fit it all into our suitcases. We were one suitcase short on the way home because one of them nearly fell apart before we got there. It was in rough shape before we left because of the abuse it had endured on the previous trip, and we knew it probably wouldn’t be worth bringing back home, but I apparently didn’t accurately plan on how much stuff we would want to bring home.
Finally, I got it all to fit and then went to take a shower. However, there was NO hot water. The kids had had showers earlier, but Michael and I were waiting until last. Monday night there had been a power surge which apparently damaged the solar water heating system they had. Therefore, there was no hot water when it was dark. We hadn’t had showers that morning because there was no hot water, and we were in a hurry and just figured we’d get one in the evening before leaving. We HAD to have showers! We told the Guest House staff our dilemma, and they heated water for us and brought it to us in buckets. So, we had “bucket” showers. Whatever. At least we were clean and felt better!

By this time, we were running late on getting downstairs to load up all of our luggage and get to the airport. While on the way, our van got stopped by the police. He told Dawit that the luggage in the back was piled too high and took his license. The way it works in Ethiopia is that you can keep your license if you pay 150 birr ($9) to the officer on the spot, or you can have your license taken and pay 300 birr ($18) later on. Dawit chose to pay 300 later because most of the time when you pay the officer, they just pocket the money and never report it.

Finally, we made it to the airport. We were so ready to get home, and not because Addis was horrible - we actually love it there! It’s just that home is HOME, and we were ready for a daily schedule and routine and our own “non-taco” beds and bathroom drawers and sweet tea and no restaurant food. Not looking forward to the long flights, but SO ready to be home.

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No Facebook posts from today:

None... no time. :)

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

2010-12-29T11:38:00.001-06:00

Gorge
Zebra Grill for dinner

Today we hired a driver named Samuel who was recommended to us and went outside Addis to the gorge. It’s about a 2 hour drive, and I don’t know an official name for it – we all just all called it “the gorge”. It was great to see the countryside. You really don’t have to go very far outside Addis to see a completely different way of life. The drive was absolutely beautiful.

Today was an Ethiopian Orthodox religious holiday. That is the reason for the white clothing and head coverings.
This is a small church in the countryside.

Homestead

Family working

Another homestead

Even the horses get dressed up for the religious celebration

A larger church (in the background).
There were people walking for miles from both directions toward this church.

A carved rock wall just outside the city of Addis.
The Lion of Judah is a national symbol for Ethiopia.

We parked at a restaurant situated on the edge of the gorge. We walked to the back where we could see. It was SO beautiful! We walked down some steep and rocky trails to a bridge where there were some local boys who offered to escort us across the bridge for 30 birr each. We agreed that that would be a good price, so we said okay. We walked across a bridge called the “Portuguese Bridge” that was built about 400 years ago. Except for TJ who decided he didn’t want to go and stayed with our driver to wait for us at a little hut before the bridge. The boys were great at showing us some very cool viewing areas and being patient with all of us who weren’t used to climbing all over rocks up and down the side of a mountain. There aren’t any tourist trails, of course.

The Portuguese Bridge

View from the bridge

Samuel and TJ

The waterfalls are smaller this time of year because the rainy season is over.

We had heard that there were baboons in the area that you could see and sometimes get close to, but they were not in their usual area so one of the boys ran to find them while we waited. After a while he came back and said he found some. Mattea, Brielle and I stayed and waited while Michael, Deke, Eli and Wyatt went to see them and took a couple of photos for us. There were only a couple of them out because it was an overcast and kind of rainy day so they were hiding out from the rain. TJ was very happy to see us when we got back because we had been gone for nearly an hour.

On the bridge - TJ came running across the bridge when he saw us coming.

After the tour was done, the boys told us we needed to pay a few hundred birr extra because they went to find the baboons for us. (Oh, well… we should have expected it.) We walked (I should say climbed) back to the restaurant where the van was parked. We were told we could either go into the restaurant and purchase drinks or food or we could pay for our parking. We decided to go in and only get some drinks. (We had brought some food with us because we had heard from some other families that the food was not good and that all they had was some odd spaghetti sauce with cold noodles or traditional Ethiopian food.)

Next, we decided to go to the restrooms before we left for the two hour trip back into the city. We had to walk up a hill to a little building where the restrooms were located. There was no electricity, and the stalls were completely enclosed so if you closed the door it was pitch black. There was no toilet paper (thankfully I had brought some!), and no running water. After we were “done” a lady came in with a bucket of water to pour into the toilet to flush it and then dipped water out of the bucket with a tin can so we could rinse our hands.

We drove back and stayed around the Guest House until dinner time. We walked down to eat at Zebra Grill one last time. (We should have had photos made with the waitresses there since we came to know them so well during our stay in Addis!) On the way back to the Guest House, we stopped in one of the shops and bought Deke an “Adidas Colors” jacket that he wanted - only about $20. We also bought Mattea a shirt that she liked.

We’ve all been together a couple of weeks now. Here are some of my thoughts and observations at the two-week mark: TJ and Brielle have some really great habits. They are very diligent about brushing their teeth, putting their dirty clothes away, lining their shoes up beside their beds at night, washing their faces, bathing themselves and putting on lotions. They also are really good at sitting still and waiting – they’ve been really great at restaurants and in church. Some of the things we still need to work on are: racing while eating, grabbing things from others, and trying to be FIRST to everything.

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Facebook post from today:

Can't believe we'll be heading to the airport in about 24 hours. We have had a great trip, and the kids are already saying, "Next time we come to Ethiopia..." Not looking forward to the long flights, but ready to be HOME. Please pray for easy, uneventful, sleep-filled flights for all. THANKS!

Monday, December 27, 2010

2010-12-28T10:06:00.010-06:00

Post office market to finish shopping
Lunch at Metro Pizza
Coffee Factory

We went back to the market near the post office to finish our shopping. We saw Samuel again today and gave him the gum we brought for him. He is a 15-year-old “street kid” who basically lives on the streets near the post office. He makes money for his family by shining shoes, selling gum, and donations people give him. He is such a sweet kid, he is super smart, and has a great smile. He has such a great personality that he has made friends from all around the world who return to visit him every time they are in Addis. I pray God will send a great opportunity his way soon.

Samuel and the Pierce kids

One of the shop keepers that we bought several things from on both trips.

Next time you're in Addis, go by and see her. Her shop is on the corner.

After the market we went to Metro Pizza for lunch then to the Robera Coffee Factory to purchase coffee and take the tour. However, they had no small bags of coffee and there was no one there to give us the tour. We decided to just go back to the Guest House for the rest of the afternoon.

We saw one of the funniest things of our entire trip on the way back: two policemen holding hands. In Ethiopia men and guys often hold hands or put their arms around one another as they are walking just as a gesture of friendship. It was strange to see at first, but we sort of got used to it after a while. However, we were NOT expecting to see two policemen holding hands - that was just a little much for us! When we got back to the Guest House, the kids played and I washed more clothes. (Eight people sure mess up a lot of clothes!)

In Addis most restaurants serve both Coke and Pepsi products,
and they are DELICIOUS! Soooo much better than the stuff they sell in the states.

In Amharic

TJ, Brielle, and our wonderful friend Yonas!

More clothes...

Sunday, December 26, 2010

2010-12-27T09:30:00.019-06:00

Church at IEC
Lunch at Island Breeze
REST

Today was a very calm and restful day. We went to the International Evangelical Church again. Then lunch at Island Breeze. Then we rested for a while and played a little at the Guest House.

Job and Dawit discussing how the "fork trick" works
(Deke did the fork trick everywhere we went - we have LOTS of photos of forks, toothpicks, and salt shakers!)

close-up

Brielle and her "Mirinda".
Everywhere we went she ordered "Mirinda and sambusa"
(Sunkist orange and samosas - a kind of deep fried pastry with beans and/or meat inside.)

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Facebook posts from today:

I just love spending time in Ethiopia with other adoption families and America World staff! Getting to know all these wonderful people is a part of the adoption process that has been an unexpected blessing, and we are so thankful for the privilege of getting to know all of them. :)

TJ and Brielle danced for the Guest House staff and Job down in the lobby. The desk ladies would play songs for them so they could dance. They had everyone laughing and clapping - it was a hoot! They are so funny (and pretty good dancers, too!) LOL

TJ: "Mommy, please, my game. My game, please. Pleeeeaaase! Pleeeeaaaase! My game, Mommy!" (About his new iXL... such a Pierce kid!) LOL

Saturday, December 25, 2010 - CHRISTMAS DAY

2010-12-26T10:38:00.023-06:00

Celebrating Christmas in Ethiopia
Lunch and the "mall"
Visit to KVI orphanage
Christmas dinner

We got up, got dressed, and ate breakfast downstairs at the Guest House. Afterwards we went back to the room and began our Christmas celebration. First, we read the Christmas Story from Luke 2. Then, Mattea read The Tale of Three Trees for everyone. We read it every year. We LOVE that book!

Mattea reading Tale of Three Trees and her sweet big bro Eli holding it open for her

Next we watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” which Steve and Lorena let us borrow. (They are a couple from the US staying in Addis for 6 months. He works for Pfizer, which is donating millions of dollars in medicines and resources to help with some health and disease issues in Ethiopia. We met them on our first trip and were glad we were able to visit with them again this time.)

Note: Ethiopia uses the Gregorian calendar which has 13 thirty-day months plus an additional 5 or 6 day month at the end of the year. It is 7 years “behind” our calendar. It won’t be Christmas in Ethiopia until January 7th on our calendar, so this is just a normal Saturday here.

We went to lunch at the Lime Tree and then walked over to Friendship City Center for some shopping (mostly looking). Friendship City Center is a multi-level “mall”. It’s very modern with lots of stores. In the lower level is a store which is likely the Addis equivalent of Wal-Mart. Some food, personal care items, household goods, furniture, jewelry, a few toys, etc. Wyatt bought some hot sauce for Lorena because she used it every morning on her eggs, and he noticed she was running low. (That's SO Wyatt!)

Friendship City Center

Sisters at Lime Tree

Deke at Lime Tree

Deke's pizza with 2 bites out of a slice - it made a heart, so we had to have a photo

When we arrived back at the Guest House we loaded up all the red bins full of donations and headed over to KVI orphanage for a few hours. We took diapers, wipes, clothes for all ages, shoes, blankets, sheets, soccer balls, American football, jump rope, and a home-made version of cup-ponk. We joined T’s youth group from the International Evangelical Church there for fun with the kids. (T works for America World, is the youth pastor at the church, and is attending seminary, as well. Such a great guy! ) We made bracelets with the kids, painted fingernails, played soccer and football with the kids. However, kids in Ethiopia aren’t that interested in playing with American footballs because they’ve never seen football played on TV and don’t understand the game. (Honestly, what good is an American football if you haven’t seen that crazy sport? The ball is just weird and not good for much if you don’t “know” what to do with it. So, American footballs are not such a big hit with the kids!)

Making bracelets

A student from the church painting nails

The kids swarmed us for bracelets. They were pushing and shoving, and grabbing beads and hoarding them. It was chaos, but no one was hurting anyone else – they just all wanted to be sure to get one. Deke and some of the boys from the International Church played soccer and tossed the football around. Mattea, Eli and Wyatt helped with bracelet making then just spent time playing with the kids. It was a great experience for all of us. All the kids called me “Mommy”, and I was so heartbroken for them. I pray they will all have a real mommy of their own soon. We didn’t go inside to visit with the babies and toddlers because it was nap time. I didn’t see what the conditions were this time, but I do know that lots of people have taken donations recently so they should be better. Plus, with all of ours they should be doing a little better. I also know that others are planning to take more in the future. Hopefully, the kids are able to have their basic physical needs met now. Now, to get them all families…

Mattea

In the evening, the Guest House hosted a Christmas party for all the guests. Michael told the kids there was a Christmas party that we would be going down to for dinner and tried to get Brielle to say “Christmas party”. She tried really hard, but all she could ever come up with was “Christmas FARTY”. Oh my goodness, we laughed SO hard! I’m sure that is one that will forever be a part of our Christmas vocabulary! We went to the party, the food was DELICIOUS, and we had a great time visiting with all the other families who were there.

The kids' table at the Christmas "farty"

BEFORE

AFTER

It was a special Christmas day we will never forget. We gave no gifts to each other. We only gave to Jesus today. BEST celebration ever!

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Facebook posts from today:

Merry Christmas from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! :)

Celebrating Christmas in Ethiopia today: Breakfast. Reading THE Christmas Story. Reading Tale of Three Trees. Watching Charlie Brown Christmas. Gifts (AKA candy bars!). Lunch at Lime Tree. Delivering 6 full bins of donations plus a big bag of toys to KVI orphanage and playing with the kids this aftenoon. Christmas dinner at the Guest House. An awesome day, indeed!

Just came back from a couple of hours at KVI. It was fun to see the excitement of the kids, but so sad to think that there are so many children in the world today - not just those we saw today - who have no family, no one to love them and keep them safe, and no happy expectation of wonderful things on Christmas day. "To whom much is given, much is required." Lord, let us be good stewards of YOUR blessings.

