Led to Ethiopia by Him

We've Moved

2011-02-04T16:42:00.001-06:00

Visit us at our new home....www.raisincakes.viviti.com

Drive-By Culture

2010-03-18T10:20:00.007-05:00

Drive-by Culture from Love isn't Enough: On Raising a Family in a Colorstuck World, by Anti-Racist Parent Columnist Jae Ran Kim, originally published at Harlow's Monkey.

"People ask me all the time for a "top 10" list of suggestions or rules that are must-do's regarding transracial adoption, and I'll admit that I have a really hard time doing this.

Mostly, it's because there is no easy prescription or formula for getting it right. This was pretty clearly demonstrated in the adult adoptee panel I spoke on this past weekend. The other two panelists and I had three very different experiences growing up. I am the only Korean child, with two younger siblings biological to my parents, and I grew up in a small town with no diversity at all and a community that did not understand racism or the effects of being the only person of color in a community. One of my fellow co-presenters is a mixed race adoptee with two white siblings (like me) but in a diverse setting with parents who understood the importance of diversity and actually pushed "culture" on her. And the other presenter was adopted with his biological brother and spent parts of his childhood in rural, suburban and inner city settings with liberal parents.

And yet - all three of us as adults had come to the same conclusion. It was not enough. We all struggled with our racial identity. We all felt like outsiders within our family and outsiders within our racial communities. It's not that we didn't feel loved, because I know that each of us on the panel never felt excluded or differentiated in that sense.

Understandably, this is confusing for prospective adoptive parents and adoptive parents. One audience member asked with clear frustration - what are they to do? Where is the balance? They don't want to push too much, like my co-presenter's parents nor ignore completely, like mine did. And I wish I could have given this prospecitve adoptive parent a more satisfactory answer.

The advice I can give is that each child will be different and their needs will be different over time. But, the choice to be involved in the child's community should never be dependent on the child.

What do I mean by that? Well, I mean that there will be times that the child won't want to attend culture camp, language lessons, or have tacos on Tuesday and egg rolls on Wednesday. But beign part of the child's community is more than those things, which amount only to cultural tourism. Being part of the community is dependent on the adults. The parents....It's not about "dropping the kids off at the curb" and coming back to pick them up later. That suggests that culture and diversity is the kid's job.

Sue at My Life Postponed has a great post about why she has her kids involved in cultural school. My favorite part is this:

"I don't take my kdis to culture school for the things they will learn...I take them there for the relationships. If I cannot model comfort with people of their own origin, then they will pick that up very fast and feel and reflect my own discomfort. I am not always comfortable but I have kept faking practicing comfort, as best I can, until it becomes more natural and it truly has. And once in awhile, in the midst of what fells like a whole lotta posing, an authentic connection just happens."

Remember my previous post where I mention how in the film Outside Looking In, none of the prospective adoptive parents did their "homework" of spending time in a community of color? I thought of this when I read the following from Sue:

"Sometimes I have to be the first to say hello, and have to smile a few tiems before the ice gets broken and sometimes the ice remains regardless of my effort and I take the cue to step back. I am also learning that just because someone is not immediately smiling and opening their heart to me, that does not mean they are hostile. Maybe they are shy, maybe they don't know what to make of our family, maybe there is a language barrier, maybe they have a headache, maybe they have mixed feelings about the environment or someone else nearby and I am taking a vibe - not meant for me - personally.

Community building is not easy for any of us. But we sure can make it easier for each other, if we keep trying. It requires vulnerability, and it requires persistence, and a lifetime commitment. Oh and a thick skin. It all starts with some basic manners, which can be difficult to remember when we are feeling plagues by all kinds of discomfort that systemic racism has taught us.

It's a responsibility that for our children's sake, we transracially adoptive parents should not evade. If we want our children to know that we accept them for exactly who they are, a genuine desire to be with and respect people who share their ethnic background is an important aspect of showing - rather than saying - how we feel."

