Solomon's Letter 2/17/08

This letter is in response to the package of goodies we just sent to them with the Martin family when they went to get Felicity. We sent some of my favorite candy, chocolates of course, shirts, toiletries, a sweatshirt, books and some photos of our family. What a blessing it is to be able to send them packages with traveling families. It makes the world seem so small and brings us closer together.

SOLOMONS LETTER

Hello my sweet Mom,

Hello my sweet mom I miss you very much. How are you? I am not writing sooner because I am was sick for one week but I am well now. I know you are very busy by caring the babies and making food for your family. Mom our savior Jesus Christ will pay you all the good thing you done on your life. I always pray for you joy, happiness, healthy and long life.

Mom, I receive the package that you sent for me WOW! I really like it every thing in the package. I am really amazed all clothes are fit to my body. I love the orange shirt very much . it is my favorite color. I taste the sweetest chocolate also. I like chocolate very much that day I am very busy by eating chocolates. I saw all the stickers they have wonderful pictures also I given the photos to Genanew and Aschalo and other younger. The gel, toothpaste ,body spray and comb I like them all. Thank you very much mom.

Mom I saw the DVD that you sent. Opera is different music that I listen before when I listen the first music I am confused but after I listen again and again I love it . Jaclyn Bermundez she is very good voices I like her all songs in the disk.

Mom I read the book that you sent for me whose title is thoughts for young men I like the idea in the idea in the book.

Mom I don’t know how I tell you my feeling when I saw your photos. I am very happy and tear my eyes the photos show for me your love happiness simile and generosity I love all of you today tomorrow and forever with big hug and kiss for you and your family say to me all your family “I love you” including you ! thank you Mom.

From son Solomon
To my sweet mom Eileen Mestas.

OK, So am I Blessed or what??? I feel so inadequate to give my Solomon the love and attention that he really needs and desires. He sits in the Kolfe compound every night studying and praying, asking God to give him a better future and life. He has no Mom to hug and kiss him everyday, to listen to him and advise and encourage him. He has no Dad to cheer him on. He is all alone, with all of the other orphan boys who are in the same desperate situation. They are father, mother, brother to each other. So, why Lord, why are we sitting here in the USA with our hearts yearning to be the Mom & Dad they desire, but with all of this red tape and what seems to be impossible circumstances for bringing us together? Jerry and I are intentionally praying for wisdom, direction and answers from the LORD on how we can bring these two precious young men here to live with us. What is HIS PLAN for us in the life of these two young men. How can we provide what they need us to be for them. Ethiopia is so far away!! We don't understand all of this, but we are both in agreement that God is at work and doing something bigger than us.

If you are following our journey, I ask that you would please include us in your prayers and ask the LORD to give us clear discernment and direction for our Kolfe boys. May you have joy today as we watch God at work!

My Kolfe Sons - Why ME Lord?

I have been corresponding via email with my two new sons Habtamu and Solomon, who live in the Kolfe Boys Orphanage. I am feeling quite overwhelmed with this whole experience. I can't believe I have these precious young men in my life.

With this wonderful world of technology we have this opportunity to build our relationship from the other side of the world. As I am getting to know them with each letter, I have been overwhelmed with the reality of this new and very humbling and serious responsibility that the Lord has given me. As I mentioned earlier, I know with everything in me that God intentionally sent me to the Kolfe Boys Orphanage to change my life forever.
At first, I thought we were going to Ethiopia just to adopt our 3 new children. Then I thought he sent me to Kolfe just to help them get some blankets and renovations to the compound. But now, I realize that he has given me "two more sons" that need a "MUM" in their lives. As I was reading their letters recently, I was overcome with an emotional and stark realization that this is a tremendous responsibility. "Lord, why me? Why did you bring these young men into my life? Why are they asking me to be their MUM? What do I have to offer them? What can I give them from the other side of the world? What do they need from me? What is it that you want me to do? How can I be what they need? I'm afraid of letting them down or disappointing them! Why is my heart so full of love for them already? How can I help them, encourage them and point them to you Lord? What is this all about????" What are you doing Lord?

