I sit here in awe that my precious 14 yr.old daughter is in China right now with Shaohannah's Hope. They are getting their orphanage ready to open and they took a total of 16 young ladies to work there for 2 weeks and to care for and love on the precious children. Here is my first email from her:
Hey guys!
How is it going over there? I hope it is going well. I love you guys!! We are doing awesome. We went to the great wall today which was a beastly/painful climb but it was sooooo worth it once you get to the top. We actually 'tobogganed' down from the great wall. It was like this little car/sled thing that you sit on, on a slide that goes alllllll the way down the mountains and over a bridge...it was kind of freaky but it was sooooooooo much fun. I can't wait to show you guys pictures but i have no way to get them on the computer!!
We went to a blind orphanage yesterday and had a huge water fight and we are going back tomorrow. I cant wait! :-) We are having a blast and everyone is getting along soo well. It feels like everyone has known each other for years...not 3 days. Half of us went on a bike ride through the village today and it was gorgeous and we had a blast. The weather was beautiful today. The workers here are so nice too. i love it here and i am so thankful that God has allowed me to come here. We are staying in these huts that have bugs in them but its ok...:-) The huts are right outside the foster home so we are with all these cute little kids in the mornings and then we usually go somewhere in the afternoon. We are actually in a very rural area. we are about an hour away from the city area and somewhat outside of this really cute little village. I love you guys!!! I will try and email again soon.
I love you mama and papa and jonathan and jeremiah, josiah and james and keziah and keren and melissa and randy and vaden and grandma and grandpa and ruby...and samson.....sheesh...:-) Happy early birthday grandpa!!! Mcha!! I will try and email in a couple days. Love you all!
--
In Christ,Ellie
That's my baby biological I call her. She is such a sweet heart and she has such a passion and heart for the orphan. This is an amazing journey the Lord has orchestrated for her and I am so excited to see how her life's journey unfolds. Please keep her and the team in your prayers. Thank you!
"Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than the first...He gave him seven sons and three daughters and the daughters he called...Keziah and Keren." Job 42:12-14
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
SOLOMON'S FUTURE?
In my recent letter to my son Solomon at the Kolfe boys orphanage, I asked him how long he was going to be there and what he expected to do when he got out. Here is his response. I wanted to share this with you because I really believe the Lord wants us to know and understand what these orphans are really going through. How many of you know an orphan personally? As it states in James 1:27, Pure and undefiled religion is to care for the orphan.... I can't help but think about how isolated we Americans are from them. Our lives and our culture are so different than other countries. We really don't have a lot of opportunity to get involved in the lives of orphans. So, this is why I believe the Lord wants me share my relationship with Solomon. To open our eyes and hearts to the plight of the orphan!
Solomon's Letter dated 5/14/08
Mom, I like the chocolate very much. I bought trousers and shoes by the money you sent for me. Thank you for everything. Mom I will graduate next years. Then the camps will give me 4000birr and then I will leave from the campus. After that I will find rent houses. When I get the house I am very lucky when I don’t get the house I don’t know what to do. Here in Ethiopia rent houses are very expensive you don’t get rent houses easily. So for many kolfe young guys this is the main problem that faced with them. When they leaving the campus many of them going to street because they don’t get a work easily because of this they can’t afford money for rent in this time the inflation rate is the world problem. So, 40000 birr is not enough to do.(approx. $400) I don’t think that I get government work. But I am thinking that to open my own business by 4000 birr after leaving the campus I think to open computer service center. But it need more money the computers are very expensive the houses also very expensive. I don’t know how possible to open my own business.
When I am alone I always thinking this why God create me without family? What kinds of plan he has for me? He loves me? When he loves me why he did this to me? I don’t get an answer for this question just crying my life is full of sorrow. I am not happy even for one day just always come to my mind who am I? But I hope that one day I get an answer for my entire question. I always found my self.