For the adoptive parents reading this blog, I have a question that you don't have to answer - but please think about. When was the last time you participated in your child's community without using your child as your emotional crutch? That is, for you and you alone - not to "expose" your child to his/her community. Just for you. When was the last time you placed yourself in your child's community and left your child at home? Or do you feel more comfortable going into "their" community only when they are with you? Do you see it as "their" community, or is it truly the whole family's community?

There will likely be a time when Junior will say "forget it" and will refuse to go to culture camp or culture school. But he'll be watching. Watching to see if your involvement with "his people" ends if he decides to take a break.

Please read Sue's post. I thought it was honest and heart felt and a great example for adoptive parents.

Jae Ran Kim, MSW is a social worker, teacher and writer. She was born in Taegu, South Korea and was adopted to Minnesota in 1971. She has written numerous articles and essays and is most recently published in the anthology "Outsiders Within: Writings on Transracial Adoption" from South End Press." Jae Ran's blog is Harlow's Monkey.

Moving Forward....Again

2010-03-01T08:24:00.002-06:00

Once again we are moving forward with our adoption. Things had been put on hold again due to a stressful situation at our church. After much time spend in discussion with each other, much more time spent in prayer and some very encouraging words from a member's daughter we are again moving forward.

Our case worker with LSS will receive our background checks this week. Our case worker with CHSF will finally receive our questionnaire next week and then we move forward with our dossier.

We could still use prayers as always but God has given us strength and peace to continue on this journey!

Appointment & Orphan Ministry

2010-02-19T09:23:00.005-06:00

So, I have finished up the homestudy paperwork finally (we missed a few things) and I redid the background checks since they are no longer good. Now I just need to go and see a therapist who will write something up that my post-partum issues are resolved and I will be just fine parenting more kids. I had an appointment last week but it was snowing and the road were not the greatest so I cancelled it. Now Matthew is going to reschedule it for me since I have lost my voice today.

Hope also received a call from a pastor at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Plover, WI about joining them in their orphan ministry. It turns out that the pastor and his wife from Beautiful Savior adopted children from Ethiopia. We have also made other numerous connections with families in the area who have adopted or are planning on adopting from Ethiopia and there is growing interested in starting up a group of families to meet every now and then to keep our childrens' culture alive.

In other news I am attempting to put together a Q&A section regarding our adoption. So look for that in the days to come.

Still Waiting!

2010-01-05T13:37:00.004-06:00

Ahhhhh! We are still waiting on paperwork. It is so frustrating at times...no, change that, it is always frustrating.

I am trying to look at this hold up as giving us more time to prepare for our adoption and our children's homecoming but it is difficult.

Prayers would be greatly appreciated. Blessings to you all!

Paperwork

2009-12-14T15:22:00.002-06:00

That may seem like a never-ending theme here in our house and that is because, well...it is! Hopefully the last of it (for this portion) will go out by Friday. Big plans...I know and I am so good at following through on those big plans all the time.

I have been having trouble reaching a doctor who needs to write a letter for our file. It has been so frustrating and if I can't get a hold of him I am not sure what the next step is.

Prayers would be helpful!

Will the paperwork ever end?

2009-12-03T09:43:00.003-06:00

It really is amazing how much paperwork is required to proceed with an international adoption (it might be the same for domestic adoptions... I don't know). It just makes you wonder, is part of the reason for all the questions we answer (many of which are the same questions answered multiple times on multiple forms to multiple recipients) designed to test our endurance? I wonder sometimes how many prospective adoptive parents (people who have oodles of love to share) just get lost in all the forms that must be filled out and never proceed to the end stage of the adoption process? How many more orphaned or abandoned children who desperately need homes would receive them if adoption were a little bit easier and a little less expensive?

I continue to pray that God would help guide us through the remainder of this process and pray that God place a loving parent in the life of every needy child. God's love, after all, is unlimited, boundless, unconditional, and free... would that we could shower that love of God everywhere it's needed.

