You may say it is hopeless......

This is our motivation for adoption.
Some people tell me it is to overwhelming, what can helping one orphan do?
I believe we can all make a difference....
One child at a time!


Based on the story by Loren Eisley...
I awoke early, as I often did, just before sunrise to walk by the ocean's edge and greet the new day. As I moved through the misty dawn, I focused on a faint, far away motion. I saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin.
As I approached, I sadly realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up a starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea. I asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back to the sea."
As the youth explained, I surveyed the vast expanse of beach, strectching in both directions beyond my sight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear to me and I countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference."
The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to me he simply said, "I made a difference to that one."
I left the boy and went home, deep in thought of what the boy had said. I returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day helping the boy throw starfish in to the sea.

There can be fear.

Stand Firm on the Mountain
Exodus 14:13,14 & Exodus 15:17

I stand sword ready to fight the fear.
Fear rose up out of the ebony of night.
Even as the soft grey of dawn approached.
I lie awake, in prayer, my sword, unsheathed.
Refusing to give in to the fear that assaulted me.
I know my Lord,
He is mighty and able to save!
What does being rescue look like?
I do not know the how or the when.
Instead I will climb the mountain.
My feet shall stand on the rock.
The rock of Christ!
On His power, on His resurrection!
Keeping my shield up, to deflect
the arrows of doubt that ping against the metal.
And when I grow weary and must lay my sword down to rest.
The Lord, himself, will fight the fight.
Until I am able to once more.

Karen Winters 2009

Dossier

On Friday, April 3rd we dropped off the dossier that needs to be sent to Ethiopia. How can I describe my feelings? Rather like my knitting, there were knots (in my stomach) and neat rows (paper work finally out of my hands and into the hands of those who can DO something with it all) and somehow all this pearl and knit would become something! A son coming home!
I sang as I walked to the car, one major hurdle was done and now I was looking at the race lane once again. Once again waiting........seems there is a lot of that :) this time for our dossier to be transcribed from English to Amharic. Than we wait (more of that!) for approval from the government, followed by an acceptance letter and after that a travel date.
In the mean time we need to continue fund raising and seeking grants. I have made a quilt for his bed and am working on creating a fun room for him to enjoy.
Rob and I seek prayers for the following:
Grace with the government for our acceptance.
Speed in expediting the documents through the court system.
Reasonably priced travel.
Fund raisers to be well attended.
Thank you to each of you who are sharing this journey with us. We are blessed by your support and you heart for one child to come home!

The steering wheel

Little did I understand how this journey of adoption would be. Yes, all the books and agencies tell you to expect delays, paperwork issues and many other things. Yet reading it and living through it is so different!
That excitement and fear are your companions on the journey. You never know when you wake who will be driving your life that day. Many days they fight over the steering wheel! Than I will feel a calm as once more I see God's hand move in mighty ways and than worry that he will not move again. It defies logic and engages such deep emotions.
I wake at night wondering if all is well for him. Is he hungry? Do his shoes fit? What exciting thing happened in his life that day?
The most exciting thing is this~we submit the dossier on Friday! Unless you have gone down this road you may not quite grasp the significance of this. It is the entirety of our life! Back ground checks, birth certificates and much more. Really it is months of paper trails and finger prints and now it is done!
This weekend is another fund raiser this weekend, friends in Grand Rapids are hosting. This too has been another blessing. How people have joined in this song of adoption. Coming together with help, blessings and prayer.
So even when fear has a turn at the wheel, and that is a scary ride, I know that one day we will look back and say it was the best ride ever!