That Smile!

I was so delighted when I checked my email this afternoon. I had a message from a couple that just got back from Ethiopia. They were there early this month picking up their two adopted children. They happened to be at the same orphanage where Ayantu is. They overheard one of the nannies refer to a little girl as "Ayantu". They asked our contact there if she was the Knapp's daughter and he confirmed she was! These dear friends [whom I've never met, by the way] took a bunch of pictures for us! They sent 2 of them in the email this morning and have about 12 more!

When I looked at the changes in Ayantu I started to cry. This was the first time we've ever seen a smile on her face! It is priceless. She looks like she is starting to adapt to the change she has been through being placed in an orphanage. She is also getting bigger! Her face is filling out and her hair is adorable! Thank you so much, Dirnberger Family, for thinking of us and blessing us in this way!

We are still awaiting our travel dates from our Agency. As soon as we hear from them, we will be pulling the trigger on booking our flights!!

PASSED!!!!!

Praise God! Thank you Lord for your favor in this day. Today we passed court and can now offically call Ayantu our daughter! And we finally can post her pictures!!!!! We will be getting travel details in the next day or so, but will probabaly be going to Ethiopia in the next 4 weeks.

Dear Ayantu,

In just a few hours it will be morning in Ethiopia. You will wake up in the orphanage and do your usual routine. Only it may not be a usual day. Tomorrow sometime in the morning, your birth Mom has to appear at a court in Addis Ababa and stand before a judge. The judge will hear our case how we would like to become your official family here in the United States. Somehow, your birth Mom will have to find the strength to say that she officially is going to release you into our care.

We are praying for your birth Mom tomorrow. We are praying that all of the paperwork that took us over a year to complete is accurate and there. And we are praying for the judge--that he will grant this adoption. No matter what happens tomorrow, we want you to know that you are deeply loved and adored, not only by us, but by your Heavenly Father that created you. He is watching your story unfold and is holding your hand even now.

We love you, sweet girl, and cannot wait for tomorrow!

Mom and Dad

3 Days!

Nervous.

Excited.

Tired.

Anxious.

Emotional.

3 Days til court!

365 twice

Today marks a pausing moment for Brian and I. Two years ago today, I was hired at Costco. We planned on using that income to pay for the adoption. It also marks the two year spot on the adoption journey itself. From the moment we knew God was nudging us off of the "maybe fence" to 365 days twice later, we're about to have our court date.

Pretty surreal.

Very emotional.

Absolutely worth it!

Purpose inside

I'm quite sure we all at times feel purposeless...like we're suppose to be doing something more than what we're doing. Have you ever felt that before? Even in the midst of doing something great and meaningful...you may feel a tug or a pull that there's something more or different or even more meaningful? I had a wonderful conversation tonight with a great friend who was helping me process the upcoming trip to Ethiopia. Her and her husband adopted a beautiful little girl and brought her home last year December. It was great to bounce some thoughts and questions off of her tonight and have her remember bits of their journey to Ethiopia last year.

In the middle of our conversation, the question was posed "Do you think you'll do this again?" We both shared different responses. But in the end the depth of our response was the same: we both know that God is not finished with our adoption joureny's. The purpose of them, that is! It seems awfully small to think that our God would allow us to go through this very intensely difficult and beautiful process to JUST add a child into your family. Period. That's it! Our desire is to use our adoption stories. And so we wait with open hands and pray for what is left unseen!!

Jeremy Camp's "Desire" is a worship song I have been listening to a lot lately. It's a great reminder about the truth of my purpose in life:

"You want to be real, you want to be empty inside
You want to be someone laying down your pride
You want to be someone someday
Then lay it all down before the king

You want to be whole, you want to have purpose inside
You want to have virtue and purify your mind

You want to be set free today
Then lay it all down before the king

This is my desire, this is my return
This is my desire to be used by you

You want to be real, you want to be empty inside
And I know my heart is to feel you near
And I know my life
It's to do your will
It's to do your will

All my life I have seen
Where you've take me
Beyond all I have hoped
And there's more left unseen

There's not much I can do to repay all you've done
So I give you my hands to use"

THIS is Community

Since my post on October 14th about Formula for the babies in Ethiopia...here's what we have so far! Amazing! Beautiful! Holy! God has answered my prayer that the suitcase would be overflowing!

Thank you friends, facebook friends and family! You have joined us in blessing someone you will never know!