Homestudy Interview Complete

2009-11-23T00:35:00.002-06:00

Our homestudy interview and visit is complete...yay!

Now it is on to:

the I-600A forms...check,
passport application/renewal paperwork...check,
second part of our CHSFS application...almost,

Two out of three isn't bad :)

New Sea in Ethiopia

2009-11-13T19:48:00.001-06:00

Is a new sea forming in Ethiopia? Kind of...but it will take another million years or so for it to fully form.

"A Crack Opens in the Ethiopian Landscape, Preparing the Way for a New Sea"

From Discover

November 4th, 2009 11:07 AM

by Eliza Strickland

In 2005, the earth cracked open in Ethiopia. Two volcanic eruptions shook the desert, and a 35-mile-long rift opened in the land, measuring 20 feet wide in some places. Now a new study adds weight to the argument that the opening of this crack marks the first step in the formation of a new sea that may eventually separate East Africa from the rest of the continent. Says lead researcher Atalay Ayele: “The ocean’s formation is happening slowly, likely to take a few million years. It will stretch from the Afar depression (straddling Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti) down to Mozambique” [ABC News].

The study, to be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, explains that the seismic movements observed in Ethiopia are very similar to the changes wrought by faults and fissures on the seafloor, where the processes that move tectonic plates usually begin.

Seismic data from 2005 shows that the rift opened in a matter of days. Dabbahu, a volcano at the northern end of the rift, erupted first, then magma pushed up through the middle of the rift area and began “unzipping” the rift in both directions, the researchers explained in a statement today. “We know that seafloor ridges are created by a similar intrusion of magma into a rift, but we never knew that a huge length of the ridge could break open at once like this” [LiveScience], says study coauthor Cindy Ebinger.

The active volcanic region in Ethiopia’s Afar desert sits at the boundary of the African and Arabian tectonic plates, which have been gradually spreading apart for millions years; the new study shows that large-scale seismic events can speed up that process. The gradual separation has already formed the 186-mile Afar depression and the Red Sea. The thinking is that the Red Sea will eventually pour into the new sea in a million years or so [LiveScience].

Homestudy Interview

2009-10-27T18:51:00.004-05:00

Our homestudy interview with LSS is scheduled for November 18, 2009!

Next up: Second part of our CHSFS paperwork.

PRAISE BE TO GOD!

Doro Wat

2009-10-26T16:40:00.003-05:00

Perhaps the best-known of all Ethiopian, or even African recipes, Doro Wat (Doro Watt, Doro Wot, Doro Wet, Doro We't, Dorowat) is a spicy chicken dish made with berberé and niter kibbeh (or nit'ir qibe, a spicy clarified butter). Berberé and niter kibbeh, basic ingredients in many Ethiopian recipes, are usually made in large quantities and kept on hand for some time. No doubt using berberé and niter kibbeh gives a special quality to Doro Wat. However, I am told that a very good result can be obtained by adding some easier to find ingredients from an American grocery store.

Our family loves this dish served over injera and yes, even the boys like it!

Ingredients:

1 lime, juiced (or lemon)

2 teaspoons salt

1 chicken (about 3 pounds), cleaned and cut into serving-size pieces, remove skin and score or pierce the meat with a knife to facilitate marinating, reserve wings, gizzard and neck for other use

2 (or more) red onions, finely chopped

4 tablespoons niter kebbeh or butter

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced

1 piece fresh ginger root, cleaned, scraped, and chopped (about a teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek, ground

1/2 teaspoon cardamom, ground

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground

1/2 teaspoon berberé or 1 to 2 tablespoons of a combination of cayenne pepper and paprika (if berberé and niter kebbeh are not used)

1 small tomato, chopped or a few tablespoons tomato paste or tomato sauce (optional)

1 cup dry red wine, chicken stock or water

hard-boiled eggs (1 per person), pierced with a toothpick or the tine of a long fork.

