THE BOYS SUNDAY MORNING CONVERSATION

(photo taken at Duke Gardens 4/26/08)

Our Sunday morning routine is that we get the littles dressed and I take them down to breakfast while everyone else gets ready for church. Then when someone comes down, I go up and get ready. So, yesterday morning they are all sitting at the table with me and I am feeding the twinettes yogurt when this conversation begins:

Jeremiah: "Mom, it is rearry sad that M. is all ayone in Epiopia. Why her all ayone Mom?" Mama: "Yes it is sad Jer, her Mama & Papa got sick and died and she doesn't have any brothers or sisters either. She has no family at all." Jeremiah: "Well, we need to go get her, Mama." James: "Yea Jer, we gonna step out in 'faif' (faith) and bring her home. We gonna get her from Epiopia." Josiah:" No, me no want to go Etiopia! (tears filling up in his eyes)Mama: "Don't cry Josiah, you don't want to go to Ethiopia? You are not going, you are staying here with us forever mijo! Mama and Papa love you and you are here with us forever."

This was absolutely precious!! They started this conversation all on their own which just speaks to my heart about how much they are tenderhearted toward the orphans we have posted on our kitchen wall. We have photos of our children still in Ethiopia. As a result of much prayer and thinking about leaving my five littles, I have decided that I can not leave them to go to ET for two weeks. So, it looks like Jerry will have to take Ellie to get our precious new daughter. Josiah and the rest of the littles would be too traumatized if Mama left for so long. I think this would be good for Ellie to start bonding with her new sister too! So, off we go on to the next pile of paperwork!!

OFFICIALLY ON OUR NEXT ADOPTION JOURNEY

We have officially started our next adoption journey back to Ethiopia! We are so excited to be working with the Gladney Center for Adoption again. We feel like they have become family to us. We are filling out papers, papers, papers....We never thought we would be here again. This is another step, no... LEAP OF FAITH! We pray for our precious child every day and ask for protection and provision to bring her home to be a member of our family. This is going to take another miracle my friends...so stay tuned and be amazed again.

My Ellie Is Going To China!!

I tell you I am constantly amazed at how the Lord is working in our family. My Ellie has been accepted to join Shaohannah's Hope's organization ShowHope to go to China this June to work in an orphanage. She will be gone for two weeks, serving the Lord and loving on his precious orphans. Read all about it here

If you would like to help support her in prayer or with a financial blessing please feel free to email me for details. She needs to raise $2700 for this trip. We are so excited to see her passion for orphan care ministry taking on such a focus in her life. She is so excited and she will be such a blessing to everyone on this trip. I just don't know how I will do it without her!! She truly is my right hand gal. Please keep her in your prayers.

EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED!

I would like to encourage every person reading this to go see this movie! I honestly believe every single American citizen should take time out of our busy lives and get an education on what is really happening in the academic institutions of this country. This is a "WAKE UP CALL TO EVERYONE". THANK YOU Ben Stein for your superb, entertaining and very important message to us all. May we be found INTELLIGENT!!!

This movie is a MUST SEE and a great converstation starter. Please go see it!!!

Thank You Shaohannah's Hope!!!

"Give your loose change to help change the life of an orphan..."


Two of many precious babies who would not be here without Shaohannah's Hope...

A Night of Delight with Steven Curtis Chapman

Last night we attended another concert with Steven Curtis Chapman. It was a very emotional and surreal experience again! The last time we attended a concert and met with him was when we were waiting for our precious children from Ethiopia. As I sat in the audience last night holding my precious babies while they danced, clapped hands and enjoyed a wonderful night of worship and fellowship with the Lord, I was overcome with joy and emotion on numerous occasions. SCC's ministry to the church to care for the orphan is such a blessing to experience. As I watched and listened to Steven sing and speak about his heart and passion for orphans, I was filled with gratitude and awe because Shaohannah's Hope gave us a substantial grant that made it possible for us to rescue these children and have them sitting in his audience this night. Jonathan, Ellie, Andrew, Lindsey, Morgan, Beth and Amanda all joined us and were volunteers at the concert. My dear friend Carla and her family also joined us and we were all in tears as we watched these children enjoy this concert knowing that just a few months ago, they were sitting in an orphanage.
At every concert, they take up a collection called "Change For Orphans" from the audience. We had the privilege to witness and partake in this exciting event where they collected $3000 from this audience and then a donor gave another $1000 to bring it to a total grant of $4000. A family was brought up on stage that is adopting an 8 yr. old boy from China. They are a military family with 4 bio children that have been called to rescue an orphan and are already knowing they will be going for a second adoption after this one. What an awesome experience this was. We enjoyed great music that glorified and worshipped the Lord, had great fellowship with friends, and witnessed another orphan rescue. It doesn't get much better.
After the concert we had the privilege again to meet with SCC and crew and we were elated to show him the fruit of his labor and love. We had a very sweet visit with him and rekindled our friendship. He again reminded us that we are invited to his fundraiser in TN this November which we are planning on attending. What a blessing, What a Joy, to be part of such a loving and humbling ministry as this.

