Our visit with Eyob

We had heard Eyob of Kingdom Vision International was close as in an hour and a half away instead of continents away. Through a friend we were able to get in touch with one another, and we were able to meet for dinner with just a few hours notice. I picked the girls up from school and rushed them home to get ready. They had no idea so they were pretty surprised. I was able to take them, two of my boys, and Steve met us there.

 

We decided to meet for Mexican since we are in Southern California after all. He had Steve order for him and carne asada tacos were delivered shortly.

 

Eyob with five of the kids. (two had left to go to youth group)

 

Eyob with Meskerem-They are from the same area in Ethiopia. Can you see the similarities?

We adopted through CWA in 2007 with these two. He escorted us to the American Embassy and helped us with our interview and gathering their passports and visas.  They were only eleven and fifteen months old when he last saw them. He kept telling me how spoiled Adah was. well....she is the baby.....

 

 Addis first met Eyob in April 2008 when we visited KVI in Addis. We brought donations to the orphanage and he gave us a little tour of the facilities. He told us he has moved many times since then because the rent keeps going up and up.

John and Eyob. One time John was told by an Ethiopian female friend that he would be a missionary to Ethiopia. Maybe!

 

Back in 2007 it was Eyob's dream to visit the United States and visit the children he has helped into families. While I was there I remember him being so discouraged because once again they denied him permission to enter the United States. His fortitude and persistence paid off. We were so happy to see him!

 

Another reason for him visiting the USA is to raise funds for the ministry of KVI-Kingdom Vision International. His rent in one facility is $2400 a month. A previous donor has had to drop their funding of $10,000 a month leaving the ministry in a crisis situation. Many nannies and other workers have had to be laid off. Food is being stretched. If you are able to help with a monthly, annually, or even one time donation any amount is appreciated. As always he covets your prayers. 

www.kingdomvisioninternational.net

May Happenings

There has been so much going on here that it seems as though I'm going from event to event or preparing for the next event. I'll actually start at the last two weeks of May to catch up.

Joe's high school volleyball season had come to an end so we attended his volleyball banquet at an Italian restaurant. The coaches put together the photo collage and the team managers (high school girls) gave each of the boys a pink crown with their names painted on the front. Joe won a total of three awards that night which we were very blessed to see he did so well.

Joe had a soccer tournament in San Bernadino. I think we went two of the three days, but that was a month ago so who knows. I know we went on Saturday and didn't go on Sunday, not sure about Monday. We didn't go on Sunday because of the dinner at the Ethiopian church. San Bernadino is about two hours or so from us. That Saturday we only took Sarah and the baby. She needed a break from Little Man so he stayed home with his aunts and uncles for the day.

We have connected with an Ethiopian church here in the San Diego area. Marantha Ethiopian Evangelical Church is renting space from another church and would like to have a building of their own. They held a fundraising dinner where the church members as well as the adoptive families of Ethiopian children were invited to attend. They served delicious Ethiopian food as well as some pasta dishes, which was a blessing for some in my family who don't care for the Ethiopian food. Most of us LOVE Ethiopian food, but what can I say other than some of the men/boys are picky eaters.

The girls wore their Ethiopian dresses to our regular church, which all the older people loved, and then they fit in at the Ethiopian church because the ladies were dressed in their dresses also.

Since Monday the 27th was Memorial Day Steve and I went to the cemetery to honor my uncle who had died in the Vietnam War. My grandparents are buried on each side of him. We placed flowers in the vases and made mental notes that we need to come back and spruce things up like cleaning the granite headstone and gluing one of the vases down.

Even though the girls are in school I like to be involved as much as possible. I was asked if I could go on a field trip to the Space Theater/Science Center. My three youngest went and we had a great time learning and playing. http://www.rhfleet.org/

The next night Addis and some of the high school girls did a Spa Night fundraiser for camp and a mission trip. I signed up for the works. Got a manicure and a pedicure, a massage, and a facial. The girls each made about $50 which we're very grateful for since the camp runs about $500 and Addis wouldn't be able to go if we had to for the whole thing. There are monthly rummage sales, they can get work for people, and there are other fundraisers for the kids to help raise the funds. My boys have done yard work, move a mattress, helped someone run their kayak business. If it's something they can do then they work for their way to camp.

May ended with the piano students from school going to see The Wizard of Oz put on by Christian Youth Theater. The show was excellent. The kids who performed did an outstanding job. We rode the bus about an hour each way. On the way there we stopped at a park and had an early, early lunch. It was a fun, fun day, exhausting, but fun.

Education With a Twist

I wrote in a previous post that I was looking into the Robinson Curriculum. I couldn't put my finger on what wasn't clicking for me. The books in the curriculum are written for the Caucasian homeschooler. Well, that would have worked for my eight bio kids who have ancestors from England, but why would these books be of interest for my girls from Africa? They have a history, they have a heritage, and it's not the one form England.

On the other hand, their heritage is not the one that African Americans have either.  My girls are African, Ethiopian to be more precise. I'm entering into an area I don't have experience in, but I'm willing to learn right along with them. I've always been interested in Harriet Tubman, Amos Fortune, Sojourner Truth, and others like them.

In my research I came across Blessed Heritage-Educational resources to foster understanding of the spiritual and racial heritage of children of color.

I've ordered:

 Nuturing Christian Character Through the Black Experience. http://www.blessedheritage.com/christcharacter.html

Our Story, His-Story
http://www.blessedheritage.com/elemhistory1.html

This Far by Faith
http://www.blessedheritage.com/midhistory1.html

I've also gone to paperbackswap.com and ordered a few books that I found in Great Books for Girls by Kathleen Odean.