When offered some goldfish crackers, my newest daughter just said with her cute little accent, "I don't want no fish!" while laughing hysterically. Then we all were laughing hystertically! :)

Just came back from the Guest House "Christmas Farty" (as Brielle called it). It was great - amazingly delicious food and fun visiting with new friends - a really fun farty, indeed!

Well, our Christmas day is coming to a close now... hope your day is blessed and filled with worship of the King of heaven and earth!

Friday, December 24, 2010

2010-12-25T20:14:00.011-06:00

Shoe shopping for Brielle
Pottery shopping
Lunch at Makush
Transition homes

We walked to shops around the Guest House looking for some shoes for Brielle since she only had the ones we picked her up in. They were okay but bordered on being too small, and I knew she wouldn’t wear them after we got home. We finally found some and bought them -VERY cute but a little big. We also went to a small shop that had pottery pieces at some really great prices and bought a coffe pot and a couple more things. I just hope they make it to the States intact.

We went to lunch at Makush again then to the Transition Homes for the afternoon. As we turned on the street to the Transition Home, TJ knew exactly where we were and started cheering! They just couldn’t wait to see their friends and the nannies. I am so glad they loved it there so much. It really says a lot about the quality of care and the atmosphere our agency has established there.

Our kids were SO loved and cared for at the Transition Home... We are incredibly grateful to all the wonderful people there!

We delivered care packages for 3 families and had so much fun playing with the kids. Since we’ve had ours with us for over a week and will have them leaving with us, we felt free to play and have fun with everyone else’s kids. Deke, Eli, Mattea and Wyatt enjoyed playing with all the kids, too. It was so much fun! The kids are amazing, and I so enjoyed watching all of mine love on the kids in the Transition Home. I am so glad they were able to have that experience. It was priceless and life-changing for them.

TJ being TJ

Brielle being Brielle

By the time we left, Deke was insisting that we adopt a wonderful sibling group of 3, but I just don’t know where in the world we would put 3 more kids in our house. They are all wonderful kids, and I am praying for their forever family to come soon. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God has a plan for them, and I believe He does. I hope I get to follow their story – I know it’s going to be a great one!

At the end of our visit, the kids sang Christmas carols for us. Those without an earthly father singing songs to their Heavenly Father… nothing better on this earth.

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Facebook posts from today:

Another great day with the family... Shoe shopping for Brielle this morning, then lunch with the other adoption families who are here. Transition Homes this afternoon delivering care packages and loving on kids. TJ and Brielle were so excited when we started down the road to the TH. They just couldn't wait to see all their friends. It was so sweet! :)

Forgot to mention that the kids at the Transition Home sang Christmas carols for us! It was amazing... those with no earthly father singing songs about the One who came to give Himself so that we could have a relationship with our Heavenly Father - now, THIS is how Christmas should be celebrated!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

2010-12-24T20:14:00.016-06:00

Merkato
Amsterdam
Bora Amusement Park

We drove through the Merkato – the largest market in Africa. VERY interesting. You can buy anything there. There are different areas for different types of items. There are areas for clothing, shoes, building supplies, plumbing, accessories, car repair, windshields, food, etc. We only drove through and didn’t get out because we were told we should stay in the van. Once we left the Merkato area, we went to a street with a lot of upscale shops and jewelry stores. We bought Mattea some silver hoop earrings for the equivalent of about $4.20.

While we were walking, TJ decided he didn’t want to walk with us anymore and decided to just stop on the sidewalk. We kept on going because we don’t beg kids to do what they should do. He began to cry, and people began to stare, but we just kept on going. Someone stopped Michael and asked what was wrong with TJ. Michael told them and they thought we were horrible parents. Oh, well. Eventually, he decided to walk with us and ran to catch up.

We had lunch at Amsterdam where Job told us that our embassy paperwork was waiting for us at the Guest House. After lunch we went to Bora Amusement Park. It’s a small amusement park with a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a merry-go-round, a chair swing ride, and a small train ride. They were just typical carnival rides except that there was no music (so we could hear all the grinding and squeaking noises all the rides made). We were the only people there, so there were no lines except for the one we created. We only spent about $12 total for 6 kids to ride all the rides they could for an hour. Not a bad deal at all! They had a great time. (Camera battery ran out, so no other photos. Got some video - maybe I can get that posted later.)

A relatively quiet night in the room. The V family left this afternoon, so it was just us for the evening...

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Facebook post from today:

Anoother fun day! We are so blessed to be the parents of 6 fantastic kids. :)

Wednesday, December 22, 2010 - ONE WEEK TOGETHER!

2010-12-23T19:37:00.033-06:00

Embassy
Market at bottom of Entoto
Post office market
Dinner in the room
“Performance” for us and the V. family

This was the first day TJ didn’t get up and put his shoes on right away with his pajamas.

While I was putting on make-up, TJ came to me bleeding. The little "bump" over his lip had been bumped or rubbed off and was bleeding like crazy. We tried and tried to get it to stop bleeding, but it just wouldn't quit so we put a band-aid over it so we could go down to breakfast.

band-aid mustache

Embassy appointment was super easy. Since there were only two AWAA families, it didn’t take us long at all. They have a little play area for kids, and it was a great way to keep them occupied. The bathroom was AWESOME! Okay, it was just a “normal” American bathroom, but it was such a reminder of home. No broken tiles, sink worked properly, plenty of TP, super clean, paper towels. Just plain “aaaahhhhh….” I think I enjoyed that bathroom just a little TOO much!

We joined the other families at Blue Tops for lunch. (We didn’t eat there during out court trip. If we had, I don’t think I would have gone back. The food wasn’t good and neither was the service. Absolutely the worst restaurant we’ve eaten at in Addis.)

Saw Samuel at the post office market today. We hadn’t originally planned to go there, so I hadn’t packed the gum to take to him today. Bought a few more things. Told Samuel we’d be back on Monday or Tuesday to see him and bring some things for him.

Jumping rope!

The kids played outside while I hand washed jeans today. My family wouldn't wear jeans if I always had to hand wash them. It's incredibly hard! So thankful for my washer and dryer!

15 pairs of jeans!

After dinner in the room, Matt & Kathy V. came back over to visit. TJ and Brielle put on a real show. It started with some singing and dancing then progressed to some kind of skits and drama. It went on for about an hour and a half. We laughed SO hard at them, and they totally enjoyed our attention. It was the night that all the court families went to the traditional restaurant, so the building was rather empty. It’s a good thing, because they were LOUD! We are so glad we got to share the fun with our friends!

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Facebook posts from today:

Hand washed 15 pairs of blue jeans in the outside basins and hung them on the line to dry at our guest house... so much more thankful now for my washer and dryer at home! :) (And, yes, I did get photos as proof for those of you who may be "doubters"! LOL)

We were blessed with the most amazing "show" by our two new ones tonight. We heard songs, watched dances, and saw some skits. I have no idea what any of it meant, but it was VERY entertaining - WOW! It was wild AND wonderful! Glad our friends the VanCleaves were here to share it with us... :)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

2010-12-22T19:16:00.038-06:00

Embassy paperwork
Makush
Africa Park
Washing clothes

T came by the Guest House to help with pre-embassy paperwork in the morning, then we met everyone at Makush for lunch. (Makush is a restaurant which has beautiful Ethiopian art for sale.) I am starting to get tired of restaurant food and soft drinks.

Coloring in the morning

After lunch, the V family went with us to the Africa Park. It’s a playground park in front of the Hilton. We had tried to go yesterday but it was closed for cleaning. It costs 10 birr for kids under 12 and 25 birr for kids 12 and up. And it costs 50 more birr to keep your camera with you to take photos! (If you don’t want to pay they take your camera from you and lock it up until you leave.)

We really needed some clothes washed, but some of our laundry I sent out the other day came back with spots that looked like bleach spots so I only sent some of it out and decided to wash the rest myself. There is a rule at the Guest House that you can’t wash clothes in your room, but I washed some anyway. It was a big mistake. I had a huge pile of soaking wet clothes and no way to get them dry before the cleaning staff would come in the morning. I hung up everything I could, laid some out on couches, chairs, etc. and just hoped they would be dry by morning. They weren’t. (It took days before they were all dry…)

One of the ladies at the Guest House washing some of our clothes

Our clothes...

The clothes I washed (and the reason the washing of clothes in rooms is forbidden!)

While I was washing clothes, the rest of the family was downstairs playing. The boys all stayed downstairs a long time talking to T and hearing all kinds of fun stories about growing up in Ethiopia (like skinning goats, etc.). Then Matt & Kathy V. came over to visit for a while. We love visiting with them!

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Facebook post from today:

When do you know you're really someone's "Mommy"? When they call you over so they can spit their gum in your hand(!) or when they proudly bring you their latest coloring creation... Yep! I'm "Mommy" to two more! :)

Monday, December 20, 2010

2010-12-21T18:52:00.003-06:00

Cathedral Museum
Lunch at Metro Pizza
Played at Guest House

Dinner at Kaldi’s

We visited the Cathedral in Addis which was built by Haile Selassie. It is an Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral. We had to take off our shoes before we entered, and TJ and Brielle already knew what to do. The Ethiopian Orthodox religion has much ritual involved in it, and they obviously had been taken to church often by their birth family.

There are beautiful stained glass windows and beautiful décor inside. Haile Selassie and his wife are entombed inside. We met a priest in the area of the tombs who asked if I wanted to take his photo. I said, “Yes”, took the photo, and then he held out his hand and said, “Money.” There was a very nice lady who gave us the tour and explained much of the detail to us. There are many paintings of Haile Selassie on the walls and ceiling and many paintings and depictions of saints.

The Cathedral

The priest who wanted to be paid for his photo

A domed ceiling in the Cathedral

One of the stained glass windows - "Noah"

After the tour of the cathedral, we went to a small building which housed the “museum” part. About the time we went in there was a power failure (very common in Addis), so the guide used a scepter, which later he told the great significance of, as a rod to reach the curtains to open them and let in sunlight. There were many solid gold items covered with precious jewels, many historically important clothing and fabric items and several books and other delicate items. Even those in cases were not in air-tight cases, and many were just sitting out in the open with little more than a string as a boundary to keep people from touching. We were shocked at the lack of security, the lack of appropriate protection from elements, and the allowance of sunlight which could quickly destroy the aging objects. I just hated that their important historical items were in the process of decay before our very eyes because of the lack of proper preservation techniques. It was so sad.

A funny billboard next to Metro Pizza

The sisters at Metro Pizza

We went to the Hilton to exchange some money and then joined other AWAA families at Metro Pizza for lunch. Afterwards, we went back to the Guest House for some rest and play time. Then we walked to Kaldi’s for dinner. We were seated in a dark corner at two tiny tables, and we were short one chair. Mattea and I moved our chairs together, and Brielle sat on a corner of each of them. In spite of not even having a chair, Brielle fell asleep at the table while waiting on her food. And being the true “brother” that he is, when she woke up TJ made fun of her for falling asleep and told her he ate her food while she was sleeping! After dinner, we went back to the room for baths and bed. Whew… long day!

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Facebook post from today:
Things we take for granted: Kids playing in the tub. Tonight is the first night that TJ didn't rush to get done and out of the shower. He sat down, then laid down on the bottom of the shower and giggled, giggled, giggled! I'm sure he never got to do that when there were dozens of other kids waiting to get a shower, too. Can't wait until we're home and he can play in the tub - wonder what he'll think of that! :)

Sunday, December 19, 2010

2010-12-20T18:42:00.013-06:00

Church
Island Breeze
A little discipline
Mirinda melt-down

Electricity was out for about 2 hours while everyone was trying to get ready to go to church.

The G family arrived last night with the shoes they bought for TJ. He tried them on and said, “bigger!” He loves them.

Went to International Evangelical Church for worship. The regular pastor was not there because he was visiting family in the US.

Fork and toothpick trick

"Island Breeze Pirate Burger" - need I say more?

Ate lunch at Island Breeze… AWESOME! My new favorite Addis restaurant! Deke entertained (himself and others) with his "fork and toothpick trick". TJ had to go to time-out at the restaurant because he refused to obey and come out from under the table. When we got back to the Guest House, Brielle had a time-out because she just refused to change her clothes. I was helping her get dressed, and she didn’t like the shirt I told her to wear so she just refused to put her arms in. In time-out she cried just a little but still refused to put her arms in her shirt so she just sat there with it hanging around her neck. Finally, she put her arms in, apologized, and was able to get out of time-out.
Back to the Guest House, rested for a while, then the kids played outside until after dark. They love playing soccer and jumping rope. Ate microwave mac and cheese for dinner with soft drinks and Teddy Grahams for dessert. TJ had a melt-down at dinner time because he thought Brielle got a tiny bit more Mirinda (Sunkist) in her cup than he did. A total melt-down. He pouted, cried, screamed, hid behind a chair, and then threw up. After he cleaned up his mess, he quit all the drama, ate his cold mac and cheese (which had been sitting on the table for about 20 minutes and was even worse cold than hot). He grimaced with every bite but ate it all, drank his Mirinda, and ate his Teddy Grahams.

