Rooted and Established in Love...New Friendships

The past two days have been long, and the jet lag definitely kicked in for all of us. We hit the ground running with full excitement, but slowed down a bit over the last few days. I am thankful for our advocate, Sammy, who has been so great at handling the ups and downs of changed plans and has been so patient with our family. He has truly been a blessing on this trip.

Day 3 was filled with a few of us going out to see the Hope for the Fatherless camp outside of Addis while Tamir and Jacob rested. We did get to see family at the end of the evening for a nice time of conversation and hearing about Tamir's family tree. Kelvin was diligent about writing it all down so Tamir would have it to keep. More great stories were shared to give Tamir a glimpse into her childhood.

Day 4 started with visiting friends in Ethiopia, spending time with family, driving around the city, and doing a bit of shopping and lunch with Tamir's brothers. It was fun to have them join us for the day. The food here is amazing, and we should be holding back, but we are diving in.

The evening ended at Friendship Park in Addis, which was quite amazing. The city has really put thought and care into the green spaces for people to enjoy and stay active. We went with Tamir's brothers, her dad, and a cousin who lives in Addis. It was such a fun time experiencing something new together, something even they had not seen before.

The most special moment of the evening came when we returned to the hotel. Tamir's brothers gifted her with an outfit that is the traditional dress of the people from her region in Tigray. They took time to show her how it is worn, and it was truly a precious moment, giving her something from her homeland and her family to treasure always.

Our family covets your prayers. This journey has not been easy and has so many layers to it. We are all exhausted and might be getting on each other's nerves a bit. In all of this, we know that God is absolutely in control. We ended the night with prayer and reflecting on God's word.

"I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:13-19

Joy, Relief, and a Table Full of Grace (God's Story)

The second day, and the Lord's Day in Ethiopia, did not disappoint at all. It's rainy season, so the weather was perfect, staying in the 60s all day. We started the morning at a fantastic worship service with our friend Sammy and his family. The service kicked off with singing How Great Thou Art, a family favorite hymn, and ended with Goodness of God, along with a time of baptism that truly set the tone for the rest of the day.

Our next stop was a traditional Ethiopian lunch and the long-awaited meeting with Tamir's two brothers and her dad. The meeting was joyful and filled with such relief for them to finally see that she is doing well. They have missed her deeply. Tamir was clearly loved, and it showed in the way they embraced her and welcomed her. One of her brothers said that seeing her and knowing she is okay is like having her born again. Witnessing that moment was truly special, and God ordained every step of the way.

We spent the rest of the day learning about Tamir's story. Her story, which she will tell someday, is filled with so many blessings and miracles at every step. We listened as her family shared, with our friend Sammy translating patiently throughout. We are so thankful for this provision, to break bread together and simply share the day with one another.

Tomorrow we head out to visit the Hope for the Fatherless program with Lifesong, spend more time with family, and see a bit more of Addis Ababa. Safe to say, we are eating our way through this city as well, and everyone is a bit jetlagged today.

Back to Ethiopia — Chaos, Grace, and Coming Home for Tamir

The first part of our trip was plagued by mishaps with the airlines, including canceled flights, lost baggage, and just plain chaos. We stayed up the night before, desperately needing rest, trying to figure out how to get Neha to us after her entire trip was canceled by a United gate agent. God showed up in a mighty way through each of those steps, including a kind person on the phone who spent 8 hours with United Airlines sorting out her trip. She ended up traveling alone to meet us in Addis Ababa. So thankful she is brave and well-traveled enough to handle that on her own.

Our family made our way through Chicago, and when we got there, our bags were lost in the airport for about an hour with bags that had all of Tamir's clothing for the trip. But in true Tamir fashion, she simply did not care. It was so refreshing as a parent to watch these two wonderful adults we've raised just take things in stride. We boarded the plane not knowing the outcome of the baggage situation and headed on. We arrived in Ethiopia with everything intact, thanks to another angel at the Chicago gate who waited for our bags and made sure they got loaded on the plane. We traveled a little heavy on this leg of the trip, bringing supplies and goods for our Lifesong for Orphans friends.

Landing in Addis Ababa after 15 years was nothing short of glorious. Seeing a city that has become so modernized, with tremendous investment and development, was stunning. The city was unrecognizable to all of us. Watching Tamir take in her home country was incredible and seeing it through her eyes was something special. She loved being in a flourishing city, where everyone looked like her. She felt so at home in so many ways. We toured the presidential palace, and she got a real sense of pride in where she came from and heard so many stories of her people. Now we know why she is never really cold and does well in higher elevation. It's beautiful here and the weather is so temperate unlike the muggy heat of Houston. Today Sammy spent some time telling her about the topography of her country and how there is so much to see with such a rich history of the Ethiopian people.