Since this Ethiopia journey began for us, I have felt the Lord impress upon me to "Share This Story" for the sake of others SEEING, HEARING & KNOWING HIM. It is for the purpose of increasing our hope and faith as we watch HIS plans fulfilled by walking in obedience and faith. We are to walk circumspectly even when we don't understand, when it doesn't make sense and when it is even crazy, or appears absolutely absurd. This is how He gets the glory, honor and praise that He alone deserves.

I keep thinking back to that day as we drove to the compound. I sat there not wanting to go and dreadfully thinking I knew what it was going to be like. I thought this was going to be a waste of my time and a bad experience. And now, here I sit with my heart full of love, aching for my new sons Solomon and Habtamu to be with me. I have a passion to help care for the Kolfe Orphanage. God intentionally orchestrated these two young men to be there at the exact time that I was. He brought them out to greet us and take us on a tour through the compound with about 10 other young men. But why is that these two stood out more than the rest? Why did they take a liking to me? Why did I give them my email address when I didn't even know if they had computer access? Why did they decide to start communicating with me? They use their school transportation money to go to the internet house and walk to school instead. What a sacrifice for them. They don't even know me and they are walking to school so that they can use the computer to write to me? What is God doing? What am I supposed to do? Why ME??

As I ponder all of these questions in my mind, I can only think that God has a plan and I don't know it yet. I want to journal this part of the journey here as a documentary to watch God at work. I will share excerpts of their letters here on my blog because I want you to see the hearts of these young men. As I read their letters, I am being encouraged and ministered to. I am continuing to be transformed by them. They are such caring and loving young men and I am so blessed to know them. When I think of everything that God did to bring them into my life, I am in utter awe and disbelief that all of this is really happening to me. I can only rest in the security of knowing that in this, God has a plan. I must be obedient to this calling and pray that I serve HIM well. Only time will reveal some the answers to the many questions running through my mind. So stay tuned and see what the Lord has in store for us. I think we can all learn something and receive a blessing from Solomon and Habtamu.

HABTAMU'S LETTER

Hello mom

I am Habtamu. How just live success, peace and happy life with your family. I am very happy because you are happy as all things good. I read all of the things. All people get as his action. The good one get good, the bad one get bad. As you told me you l will be come Grand ma. I am also very happy. This is what God do for you as your action. Noting is yet God do for you. Based on your question, I prefer to tell you my history.

I was born in Ethiopia sub city called legedade. My mother name is yadu Anbessa. But I don’t know who my father is. Due to better life, my mother yadu went to Addis Ababa with me at chilled. We were very poor, we have no home as well as we have no job so, we continued dependent life on the government body. One day we faced with foreign people. They would do home, cloth and food, hence this be starting of life. My mother had no work permanently. She was get money by washing cloth, by preparing food and anything that she can do. Some times she could beg money besides the church. By using this little money she was sending me to school. All her efforts were for me. One day she felt sick. Nobody was contributed for help due to lack of relatives and so many reasons. This problem gradually gone to death for my mother. Before my mother died, she said that “ please God keep my son until he reach self administer. THE NAME OF THE FATHER THE SON AND THE HOLY GHOST AMEN.” In that moment I am so cried more than any time. Most of the members of our village contributed for me to stay in Kolfe. Some times I had thought about all of this history and I was sad. But all of things would past. Now, I am very happy because God send for me special, Beloved and beautiful mother Eileen, therefore I don’t say that I have no mother. So, I praise for God, hence, life is wonderful as I met you mom.

As I told you different boys are live in Kolfe. Using the clever one foot step I am continue study. Efforts with God, all things have been nice. I have program for study all subjects are matched with their time. I will show you what is my rank out of 75 studens. Here is the table.