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Facebook posts from today:

A good day. Church at the International Evangelical Church - 62 nations represented on a typical Sunday... a little taste of heaven. Glorious!

"Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:4

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Church, lunch at Island Breeze Cafe (delicious!), back to guest house for a little rest and outside play, then microwave mac and cheese for dinner (not so delicious) with chocolate Teddy Grahams for dessert. Kids had a few pouting sessions today: one was over not wanting to change clothes and one was because someone got more coke in their glass than they did. The new two act a whole lot like the first four! LOL

Saturday, December 18, 2010

2010-12-19T13:28:00.078-06:00

Picked up late luggage
Entoto Mountain
An interesting walk
“Ding-dong-ditch”

Michael went to the airport to pick up our 5 donation bins that finally arrived. After breakfast we all got ready and went to Entoto Mountain. The kids loved seeing all the people and donkeys that carry things up and down the mountain. It’s amazing, really. We ate at Lucy restaurant with some of the other families and while we were there, our sweet friends the V family arrived. It was so good to see them again! We went back to the Guest House where the kids played outside again and played on their Fisher Price iXLs, which they absolutely LOVE!

A field of dirt and rocks where there are usually guys playing soccer

On the way to Entoto, there is a market that is open on Saturdays only. They close down one half of the 4-lane road so people set up their "shops".

Market again

There are ALWAYS people and animals everywhere you look in Addis. This is a shot out the windshield of the van on the way to Entoto.

Two of the amazing women who carry things up and down Entoto Mountain every day. These two are carrying dung for fuel for fires.

Another... she is carrying eucalyptus

A donkey carrying hay

"Security system" on the top of many of the walls around houses

One of the rare traffic signs in Addis. (Notice that the "STOP" sign actually appears to say "go" at the top... yeah, that's about right!)

After a while we went for a walk in the area around the Guest House, but we turned left out of the gate rather than right. We walked down some back streets without much on them. A man in a red car stopped to talk to us. He had two kids in the back seat of his car, and asked us about TJ and Brielle. He was very nice and seemed genuinely happy about them being adopted by us. Then we walked on some more. We made our way out to a main street and actually passed by the building where the Federal High Court is located. That is where we went to court to officially adopt them in November. I took a picture of a meat market, and then we met two older gentlemen. They were also happy about us adopting the kids. They asked where we were from in the USA, and we told them Alabama. One of them sang, “I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee!” It was hilarious!

Meat market

My little friend. A boy who followed us and talked to us almost our entire walk today. We gave him some birr. (He came by the Guest House many more times during our stay, and we were able to give him some food, some treats, and a flashlight.)

We had NO time-outs today. Behavior was great.

TJ and Brielle played “ding-dong-ditch” on Wyatt. He had the other bedroom door closed and they would run up, knock, scream something, and run away laughing hysterically. It was SO funny!

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Facebook post from today:

"Funny stuff: TJ & Brielle sing "Wheels on the Bus" in Amharic until the get to "all through the town". They compete to see who can sing the alphabet song the LOUDEST! They were ding-dong-ditching Wyatt - Wyatt had the door closed, they would run up and knock and say something they obviously thought was absolutely hilarious and then run away screaming and laughing. We've had a great day so far! :)"

Friday, December 17, 2010

2010-12-18T13:02:00.027-06:00

Light-up shoes
Discipline drama*
Shopping at the market
Dinner at Guest House
Toy Story2 and Cars

Brielle got up first today. We heard her in her room, so Michael went in to get her. We got out some books to look at together. Then we heard Wyatt and TJ get up, so they came in to join us. After a few minutes TJ left the room and we heard banging on the floor in the other room. He was banging his new light-up shoes on the floor to light them up. Then he put them back on – with his PJs.

We went down to breakfast and introduced them to hot chocolate. We had brought some instant hot chocolate packets from home, and it was a huge hit – maybe too much of a hit! We didn’t get showers until after breakfast because there was no hot water again, and one cold shower this week was enough. We stayed around the Guest House for the morning, had what I am sure is the first of many “Who’s the boss?” meeting with TJ, and the kids played outside for a while, and then walked to Zebra Grill for lunch. (This makes 3 out of our last 4 meals at Zebra. Think we'll wait a while before going again.)

The “Who’s the boss?” meeting was about TJ not wanting to come to us when he is called. We call his name and he just keeps on doing whatever it was he was doing before – completely ignoring us. Michael had just gone outside with the other kids so TJ and I were left inside for a few minutes before going out to join them. He refused to come when called so I put him in time-out. He HATES time-out! He screamed, cried, and rolled on the floor. He even made himself throw up – twice – but it still didn’t get him out of time-out. It was obvious that he was trying to make himself throw up so I made him clean it up himself. I sat on the bed about 3 feet away from him the entire 15 minutes or so that this episode lasted and after he calmed down I told him that he could come give me a hug and then go outside. He stubbornly refused so he had to sit there about 5 more minutes until he finally smiled and gave me a hug. About 20 minutes later we had a round 2 (without the throw up), and about 20 minutes after that we had round 3. His daddy was present for round 3, so TJ had to up the drama level to see if he could get his way from his dad. He did try to throw up again, but apparently there was no more “ammo” after round 1. When his time-out time was up and he was calm, I called him over to the bed to give me a hug, but he refused again. I got up and walked out of the room. He screamed, cried, and pitched another fit. I let him calm down and then went back in and sat on the corner of the bed again. I called him over to me. He refused and sulked. I left again. This happened about 5 or 6 more times before he got the idea that Mom was not going to give in. We hugged, laughed, and giggled, and all was forgotten. The rest of the day was great with no issues at all. He’s a super-sweet and super-smart kid who is just testing us to see where the boundaries are. If only he knew how many times we been tested by kids before – and passed. God has prepared us so well for this kid. It’s so obvious that TJ and Brielle have been planned for our family from the beginning of time, and God has been so faithful in the process of bringing them to us. God is so good!

We went shopping at the post office area market after lunch. I bought a table cloth, a few gift birds, a knife, some wooden zebras, and some small baskets to use when we have an Ethiopian dinner. Then we stopped at Kaldi’s for some coffee and ice cream. The kids loved it, and TJ drank Michael’s caramel macchiato instead of his own soft drink. Then back to the Guest House for the evening.

TJ and "his" caramel macchiato

All enjoying Kaldi's ice cream

After baths for kids and dinner at the Guest House, I put in Toy Story for the kids to watch. They were excited at first, but then for some reason they not happy with it. I remembered reading on someone’s blog that their son loved Woody and Jessie, so I took out T.S. #1 and put in T.S. #2. THAT was what they wanted. Then they watched “Cars” which was a super big hit with TJ since he loves any kind of “machinas” – even CG ones.

At one point in the evening TJ told Brielle, with lip-zipping motions and all, “Zip your mouth!” They do know some English!

*I am sharing some of our discipline stories not to embarrass our children, but to let others know that we all go through some of the same things. Adopted kids are the same as any other kids – they’ve all got to test where the limits are and see how far they will be allowed to go. But with firm, loving, and consistent discipline, we've seen things get better already. It’s all just a part of being a parent, whether the kids are bio or adopted. So, I hope you enjoy reading some of our adventures. And if you’ve been a parent for longer than 5 minutes, you’ve probably been through some of the same things!

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Facebook post from today:

"Just had a "who's the boss?" meeting with my newest son. He got put in time-out, cried so hard he threw up - twice - and finally we came to an agreement that Mommy is the boss, not TJ. One meeting down, only 999,999 to go! (Good to know he's just a "regular" kid!) :)"

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

2010-12-17T11:01:00.007-06:00

Quiet day
Addis stores
Shoe shopping
First burgers and fries
Playing outside
Hair

We decided to stay around the Guest House all day. We felt like it was necessary to just be together and having some quiet fun. We went walking along the busy street near the Guest House and visited some shops.

I love the stores in Addis. Many of them are smaller than a U.S. walk-in closet, and are just filled to the top with stuff. There is store after store after store with adult clothes or shoes or kids’ clothes and shoes. And every single one has at least 6 or 8 mannequins outside to display some of their items. They have very modern clothes and shoes that are really stylish and even some actual name brands to go along with the knock-off brands. (The kids’ favorite “fake” brand was “Zeropostale”, which would be pronounced there as “Zeh-ro-pos-tal” – just like Aeropostale but with a Z.) There are also many shops with water, soft drinks, toilet paper, soap and all kinds of miscellaneous things.

Deke went into one of the shoe stores to see if he could find some shoes. Since the U.S. sizes are different than sizes in Ethiopia, we couldn’t just say, “Do you have a 13 in this?” They guy kept grabbing shoes and showing Deke to see if he liked them. Deke kept saying, “Too small, too small.” The guy didn’t understand so we just pointed to Deke’s feet. His eyes got really big as if to say, “Wow, those are BIG!” He reached over to the side and grabbed what I assume was the biggest pair of shoes in the store – the whitest, puffiest, grandpa-looking shoes I’ve ever seen! Deke’s expression was priceless as he was trying to figure out how to refuse them. The guy kept insisting Deke try them on, so he did. They were too small, but the guy insisted they fit him since he could get his foot in them. It was quite entertaining to see Deke try to get the guy to understand that he didn’t want them, even though they “fit”!

We walked on some more and found a kids’ store where we could get TJ some new shoes. I had assumed that he would come to us with a pair of tennis shoes that would at least do until we got home, but he only had on sandals, and they were too small. I FB messaged the G family who would be arriving in a few days to see if they could bring some tennis shoes to him, and they were gracious enough to agree to do so. But this morning he found some size 9 tennis shoes that were to be donated and tried to put them on. Actually, he did put them on, but since his too-small sandals were size 11, he had trouble walking. It was so sad to see him limp around in those shoes, especially when he was out front trying to play soccer with the bigger boys, but there was no way we could convince him to wear the sandals for a few days until he got the new ones the G family was bringing. He did eventually put his sandals back on for a little while because those tennis shoes were just hurting way too much. At the kids’ store, he found some light-up Spider-Man that he LOVED, so that’s what he got (even though I can’t stand character clothing and shoes!). He was SO excited! They just barely fit, and there’s no way we would have bought shoes that close to being too small if we were at home, but he loved them so much we just gave in. So now TJ has light-up Spider-Man shoes!

He wore those shoes right out of the store and all day long. Then he put them right back on after his shower, and at bedtime he tucked his socks inside and hid them under his bed. I can’t wait until he understands that some things are “his” and he doesn’t have to protect them from us because we are not going to take them away. I’ve noticed that both TJ and Brielle take good care of their things and always put them away, though – they could sure teach their older siblings a thing or two in that area!

TJ is definitely testing his limits, but he does end up obeying. The hardest part is getting the older four not to laugh at his antics. He’s a showman for sure! And Brielle is so cute and so sweet and very obedient, too. She loves to be held and carried around by her big brothers and sister. Deke put her up on his shoulder while we were walking down the street. At first she wasn’t sure about it because it was SO high, but then she started loving it.

Zebra Grill for lunch. TJ and Brielle’s first hamburgers and fries. Not so sure about them yet and definitely not a fan of ketchup! When the waitress brought other customers their drinks before he got his, he fussed at her. Thankfully, she laughed and thought it was cute. Oh, my. We have some work to do...

Brielle and TJ do a little hand-jive rhyme that is so cute!

T, Job, Yonas, and Dawit played soccer in the Guest House courtyard with all the boys.

TJ and Brielle will only call Mattea “Sister”. They call all the boys by their names, but only call her “Sister”.

Deke has been so sweet with his new sister and brother and even with Eli, Mattea, and Wyatt. I love to see him play with them, and he has already learned a few phrases that he uses with them all the time.

We spent some time in the afternoon resting in the room and letting the kids play their video games. Eli, Mattea, and Wyatt saved all year and bought DSi's for themselves a couple of months ago. We bought Fisher Price iXL's for TJ and Brielle because we had heard they were a good choice. They LOVE them! We put some of our own pictures and music on them, and they have had such a great time playing with them.

Playing her iXL (AFTER I took the braids out...)

TJ, iXL, Monkey, and new Spider-Man shoes

Then we all went out for games in the court yard. FUN!

We went to Zebra grill again for dinner, and TJ and Brielle asked the blessing about 10 times. “Thank You,

God, for giving us this food.” But whenever Michael prays, they giggle and giggle. It was very sweet and touching to think about them thanking God for their food and made us all more thankful for how blessed we are. The waitress tonight insisted we order injera and tibs for them for dinner, so we did. They were SO excited when they saw it, but it was VERY spicy! They kept eating and eating and after every bite they would cringe because it was so hot, but they both ate all of it. We also ordered samosas, and everyone in the family loves them. Definitely something we’ll be having several more times before we leave Addis.

Brielle had little braids all over her head when we got her, but she kept tugging on them so I took them out tonight. It took me about 45 minutes to get them all out – can’t imagine how long it took for someone to put them in. I combed it out and put in her head band which she LOVED! She may even take the sunglasses off her head for a while if she’s wearing a headband. (She has worn those sunglasses on her head constantly, and some of the other families here have started calling her “Hollywood” because she never takes them off!)