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the lime juice, half the salt, and chicken pieces. Let chicken marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Cook the onions over medium heat for a few minutes in a dry (no oil) pot or dutch oven large enough to eventually hold all of the ingredients. Stir constantly to prevent them from browning or burning; remove the pot from the heat if necessary.

Add the niter kebbeh or butter to the onions, along with the garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cardamom, nutmeg, remaining salt, berberé (or cayenne pepper and paprika), and tomato. Stir and simmer for a few minutes until te onions are soft, tender, and translucent, but not browned.

Add the dry red wine, chicken stock or water. Bring the mixture to a low boil while stirring gently. Cook for a few minutes, then reduce heat.

Add the chicken pieces, making sure to cover them with the sauce. Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes – or until the chicken is done – turning the chicken a few times.

After the chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes, gently add the hard-boiled eggs and ladle sauce over them.

Serve hot. The only traditional way to serve Doro Wat is with a spongy flat bread called injera, which can only be properly made with difficult-to-obtain teff flour. However the recipe found here can be made with whole wheat flour. While it's not the way Ethiopians would serve it, Doro Wat is very good with couscous, rice, or Middle-Eastern or Indian style flat bread.

Berbere

2009-10-22T16:57:00.005-05:00

In Ethiopia, the preparation of berbere takes days — chilies are dried in the sun for three days, then ground in a mortar and pestle, mixed with ground spices, and set in the sun to dry again — and it is usually made in huge amounts.
Each Ethiopian family has its own recipe for this universal seasoning, with varying degrees of heat and spiciness. Traditionally, berbere is used to flavor Ethiopian stews, such as Doro Wat, but it also works well as a rub for meat.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 cup ground dried Serrano chilies or other ground dried chilies
1/2 cup paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

Finely grind the fenugreek seeds with a mortar and pestle (if you are strong enough) or in an electric spice or coffee grinder (like this weak girl does). Stir together with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

Hair care (in case I have girls)

2009-10-18T23:16:00.001-05:00

This is something I never thought of...what if I have girls? How do I care for their hair? My friend, Cathy, has told me of the difficulties of it but what happens when I actually have to care for a girls hair (other than my own)?

Another mother pointed this out to me....just in case I have girls :)

Thought you all might benefit from this adoptive mom's tutorials, it was really
helpful to me.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Katelynylyn

"I originally made this channel to help other adoptive mothers who were trying
to navigate the waters of styling and caring for hair that was different from
their own. I am so happy that so far, many people, not just adoptive parents,
have found my videos to be helpful. I do not claim to have any expertise, just a
few years of trial and error. I love doing my girls hair and I hope to help
others enjoy it too!"

Timeline

2009-10-12T10:48:00.003-05:00

A lot of people have been asking exactly what our timeline is. So I thought I would write on that today.

We have completed all the paperwork for our homestudy and will be scheduling the interviews the next few days. Our psych evaluations will be completed this Thursday and will take about one week to turn that paperwork in to LSS.

Once our homestudy is completed we will have to send out our dossier to CHSFS and then on to Ethiopia. Once our dossier is submitted (about one to four months from now) we will have to wait 12 to 18 months for a referral which depends on the ages of the children, gender preferences, medical conditions we are willing to accept, etc. Once we accept a referral, then we wait 3 to 5 months until we travel to Ethiopia for a 10 day stay.

It will be awhile yet, but well worth the wait!

Know the question...be the answer!

2009-10-07T17:35:00.003-05:00

What a great campaign to raise awareness of such a horrible global crisis. Visit JCICS (Joint Counsil on International Children's Services and their campaign site, Be The Answer.