Mom, I always love you. You are always in my heart I crying last night just think about you. I don’t crying like this even when I lost my father. I know it is not possible to live with you but my heart is not accepted this reality. I don’t know before what to love mean but know no one defined the world love. Love means that to love some one greater than your self. I love you mom greater than my self. May be one day we meet each other for talking one and the last time. Until then you are in my prayer. I love you very much. I can’t wait to hug and kiss you my mom. Thank you for everything mom.
Love your son Solomon
This young man will be let out of the orphanage with $400 and no one to love him, help him, guide him into his next season of life. He has no where to live, no relatives or friends outside of the orphanage. Can you imagine being so alone and hopeless?
This weekend we just celebrated our son Jonathan's High School graduation and his 18th birthday. He is our first graduate from Mestas Christian Academy, with six more to go. We have homeschooled for 13 years with an intentional focus on preparing him to be a God's man, a career, and to be a husband and father someday. He has been such a gift to our lives and we have been so blessed to have had all these years to spend so much time together learning, laughing and loving. He is now preparing to be a Firefighter. He has been blessed with a wonderful family and support group around him his entire life. We have been blessed with a large family who gives lots of love and support.
As I compare him to my son at Kolfe, my heart grieves for Solomon. He has had no one cheering him on, intentionally training and loving him. Helping him to be prepared for his graduation, career, to be a God's man, husband and father some day. I am on my knees begging the Lord to show us how we can help him. I am praying that somehow, we can bring him home here to live with us. This is going to take a miracle and I am asking for it. I am so humbled and honored to have Solomon in my life. He has such a sweet and kind heart. Please join me in prayer for him. He is only one year from graduation and being released from Kolfe. AND THEN WHAT? Who will be there to love him, give him a home, help him find a job, and make the important decisions, find his wife, be a husband & father? I want to be his MOM, Jerry wants to be his DAD!! All we need is the Lord to show us how? Please, please pray for the LORD to make a way where there seems to be no way!
Solomon's Letter dated 5/14/08
Mom, I like the chocolate very much. I bought trousers and shoes by the money you sent for me. Thank you for everything. Mom I will graduate next years. Then the camps will give me 4000birr and then I will leave from the campus. After that I will find rent houses. When I get the house I am very lucky when I don’t get the house I don’t know what to do. Here in Ethiopia rent houses are very expensive you don’t get rent houses easily. So for many kolfe young guys this is the main problem that faced with them. When they leaving the campus many of them going to street because they don’t get a work easily because of this they can’t afford money for rent in this time the inflation rate is the world problem. So, 40000 birr is not enough to do.(approx. $400) I don’t think that I get government work. But I am thinking that to open my own business by 4000 birr after leaving the campus I think to open computer service center. But it need more money the computers are very expensive the houses also very expensive. I don’t know how possible to open my own business.
When I am alone I always thinking this why God create me without family? What kinds of plan he has for me? He loves me? When he loves me why he did this to me? I don’t get an answer for this question just crying my life is full of sorrow. I am not happy even for one day just always come to my mind who am I? But I hope that one day I get an answer for my entire question. I always found my self.
Mom, I always love you. You are always in my heart I crying last night just think about you. I don’t crying like this even when I lost my father. I know it is not possible to live with you but my heart is not accepted this reality. I don’t know before what to love mean but know no one defined the world love. Love means that to love some one greater than your self. I love you mom greater than my self. May be one day we meet each other for talking one and the last time. Until then you are in my prayer. I love you very much. I can’t wait to hug and kiss you my mom. Thank you for everything mom.
Love your son Solomon
This young man will be let out of the orphanage with $400 and no one to love him, help him, guide him into his next season of life. He has no where to live, no relatives or friends outside of the orphanage. Can you imagine being so alone and hopeless?
This weekend we just celebrated our son Jonathan's High School graduation and his 18th birthday. He is our first graduate from Mestas Christian Academy, with six more to go. We have homeschooled for 13 years with an intentional focus on preparing him to be a God's man, a career, and to be a husband and father someday. He has been such a gift to our lives and we have been so blessed to have had all these years to spend so much time together learning, laughing and loving. He is now preparing to be a Firefighter. He has been blessed with a wonderful family and support group around him his entire life. We have been blessed with a large family who gives lots of love and support.