A good day overall. Many more to come, I’m sure…

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Facebook post from today:

"Thursday's Update: Another great day! Things are going very well. TJ keeps saying, "Tebarek Jeremiah Pierce!" over and over. Biruk laughs and laughs. They both call Deke, Eli, and Wyatt by their names but will only call Mattea "Sister". When we went to dinner tonight, we asked the blessing about 10 times - just because they wanted to. "Thank You, God, for giving us food. Amen." Now everyone is asleep - yay!"

"GOTCHA" DAY! - December 15, 2010

2010-12-16T10:14:00.006-06:00

Lunch at Amsterdam

"Gotcha!"

Baths

"PASTA!"

Sleep

We got up and got showers. COLD showers. (Apparently the early birds not only get the worms, they also get the hot showers!) Breakfast downstairs at the Guest House was next, and David always makes amazing breakfasts. After breakfast, we came back upstairs so I could get all of our stuff unpacked and organized. I needed to figure out where everything was and get everyone situated before we added two new ones to our family.

Yonas came to pick us up for lunch at Amsterdam restaurant, and afterwards we went to the Transition Home to get TJ & Brielle! It was a sweet couple of hours of playing and laughing, and even sweeter that we got to leave WITH them rather than having to leave without them again. Never again will we have to leave WITHOUT them!

The Pierce Family - finally together!

The "roomies"

Back at the Guest House, the kids all played out front in the courtyard. It was fun to watch them all finally playing together and getting to know each other.

We gave TJ and Brielle their showers. They were so independent. We just turned on the water, they held out their hands for shampoo, then conditioner, then soap. They washed their own hair and bathed themselves and then got out, dried themselves off and put on their pajamas. It was very sweet, but sad when I thought about the fact that they were just used to doing it all themselves because they had no one to do it for them.

Then we had our first dinner as a family of 8: cup-o-ramen. But thankfully TJ and Brielle LOVE it. They kept calling it, "Pasta! Pasta!" They ate and ate and ate.

"PASTA!!" (a.k.a. ramen)

Wyatt, TJ, Brielle and Mattea slept in the 2nd bedroom lined up across the room with Wyatt and TJ sleeping on cots next to the big bed that the girls are sharing. Everyone went right to sleep. Maybe with so many kids sleeping together in one room, it just makes TJ and Brielle feel like they are at the Transition Home!

TJ hid his hot wheels car under his pillow so no one would take it…

Before bedtime, all they kids were lying in the beds and tickling and giggling. It was a beautiful thing… a moment that as a mom you never want to forget.

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Facebook posts from today:

"Picked up the kids this afternoon! YAY! We're spending the evening "in" tonight. Took the cutest picture of all of the kids eating Cup-O-Ramen and watching "Cars" on the computer. I just don't know how today could have been better... :) Thank You, Jesus... Thank You."

Thoughts about adoption – written on the plane to Ethiopia to pick up TJ & Brielle.

2010-12-15T10:11:00.002-06:00

(See, I didn't waste ALL of my time on the plane watching ridiculous movies!)

Tebarek and Biruk are coming to us with NOTHING. They have no belongings at all. All they have are their own tiny little bodies. They will be given some clothes and a pair of shoes that they will be wearing when we pick them up, and they may have one or two of the things we sent to them in care packages if they were able to keep them. That is such a sad thing to me. And they are only 2 of millions and millions around the world. It’s hard to imagine owning nothing except our own bodies.

But as I think more about it, God is revealing to me how that is exactly a picture of us as we come before Him. We have nothing. We may “think” we have something that we bring with us, but we don’t. We literally have nothing to offer but our very selves. Our own bodies. Any possessions we have were given to us by God. If we have any talents or abilities, they also came from God. We can use those for Him, and we can give them to Him – as well we should.

Paul spoke of us giving our bodies as a living sacrifice. Sometimes we forget we have nothing else to give. Anything else is not truly a sacrifice made by us – it was given to us by God. We’re just giving us what is His. Our bodies are the only things we have that “belong” to us. That makes our bodies the only things we can really sacrifice. So, we come before God with nothing to offer but ourselves. Nothing we could possibly bring would make us more valuable to Him. Nothing. We must be living sacrifices. Our gifts, abilities, and possessions (that came from Him in the first place) can be offered, but if God so desired, He could take it all away and give it to someone else. Because of the way He made us, what He can’t give to someone else is our bodies. That is why our bodies are the ultimate sacrifice. When we view our very bodies as belonging to God rather than to us, we will also view everything that our bodies accomplish as God’s, as well. We will recognize that all gifts, talents, and abilities are from God and that anything we have earned by using these resources also belong to God.

So, our new children come to us with nothing but themselves. And that’s all we want. There’s literally nothing they could bring with them that would make them more valuable to us. Nothing. All we want is them. There’s nothing better.

And that’s all God wants – us. Just us.

Travel TO Ethiopia - December 13-14, 2010

2010-12-15T09:58:00.005-06:00

We left from Mobile, AL on our trip to Ethiopia. We had 6 carry-on suitcases, 3 regular size suitcases, and 8 red bins (7 full of donations, one full of FOOD for us to eat while in country). We had so many bags and bins that we had to borrow the church van to carry all of us and all of our stuff to the airport! After a wonderful US Airways customer service rep helped us overcome an issue with US Airways’ policy about number of free checked bags, we were off to go through security (the first of MANY times over the next 2 ½ weeks) and board the plane. We had some sweet friends who came to see us off, and that was very special to us. (Thanks, guys!)

You can see 4 of our 8 red bins and a couple of our suitcases in this photo

Loading up!

We had a long layover in Charlotte, NC while waiting for our US Airways flight across the Atlantic to Frankfurt, and ate our last “American” food for a while.

The flight to Germany left the U.S. late, arrived late to Frankfurt, and almost made us miss our connection to Addis. We were very concerned all the way to Frankfurt that we were going to miss our next flight, so Michael spoke to one of the flight attendants about it. When we arrived in Frankfurt, they announced on the plane’s loud-speaker that the people with the connection to Addis were to meet two airport guides who would take us to our next plane. They were amazing, and we could NOT have made the flight without them. We went through back corridors, were rushed to the front of the security line, and walked out to our plane which was already disconnected from the gate and about 45 minutes late leaving. We totally would have missed that flight without that help. God smoothed our way yet again!

We arrived in Addis later than expected (because there was “some family” who made the plane leave late!) and then 5 of our donation bins were not there with the rest of our luggage. (It was the five that were causing “issues” in Mobile.) We had to wait in line at the “lost luggage” counter for a LONG time and finally completed the process to file a claim for our missing luggage before we left the airport. We are SO thankful for the great AWAA staff who were waiting there for all of us weary Pierces!

Finally we were able to go to the Guest House to sleep in an actual bed! (A “taco” bed, but at least we could be horizontal!) We had a suite which has two bedrooms – each with its own bath – and a living area and small kitchen, so everyone could finally get some rest before our big “gotcha!” day.

Packing, packing, packing!

2010-12-10T09:57:00.000-06:00

Packing for 8 people for 2 weeks in Ethiopia plus organizing bins and bins of donations is a little overwhelming! (But I wouldn’t trade it for the WORLD! It’s SO much better than Christmas shopping for people who have too much already!)

EMBASSY!

2010-12-08T09:55:00.001-06:00

Our paper work HAS been submitted for us to have the December 22^nd embassy appointment!

Everything SHOULD be fine!

Making travel plans…

2010-12-07T09:52:00.001-06:00

As I posted back in April, I have been praying for our entire family to be able to travel to Ethiopia to pick up our sweet Tebarek and Biruk. God has answered that prayer with a “yes”. Thanks to the hard work of Nick Fraas at Raptim Travel, we will be able to get tickets for our entire family to travel to Ethiopia and to stay for TWO WHOLE WEEKS!

It has been such an incredible answer to prayer – more than I ever would have dreamed to ask for. Not only will our entire family get to go, we will get to stay for an extended period of time, AND spend Christmas in Ethiopia! Staying longer will work out to be a good bit less expensive than flying right around our embassy date which is tentatively December 22nd with visa pick-up on the 23rd, since Christmas-time flights are ridiculously expensive. According to this plan, we will leave on the 13th and return on the 30th of December, thus avoiding the Christmas rush. The “catch” is that we have to purchase our plane tickets before our paperwork has actually been submitted to the US Embassy for processing. So, we are praying that our embassy date will be confirmed to be on the 22nd. If not, it will not be until at least January 5th, and I will have to stay in Ethiopia with T & B while Michael travels home with the other 4 kids.

We believe everything will work out fine and feel God is answering our prayers to allow us all to travel to Ethiopia through this great deal on plane tickets, but as happens many times, the answer to our prayer requires more faith and more prayer! We have chosen to buy the tickets and pray for the 22nd embassy appointment rather than wait for confirmation of our embassy date and then pray for cheap flights. We leave Monday for Ethiopia, and we are so thankful to be able to take the entire family!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-04T19:58:00.001-06:00

Want to give some "unique" gifts from Christmas? How about some diapers and plastic pants for a bunch of orphan babies in Ethiopia? We will be collecting money to purchase these items to take to Ethiopia when we go to pick up our TJ and Brielle (which will be very soon!) Click on the "donate" button below to contribute.

"And the King will answer them,

‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' "

(Matthew 25:40 ESV)

(What would please Jesus more than to celebrate

His birth by blessing "the least of these"?

Really, can you think of ANYTHING better? I can't!)

THANKS!

Orphanage Donations

Happiness...

2010-12-02T18:38:00.000-06:00

One day, T was singing so we asked him to sing a song so we could record him on the cell phone. Instead of "singing" he began to yell... and yell... and yell. The video below is of T & B watching the cell phone video of T yelling.

This makes us laugh so hard. Hope it makes you smile, too!

Urgent need...

2010-11-29T20:32:00.000-06:00

When we returned from Ethiopia on Nov. 10 we shared with all of you that we needed $20,000 to complete the adoption process. Thanks to the generous giving of friends we have raised $7,000 in just 3 weeks. We are amazed & overwhelmed at the generosity of so many people who are now forever a special part of our family. As the date of our anticipated Embassy appointment nears we are asking that you would take every opportunity to advocate for us with everyone that you know.

It is the time of year when business owners and individuals begin considering making charitable contributions to many worthy causes. We are asking you to recommend our church's adoption assistance fund and actively promote this as an option to those you know who own businesses & individuals seeking to make a difference in the world. Gifts to the Moffett Road Baptist Church Adoption Assistance Fund are tax deductible, and those who give will receive a charitable contributions statement in January 2011.

We trust the Lord to provide all that we need but we also feel the urgency to ask for your help. We would appreciate your consideration of what you can do personally to help us and also for actively promoting this giving opportunity to businesses and individuals within your sphere of influence. We believe that our Father desires to involve as many people as possible in this endeavor, and at this time we need anyone who is willing to spread our cry for help. Thank you and many blessings to you and your family during this great season of giving, sharing, and celebration!

Make checks payable to: Moffett Road Baptist Church
Memo Line: Adoption Assistance Fund

Mail donations to:
Moffett Road Baptist Church
5555 Moffett Road
Mobile, AL 36618

Adoption T-shirts!

2010-11-21T21:58:00.003-06:00

As of tonight, we have 40 Southern Belle adoption t-shirts that we still need to sell. It would be GREAT to have them all gone before we go to Ethiopia to bring home our kids in December. (I would just LOVE to make so many trips to the Post Office over the next few weeks that I know all the workers on a first name basis! LOL)

Adult sizes are $20 and youth sizes are $15. They would make great Christmas gifts!

Here is what we have right now...

YS - Bue - 1

YS - Pink - 0

YM - Blue - 2

YM - Pink - 1

YL - Blue - 4

YL - Pink - 3

AS - Blue - 6

AS - Pink - 3

AM - Blue - 4

AM - Pink - 4

AL - Blue - 3

AL - Pink - 0

AXL - Blue - 2

AXL - Pink - 4

2XL - Blue - 3

2XL - Pink - 1

Get yours before they are gone!

A Pierce Christmas ~ 2010 ~ Thoughts and Musings

2010-11-16T12:10:00.003-06:00

The background for this post actually began December 25, 2009. Last year on Christmas day, even before we had decided for sure and committed to adopt, I prayed that God would bring our children "home" by this Christmas. I wrote the prayer down on a slip of paper and put it inside a Christmas ornament that has been sitting on the table by my bed all year. The entire adoption process has gone extremely smoothly and quickly by all standards, and it appears that we will indeed be together with our kids this Christmas, possibly in Ethiopia - and "home" is wherever your family is, so that totally counts!

Since we have been closer to the final steps of completing our adoption and bringing our kids home, we have realized that major portions of our process would likely happen around Christmas time. We've "warned" our 4 bio kids for a while that they should not expect Christmas as usual at our house - one gift or quite possibly none, with the exception of a new brother and sister, of course (and B & T truly are "gifts"!), and most likely no decorations. To their credit, we've not heard a single complaint about the likelihood of no gifts this year. While they are not accustomed to overboard or outlandish gifts at Christmas (everyone gets 3 gifts each, and if it is something big like a PS3 or a pet, etc. it counts as one of the three for each kid), I am still so proud of them for having their hearts in the right place... so, so proud. (They won't be doing without gifts because we can't scrounge up enough to buy them something, we just think our money is better spent in other ways this year.)