Tef

2009-10-05T10:24:00.008-05:00

Tef (Eragrostis tef) – also known as Lovegrass – is a poppy seed-sized grain that comes in a variety of colors, from white and red to dark brown. It is able to withstand high heat and bright light and thrives even in unpredictable and difficult climates. Tef grows predominantly in Ethiopia and comprises the staple grain of the cuisine. Ground into flour, teff is used to make the traditional bread, injera. This flat bread – not as thick as a pancake but not as thin as a crepe – is slightly sour and nicely complements the exotic spices found in Ethiopian cuisine.

The word tef is thought to originate from the Amharic word teffa which means lost, due to the small size of the grain). Tef's history can be traced back thousands of years to the ancient civilizations of Abyssinia. This grain was also placed in the pyramids together with pharaohs as food for their last journey.

Tef Trivia:

Eragrostis tef borrows its name from Greek, to mean "the grass of love" from eros (love) love, and agrostis (grass).
Three thousand grains of tef weigh one gram.
Tef is the smallest grain in the world. It takes about 150 teff seeds to equal the weight of a kernel of wheat!
Teff is extremely high in fiber, iron, and calcium.

For some great tef recipes visit Purdue University or The Teff Company. For an easy and tasty injera recipe visit Cooking Light.com.

Prayer request

2009-10-01T14:39:00.003-05:00

Please pray for a little Ethiopian boy named Elias who is ill and was taken to a hospital in Ethiopia. His soon-to-be forever family has not received much information on what is wrong. It could be the flu but they are not sure. Keep Elias, his family and the doctors in your prayers!

2009-09-26T18:03:00.006-05:00

The following is modified from "The Celebration of ‘Maskal’ – Finding of the True Cross" by Ermias Gulilat and "Finding of the True Cross" by The Ethiopian Tourism Commission.

Meskal has been celebrated in the country for over 1600

years and has become an integral part of the Ethiopian

Christian calendar. The word actually means "cros" and the feast commemorates the discovery of the cross upon which Jesus was crucified, by the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great. The original event took place on 19 March 326 AD. but the feast is now celebrated on 27 September. Many of the rites observed throughout the festival are said to be directly connected to the legend of Empress Helena.

By the middle of the afternoon the celebrations start.

Many are seen wearing their brilliant white Ethiopian costumes. Meskal also signifies the physical presence of part of the True Cross at the church of Egziabher Ab, the remote mountain monastery of Gishen Mariam located north of Addis Ababa. In this monastery, there is a massive volume called the Tefut written during the reign of Zera Yacob (1434 - 1468), which records the story of how a fragment of the cross was acquired. A colorful procession of priests, deacons and choir boys and girls of Sunday schools wearing embroidered robes walk around a huge pyre, bearing ceremonial crosses and wooden torches decorated with olive leaves. As the sun begins to set, the torch-bearers move forward in unison to set alight the slender pyramid-shaped structure, topped with a cross made from the yellow flowers known as Maskal daisies which are placed on the tallest central pole.

The crowd of spectators are kept at bay while visitors are allowed to enter the inner circle in accordance with the Ethiopians age-old tradition of hostility. The casually dressed tourists form an incongruous contrast as they brandish their cameras, while around them the procession of proud clergy clad in dazzling ceremonial robes chant as they perform this ancient rite.

The origins of the celebration are expressed in the Ethiopian manuscript of parchment. It is said to date back to the discovery of the Byzantine Queen of Helena of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. According to the manuscript, in the 20th year of the reign of her son Constantine, she set off for Jerusalem in search of the ‘life giving cross,’ which she eventually found after many trials and tribulations. She is said to have forced the Jews to reveal the whereabouts of this ‘Honourable Cross’, which allegedly lay under the hill of Golgotha, formed from sweepings, ashes and offal piled on the grave of Jesus Christ.

Helena is said to have found the Cross by lighting incense and following the smoke as it descended to earth. She caused bonfires to be lit on the hills of Palestine which could be seen across the sea by the people of Constantinople.