GRADE
RANK
1. 50
2. 25
3. 23
4. 11
5. 4
6. 1
7. 2
8. 2
9. 1
10. NOT YET


By the way I don’t get the package yet. But thank you for any thing. As you ask me I would like to live with you that are my wish since I love you.

Mom, now I finish today’s email. Until next good time. Please write soon.

"I LOVE YOU MOM"

Dancing Twinettes

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

These babies love to sing and dance! They are so precious and we are so thankful for them. It is their first birthday today!!! Happy Birthday Baby Girls!!!

Party Planning

We are all finally getting back to good health. We have all had this cold, cough, sore throat bug again!! Jerry came home from his business trip sick and it went through the whole house again. But, praise the LORD we are all on the mend.

So, what's new? We are party planning for February 10th, Sunday from 2:00 til ?. Our precious twinettes turn 1 year old on February 15th. Our house is not big enough to have the party here so we have rented the Wake Forest Community House that has a big park and party room. We have decided to make this a dual event. We are inviting any local families here to join us if they have adopted from Ethiopia or are in the process. We want to start an Ethiopian Adoption community of support and fellowship for all of these precious children. We are amazed at how many families are joining this adventure. This blog world has helped in drawing us all together. So, if you are in the Raleigh area and would like to join us please leave us a comment and we will send you an invitation. Time is passing quickly so don't procrastinate.

I am also planning a baby shower for my daughter Melissa. She is having a baby boy and is due in April. The shower is planned for February 23, 2008, Saturday at my dear friend Theresa's house. She hosted my baby shower too. So, family and friends, please mark your calendars and join us in this miraculous celebration of my first grandchild!!! I can't wait to hold and squeeze and kiss him. I can't believe my baby is having a baby? I tell her every day it seems like yesterday that I was pregnant with her and now she is pregnant. Time really does fly. It is all so surreal. I feel like my life is just flashing before my eyes and yet I still feel like I am in my 20's. I just wish my body still looked like it.

Anyway, that's another topic. I am getting mentally prepared to start an exercise program as the weather warms up. I am talking myself into it now. I have 5 children under 5 years old and they need a fit and healthy Mama to care for them. So, on top of everything else on my agenda, exercise is moving to the top someplace?? I went for my first walk the other day with just the twinettes. I realized as I got several blocks away, the incline started up hill and I was pushing a 40 lb. stroller with two babies @23 lbs. each. It was hard to breathe and my butt cheeks began to ache as I pushed them all the way to the FEDEX mail box where I sent a package to Gladney. It was the first portion of checks from the fundraiser we did in California. So, I feel really good that I have started the process. I was motivated to go on the walk to deliver the package to Gladney and now I am hoping to get on a regular routine. I figure pushing 90 lbs. on a 30 minute walk was a good start! It's a new year, I have a new life, and a new spirit of excitement and determination to get in shape. Plus, my son Jonathan is training for the Fire Academy and he is also motivating me. He has lost 20+ lbs and now needs all new clothes. The ones we bought him for Christmas are too big!

And that reminds me of the other big party we are planning. Jonathan is graduating in June from Mestas Christian Academy. Our first graduating class! I can't believe this either. It seems like yesterday I was panicking because we had to pull him out of public school kindergarten. By Christmas it was clear that it was not working for us. He was reading on a 1st-2nd grade level and the teacher had 29 students that took up her time and attention. He would basically sit all day by himself while she taught others how to read, use scissors, colors, etc. Since he already knew all of that there was nothing for him to do and he hated it. So, since there was no room at any private schools we decided to homeschool for the rest of that year. And then we decided to do 1st grade since we had so much fun. And then it was one year at a time until we realized that this is a way of life, a gift and a joy to spend so much time together learning and loving life. So, here we are....graduating...oh where has the time gone? It truly has been like the blink of an eye. I am such a blessed woman. I have had the joy and pleasure of learning with my children, spending lots of time with them learning their gifts, talents, ups and downs, laughing and crying and really living Deuteronomy 6 out loud. My kids have had the pleasure (HA HA) of watching God grow their MAMA through many trials, tribulations, joys and fulfilled dreams. I pray they will one day be as blessed as I am. To have lots of love, joy and happy memories of really living an intentional life of knowing, loving, learning, sharing, and growing with their own children. And I pray they get lots of them, a quiver is 5 you know. Happy is the man whose quiver is full!