We had to eat, of course, and knowing we'd be indulging in traditional Ethiopian food for the rest of the week, we started the first day with some Indian food. It is absolutely delicious here in Africa and spicy just the way our family likes it. Our guide and advocate for this trip, Sammy, has already been nothing short of amazing and so patient with our family as we ask all our questions.

Tomorrow is a big day. We're starting at church with Sammy and his family, then heading off to formally meet Tamir's family, who just arrived in Addis Ababa from Mekele and the Tigray region. We are not able to go to Tigray for many reasons that you can read about on the news right now.

Journey to Ethiopia and preparing our hearts for God's plan, not ours....

We are headed to Ethiopia this summer to meet Tamir's biological family with anticipation and excitement to see the beautiful country she is from. This trip has been planned several times and canceled due to civil unrest and other issues. We are asking for prayers as our family begins this journey together, all five of us.

Please pray for Tamir as she processes what was such a difficult time in her life, leaving Ethiopia through adoption. So much forgiveness and restoration have happened over the past 14 years, and we want to make sure that God is at the center of this reunion, marking every step along the way.

Update on our beautiful adoption story. The last time we told our story, Tamir was almost 6 years old and headed to Kindergarten, Neha was in 4th grade, and Jacob was in 3rd. Today, this story is about a young lady overcoming adversity and blending into our family through many ups and downs. She has come out on the other side with a growing love for the Lord, a heart that loves others deeply, and kindness as her leading trait. She opens her doors and heart to everyone and it is beautiful to watch.

She has experienced the highs and lows of playing soccer at the highest level, getting injured, and taking on a full load at school. She persevered and has grown in her faith walk with the Lord. She also made time to lead well at her school, taking part in many activities and never being afraid to try new things, opening those doors by herself many times with a little pushing from the side. It has been amazing to see this quiet and shy young lady blossom into a woman who knows her own mind, loves the Lord, has found her voice, and is setting sail on her next journey at Indiana University in the fall.

But before she sets sail, we are taking a detour to journey to Ethiopia to meet her family and see the country that gave us this beautiful addition to our family. We will have the chance for a small family reunification, a time to see the work of Lifesong in Ethiopia, and a small trip to Lalibela to get close to the part of the country that Tamir is from, since we can't get into Tigray itself.

We will vlog the trip as much as we can and share it with many of you who have been part of the village of prayer and support for our family over the past 14 years. Thank you in advance.

Day 6 – January 30th – Last Day.....Sad to end this Journey.

Bright and Early once again at 5:30 am.  I am not an early riser so this has been rather hard.  Today will be a quiet day as all the girls will be at school.  We started our assembly with them at 6:00 am and it was fruitful.  I love talking to the girls one-on-one about their lives and their hearts.  There are so many stories to share. 

We went to the children’s school today at 9:30 am and spoke at their assembly and sang songs with them as well as saw where they attended classes (Boys and Girls Schools).  After attending school for a short bit, we spent a good bit of the morning taking a tour of the city in Auto-Rickshaw.  What fun that was for Neha to be zooming around the city.  We took some time to go to the street/fish markets, saw the Godavari river channels, and experienced a bit of city life.  We were able to see the difference between the government schools our kids attended versus the private schools in town (this was quite a contrast.)

We spent some time in the village at the conference during the day learning about people’s lives.  We met a group of women that have been rescued from trafficking by one of our village pastors and his family.  It was amazing to see the light shining on their faces, but you could see the hurt their eyes and that they had many stories o tell.   

We also met this beautiful little girl that was in 5^th grade like Neha.   She spoke a good amount of English and Neha and her had a great time.  Her mom’s story was a tragic one.  Her mother was employed as a servant to one of the Arab countries and left this little girl’s older sister behind with the grandmother in the village.  Many women are employed from the villages of India as servants in the Arab countries.  The little girl’s older sister left behind drowned and passed away.  She was not able to get back as she was on a contract for 5 years.  While she was there during this time she realized she was pregnant and had another beautiful little girl that Neha played with.  It was sad to hear these stories of families being separated.  Life for many of these women as servants was not a pleasant one abroad. 

