Relax. God is in Control.

I stole the title for this blog from a license plate frame today.  Totally fitting.  Totally a sign from God (in a Jeff Foxworthy sort of way).


I told you that I would post our schedule with specific prayer requests for while we're gone, so here you go!  I think it's going to keep you pretty busy!

March 9: San Fransisco (3:45 p.m.) to Dubai (7:25 p.m. on THURSDAY) - 16 hours of flying.
We obviously need prayer during this time for safe travels.  That there wouldn't be any hassles in the airports.  That our checked baggage would all weigh under 50 pounds and that our carry-ons would weigh less than 15 pounds.  That we wouldn't forget ANYTHING!!  That our drive to SF is smooth and our flight is even smoother.  That the seat in between us doesn't fill up so that we have some extra room.  That they have super interesting movies on board.  That the food is yummy and does not upset our stomachs (helloooo IBS).  That there are enough free alcoholic beverages to go around.  That the Advil PM, ear plugs, and neck pillow will allow us sweet slumber.  That we would not get deep vein thrombosis (J/K - chances of this are really slim).

By the way - March 9th will be EXACTLY one year from the day we turned in our application to adopt.  No foolin'.  Check out the time line on the right.

Spend the night in Dubai.
Hopefully we'll be able to get some sleep, shower, etc.  Please pray that we don't get jailed for holding hands in public (I don't think they really do this in Dubai...anymore...right?).


Addendum: I've been informed by the most reliable sources that they do in fact do this in Dubai.  Note to self: No PDA in Dubai.

(Wait a minute...what happened to March 10th??  Oh...that's right...we LOSE an entire day.  It is as if March 10th doesn't exist, apparently, although it is probably going to be the longest March 10th in some ways too.  Hmmm.)

March 11: Dubai (8:25 a.m.) to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (11:25 a.m.) - 4 hours of flying.

Again, please pray for safe flights.  Please pray that everything goes very smooth when it comes to getting our visa (something that has caused us much concern in planning this trip), that we make it through customs easily, and that changing our money to birr is a piece of cake.  Please pray that all of our luggage and our driver are there waiting for us and that we make it safely to the hotel.  Once we get to Addis, we will hopefully meet up with our travel buddies, do a little sight seeing, etc.  We will be staying at the Jemimah Guesthouse.  It is a beautiful hotel and should be fairly comfortable and welcoming!  Can't wait!

I am really hoping to be able to tour the Fistula Hospital this afternoon.  If you don't know what this is about, go to www.pbs.org right now and watch A Walk to Beautiful.

March 12: Travel to Southern part of Ethiopia, meet Ty, spend 1-2 hours with him, meet with pediatrician, and then travel to Awassa to spend the night.
This is obviously going to be a HUGE day for us!  Please pray that the drive to Durame is smooth, quick, and uneventful.  We will be traveling in a van with the rest of our travel group with an Ethiopian driver.  Pray that our motion sickness patches work perfectly.  This trip covers approximately 140 miles, but takes SIX HOURS!  Please pray that we recognize Ty when they bring him out to meet us (a momma should know her baby, right?).  Please pray that his initial reaction to us is a positive one.  Pray that God removes all distractions so that we can be completely in the moment.  Please pray that the two hours that we get to spend with him feels like an eternity.  Please pray that the nurses will be able to pry him from our arms when it is time for us to leave.  Pray that the meeting with the pediatrician goes well - we have no reason to believe it won't.

Haile Resort in Awassa

Awassa is supposed to be a beautiful area of Ethiopia, but it is also an area where mosquitos are more prevalent.  We will be taking anti-malaria meds, using a mosquito net over our bed, and spraying ourselves and the room with Off, so we should be more than covered.  We also have ear plugs so that we don't hear them buzzing around all night!  Please pray that we don't get bitten.