Thank you for joining me today as I seek to serve, love and live for my heavenly Father, who has blessed me more than I deserve! Blessings to you all my dear friends, and family. In His Timing & Care, Eileen

Four More Precious Children Almost Home

Friday night Ellie, Melissa and I went to the baby shower for our dear friend Miranda and their precious baby girl Felicity soon to be home from Ethiopia. Jerry and I had the privilege of taking the Martins to the airport at 4:00 a.m. this morning. They are on their way to bring precious Felicity home. The Martins are dear friends of ours, actually she was a classmate of my daughter Melissa at Southeastern college. Since then we have become friends and they felt the Lord call them to pursue adoption from Ethiopia as well. They are still young honeymooners with two precious boys, only 4 yrs and 18 mos. While we were in Ethiopia, they were waiting for their referral and we were going through the foster house looking at every baby saying, "I wonder if this one is theirs?" Well, there was one precious little girl that we fell in love with when the caretakers showed us how she loves to perform. They clapped and sang and she started to dance up a storm. She had the biggest smile and moved like she was going to break the crib. She can boogie!! We laughed so hard and we named her the "dancing baby". When I emailed Miranda from Ethiopia I told her about this precious baby and said we hoped and prayed she would get this one. Well, a few weeks later she got her referral and Ellie and Melissa were there at her house to take photos and document this special day for them. As the screen came up of their precious baby girl, Ellie screamed "It's the dancing baby!" We are so amazed again! This precious baby lived in the same room with our twinettes, their cribs were right next to each other and now we are all going to live in the same town and we are good friends already!! Do you see GOD?? This is absolutely amazing. Please pray for the Martins as they should be arriving any moment in Ethiopia.

Also, my dear friend Deanna and her husband, whom I blogged about earlier, also left this morning to Ethiopia to pick up their 3 precious children. They are on the same flight as the Martins! They both met at my baby shower and now they are together on their way to Ethiopia, and they are with two different agencies. Isn't this amazing how God is bringing us all together?? They are getting a sibling group of 4 yrs., 6 yrs. & 8 yrs. Deanna and I met when I posted an ad on our homeschool loop looking for two white cribs for the twinettes. A friend of hers read it and saw that I was adopting from Ethiopia and passed my telephone number to her. She called me that morning, we talked for about 2 hours and found we both have biological children, we both adopted Hispanic children, and now we both are adopting 3 siblings from Ethiopia. Is that amazing or what? She is the friend who gave us her apartment in NYC back in Sept.when I traveled w/Jerry for his work. She is also the sister who shared testimony at my shower about meeting a couple at her church that just got home with a boy from Ethiopia. When she shared her referral photo of her waiting children with this family, their little boy yelled out each of their names with great excitement and joy. They are good friends from the same orphanage. They too will now be in the same town here in NC!! What are the odds of a country with 4.7 million orphans having them adopted from the same orphanage and sent to the same town with families that know each other in advance. We all did not preplan any of this. This is GOD AT WORK! My two dear friends and sisters in Christ are right now on the same plane going to Ethiopia to bring home a total of 4 more orphans being rescued!!! PRAISE THE LORD!! We are hoping to be at the airport when they all get home to celebrate with each of them.

Please pray for the Martins and Falchooks for safe travel, good health, easy transition and bonding with their new children and that God would bless and use each of them on this amazing journey. James 1:22 and James 1:27 fulfilled again!! PRAISE BE TO GOD!