I have, however, heard from several adults who wonder if I'm going to have time to get "all my Christmas shopping" done before we leave for Ethiopia. I always say with a smile, "No, we're not buying Christmas gifts - everyone we know has too much junk already!" Really, all the adults we know have too much stuff, and all the kids we know have too much stuff. WE have too much stuff! So, if you know us personallly and were expecting a gift, sorry, but we're not getting one for you this year! "Your" gift will be going to an orphanage or a needy family. :)

And if you come over to visit during the Christmas season, you won't see all the usual decorations and lights at our house. We're just not going to go through the hassle and headache of doing all of that. In light of eternity, it won't matter. It really won't. And it will not hinder our celebration of the coming of the Messiah - it will likely even help us celebrate Him! (Another good thing about not putting up decorations is that it will help when we come home with B & T - they probably wouldn't know what to think about all that stuff! I surely don't want to be telling them, "No", about taking ornaments off the tree, etc. and then have to spend an entire day taking it all down and putting it all away. We're going to make everything as simple as possible.)

One somewhat unexpected attitude we've encountered is that some people are under the impression that we will be disappointed not to be "home" for Christmas. Honestly, at this point, I would be disappointed to NOT be in Ethiopia for Christmas! My celebration of Christmas is not tied to any place or even tradition we may hold dear. I can celebrate my Messiah's birth anywhere, and I believe that serving Him through serving "the least of these" is the best way for our family to genuinely and sincerely worship Him on that day. I think that would be the best Christmas ever!

I am so thankful that the entire adoption process has been an experience that God has used to teach our family to focus more on the needs of others. We have always been a relatively "giving" family. But God has REALLY focused our hearts on meeting the needs of people around the world who need Him and also those who have physical and material needs, as well. We have become passionate about it. Now I really can't even imagine buying stuff for people who already have way more than they need. I had much rather spend any "gift" money on the needs of those who actually have "needs". Our kids usually draw names and buy gifts for each other, but this year they are going to each purchase one gift to donate to an orphanage.

I wonder what would happen if each Christmas we would all give just half of the money that we spend on "junk for other people who already have too much junk" on meeting the actual needs of the least of these as Jesus commanded us to do. (That would still leave half for buying stuff for people who don't need anything!) Can you imagine the difference it would make in countless lives around the world? Can you imagine the difference it would make in the life of your family? I know it is making a huge difference in our family. I am so grateful that God is ripping us out of our old ways of thinking and of doing things and placing us in the middle of His will, that He is breaking our hearts for what breaks His, and that He is changing our family forever! (I just want everyone to have this experience!)

So, the Pierce Christmas 2010 will not look like any we have ever had before. When I prayed that we would have our kids by Christmas 2010, I was just thinking of my own little small-minded plans. But God had bigger plans that I never would have dreamed. I never would have begun to imagine that we could possibly be spending Christmas IN Ethiopia WITH our children. I never would have imagined all the things God has taught us throughout this year. And I never would have imagined that our family would have changed and grown so much in just the last 11 months. I love the way God answers prayers and that His ways are always greater than my own. We're still praying that God will supply all the funding for the entire family to travel, and we believe it will happen!

Together for Christmas?

2010-11-15T12:38:00.001-06:00

(This is what our puzzles look like!)

Now that B & T are officially ours, we are planning for our trip back to pick them up. We have word from our agency that our likely embassy appointment date is December 22nd. We have all along wanted to take the first four with us when we travel to get them so we can all come home as a family. (See our April 1st post about this here.) But now it is more urgent for us to raise the funds for this. We have only a couple of weeks before we HAVE to purchase plane tickets and make all final reservations.

If we don't have the funds to take everyone with us, our family will be separated for Christmas. Michael and I will be in Ethiopia with B & T, and the other four kids will be in the states with other family members. Our embassy appointment on the 22nd would mean that we would have to return to the embassy on the 24th to pick up their visas and would not be able to be home for Christmas Day as a family.

Taking the enitre family on this second trip is something we have been praying about and feeling we should plan for for a long time - with no way of knowing it could possibly end up being around Christmas time. We are using our Puzzle Piece fundraiser (more info here) to raise the money for this trip. We need to sell every last piece in order to afford to take everyone and be together for Christmas.

Please help us keep our family together for Christmas by donating.
Thank you!
(PayPal donate buttons located on right side-bar and October 1st post here.)

The newest Pierces!

2010-11-15T10:41:00.000-06:00

Found out moments ago that we passed court and they are officially ours!

Biruk Brielle & Tebarek Jeremiah

Pierce

Our first trip to Ethiopia...

2010-11-13T13:50:00.005-06:00

Days leading up to trip...
~Packing, packing, packing - for parents to go to ET and for 4 kids staying in 3 different places 2 states!
~Getting snacks together for us, for kids in ET, and gifts for ET nannies and guides.
~Finalizing arrangements where the kids would be staying each day (many thanks to family and several friends).
~Buying some supplies with money donated for orphanage.

Wednesday, November 3rd - Thursday, Nov. 4th

~Went to Mobile airport for 10:30 am fllight but were able to leave on 9:15 flight because there was room on the plane and we were there early.

~Mobile to Atlanta. Short and boring flight... just the way we like 'em!

~Atlanta to Dulles. Seated next to Kim S. from Starkville, MS. About a million things in common: both went to MSU (at the same time but didn't know each other), both have 3 boys and one girl, both home school, both on our way to Ethiopia! (She was going for a medical mission trip.)

~At Dulles. Long layover. Met the Grants! :) Met Ethiopian woman who told us what our kids' names meant. (Both mean "blessed".)

~Dulles to Addis. Long flight. Long, long flight. Stopped in Rome for fuel. Flight from Rome to Addis was fun. A "party" on the plane! People everywhere up talking and visiting. Answered many questions and shared Jesus with some Muslim guys who just happened to ask Michael what he does for a living! ;) (Then the guys in front of us who were on a mission trip to Malawi were asked the very same questions, so those Muslim guys got to hear the Truth twice!) Were able to introduce the man behind us to the medical mission team so they could work on setting up something in Somalia.

~Arrived in Addis @ 8:15ish Thursday night. (26 hours...) Went to Yebsabi Guest House. Met Gowins, Davidsons and Flemings. Then to BED! Heard dogs barking and roosters crowing all night... thankfully, we were super-tired.

Friday, November 5th
~Breakfast at Y.G.H. Some ET breakfast foods and coffee.

~Transition Home for "Meethcha Day"!

~ Photos and videos of Grants meetcha.

~Met T and B for first time!!!

~Gave and received the hugs and kisses we've waited so long for.

~Gave them fruit snacks. T called all his friends over to share with them.

~Played on the playground, kids got our cell phones and took pictures of everybody and everything. They had a great time taking a photo and then showing their subject the pic. Everyone else seemed to enjoy having their photo taken, too.

~Lunch at Metro Pizza. VERY good!
~Went to ET museum at University of Addis Ababa.
~Back to T.H. for more play time and meetings with doctor, psychologist, and social worker. All went well. Great reports from everyone.
~Michael and T played soccer. T was very good and whenever Michael would pretend to "cheat" or tell him the wrong score, T would always call him out on it. It was SO funny! Michael would say, "7 points for me!" and T would say, "No, 6 for you! 6 for you!"
~Delivered care packages and took photos and videos for other waiting families.
~B fell asleep for a few minutes in Michael's arms, but that didn't last long because T woke her up trying to get the cell phone to take more pics.
~A VERY good first day!
~The Grants and us walked to dinner at Zebra Grill. Much fun visiting with them. Power failure. Sat about 10 minutes with no light. Generator started up... power! Lots of visiting. Good food. Cat wandering around inside the restaurant. Electricity still out when we went outside to walk home. Very dark - only light was passing cars' headlights. Not afraid of anything but tripping on uneven sidewalk.
~Met the Whipples!

Saturday, November 6th

~Breakfast at Y.G.H.
~Trip up Entoto Mt. Very steep drive. People and mules carrying things (sticks, eucalyptus, dung, firewood).
~Met the VanCleaves!
~Lunch at Lucy's. YUM!
~Went to T.H. Photos and videos of meetcha for VanCleaves and Whipples.
~More fun visiting with T and B. Michael flipped them again and again. They had so much fun.
~Dinner at Avanti.

Sunday, November 7th
~Breakfast
~Walked to Devon photo shop with Grants to get photos of kids and us printed for kids to keep by their beds.
~International Evangelical Church. Pastor is from North Carolina. Great to worhsip with people from ALL over the word! Like heaven...

~Lunch at Lime Tree.

~Visit T and B. More fun. Saw their rooms and beds at older kids' T.H.

~Shopping. Kids came to van trying to sell gum and other things. We asked them to sing a song, and they sang, "This is the Day"!

~Dinner at "traditional" restaurant. Ate traditional food and saw traditional dancing. VERY interesting.

Monday, November 8th

~Breakfast

~Coffee factory.

~Meeting with birth mom. Difficult and heartbreaking, but well worth it.

~Opened window in Y.G.H. room and heard Justin Bieber singing "Baby, Baby" coming from outside!

~Lunch at Amsterdam.
~Grants, Pierces, and Whipples to Kaldi's Coffee then COURT! (None of us passed that day, but Whipples received word Tuesday that they passed. Grants have Dec. court date. We have another court date set for Monday, Nov. 15th.)
~Visiting the kids at the T.H.!

~Back to Y.G.H. for a "quiet" evening. We went up to the Grants' room for popcorn, movie-watching, and snacks. Fun! Joined a while later by the VanCleaves and Whipples - CRAZY fun! We had the best time. Laughed harder than in a long time. We love our new friends!

Tuesday, November 9th

~Breakfast

~Visited orphanages: KVI and Kids Care.

~ Shopping.

~Lunch at Makush. Met Jeanine J. and O. and A. (She had just picked up A. from T.H. for good!)

~Last visit with T and B.

~More photos and videos for other families.

~Loved on T and B. Went back to Older Kids' T.H. for last time.

~Kept from crying until I made it out of the gate! (Yay, me!)

~Back to Y.G.H. for quick shower and packing.

~To airport with Grants and Chad F.

~LONG plane ride to U.S.A. begins. (27 hours travel time!)

Wednesday, November 10th

~Arrived at Dulles

~Ate lunch with Grants.

~Almost missed our flight to Atlanta because we talked for too long with the Grants!

~Dulles to Atlanta.

~Atlanta to Mobile.

~Arrived in Mobile 5:45 pm.

~HOME (with a surprise delicious dinner waiting for us from our friend T! Thanks!)

UPDATE on Ethiopian Orphanage

2010-11-13T08:55:00.000-06:00

Well, last week when we were in Addis, we were able to visit the orphanage I had written about (10/28/10). And, yes, it was very, very sad.

In the toddler room, there were at least a dozen kids. They were so sweet... All I could think is that they deserved to be in a family, not living in a big room full of beds and kids. Only a few, though, wanted to be held and tried to get our attention. Most kids that age want to be held, but I think they were not accustomed to being carried around and loved on. The nannies reallly do the best they can, but there are so many chores that must be done just to keep things in working order (everything is hand-washed - clothes, sheets, diapers, dishes - and keeping things tidy and clean takes a lot of time with that many kids to care for) that there is no time left for snuggling.

We next visited the baby room. A room about 12x12 with 5 beds and about 13 babies. The babies were lying on blankets on the wood bed bottoms. The mattresses that had recently been purchased by the other group when they were there were not on the beds because they had been taken outside to be cleaned. They are wrapped in plastic so they will not be ruined, but they have to be cleaned often since there are no good diapers. The babies were still wearing onesies that were holding their make-shift diapers on, but with no plastic pants to cover the diapers everything just leaked onto their clothes and beds.

The room was a kind of dark, there was a bit of crying but not a lot, and multiple babies in every bed. One bed had 5 tiny babies in it. Their feet were all cold because they did not have socks or blankets on. We picked up some of the babies to hold, and every single one had on wet clothes. Their make-shift diapers were almost useless. We had just brought in several bags and containers of diapers, wipes, sheets, clothes, etc. so we 4 moms went into "mom mode" and started asking if we could change the babies and dress them in dry clothes that we brought with us. We went to the office, grabbed bags of disposable diapers, wipes, and dry clothes so we could start cleaning and changing babies.

As we changed, cleaned, and dressed babies, the nannies started bringing in the freshly-cleaned mattresses. Several of the babies were too small even for the newborn sized diapers and clothes that we had brought. We were able to put new crib sheets on mattresses, and place the clean, dry babies back into the soft beds. (We tried to explain to the nannies how to use the plastic-backed crib mattress protectors that we brought, but I'm not sure they understood. Hopefully, they will soon - it would really lessen their work load.) We put socks on tiny, cold feet, and we held and hugged and loved on as many babies as possible until we had to go. We wished we could stay and rock them to sleep, realizing that many of them had possibly never been rocked to sleep in their lives.