As I compare him to my son at Kolfe, my heart grieves for Solomon. He has had no one cheering him on, intentionally training and loving him. Helping him to be prepared for his graduation, career, to be a God's man, husband and father some day. I am on my knees begging the Lord to show us how we can help him. I am praying that somehow, we can bring him home here to live with us. This is going to take a miracle and I am asking for it. I am so humbled and honored to have Solomon in my life. He has such a sweet and kind heart. Please join me in prayer for him. He is only one year from graduation and being released from Kolfe. AND THEN WHAT? Who will be there to love him, give him a home, help him find a job, and make the important decisions, find his wife, be a husband & father? I want to be his MOM, Jerry wants to be his DAD!! All we need is the Lord to show us how? Please, please pray for the LORD to make a way where there seems to be no way!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The Lord Gives and He Takes Away
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD. Job 1:21
At the recent funeral of Maria Sue Chapman, these were the words that Steven uttered to me as I tried to finds words to comfort him in his time of grief. These words of scripture were what brought him comfort. They brought me comfort. God's Word and the hope we have in Him is all we can count on in this world. It was a bold reminder from Psalm 46 that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. It brought back to mind Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
Recently, some of our well-meaning friends and family members have shared with us their advice and counsel on the situation with M. They had suggested that we should step back and reevaluate our desire to adopt her. We truly appreciated their concern and advice and told them we were going to wait on God to let us know how to proceed.
Praise the Lord M. is doing well, safe and sound. While we don't know or understand the details of her situation, we are trusting that God does and she is in good hands. During this time of questioning and seeking the Lord's wisdom for M. and her adoption into our family, we have been examining a lot of things in our own lives. We asked the Lord what we are to learn from this and how to apply it to ourselves. Is there something we need to see, learn, experience in this that we are missing? As we prayed, we asked the Lord for HIS WILL to be done and not ours. We asked for wisdom to know what HIS WILL is in the adoption of M. As we meditated on her, her needs and her safe return, we came to the realization that we are blessed to have her in our lives, it is a privilege to pray for her, to plead on her behalf for love, protection and blessing from the Lord. We know that God brought her to us for a reason and to all of the saints that have prayed for her for such a time as this.
We have had to take a long hard look at our personal situation here at the crazy Mestas house and have recently come to the realization that we are not her forever family. While this is not what we had hoped for, we believe with all of our hearts that the Lord has spoken to us and that He has another family planned for her. She needs a family that can devote a lot of time and attention to her. Our new life with 8 children, 5 children under the age of 5 years old, and a precious new grandson, is just not conducive to giving her the time and attention that she deserves and needs. We are literally spending every waking moment, taking care of 5 very demanding little children that have consumed our lives. I don't have time to change my mind half of the time, and I just don't think this is the best situation for M. I don't want to do her a disservice and as much as I hate to admit it, I just don't have what is best for her right now. She would be standing at the end of the line of 5 little ones all day long, waiting for my attention. Never mind the rest of my responsibilities like laundry, dinner, chores, errands, schooling, nurturing the older children and of course my husband. As I have prayed for wisdom, I have had to admit that I am not superwoman...I can not do it all! I am trying to do my best with what I have now and I am overwhelmed with the thought of taking on more responsibility and being able to serve in a way that will bring honor and glory to God and to all involved. So, we have had to surrender our desire to bring her into our family knowing that God has a better plan.
We have a genuine desire to see all of these precious children in Ethiopia be placed in loving, forever families and we are praying that as a result of this journey of faith, many more people will step out and rescue these children. So with that said, may we ask all of you to join us in the prayer that the Lord will reveal HIS PERFECT PLAN for M. and that she will be placed with a family that can meet all of her specific needs. That someone reading this, or hearing about her through this journey, will be led by the Lord to come forward and say...we believe the Lord has called us to adopt her!! She needs a Mom and Dad to love and care for her, talk with her, and walk with her through this life. Maybe the Lord's plan for her in our lives was just to help find her forever family through this journey? Only He knows the plan for sure and we are stepping out in faith again to see what that is. We desire that M. be loved and adopted...that she know the Savior Jesus Christ and that HIS WILL BE DONE!! Thank you to all of you who have prayed for her, her safe return and allowed the Lord to use this situation to draw you to HIM and M. into your hearts as well as ours! This journey is not over, we wait with HOPE, joy and peace to see what the Lord has in store for her as we continue to pray for and love her!