We ended our day back at the children’s homes where we sang songs, danced, handed out bibles and other new toiletries.  This was a fun last night of spending time in fellowship with the children before we had to leave the next day.  

I want to take some time and share a little about the children.  The kids are so well taken care of at the Lifesong home with their emotional, spiritual and physical needs.  We praise God for the funds that have been coming to support Lifesong for some 30 plus years and need to pray hard for the next group of sponsors that come along side to be lifeline partners for the Lifesong India Program.  Lifeline partners come along side monthly to take a little sacrifice from their lives to make a big impact in the lives of these kids in India.  I encourage you as you read this blog to reach out to our family if you feel led to come along side Lifesong India.

Our missionaries and Bob and Siromani Stoll are in their late 80’s and have fervently given their lives to the program for 37 years.   We are not only looking to continue to fund the program from families like yourselves, but also to have a sustainable model that works in India to self-fund the orphanages and children. 

My aunt in India was looking at our pictures online and said that the girls and boys look so well taken care-of.  That is the heart of Lifesong to provide quality care that can be sustained for years to come.  The kids are not only well taken care of but they help them get into college and job-placement to secure their economic future.

Thank you for your prayers and love for our family while we were on this trip.  We are in Dubai now and resting.  Below are our last two blog updates from the trip.  We had a fun ride in Mumbai through the airport where we got to see the slums of bombay (as pictured in many movies) and also got to experience the Muslim pilgrimage to mecca in the long lines in security.  Interesting day for all of us.

We have had an incredible journey.  I have one of the most amazing daughters.  She has been such a trooper on this trip and God is going to use her for his purposes in an amazing way someday.   It was such a blessing to watch my 10 year old have no barriers from the moment she walked into the orphanage.  Her name “Neha” means friendship and it really showed on this trip.   She is the better half of Kelvin and myself.  I am so thankful for God giving us this opportunity together.

Love, Elizabeth

Neha’s Epilogue…

This was my first trip to India and I was very excited.  We were staying at Jyothi Nivas children’s home for 5 days.  Five days was not enough time to get to know every girl very well.  Five days, however, was just enough time to make friends with a few girls.  Although I only had five days, I made tightly packed friendships.  When I left  the girls and I were sad to part.  There were lots of hugs and kisses and the words “Happy Journey” echoed through the crowd.  Some of the girls made a nice drawing that said “Jesus Loves your Family.”  Although that’s what it said on the outside, on the inside it spelled “My friend.”  I knew that in my heart.  I have decided to keep in touch with my friends by e-mail, so we can remember each other.  I am so glad that I came to India and that my first trip was with the girls in the orphanage
Love, Neha.

 Pictures of the Boys... Didn't get that many.

 People carry heavy loads.. on oxcarts, bikes, motorcycles, scooters and even tractors.  Brenna thought this looked like snuffle-upagus from Sesame Street from the back.

Neha's friend in the same grade as her.  Beautiful little girl.

Villager washing dishes at the conference.

Each kid has one trunk to fit all of their stuff in.  They have two changes of clothing and their uniform.  They often share each others cloths to get a little variety.  What is amazing is that they all look so put together in the morning with ribbons in their hair, braided and combed well.

Neha and her friends saying goodbye...

 The night we handed out their new toiletries and bibles.

Day 5 – January 29th – Lifesong India Home and Pastors Conference.

We woke up bright and early once again at 5:30 am to go down for assembly, where Mrs. Brenna spoke again to all of the kids.   The kids were really warming up to us today and we had a good time with them laughing and enjoying their company.  The region has had several strikes and some of the kids schools were cancelled.  That just meant we had more time with them.  We have really enjoyed our new friendships and experience the love that these children have despite their circumstances.   

This was a lighter day and the girls were so comfortable that they came up to the third floor and spent time talking to us about their lives and what was happening in their world today.   One of the girls shared how her father was a truck (Lawry sp.) driver and died in accident and her mother shortly followed after with sickness within a week.   She was so concerned about her well being and needed prayer that she passes her 10^th standard exams to move forward with pre-college and then to university.  For most children in India their grades are very important and that is their only way out in life to experience economic freedom.  I was impressed with how hard they study.  We have so much play time in the United States and are not that stressed out.

My mom explained to me that all of these children in the homes are the lowest caste (dalit’s or untouchable) and have no economic freedom so they are labeled as economic orphans.   We enjoyed sharing our hearts and prayers with these girls and boys as their hearts are heavy for their families and their future. 