So how did the rediscovered cross come to Ethiopia? According to Tefut, a massive volume dating from the 15th Century which records the detailed story of the acquisition of a fragment of the True Cross by Ethiopia. The Christian Kings of Ethiopia were often called upon in the early Middle Ages to protect Egyptian Copts against the Egyptian Muslims. In return for this delivery from Muslim persecution, fabulous gifts of precious gold were offered to Ethiopian Emperor Dawit. He rejected these offerings and asked instead for four pieces of the True Cross, which were under the custody of the patriarch of Alexandria. The request was granted and the pieces brought to Ethiopia. They were guarded on the journey by torchbearers and then deposited in a church at Gishen, in northern Wollo dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Rejoicing followed throughout the whole country and the Emperor ordered that the capes of the priests be embroidered with flowers. Since that day, Ethiopian Christians are believed to have commemorated the occasion with flaming torches and huge bonfires.

Emperor Dawit’s fourth son, Zara Yacob, succeeded him as Emperor and, when he was a very old man, dreamt that God ordered him to ‘place the cross upon a cross.’ Zara Yacob spent two years in abstinence, searching in seclusion, and at last discovered a mountain shaped like a cross. There he built the beautiful church of Egziabher Ab, and a fragment of the True Cross was kept within a gold box in the church. The priests of Gishen still safeguard this treasure along with the Tefut which is handwritten in Ge’ez on beautiful parchment.

Today Maskal is a religious and joyful annual social occasion that Christians throughout the country look forward to each year. Both women and men wear their national clothes, while youths boast and compete in fights with sticks. There is also jesting as well as flirting and courting sanctioned by the festival. These days, people return from the capital parade to their houses and bring the torches called Chibbo, to neighbourhood bonfire gatherings. The torchbearers chant as they circle the pyre, the Damera, (literally stack or pile of wooden torches), which are covered with cloth until a priest blesses it. The torchbearers then hurl their flames into the midst of the Dameras, while the gathering watches the blaze light up the night sky. On the following day people go to the bonfire and make the sign of the cross on their foreheads with the ash.

A HUGE thank you!

2009-09-21T17:21:00.004-05:00

I would like to extend a HUGE thank you to Aloft in Green Bay, WI. They have just helped us out tremendously! If you ever get the chance to visit them...do so. The place is awesome, the staff is friendly and they care about people. While you are there be sure to check out the "sassy" glass in the water closets and the water tiles in the lifts. In addition, their bar, w xyz has fantastic drinks which you can enjoy in their backyard. Right, Lindsay?!

Thank you to Cathy and the rest of the staff at Aloft. You are AMAZING!

Back on

2009-09-18T11:12:00.003-05:00

Our adoption is back on track after a short break. We really needed that little bit of time to get our current family settled in before continuing on this adventure.

Matthew and I attended our 7 1/2 hours of mandatory adoption education (the state of Wisconsin mandates a total of 18 hours for all adoptions). We have another two days of courses...one more 7 1/2 hours and one more four hour class complete with ethnic potluck dinner and family presentations.

News from Ethiopia: Ethiopia Coffee Exports May Rebound This Year, Exchange Says

2009-09-01T08:58:00.006-05:00

Coffee exports from Ethiopia, Africa’s largest producer of the beans, are expected to rebound to about 171,000 metric tons this year after shipments fell to their lowest level in six years last year, an official with the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange said.

“Early assessments indicate a very good potential for a bumper harvest of coffee,” said Eleni Gabre-Madhin, chief executive officer of the Addis Ababa-based exchange, in an interview on Aug. 29. “We are expecting at least 2007/2008 tonnage.”

Shipments fell from 170,888 tons in 2007/2008 to 133,993 last year after a drought cut production and Japanese importers largely stopped buying Ethiopian coffee after finding high levels of pesticide residues in shipments.

Better rains this year in the main coffee-growing areas will lead to more production during the country’s October to December harvest. Ethiopian coffee trees will also produce more due to their cyclical nature, in which harvests peak every second year, she said.