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Blessed be the name of the LORD. Job 1:21
At the recent funeral of Maria Sue Chapman, these were the words that Steven uttered to me as I tried to finds words to comfort him in his time of grief. These words of scripture were what brought him comfort. They brought me comfort. God's Word and the hope we have in Him is all we can count on in this world. It was a bold reminder from Psalm 46 that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. It brought back to mind Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
Recently, some of our well-meaning friends and family members have shared with us their advice and counsel on the situation with M. They had suggested that we should step back and reevaluate our desire to adopt her. We truly appreciated their concern and advice and told them we were going to wait on God to let us know how to proceed.
Praise the Lord M. is doing well, safe and sound. While we don't know or understand the details of her situation, we are trusting that God does and she is in good hands. During this time of questioning and seeking the Lord's wisdom for M. and her adoption into our family, we have been examining a lot of things in our own lives. We asked the Lord what we are to learn from this and how to apply it to ourselves. Is there something we need to see, learn, experience in this that we are missing? As we prayed, we asked the Lord for HIS WILL to be done and not ours. We asked for wisdom to know what HIS WILL is in the adoption of M. As we meditated on her, her needs and her safe return, we came to the realization that we are blessed to have her in our lives, it is a privilege to pray for her, to plead on her behalf for love, protection and blessing from the Lord. We know that God brought her to us for a reason and to all of the saints that have prayed for her for such a time as this.
We have had to take a long hard look at our personal situation here at the crazy Mestas house and have recently come to the realization that we are not her forever family. While this is not what we had hoped for, we believe with all of our hearts that the Lord has spoken to us and that He has another family planned for her. She needs a family that can devote a lot of time and attention to her. Our new life with 8 children, 5 children under the age of 5 years old, and a precious new grandson, is just not conducive to giving her the time and attention that she deserves and needs. We are literally spending every waking moment, taking care of 5 very demanding little children that have consumed our lives. I don't have time to change my mind half of the time, and I just don't think this is the best situation for M. I don't want to do her a disservice and as much as I hate to admit it, I just don't have what is best for her right now. She would be standing at the end of the line of 5 little ones all day long, waiting for my attention. Never mind the rest of my responsibilities like laundry, dinner, chores, errands, schooling, nurturing the older children and of course my husband. As I have prayed for wisdom, I have had to admit that I am not superwoman...I can not do it all! I am trying to do my best with what I have now and I am overwhelmed with the thought of taking on more responsibility and being able to serve in a way that will bring honor and glory to God and to all involved. So, we have had to surrender our desire to bring her into our family knowing that God has a better plan.
We have a genuine desire to see all of these precious children in Ethiopia be placed in loving, forever families and we are praying that as a result of this journey of faith, many more people will step out and rescue these children. So with that said, may we ask all of you to join us in the prayer that the Lord will reveal HIS PERFECT PLAN for M. and that she will be placed with a family that can meet all of her specific needs. That someone reading this, or hearing about her through this journey, will be led by the Lord to come forward and say...we believe the Lord has called us to adopt her!! She needs a Mom and Dad to love and care for her, talk with her, and walk with her through this life. Maybe the Lord's plan for her in our lives was just to help find her forever family through this journey? Only He knows the plan for sure and we are stepping out in faith again to see what that is. We desire that M. be loved and adopted...that she know the Savior Jesus Christ and that HIS WILL BE DONE!! Thank you to all of you who have prayed for her, her safe return and allowed the Lord to use this situation to draw you to HIM and M. into your hearts as well as ours! This journey is not over, we wait with HOPE, joy and peace to see what the Lord has in store for her as we continue to pray for and love her!
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
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