That afternoon we attended the pastor’s conference again which was filled with energy and a yearning to learn.  We wrapped up our evening at the Children’s home when the girls came back from the lower school and spent more time with them singing and playing. I do have to say that the Pastor's Conferences for me where a little boring.  They loved Pastor Chris, Bob and Siromani who were very funny to watch.

I have really enjoyed the girls and their warm welcome of my mom and me.  I am touched by the way we all seem the same, but yet born into such different circumstances in life. 

This has been a long several days and I decided to go to bed early.  That is a big deal for me since I love the dinners in the evening.

Love, Neha

Day 4 – January 28th – Lifesong India – Narsapur, India…

 Our days in India start bright and early at 5:30 am. 

The first teaching sessions start at 6:00 am -7:00 am with singing and joyful sounds. Brenna started her second session with the kids who were very receptive and engaged as they became more comfortable with us.  Siromani was Brenna’s vibrant translator.  I think she was giving the kids mini sermons as she was translating.   The kids are up early and go to bed late studying.  We are tired keeping up with their schedules but are enjoying the enthusiasm of the kids here.  This year we only going to one of the other  homes on Friday as it is hard to transport all of us around. 

We have been blessed to see the new bibles and clothes from our Christmas giving of friends back home in the United States.  The kids are very thankful for the gifts and treasures from our friends back home that pray and support them. 

After our morning breakfast, the kids head out to school and we have been heading to the pastor’s conference.

The drive to the pastor’s conference is quite the adventure.  We leave the town of Narsapur and head through several villages to get to the East Godavari region.   Our car has to navigate small roads through coconut groves and rice fields as well as fitting on small foot-bridges that take us across the canals of the Godavari river.  The Godavari river which is often called the bread-basket from West to East across India is amazing to see.  We are viewing the river before it feeds out to the Bay of Bengal.  The East Godavari people are some of the most colorful, joyful, prayerful and loving people I have ever met.  They love the Lord and they love their fellow man.  The villages are filled with beautiful coconut groves and rice fields as that is their main source of income.  It’s amazing to see piles and piles of coconut shells that are used for cooking as well as ropes that they make from them.  We also noticed some nice concrete homes that look like they were in pristine condition.  It was sad to hear why many of these homes are here.  Many of the women in the villages have been contracted to be servants in homes in Dubai and various countries in the Arabic region.  The women send money back home to build these homes as a sign of their status now in life.  The life for these women in these homes abroad is not one of joy and happiness and many cases they are mistreated.  Their families are separated with husbands left to fend for themselves and children to be left behind.  Many of these kids are now in some of our Lifesong homes.

Once we arrived at the pastor’s conference, it was amazing to see the many village pastors, their wives, and villagers coming to hear God’s word.   Pastor Chris Hopf has been sharing each day morning and night with the assistance of Bob and Siromani Stoll and two of the main pastors who speak English.  They have been very receptive to Chris and love him dearly as this is his third trip to India to be in fellowship with them.  This particular day we experienced the joyful music of some of the pastor’s singing with Siromani in Telegu.   Although I am not able to speak the language well, I am able to understand every word they are saying. 

After the service, we were able to spend some time getting to know some of the people and their needs.  Many of the women and children came up to us asking for specific prayer.  It was amazing to fellowship with them and most importantly lay hands and pray for them.  The people here are not afraid to ask for prayer for the smallest and biggest thing going on in their lives.  Back home in the States when are shy to ask for prayer.  When was the last time we asked a fellow brother or sister in Christ to lay hands on us and pray for our ailments or needs?  Brenna and I were humbled by this time and their sincerity and love for the Lord. 

We returned home that day going along the same exciting road and this time got to see many monkeys on the foot bridge, which Neha absolutely loved.  The ride was long but amazing to experience how the majority of India lives each day. 

We returned home for some rest, late lunch and time with the girls at home from college.   We started our third lesson with the girls and they became more and more comfortable with the teaching and us.  The jet-lag finally hit Neha and she went to bed without dinner and was out till the next morning.  Very unusual for me to retire early in the evenings and I have enjoyed spending that one-on-one time with Neha each evening and morning.  

Bathing here is been exciting for Neha.  The water is cold or lukewarm from the tap and the bathroom is all one room, sink, toilet and shower area.  She has learned to take a quick body bath kicking and screaming.  I am so glad that her first trip to India has been going to the orphanage and village areas instead of the big cities where things are comfortable.

Love, Eliabeth and neha