Try to imagine all the craziness of four moms in full-on "mom mode" and a couple of nannies in this tiny room with all these babies as we were trying to make sure every last one was clean and dry before we had to leave. It was cramped, loud, bustling, and a picture of the love of Christ in action. The nannies were so grateful for the things we had brought and for our help. They just kept saying, "Bless you... bless you."

We also were able to take $200 cash donated through the blog so the orphanage could purchase other supplies needed. And another family brought $150. (Our agency office in Addis has possession of the money and will be working with the orphanage to use it most wisely in purchasing items needed.) It's true that $350 can buy a good bit of stuff, but with so many babies and toddlers, it won't last long. Just think about how fast one baby goes through diapers and how much laundry they make. Multiply that by 25 to 30 babies and toddlers - whew! that's a lot of work and money.

We took several packs of disposable diapers, which would last a while with only a baby or two, but I am sure they probably only lasted a few days with that many babies. When we go back (hopfully in December), we want to take a bunch of cloth diapers and plastic pants with us. At least, they can be washed and reused many times.

It was an amazingly painful and eye-opening experience for all of us. We will never be the same...
(We pray we will be able to take our four bio kids with us when we go next time. It will be truly life-changing for them as well.)

If you would like to make a donation for supplies for us to take on our December trip, please see the October 28th post and donate through PayPal "Donate" button.

Thanks!

Diapers for Ethiopia orphanage...

2010-10-28T16:30:00.002-05:00

This was a FaceBook status earlier today from a fellow adoptive family currently in Ethiopia:

"A hard start to our day. Visited an orphanage with deplorable conditions, and left in tears. Our group was able to buy 10 crib mattresses (yes, babies are sleeping on the wooden bottoms of the cribs). But they also need massive quantities of diapers-ripped pieces of sheets wrapped around their bottoms and held in place with their onesie t-shirts isn't cutting it."

We will be in Addis Ababa next week and will be able to purchase diapers to donate to this orphanage. If you would like to help, please donate through the button below. THANKS!

DIAPERS

God always has a lesson in store for me… (and I am incredibly thankful for that!)

2010-10-22T22:42:00.002-05:00

We received our referral on July 23rd realizing that it would be a while before we received our court date assignment due to the fact that courts in Ethiopia would be closed for most of August and September. I was prepared for that wait. I survived all those weeks without a bit of fretting or even impatience. But the day courts opened in late September, I was ready to receive a court date.

Days went by.

No date.

Others received court dates.

We did not.

Then more received court dates.

But we did not.

Some of the ones who received court dates before us actually received referrals after we did – that was hard.

I was torn. In my mind I knew that God knew what was best and that everything would happen in His time, and that we were not waiting on the Ethiopian government for our court date - we were waiting on God. But I also wanted that date sooner rather than later.

Friends kept asking, “Got a court date yet?”, “Heard anything yet?”, etc.
My response would be, “No, haven’t heard anything. Thanks for asking.” Sometimes I would even add, “But it’s all in God’s time.”

The problem with that was that even though I claimed that I was trusting God for the timing, I actually was disappointed in His timing. I was frustrated that God hadn’t done what I wanted Him to when I wanted Him to. I was saying I was okay with it – and I really wanted to be okay with it. But deep down, I was NOT okay with it and the disappointed tone in my answers revealed that – not only to me but also to others.

Over the last few days, however, God has really been showing me what I was doing. He shined a light deep down in my heart and revealed what I was hiding in there – and it wasn’t pretty.

God showed me that when I said I trusted His timing but was still disappointed in it, not only was I doubting His plan but I hadn’t really surrendered my will to His. If I were really trusting His perfect timing, then I would have an excitement that His will was being done. I would actually be joyful that no matter “what” happened or “when” or even “if” it happened that it would all be the way He planned it to be and that it would be perfect. God’s perfect timing is something to be EXCITED about! It’s something to count as a blessing rather than something I must tolerate until I get what I want.

Yesterday God really began to convict me that whenever anyone asks me about a court date that I should not speak with a disappointed tone but that I should speak with joyful anticipation about what God is at work doing on our behalf. I had a chance to start last night when a few people asked at a home school “thing”. (If you home school, you probably know what I mean!) I LOVED sharing with them that I knew God was at work and that we were excitedly waiting on His timing. And the best part was I actually meant it! I had completely given the timing to God. I had completely surrendered what I wanted. Finally.

All morning I couldn’t wait for more people to ask if we had a court date yet just so I could answer them. I kept thinking about getting to church Sunday morning and sharing my “new” answer and what God had been teaching me with everyone who asked. Then, this afternoon, I was driving alone and thinking and praying that I would be able to share accurately in a blog post all He has been teaching me. I was overwhelmed with emotion and near tears in thanks for the blessing of God’s teaching in my life and wondering when the next opportunity for me to share it would come.

And then guess what happened literally less than two minutes later…

Michael called to say we have a court date!

November 8th. YAY!

(Now I’ll have something different to share with everyone who asks. I had my other answer already planned out, but I’m happy to share this one, too!)

Great adoption video!

2010-10-21T15:13:00.000-05:00

Auburn Football Offensive Line Coach has daughter adopted from Ethiopia.

"I Have a Dream"

2010-10-20T21:34:00.000-05:00

Earlier today I was working on Deke's (10th gr.) American Lit. lesson plans, and one of the things he will have to read next semester is Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. It's been a long time since I read it, so I read it again.

Here is a tiny bit of what he said: "I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama...one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

Well, AMEN, then!

I keep seeing Africa... I REALLY need get there soon!

2010-10-18T21:17:00.000-05:00

In my conditioner...

My shirt I tossed up on the hook in the bathroom...

(look at the shadow - even better!)

And I even had a blister on my heel that was shaped like Africa

(it really was, but I decided I would spare you from that image!)

Obviously, I need some new and interesting things to post - just waiting on that court date!

Samaritan's Purse

2010-10-16T10:25:00.002-05:00

We usually do Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes with Samaritan's Purse every year. We have loved giving to this ministry for the last 16 Christmases. (We even have missionary friends in South America who have been able to give out shoeboxes to children they have ministered to.) Each of our kids fills a shoebox for another child their age, and it has been so fun for each of our kids to shop and choose the gifts - and then try to cram it all in a shoebox!

But this week we received the Samaritan's Purse Christmas Catalog and Gift #1 caught our eyes and touched our hearts. It is "Feed a Hungry Baby for a Week". This so dear to us because we have become painfully aware that it is too often the lack of FOOD that tears apart families in Ethiopia. Something that we take for granted - every single day. Something we never question the availability of. Something that we have in such abundance that we become unhealthy because of our overindulgence in it. And it is the lack of that "something" that we so often use for our "entertainment" is the cause of families being torn apart.

I didn't realize until we began the adoption process that most - that's right, MOST - of the "orphans" in Ethiopia still have at least one living parent. But since that parent cannot provide the basic necessities of life - including food - they must choose whether to give up their children for adoption or to allow them to starve. They realize that even if the child is never adopted, at least they have a much greater chance at survival. It's a heart-wrenching choice that should never have to be made. No parent should have to give up their child simply so they will have food, and no child should have to live in an orphanage without the love of their family so that they might have something to eat.

So this year, in lieu of shoeboxes, we are going to feed as many hungry babies as we can in hopes that they will be able to remain with their parents. We can't feed them all, but we can do something. We still LOVE Operation Christmas Child, but this year we will be feeding babies instead...

If you would like to feed hungry babies, you can visit the Samaritan's Purse website at

http://www.samaritanspurse.com/ then click "Browse the catalog". Gift #1 is the one.

Below is the description:

Gift #1 - Feed a Hungry Baby for a Week

Mothers in southeastern Ethiopia carry their hungry babies for miles across dry, dusty plains to reach the Samaritan’s Purse feeding center. Though many of the children arrive near death, most are healthy enough to return home after a few weeks of nourishing food. Around the globe, malnutrition claims millions of young lives each year and leaves many others with physical and mental disabilities. In regions ravaged by hunger, a $9 gift can help us feed a baby or nursing mother for a week, presenting a powerful witness for our compassionate Savior.

“For He will deliver the needy who cry out,

the afflicted who have no one to help.”

Psalm 72:12 NIV

Proverbs 25:25

2010-10-15T12:25:00.001-05:00

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land."

Feeling a little "thirsty" for some good news!

Just sayin'

I LOVE how God works!

2010-10-04T08:58:00.001-05:00

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20–21

God said for us to follow Him in this. And, yes, He said He would provide. If we didn’t believe this whole adoption thing was His idea and trust Him to complete it, we never would have followed Him into it. So the fact that God is providing is not unexpected. What has been unexpected is how He provides and how overwhelmed I am by it.

When we began this process, I prayed and asked God to miraculously provide $50,000 for our adoption. (In my mind, our primary need was money, but I was wrong – again!) God said, “That’s not how I want to do this. I have a better way.”

One of the blessings that God has provided through His "better way" is that He has made it so that there are many people involved in our adoption. He has provided monetary gifts in bits and pieces – some big, some small – to allow as many people as possible to be a part of bringing our children home. That means that we must be patient and wait on God to provide, and then provide some more, and then provide some more. Like the manna the Israelites received daily - just when they needed it, but only enough for that day. Never so much that that they could forget they were dependent upon Him, and never so little that they would doubt His faithfulness. That’s where we stand financially in this process.

But, of course, financial provision is only the beginning. Even more importantly and amazingly, God is continually providing us with revelations about Himself through this process. God, yes, GOD – the One, the Only, the Eternal Living God, the Creator, the Sustainer, our LORD and SAVIOR - is revealing more and more of Himself to us daily. The greatest blessing we can receive is for God to allow us to know Him more. Nothing else even compares. I wish I could type my overwhelming feelings of gratitude and amazement and awe right into this page. I wish I could put it out there somehow so that you could “feel” what I feel. Words cannot begin to express the blessing of knowing God more and feeling His presence and leading. I just wish I could share a little of it with everyone!

Another unforeseen gift God has given us through doing this HIS way, is the bond we have with everyone who has donated to our adoption. In our hearts, every single person who has given of their own resources to help bring our children home has become a part of our family. The gift that is given is not just viewed by us as dollar signs. It is so much more than money. It is literally the gift of “our children”. Every gift, no matter how large or small, becomes magnified when God uses it. God takes something that we, in all of our wisdom, think we know the value of (a dollar amount), and gives it infinite worth by using it to do something so priceless it cannot be labeled in human terms.

God is so amazing! We love being on this journey with Him. We are thankful and consider ourselves incredibly blessed to be invited on this adventure of adoption. Can’t imagine still living our boring, old, “regular” life. Wooo Hooo and Amen!

We received the September update today!

2010-10-01T18:12:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share a little of what our monthly updates are like. We receive photos and info each calendar month we do not travel to Ethiopia. Below is a bit of the information we received today from our agency. Just thought some may want to know what type of info we get while we wait...

Our Beautiful Girl:

Measurements:
Weight: 14 kg (almost 31 lbs.)
Height: 96 cm (almost 38 inches)

Eating/Health:
She eats well; all kinds of foods
Her finger was hurt by a door in the TH; she got treatment, x-ray and medication and she is fine now

Development/Physical:
She is attending nursery level and she is excellent and active in all kinds of subjects she is getting
She can sing different spiritual songs and also good in painting different pictures

Personality/Other Comments:
She loves to play with dolls and make herself comfortable by singing different songs
She is a very happy girl who likes to smile

Our Handsome Boy:

Measurements:
Weight: 16.7 kg (almost 37 lbs.)
Height: 105 cm (almost 41.5 inches)

Eating/Health:
He has a good appetite and eats all kinds of foods
He is healthy

Development/Physical:
He is growing well
He has started to focus on lessons which he does not do before

Personality/Other Comments:
He is very much active in his duties
Enjoys to play with ball alone but not with other

Puzzle Piece Fundraiser

2010-10-01T12:24:00.002-05:00

We are beginning our "Puzzle Piece" fundraiser!

Here's how it works:
We have had two 500-piece photo puzzles custom made using our first referral pictures of our kids. We will be "selling" pieces for $20 each. For each piece that someone buys, we will write the donor's name on the back of that piece. The donor's name will be on 1 piece or 50 pieces depending on how many they "buy". After all the pieces are sold and the puzzles are completed, we will have them framed between two pieces of glass so that the names on the back are visible. We are doing one for our son and one for our daughter so they each will have one to keep for the rest of their lives.

We chose $20 because just about anyone can find $20 to give - from a kid to a college student to a senior adult. Many may want to purchase more, and we certainly hope that those who can do that, will. We honestly feel that God wants as many as possible to be involved in rescuing orphans, and $20 makes it possible for just about everyone to be a part of something amazing. (Literally "rescuing" orphans!)

One THOUSAND pieces is a lot to sell... and we absolutely cannot do it alone. Please, please, PLEASE share this with everyone you can. Please post it on FB, e-mail it to all your friends, share it with others at your church - ANY way that you can publicize this would be appreciated more than you can know. We really need to sell all of them, because that would be $20,000 for our adoption! (And we desperately need it!)

To help us, you can click the "Donate" button below or the one on the sidebar and enter your donation amount to pay through PayPal. If you would rather send a check or make your donation in some other way, please e-mail me at giftsfromafar@att.net.