Miraculous Provisions

Today has been an absolute blessing, again! I started my day exhausted from lack of sleep as usual and then came an email from Ryan that just rejuvenated me. I am so amazed! I sent him the update on our fundraiser last night and he responded with this:

Eileen,

Thanks for all the great news. You (okay God really, but using you :) ) have done such an amazing job sharing about the guys at Kolfe and I couldn't be more grateful. Would you pray about also trying to help raise money to off set the cost of the Bright Futures camp? Gladney loses money on every child that comes, and it is expensive for the families. If we can raise enough money, thus lowering the cost to families, I think we can help a lot more of the older kids get adopted.

Other great news... one of the families told me they will be sending a check for $25000 to Gladney to help with renovations at Kolfe, and a friend who came to adopt earlier let me know that he and a friend will be sending in a check for around $10000 for renovations at Kolfe. Things are happening too fast! :)

Thank you for keeping me up to date with all God is doing through those willing to be used!

Ryan

I also just got a call from my sister in law Maria who orchestrated the Kolfe Fund Raiser in CA and so far she has $6000 to send to KOLFE. However, she said there are still people sending checks so that is not the final count yet. So far, since we went to Ethiopia in November, the LORD has raised approximately $50,000 for THE FORGOTTEN BOYS AT KOLFE! PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!!

I pray this will help quickly renovate their campus to make them warm, comfortable in their beds, replace their kitchen and plumbing, broken windows, soccer field restoration and help the Bright Futures Camp to get more of them adopted. This will also help their economy and community as they hire local workers to accomplish all of these projects. This is exactly what they need to happen in Ethiopia. Jobs for the people. However, the most important thing of all, is that I pray each one of the KOLFE boys feel the LOVE OF GOD'S PEOPLE and OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

To those of you asking how you can still help, especially those going to get your precious children in Ethiopia soon, they can use clothes, socks, toiletries, books, especially great literature or classic books. Books for all ages, maybe your favorite one as a child. Also, if you can give any financial donation, Ryan and Scott Brown will be sure to put it to great use, like the Bright Futures Camp. Jerry and I are praying we can host a camp here in NC some day soon. As soon as we have time to find out all the logistics that is. I know it is very costly and it will take another miracle to accomplish it.

ONE MORE REQUEST: Please pray for us as we step out in faith and pursue the adoption of a precious young lady we met there. She is about 13, she is all alone in the world and for some reason, we have not been able to get her out of our minds. This is going to take another miracle......so stay tuned!! May you all be blessed this day as we see the GOD OF MIRACLES SHOWING HIMSELF TO ALL OF US! Thank you for taking the time out of your very busy lives to follow our blog!! Please keep in touch with us via comments, we love to hear from all of you as well!

In His Timing & Care, With LOVE, Eileen

The Kolfe Fundraiser Miracle

I just got home a few hours ago from CA. I am overwhelmed, yet again!!! God is so amazing. This event was so wonderful.

Our journey started when we got a direct non stop flight to LA Friday night. Jerry got the window, I was in the middle and since I was going to be sitting next to this other man, and I mean close, for the next 5 hours, I started a conversation with him. "Hello, it looks like we are going to be neighbors for a while, welcome to the neighborhood. My name is Eileen." I was working on my testimony for the Kolfe dinner so I had prints of my blog, copies of emails from Solomon, photos, etc. Jerry had his laptop up working on the PowerPoint presentation. We exchanged conversations as to why we were going to LA and I began to share with Lu, (my new neighbor) about Kolfe and our miraculous adoption story. After several hours of talking, sharing and reading my blog entry and the emails from Solomon, he said, "This is an amazing story! I have to do something! I know I am supposed to do something now. I believe this is a divine appointment. This is the best plane ride I have ever experienced." He stood up and got his computer from the overhead and began to download our info from Jerry's computer. He was so excited and was genuinely moved by our story. Are you ready???? It just so happens that he is a producer of documentary films. He is from NC but now lives in Hollywood. He offered to help us with the PowerPoint and then said he was going to come to the fundraiser on Sunday and film it. He also wants to film the rest of our story on how we got to Kolfe, the whole miraculous story!! So, we spent the next day communicating via email and phone and then HE SHOWED UP TO FILM THE EVENT! (For FREE) He was amazing. LU filmed the entire event yesterday. This whole evening couldn't have gone any better. And now are you ready for another one??? He just called a few hours ago to tell us that at this very moment he and his partner are working on the final proof. His partner is personal friends with the producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show and he is going to submit it to him this week to be considered for her show. DO YOU SEE GOD??? IS THIS AMAZING???

