Last day and Goodbyes!

The last day in Ethiopia was filled with hard goodbyes and the start of something new. New friendships that we will carry for a lifetime. We are so thankful for Sammy and his family for all the guidance and support they poured into this trip. What a blessing he was to us, helping us navigate our way through a reunion and the beautiful city of Addis.

We spent the morning at Unity Park with the entire family, all packed into one van, traveling together and spending time outside learning the rich history of Ethiopia. Then came the moment of goodbyes, and it was not easy.

We have learned so much on this trip and watched our Tamir lean on God to carry her through a difficult week. She is leaving with so much richness added to her story and so many things that help her fill the gap of her childhood before she came to the United States.

We are grateful for God's provision in bringing us here and keeping everyone safe and healthy. Thank you for praying with us and walking alongside our family every step of the way. This will be the end of our blog for now.

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.