THANKS so much!

Below is a distorted picture of what the puzzles look like - we can't show the actual puzzle yet because it is a photo of the kids with a Bible verse at the bottom.

(Aren't they beautiful?)

2010-09-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

‎"The King will reply,

'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for

one of the least of these brothers of mine,

you did for me.'"

Matthew 25:40

"While we're waiting" family photos

2010-09-16T08:48:00.001-05:00

Our friend Elaine Howe took some family photos for us to document our "wait" for our new ones to come home. I think they turned out great! And this wasn't some elaborate photo shoot, either. Elaine met us on the church playground before church last Wednesday night to take our pics. It was about 4:45 in the afternoon, and it was HOT! In fact, the playground was free for us to do our shoot only because it was too hot for the day care kids to go out to play that day. We were sweating like crazy, but Elaine was great and got it all finished up before all we spontaeously combusted. She's awesome!

(Between shots - the way we "really" are!)

Where's the beef?

2010-09-11T20:06:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I posted anything of substance here on the blog. It's all been sort of on the "lite" side lately. (Wii family portrait, etc!) It's not that I don't have anything going on, it's just that I've been so busy that I haven't had time to sit and put it into words. God has been teaching me MANY things lately. So many that I feel like my head and my heart are going to explode.

On top of that, I have been running around like a crazy woman doing "stuff". Home school, home school co-op, robotics, church stuff, buying groceries, cooking said groceries, soccer practice, dance, piano, more soccer practice, soccer games, taking kids to "do stuff" with friends, laundry, leading a ladies' Bible study at church, etc. Every single thing seems to eat up more time than it should, and the list feels like nothing ever really gets checked off. I feel like I am moving in slow motion no matter how hard I try, and I always feel like I'm behind - and getting more and more behind every hour of the day.

I guess I need some "margin" in my life right now. I usually don't have a problem making sure that happens, but lately I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. I'm pretty much to that point of having so much to do that I become paralyzed by the thought of it all so I basically end up getting nothing done.

However, on top of all that other stuff I've been doing, I did take some time to read an awesome book over the last few days, and I'll be posting about it soon - another MUST read. I am so glad I put some things on hold in order to read it. It was worth it.

(Soon I hope to get around to posting some of the things God has been teaching me, but at this moment I really am behind and must get up, get this disgusting kitchen cleaned up, and make sure everyone has clothes to wear to church tomorrow!)

Pierce family "portrait"

2010-09-06T19:57:00.000-05:00

Here's the latest Pierce family portrait...

Ha ha ha ha ha!

(Soon... soon we'll be able to post their real pics! Can't wait!)

Monthly update came today!

2010-09-02T20:44:00.000-05:00

Every month in which we do not travel (for court date or "gotcha" day), we can submit 5 questions to have answered about our kids. Today we received our first update.

Here are just a few of the things they said...

About our boy:
"He is active and fast learner; he can count numbers both in Amharic and English, he also can read alphabets"
"He is an outdoor game fun; he enjoys playing soccer and all other games"
"...said he wants to be a medical doctor"

About our girl:
"She can read and write numbers from 1-10 and can read few English alphabets"
"She is good in singing and she enjoys it too"
"She loves to sing spiritual songs"

YAY!!!

We also got some new pictures (wish I could show them!). Just can't wait to give them lots of hugs and kisses!

LAST CALL FOR ADOPTION T-SHIRTS!

2010-09-01T14:46:00.002-05:00

Here are some reasons why you should buy one (or more!) of our adoption T-shirts:

1) We were thrilled to get our referral after only 3 WEEKS, but it has really cut down our fundraising time. (We're in a serious crunch here!)

2) They are really cute

3) You can always use ONE MORE T-shirt

4) You can dress like the "stylish" Pierce family

5) Chuck Norris wears one (OK, I just made that up, but I bet he would if he had one!)

6) I'll throw in a FREE wristband and tote bag with each order

7) When they are gone... they are GONE!

You can order them through our "Fundraisers" page. (Go there now!)

THANKS!

Have a blessed day, everybody, because...

2010-08-31T09:13:00.000-05:00

Mailed more care packages today...

2010-08-27T23:52:00.001-05:00

Today I mailed our second set of care packages to our babies. (Actually, I mailed them to the T family who delivered our last ones for us. They'll deliver them when they go back to Ethiopia to bring home their baby girl in a couple of weeks.) The man at the FedEx store who helped us back in June when we sent our dossier was there again today. When we explained that we were sending in our paperwork for our adoption, he was genuinely happy for us. Today he remembered me when I came in, and he was so excited to hear that we had our referrals and were sending care packages to our children. It was a blessing to see him again. I thank God for the "little" things He sends my way just to brighten my day!

"Think of Me" - Lisa Chan

2010-08-26T18:17:00.002-05:00

What's been going on...

2010-08-21T19:25:00.000-05:00

Well, we are still waiting for our court date to be assigned. That will not happen until October, so there's really not much to tell on the "progress" side of the adoption. But we haven't been just sittin' around, that's for sure!

Last week, the first four went to the grandparents' for several days while my brother came to help us get everyone's rooms ready to fit two more kiddos in them. We repainted all the rooms and built loft beds for everyone. (There are still a few details to complete, and I'll post some pics when they are completely done - hopefully next week!) No kids knew what their rooms were going to look like. I did all the planning, etc. without telling the kids anything except that they would be getting "loft beds". And I think they were all very happy with the results! We absolutely could not have done it without my brother coming and working 16-18 hours a day with us for 4 days straight. He built all six beds and helped with lots of other misc. jobs, and all he got paid was some 5 Guys, Foosackly's, McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Steak & Shake, a really yummy sandwich from the Winn Dixie deli, and some tater tot casserole! (THANKS, Eric!)

Another fun thing that has happened since my last post is that we were able to send care packages to our little ones. They were delivered by the T family from NM who also took pictures and some awesome video for us of the kids opening their gifts. It was so great to see them "in action"! So cute and sweet - and so lively and fun! I can't wait until we can go to our court date and be able to deliver care packages for someone else!

We are still praying about the $$, but we are trusting that God is going to take care of it all somehow.

Besides that, we are now back to home school, and fall activities are almost in full swing. Soccer 3 nights a week plus 2 games on Saturdays, diving, piano, co-op, dance, robotics, plus regular church activities and Bible studies, etc. And hopefully in October we'll add a trip to Ethiopia in there somewhere!

So... that's pretty much our update on what we've been up to.... (in case anyone wanted to know why I haven't posted lately! LOL)

watch...

2010-08-03T18:51:00.004-05:00

I have no words to say about this....

The Village of Korah from ReFocus Media on Vimeo.

God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our...

2010-08-02T09:10:00.004-05:00

food.

Gourmet food. Soul food. Fast food. Southern food. Health food. Snack food.
We party with it. Snack on it. Plan our days around it.
It is the centerpiece of family reunions, football parties, church fellowships, romantic dates, and even movie nights.
Multiple restaurants on nearly every street.
Fully stocked grocery stores.
It is available 24 hours a day.
We have entire cable channels devoted to it.
We don’t even have to get out of our cars to get it.

Food.

We are so blessed in the USA to have more than enough of it.

We “ask the blessing” before we eat. We teach our kids to do it, too.

But what are we really saying?

I admit that most of the time I am thanking God for giving me food that I like. I am sincerely thankful that God has provided food for us, but most of the time I don’t really consider what an incredible blessing having food is. I take it for granted - as if there were no other option. I don’t even think about it. The concept of not having food is not a part of my daily life. I’ve never in my entire life wondered where my next meal is coming from.

There have been times, when presented with some terrible statistic or picture of a hungry child, that I have thought about other people – other moms – who have to see their children hungry. And it has brought me to tears. I can’t imagine their pain. It has to be a horrible reality. But not until recently has it become truly personal.

Food.

So simple.

So basic.

So powerful.

The lack of food or the availability of food makes the difference not only between being hungry or being satisfied, it also determines whether families can stay together. How many birth families who have given up their children have done so because they simply lack the food to feed them? How many could remain together if they had enough food? It is crazy for me to think that something as simple as food has the power to separate families or allow them to stay together.

Food.

I know there are often other factors. That most children who live in poverty around the world also do not have access to education, healthcare, or “good” jobs. But the lack of food is critical to daily life and requires immediate action. You can live together as a loving family without those other things, but not being able to provide food for your children places parents in a desperate situation that must be remedied.

It is heartbreaking that families who already have so little must often give up their most cherished relationships - their own children or grandchildren or neices or nephews - because they do not have what we so blatantly take for granted every day. Families are literally torn apart for lack of food.

That is not okay.

Food is more than entertainment. More than an activity or hobby. Even more than just a way not to be hungry. Having food helps us keep our family together. If we didn’t have food, our kids may not be able to stay with us. That is a sobering thought.

Since this reality hit me a few days ago, I have not seen our daily habit of “asking the blessing” the same way ...and I never will again.
I am truly thankful for our food on a whole new level.

I am thankful that I am not hungry.
I am thankful that my kids are not hungry.
But most of all I am thankful that we get to stay together as a family.

Because.

We.

Have.

Food.

What's in a name?

2010-07-30T17:29:00.006-05:00

Now that we have our referrals, we have been thinking about names…

We plan to give our kids American names to go along with their Ethiopian names, but the question remains, “Should we call them by their American names or by their Ethiopian names?”

Reasons to call them by their Ethiopian names:
- In a nutshell: Heritage
- We think their Ethiopian names are beautiful… BEAUTIFUL!
- They were given to them by their birth family and are extremely special.
- We certainly do not want to make them feel as if we think their Ethiopian names were not “good enough” or that we did not like them.
- They are used to them. It’s what they’ve always been called, and it would be strange for them to have to learn new names at 3 and 4 years old.

Reasons to call them by their American names:
- In a nutshell: Practicality
- Their Ethiopian names would be unusual and difficult for people to remember, pronounce, and spell. We have experienced this some with Deke and Mattea. For some reason, people have trouble figuring out how to spell Deke’s name. (Apparently, it’s more difficult to spell than we originally thought! “Deek”, “Deak”, even “Dink”) And poor Mattea has her name mispronounced almost every time anyone has to read it. We’ve even made it a game to try to guess how it’s going to be pronounced – especially when we go to the dentist! (It’s Muh-TAY-uh, by the way. LOL) I can only imagine how many times our Ethiopian kids will have to re-pronounce, spell, and re-state their names! I just don’t know if they should have to do that their entire lives.
- So that they won’t have to answer questions or explain where their names came from every time they meet someone new.
- In the Bible, God gave many people a new name to mark a turning point or new phase in their lives. (Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Jacob became Israel. Cephas became Peter. Saul became Paul.) This is definitely a new phase in their lives, and I believe it would be appropriate to receive a new name.

Really, the only reason we would call them by their American names is so that their lives could be simplified. It really does get old having to repeat and spell your name for lots of people. That’s a pretty big reason. So, I think we’re leaning toward calling them by their American names, but we certainly are not completely committed to that yet.

We’re praying about it. We’ll see…

A little more on the referral...

2010-07-30T07:48:00.003-05:00

There are very strict rules about what you can share about your child(ren) before you go to court and they become legally yours. So... I can tell you that we have a 3 year old girl and a 4 year old boy siblings. In their pictures (which we are not allowed to show yet!) the brother has his arm around his sister. They have the most unique and beautiful features. She looks like a precious little angel, and he looks full of mischief - which means he'll fit right in with his new roomie Wyatt! Actually, upon seeing his picture for the first time Wyatt said, "He looks FUN!" (Heaven help us all!)

We can't wait to get to meet them in person! We are now waiting to be assigned a court date.

After we pass court we will come back home and have to wait again to go back and pick them up and bring them home forever.

So, the waiting begins again...

R-E-F-E-R-R-A-L!!

2010-07-27T07:46:00.000-05:00

Friday afternoon we received our referral phone call!

Siblings: 4 year old boy and 3 year old girl!

They are beautiful, and we are all in love!

(More info to come in a later post...)

UPDATE to "God answers prayer! (duh!)"

2010-07-19T17:29:00.001-05:00

I was so happy last night at church when some special friends gave $200 toward our adoption to bring our total to $2,000! (The exact answer to my prayer!)

But, as always, God's ways are greater than my ways and His thoughts greater than my thoughts. He had been working in ways I had no idea about. We found out today that there was $1,600 more given to the adoption fund at our church. $3,600 dollars when my prayer was for $2,000!

The prayer for $2,000 seemed like a big prayer. For me it is big, but God not only answered, He showed me once again that my ideas are too small. He has more planned for us than we could ever ask or even imagine. How much do we miss out on because we allow ourselves to have such small expectations of what He is willing to and wants to do? (How much have we already missed out on?)

I pray that I will not miss out on even one more thing that God has for me or for our family because I do not dare to dream God-sized dreams!

Thank You, God, for always blessing beyond our expectations. We are continually humbled by Your grace and love.

God answers prayer! (duh!)