May I encourage all of you reading this to attend a concert of his when it comes to your area. It is a night of great worship and blessing! HE is all about LIVING OUT LOUD for his faith, his passion and for our Savior Jesus Christ.

You Know You're An Adoptive Parent When...

You Know You're An Adoptive Parent When . . .

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's 'real' parents.
7. You have ever been 'pregnant' with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth. (2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.
9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.
10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.
12. You know what the word 'Dossier' means, and you can actually pronounce it!
13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.
14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.

-Author unknown

I found this on another website and felt as though I could have written it. What a blessing to know this is the heart of God and HE IS CALLING US INTO THIS NEW SEASON OF LIFE THAT GIVES US NEW PURPOSE, NEW MEANING AND JOY!

The Twinettes 1st Birthday Party!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Blessing Today

I just received this note from a family in D.C. that adopted with a different agency. It is such a blessing to see the LORD at work and how he is using "The Forgotten Boys" testimony from our visit to Kolfe. As I have said from the beginning of this journey I know the Lord told me to "Tell this story, my story, so that people will see me, hear me, and know me and have the faith and obedience to do what I am asking them to do. Here is a confirmation and a blessing to my heart. I was in tears today as I read this! Thank you Kristen in D.C.
Hi Mestas family!
I am so happy to be in touch with you! I was so moved by your stories of Kolfe that I knew I had to find it when we went to pick up our daughter. Thank you for sharing about these wonderful boys, they really are just beautiful boys and we loved our very short visits with them. We had raised $1700 to take over with us but like I said we found it hard to go in and purchase books in the shops of Addis. Every time we tried it took hours as the owners were always called and price negotiations would then ensue, etc. It was disappointing as we had hoped to see the books filling the new library before we left. I know Ryan will put the rest of the money we sent him to good use. Plus there are all those people now who will be able to go to Kolfe thanks to your witness!
On the first trip we were kind of bombarded by the boys as we got out of the car. They were so excited to see us and when we pulled the fruit out of the trunk they just tore into it! They all so badly wanted one on one attention and in trying to talk with them I didn't get to take as many photos as I had hoped. I really wanted to make a very powerful video to move others to consider adopting an older boy or at least help them somehow. I know that God will use the meager video I could put together for His own purpose, so that is good enough for me! A school group here made 33 no sew fleece blankets for the boys but they turned out to be so bulky that I really could not get many of them over in our luggage. I have most of them here still and am hoping that a dear friend of mine will be able to take them in a couple of months when she travels to pick up her daughter. Oh, anyhow just as we came away from the soccer field this young man who I had taken note of several times shyly asked me if I was from Texas. I said no, I was from Washington DC and that I lived near the president. I was teasing him that I knew the president and hung out with him and all of the sudden he says "do you know Eileen Mestas?" I knew right then that he was Solomon!
I turned and hugged him and told him that I didn't know you all personally but that I had read things you had written and that I knew you all loved him very much. He got teary eyed and so did I and that is when my husband snapped that photo. (I don't know why he mentioned Texas as you all are from NC right? Anyhow, that is how the conversation went.) Solomon seems to be doing well and he was a joy to spend time with. I again want to thank you for posting your journey to your children in Ethiopia and in turn your trip to see the orphanages of Addis with Ryan. It led us to Kolfe and though we have not done all that we had hoped we still feel so blessed to have seen it and met those boys.
Feel free to post or share anything you like, I pray it helps the boys in some small way.
May God bless you and your beautiful family!!! It is evident that the Lord has His hand all over your life!


Kristin
www.irishopian.blogspot.com

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com