I'm looking forward to walking this path with my girls. If anyone knows of a child's study of Ethiopian history I would LOVE to know about it.

Free Adoption book on Kindle

This Mean War: Equipping Christian Families for Fostercare or Adoption



I bought this book in print form several years ago and loved it. It's offered for free today on Amazon for Kindle readers. Don't have a Kindle? You can download the app to your computer and read it there. Here's a write-up I did on it a few years ago.

This Means War Write-up

World Aids Day

Today is World Aids Day. I don't know anyone in my everyday life that has Aids or HIV, but I do know plenty of adoptive families that have brought HIV+ children into their homes. Knowledge is the first step away from the fear of this disease. We are approved to adopt a child with HIV+. I wanted the approval just in case we needed it. We haven't, but I did get a bit educated in the process. We're not in the 80's anymore!




Project Hopeful video:
Truth Pandemic

You can also visit: The Farmer's Wife Tells All
to see how one family lives with a daughter who happens to have HIV.

Upside Down Christmas?

As the mom of a large family I do not look forward to Christmas for the above reasons. What if we celebrate simply? Do my kids remember what their third gift was last year? I'm already thinking that we will go to the thrift store and let the kids pick out $5 or $10 worth of gifts for their family gift swap. I do need to read with my kids more. We should play more games. That's what they'll remember. Not all the stuff that was in their stockings. How did we get to where we are? Get us off the merry-go-round, please!

For more on this topic go to That We Might Be Adopted

Miles Family Adoption Puzzle Fundraiser

An online friend is fundraising for her currrent adoption. Please read their story below, donate if possible, and/or share on your blog if you can!


Hello, we are Michael and Megan Miles! We have been married for 3 years and began our first international adoption when we had only been married 1 year. We currently have three beautiful girls.





Our youngest Ammar-Juliana, was brought home from Ethiopia this past February. We feel so blessed by the love she has shown us that we wish to do this process all over again.

We are now in the midst of our second international adoption from Ethiopia and are hoping this time for a son! Some may wonder if we’re crazy or if we are trying to start a baseball team, but neither are true! We have a deep passion for defending the fatherless and feel nothing but gratitude to be able to open our hearts and home to them.   



Of course with all of these adoptions under our belts many may wonder where the money is coming from. With Ammar-Juliana we were lucky enough to have the money needed, but this time around we have to do a bit of fundraising. One of our largest fundraisers is our “puzzle fundraiser.” We have purchased a puzzle that we wish to frame once completed in order to hang in our son’s room. We are selling each puzzle piece for $5. Once you have graciously provided us with your donation we will send the piece(s) you way!  


 You are more than welcome to write a note to our precious boy or simply sign your name on the back of the piece. Once you are done with that just pop it into the mail (stamped envelope provided) and your part is finished! Once we have completed the fundraiser we will display the framed puzzle for all to see! …A simple way to change our lives and our son’s life forever, right?


               http://meganandmichaelmiracle.blogspot.com/


Thank you so much for taking time to read our story. We are forever changed because of all of the support that surrounds us.

                    

                                           

What's been going on over here?

I know you're dying to know what we've been doing in the past few months since I've posted.

We had four birthdays in the family.

 

Our youngest two girls have been in our family for five years now, we brought them home August 2007.

We celebrated our 32nd year of marriage. The picture was taken two years ago on our 30th anniversary.

Nine kids started school away from home. That was a first! One is back home using Switched On Schoolhouse and he seems to love it. Two of our boys are a charter school and attend only two days a week. So it's on me to help them with their middle school work when they don't understand it. Some days we're at the table A.L.L. D.A.Y. and others they need no help at all.  For some reason I only got pics of the girls. Bad mom.

We're letting our hearts heal after not bringing home our Little Miss A from Ethiopia. It's surreal because she would be in our home now, and yet she isn't.

We've started counseling for our newest to make sure that there isn't something we're supposed to be doing. We're on track and came in with a RAD diagnosis. The last diagnosis was Adjustment Disorder with Disturbance of Conduct. (same thing?)

I watch my 14 month old grandson every day, and sometimes my two year old granddaughter is here as well.

I'm attending BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) once a week.

I had my annual endocrinology appt and am still cancer-free. I had thyroid cancer back in 2005 and had my thyroid and some lymph nodes removed.

I'm still couponing when I have time. (when would that be?)

We're all in AWANA and we the parents are Jr. High Leaders.

I'm planning/organizing the Fall Festival for church.

I'm throwing my daughter a baby shower for her baby girl. She's due in December with her second baby, first girl.

 

Giving a listening ear to other adoptive parents when they need to vent or giving advice when asked.

Shopping at the thrift store when I can get an hour or so to myself.

Wearing chip clips in my hair and having it announced on the radio with my full name none-the-less.....

I found this doll which reminded me of Adah. Of course, I had to buy it.

Took two of my boys to a Shakespeare play which was a first for all three of us.

Had entirely too many frozen chocolate yogurts with granola.

Enjoyed the beach and the sand.

Yelled too much at my kids. Tried to balance it out with an equal amount of hugs and kisses.

Two sons went to Mexico, and one went to Alaska.

I'm hoping this season will slow down a bit, but with eleven people in the house and many more coming and going, I don't think so.

From my house to yours,

Vikki