2010-07-19T09:06:00.001-05:00

Since my "So, how's the adoption coming along?" post we have received $2,000! (Thanks to ALL who have given!)
I was praying for $2000 a week - and that's exactly what we got. (Maybe I should have prayed for $3,000 a week? Just kidding!) God knows exactly what we will need and He knows exactly when we are going to need it. And we are so thankful for generous friends who love God and love us!

“So, how’s the adoption coming along?”

2010-07-08T20:28:00.006-05:00

How many times a week am I asked that question? And I LOVE it! We are incredibly blessed to have such great friends who ask us that very question virtually every time we see them. (And I am not being sarcastic – I really do love it!) I can honestly say that things are going extremely well. The dossier is completed and now in Ethiopia. So far, so good. Our primary concern at this point is the money we need to complete the process.

REWIND…

We have had a heart for adopting for years, but we had several reasons (a.k.a. “excuses”) for not actually taking any action. Of course, those included money, already having 4 kids, money, and … umm, well, money. (Yes, “money” was always a major excuse!)

Late last summer and into the fall, we began gradually telling friends that we were considering international adoption. We did lots – LOTS - of research on the internet, prayed about what we were to do, and then requested an application from the agency we felt most comfortable with. We filled out the application from our agency and got it ready to send in. But even through all of that, we were not completely committed to following through. We hadn’t had a “no going back” moment. There were so many questions and uncertainties about “how” it would all work out. And not only were there logistical concerns about the process, etc., but we also had to consider the tremendous changes that would come to our family – permanent changes that would affect every single member of our household.

But on January 3rd of this year, we made “the decision” - the decision to step out in obedience, relying completely on God to provide all the resources we need (money - and beyond). As we were driving home from church that day, we decided that we would fully commit - we would proceed with what we felt God was leading us to do with complete reliance on Him to make all the details work out. No safety net. No way we could do it on our own. We mailed our application a few days later (along with the $250 application fee - which seemed like a huge amount at the time yet now feels so tiny!)

Of course, we have been in situations before where relying on God rather than ourselves was our only option, but I humbly confess that we didn’t go there willingly. The only reason we were in those situations was because God had placed us there, leaving us with no other choice but to trust Him for the outcome. We were living like many other American Christians – claiming to have faith but never really allowing ourselves to venture into a situation we couldn’t “handle” with our own resources or abilities. We knew this was our call to LIVE as if God really is who He says He is – to live by “faith”.

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY…

We’ve completed our dossier, spent over $12,000, and are now in the process of waiting for our referrals. God provided those funds in a variety of ways. Friends have donated generously and sacrificially, a little of it has come from sales of our fundraising items, and a good bit of it has come from our own personal finances.

We are now faced with some upcoming deadlines with high expenses, and we’re needing God to provide miraculously. This amount will not be raised through our own efforts or “selling stuff”. I am convinced that God desires for others to get involved in bringing our children home - to be involved in rescuing orphans. I confess that I have been torn between trying more “fundraising” ideas or just asking for gifts from others. A part of me wants to “work” for the money – by “doing stuff” to encourage others to give. I want to offer something to people for the money they give. But even as I research ideas and rack my brain for clever ways to convince people to give, I keep hearing God say to “just ask”.

It's a very difficult thing to do - even though I know my reason for asking is a worthy one...

Through this process God has already shown me so much about what adoption truly is, and I know that I have only begun to understand the beauty of God’s plan. Every day I come to a deeper realization that I will never in this lifetime truly understand all that adoption means. The more I learn, the more I realize that I don’t know! But I have learned a few things along the way, and here are a couple of them:

*The worst type of poverty is not the physical kind where kids do not have clean water, nutritious food, shelter, or opportunities for a better life (as horrible as that is – and totally inexcusable, because we have resources to change it… but, alas, that’s a topic for another day). The worst type of poverty is not having a “family” who adores them – a family who loves and cherishes them above all else and above all others in the world. True poverty is not having a single place in the world where a child knows they will always receive unconditional love and acceptance by people who would lay down their very lives for them – not having what we know as a “home”. All that other “stuff” can be provided by strangers, but the love of a family is priceless and cannot be bought.

*Giving to help a family adopt is not just giving to someone so they can “do something they want to do”. It’s not just donating to a “good cause”. It’s not merely making a “charitable contribution”. It is literally providing the ransom for children to be united with their forever family. And everyone who gives becomes a part of the family who adopts, because they have helped the family become whole. The adopted child’s life will forever be changed because of each person’s gift. (I look forward to our adoption being complete and helping other families rescue their own children and bring them home. I just can’t wait to be a part of that!)

I know that God wants other people to be a part of our adoption journey. It will bring more praying, loving, caring people into the lives of our children. It will cause more people to consider adoption as something God may be calling them to do. It will allow people who cannot adopt at this time to still be a part of God’s amazing plan of adoption.

Our next monetary obligation will be due when we accept our referrals – about $12,000 to cover visas, our first trip (parents only) to Ethiopia for our court date, and program fees. At this point, we do not know how long or short our wait for our referrals will be. Our paperwork is in Ethiopia and has to be translated and taken to the Ministry of Women and Children for processing. It could be soon or not so soon. So we wait on God’s timing….

Once that has been completed, we will need about $26,000 more for embassy fees, visas, and travel fees in order to travel and pick up our children. (This amount includes travel expenses for our other children – we believe it is very important for them to go so they can see their brother and sister’s heritage and so we can all “come home” as a family, and we feel that God has said He will provide it).

Thinking about needing $38,000 is CRAZY to me!

My friend Amanda says that she believes our children will be here before her baby is born – only 18 weeks away. I don’t know if that is true, but if it were it would mean that we would need to receive over $2,000 a week for the next 18 weeks in order for that to happen! (And even if it isn’t before the arrival of her newest addition that we receive our children, I have prayed all along that it would be by Christmas of this year.) That is absolutely a God-sized goal, and one that He will definitely receive the glory for because there’s NO WAY we could claim any credit for that!

So, I am going to “ask”. And I am doing it because God has said to do it…

"Will you please contribute to our adoption needs?"

We need a total of $38,000.

As one big number, it is intimidating, but with many giving and God blessing, it is completely doable.
This goal could be achieved in a variety of ways:

38 people who give $1,000 = one-time $1,000 gift OR $250 per month for 4 months

76 people who give $500 = one-time $500 gift OR $125 per month for 4 months

100 people who give $380 = one-time $380 gift OR $95 per month for 4 months

152 people who give $250 = one-time $250 gift OR $62.50 per month for 4 months

254 people who give $150 = one-time $150 gift OR $50 per month for 3 months

If 100 people who would partner with us and commit to being responsible for ONE of the following amounts, it would put us within $100 of our $38,000 goal!

12 donors @ $1000 = $12,000

28 donors @ $500 = $14,000

29 donors @ $250 = $7,250

31 donors @ $150 = $4,650

100 DONORS = $37,900

Even if you cannot commit to one of the above amounts, please know that any amount will be greatly appreciated, and God sees and blesses every gift his children give no matter the size. And even though we obviously need to acquire that amount of money, we need your prayers even more – and that’s something ANYONE can do!

I have put a goal tracking chart in the side-bar to keep track of where we stand in relation to our goal. So, please check it often to see how we’re doing…

After you have prayed about how much God would have you give, you may need to know how to make your donations. At this time you may make donations through our PayPal "donate" button or by check through our church's “Adoption Assistance Fund”. All donations made through the Moffett Road Baptist Church Adoption Assistance Fund will be tax deductible for you and 100% of it will be available to us for our adoption expenses.

Please make checks payable to:
Moffett Road Baptist Church (“Adoption Fund” on memo line)

Mail to:
Moffett Road Baptist Church
5555 Moffett Road
Mobile, AL 36618

Also, we would greatly appreciate it if you would let us know by e-mail (giftsfromafar@att.net) what commitment you are making so that we may correctly estimate our remaining needs.

Thank you!
The Pierce Family

What a journey

2010-07-05T20:24:00.001-05:00

Alabama to Virginia to Tennessee to Paris to Dubai to Addis Ababa!

Our dossier has made it to Ethiopia!

Dossier to Ethiopia!

2010-07-02T08:13:00.002-05:00

TODAY is the day!

Dossier to Ethiopia!

DTE - Yeah!

DTE (Date To Ethiopia) for all our paperwork is today, July 2! The dossier is now working it's way to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from McLean, VA. Cleared through the State Dept. & Ethiopian Embassy in D.C. yesterday, now on the journey that will match us with our 2 children - the ones God has chosen from the beginning of time to be Pierces!

Dossier arrived at agency and estimated DTE date!

2010-06-25T10:48:00.000-05:00

Just received an e-mail from our family coordinator saying that our dossier had arrived, she had looked over it, and everything looked great! (Thanks to my awesomely organized hubby!) She also said it would be reviewed again next week and that next Friday is likely when it will head to Ethiopia!!!
DTE - July 2, 2010!
(DTE means Dossier To Ethiopia - I kept seeing DTE on other people's blogs and wondering what it meant for the first couple of months into the process. When I finally found out, I understood why they were so excited about "DTE"!) What a great anniversary - July 3rd - gift that will be for us! :)

Dossier is "in the mail"!

2010-06-23T13:59:00.013-05:00

The dossier!

(In the background on the left is a picture of us taken on our honeymoon... boy, were we young and clueless! I am so thankful that God has been leading us over the last almost 17 years to this point. Can't wait to see what the next 17 will hold!)

1" thick

21 weeks

$12,599.50

I just about can’t believe that huge part of the process is complete. It's one of those times when we've focused all our effort and energy on one single thing, and once it's actually done it's kind of hard to change focus to so what comes next.

Our agency will receive the dossier on Friday, review it several times, and in two or three weeks will send it to Ethiopia. From that point we will be placed on a waiting list and will “get in line” to receive our referrals.

Dossier to be complete this week!

2010-06-21T12:36:00.002-05:00

All we have left for the dossier to be complete is to have it "certified" by the county probate court and the Secretary of State's office. (I'm not sure what the purpose of this is, but apparently other countries' governments like lots of official stamps on things...) Anyway, we plan to have those things completed today and tomorrow and then we will add our "family photo pages" that I am almost done with.
(Big smile!)

I-171H CAME TODAY!

2010-06-18T15:29:00.000-05:00

That is the LAST piece of paper we have been waiting on "someone else" for! Now, we have to get some papers certified at county probate court and then certification at Secretary of State's office in Montgomery. Hopefully, we can get those things done on Monday and Tuesday of next week. WOW! Can't believe we're this close to having the dossier completed!! Wooo Hooo!

Just thinkin'...

2010-06-17T22:11:00.004-05:00

While sitting here uploading pix to have printed for our dossier, I was thinking about our children in Ethiopia.
I was thinking about...

-how I just can't wait to meet them, to see their faces in person for the first time and to kiss their sweet little cheeks.

-how I look forward to finding out just a few of the innumerable ways God has coordinated all the miraculous circumstances over the course of their lifetimes and ours (and even before) so that He could bring us together at just the right time.

-how we'll love them more than we know them - simply because God gave them to us and because He has placed that love in our hearts for them.

Oh, how I pray that God is preparing their hearts to become a part of our family as He prepares ours to welcome them into their new - and forever! - home.

And I just kind of feel like today has been an important day for them somehow. (I know that sounds kind of crazy - and maybe it is - but...)

Orphan's Ticket Home

2010-06-17T10:01:00.006-05:00

Last week at our church's VBS, the missions offering was for

"Orphan's Ticket Home".

We did Group's High Seas Expedition VBS, and the Kid-to-Kid project was to make blankets which will go to children in orphanages in Africa. It's great when the missions offering can tie in to the theme, so we chose Orphan's Ticket Home.

Orphan's Ticket Home is an initiative of America World Adoption Association. The VBS missions offering will supply diapers, formulas, bottled water, blankets and bedding, medical expenses, and clothes for the babies and children at their Ethiopia Transitional Home. Inflation has hit Ethiopia and there is a $9.25 exchange rate, so it’s $9.00 just for a bottle of formula and $8.00 for 20 diapers!

Part of America World’s work in Ethiopia is to implement development projects for orphans and vulnerable children. One of those projects in rural Ethiopia is to help run a transitional home that receives abandoned children from neighboring orphanages to care for and prepare them for transition of adoption. Supporting this project will help these children have an opportunity to find permanent families in both Ethiopia and abroad. The money donated will provide basic needs such as daily nutrition, medical treatment, clothes, toys, and 24 hour a day nanny care.

The kids brought in over $360 for Orphan's Ticket Home!

I must say that I am very proud of my kids for giving their own money. I love seeing them be generous and thinking of others first, especially when they are all trying to save up for something special. It was a big deal for them to take some of that money out of their savings to give to others since they will have to work extra hard to replace it, but I know they will. (They are all trying to save up to buy Nintendo DS's for the long Ethiopia trip - and nobody wants them to reach their goal more than I do!)

I600A news... or not...

2010-06-16T15:39:00.000-05:00

We have heard that our application has been recommended for approval and that now it is sitting on someone else's desk for that approval. So glad God can see it and move it along as He sees fit! We have no control, but thank goodness HE does! So, we wait... (what else is new?)