March 13: Travel back to Addis, meet with lawyer, rehearsal of legal documents.
I have a feeling this is going to be a pretty exhausting day.  After leaving the area that our son is in and driving six emotionally draining hours back to Addis, we will be meeting with our agency's lawyer to go over the information for court.  Please pray that God gives us both emotional and physical strength to get through this day.

March 14: Appear for court, lunch, potential birth family meeting, brief shopping trip.
This is it folks...the reason for this trip.  We get to appear before the highest Ethiopian court and tell them our reasons for wanting to adopt Ty.  Our agency and lawyer will make sure that we are more than prepared for this and it will take five minutes or less.  Please pray that our nerves would be calm enough to hear and answer the judge correctly.  Please pray that the judge rules in our favor.  Oh how I long to hear the words: "He's yours!"  Please pray that this goes well for all of the adoptive families who will appear in court that day.  Please pray that the necessary letter from MOWYA is in place so that this will be the first and final court date (even if it is not, we will not have to travel again for court purposes).

I would just ask that you cover the entire birth family meeting in prayer.  This is an extremely intense, emotional, exhausting, spiritual, terrifying, and exciting experience.  First, please pray that Ty's birth mother has the courage and strength to meet with us that day, as hard as it is going to be for all of us.  Please pray that she walks away from the meeting knowing without a doubt that we will love her son unconditionally and raise him up to be a strong, educated, God-fearing man.  Pray that she will know that we understand what a difficult decision this must have been for her.  Please pray that she gains a sense of peace from our visit.  Please pray that there is a connection between us that only God could ordain.  Please pray that she is able to answer the questions that have been on our hearts for so long.  Please pray that we gain information from her that Ty will treasure as he grows up.

Shopping street in Addis

Please pray that God would protect us on the streets of Addis as we shop (with a guide) and that we find the perfect reminders of our son's birth country.









March 15: Free day until 7:35 p.m. when we hop back on a plane.

View from Mt. Entoto to Addis

We are hoping to maybe do a little sight seeing on this day before hopping on the plane in the evening.  Possibly Mt. Entoto.  Possibly the merkato district.  Possibly the museum at the University of Addis.

Please pray for our emotional wellbeing as we leave Ethiopia.  It is going to be VERY hard to leave our son's country, especially since he's not leaving with us.  Pray that all of the steps necessary to board the plane go really well without any hitches.  Pray that I don't drive the other passengers nuts with my uncontrollable sobbing.


March 16: Arrive in Dubai at 12:35 a.m.  Leave Dubai at 8:55 a.m. (Ugh)  Arrive in SF at 1:55 p.m.  (Yes, it only takes five hours to get back to SF.  Well, not really.  Apparently there's a time difference issue between the countries.  Who knew?)
Please see prayer requests for March 9th and pray that all of our luggage arrives with us!  Please pray that our car is still in the long term parking lot.  Please pray that we can drive safely home in rush hour traffic after spending a long weekend in Ethiopia!!

March 17-??
Please pray for recovery and that we hear about our next trip!!  We're looking at 3-4 months at this point, if not more.  But, relax, because God is in control!!

Overall prayer requests:
Please pray against all illnesses for us, for Ty, and for our girls here at home.  Please pray that our girls have a BLAST while we are gone and don't miss us a bit!!  Please pray that God's angels of protection and mercy would be around all six of us throughout the entire trip.  Please pray that my parents don't have to be admitted into a psych hospital after taking care of our kids for a week!  Please pray for everyone who is playing a part in caring for our kiddos while we are gone.  Please pray that we don't lose our passports!  Please pray that the chewable photo album and security blanket (that I've been sleeping with for weeks) we leave with Ty will subconsciously allow him to remember us when we return to bring him home.  Please pray against Satan and his efforts to create doubt, fear, anxiety, and sadness.  Please pray that God would break our hearts for the same things that break His heart in Ethiopia.  Please pray that we are given the opportunity to be His hands and feet.  PRAISE GOD for placing the lonely in families, for His provision, His love, His heart for the orphan, for His calling us to this unbelievable task and preparing us for it.