The restaurant was beautiful and the food was great. Each guest received a gift which was made by my brothers-in-law, Jeff and Jim. It was a cd (recorded by Jim) of Jaclyn's amazing performance and the cover of the cd (produced by Jeff)is comprised of artwork and photos of the Kolfe boys. It is absolutely beautiful! I'll have Ellie get a photo and post it here later. Jerry opened the evening with welcoming our 74 guests, giving a biography of our family and asking "DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?" I then shared our miraculous testimony of adoption that led us to Kolfe, followed by the PowerPoint presentation of "THE FORGOTTEN BOYS OF KOLFE ORPHANAGE". It was quite obvious that everyone in the audience was very touched and engaged in our presentation. Jerry followed with the closing and two questions "WHAT NOW?" What will you do with your relationship with God? How will you give him control of your life? And, what will you do for the Forgotten Boys of KOLFE? My niece Jaclyn then performed the most beautiful Opera concert that literally brought tears to my eyes on several occasions. During intermission of her concert, we auctioned off a beautiful hand painted purse that was made and donated by Jaclyn's stepmother and father. The purse was so beautiful it brought $400. Then two of the other bidders were surprised when Maria announced that Maggie would make two more so they too could get one at their earlier bid of $300 each. So, the purses brought us an additional $1000 donation.

Then a friend of Maria, Yossi, who could not attend, promised to match the highest donation we received at the dinner. Thanks to Jerry's brother Lloyd, that was $1700 which Maria is delivering today to pick up the matched donation. This friend Yossi also told her if she wanted to have another fundraising event in Beverly Hills, he will bring a minimum of 100 people. He is a very well known jeweler there. If any of you saw the movie Spanglish with Adam Sadler, Yossi owns the house on the beach where this movie was filmed. He is a very generous man and he is willing to help us.

Several of the attendees approached us and said they were going to talk to other people, friends, coworkers, business associates and get us more donations. Just today they got an additional $1000 from people that didn't even attend. Several people gave an additional donation after our testimony as well. They had all given one before we started and were moved to give another one. Mind you, this event has taken place at such a hard time of the year. Christmas was only a few weeks away and many people give their donation budgets in December. It was so beautiful to see the generosity of these people. I don't have a final count yet but as soon as we get one I'll post it. The LORD was present in this place and was obviously at work.

Thank you to those of you who prayed for this fundraiser. Thank you to those who attended! Thank you to those of you who have been sending donations to Gladney. I got an email from Ryan today that said money has suddenly been coming in for Kolfe. Here it is:

Eileen,

Just wanted to let you know I took 9 of the guys from Kolfe to Mercato on Saturday and we got shoes and jeans for 22 of the younger guys with the money you and 2 other families left. We had enough left to buy a large piece of carpet for the library and fruit for all the guys for Christmas.

A lot of money has come in the the last few day just for Kolfe, so we will be able to start some of the renovations very soon. God is starting to work very quickly! :)

Peace and merry Ethiopian Christmas.

Ryan

So, stay tuned to our journey. I believe we have just begun to see what God has planned for "THE FORGOTTEN BOYS OF KOLFE". To HIM BE ALL THE GLORY, HONOR, AND PRAISE!! AMEN

p.s.

Please pray for Jerry who is still in CA on business.