Prices for premium Arabica beans, though heavily dependent on the world price of coffee, may be higher this year because of a new grading system in Ethiopia introduced in conjunction with the Specialty Coffee Association of America, she said. The system will bring Ethiopia’s grading methods in line with those used by the SCAA.

“Hopefully it will encourage farmers to produce more of these top quality grades,” she said.

The exchange will also begin providing a new direct-buying service for coffee roasters that seek specialty coffee from specific farmers, she said.

U.S.-based specialty coffee roasters complained last year that Ethiopia’s move to trading beans on a commodity exchange made it difficult to trace coffee to specific growers, a desirable marketing feature for specialty roasters.

Ethiopia, which claims to be the home of the coffee tree, has hundreds of native varieties of coffee.

Amharic word list

2009-08-27T10:36:00.003-05:00

This is a list I got from another adoptive mother. I found it quite interesting and thought maybe you would be interested as well.

I love you --> ee-wha-de-halow (girl end in shal oh)
It’s ok honey --> Ishee eye-zoe
Don’t be afraid --> ah teh frah
These together are great for scary or sad times or bad dreams, etc…..
*Add “yay” to the end of the name for a term of endearment. Kedusyay, Natiyay, etc…. it is like saying Jilly or Sammy. They also use the "y" at the end like we do. It is an "i" as in Nati.

Ok --> ishee
It is time to go to sleep --> la ten ya
Go to sleep (command) --> ten ya
Night night --> mah Tah mah tah

No, don’t do that --> tdoe
Stop --> koom (girl koom ee)
Yes --> ow
Good child --> goe bez
Enough! --> Bakka
Wait --> Koi (girl koy ee)
Good job! --> Tih ROO sih RAH
That was bad, that is bad, it was a bad thing…. --> Meht FOH
Good --> tih roo
Are you ok? --> Teh shah lekh (girl end in lesh)
Look  --> ay (ay ee)
Sit down --> koach ah bel
Come --> nah
Hello  --> halo or seh lahm
Good bye --> chow
I’m sorry --> yih kir tah

Mommy -- amay
Daddy --> ahb-baba
Small --> tinish
Big  --> tih lihk
Dog  --> woosha
Cat --> dumet
Bird --> wuhf
Car --> mah kee nah
Ball --> kwas
Shoes --> chamahs
Clothes --> libs
Blanket --> bird libs
New --> addis (new clothes, mommy, etc…)

Potty, pee --> shent
Poop --> kah kah
Brush teeth --> broosh

Juice --> chee mah key
Milk --> wha tet
Water  --> whu ha

Delicious (it is good) --> yee tahf tahl
Do you want …? --> tih fuh lih GAHL ekh (boy), tih fuh lih GAHL esh (girl)
Bottle (even for water) --> TOO toh
A bad guy is --> lay-bah

2009-08-20T09:51:00.005-05:00

I have begun reading The Connected Child: Bring hope and healing to your adoptive family in preparation for our adoption education classes with LSS. It is slow reading for me since I have a house to clean, three other children to watch and a room to finish painting but I think I will get a lot out of it. As another blogger said, "It seems to be a combination of "Attachment 101" and basic good parenting skills." One critique I have, is that it tends to repeat itself quite a bit (and I am only just starting chapter 3). However, I'm not sure if that will be bad thing in the end...sometimes I need to hear things twenty times before it sinks in.

Our classes are on September 16, 23 & 24. We have yet to find a babysitter for any of those days. It has been frustrating that there are not alternate times available since Wednesdays are so hard with confirmation and church plus it is an all day class and all our sitters will be at work or back in school.

On hold

2009-07-31T11:48:00.003-05:00

Our adoption is currently on temporary hold. With our recent move and the stress that goes along with it we feel that it would be best for our family to settle in here in De Pere before proceeding with our adoption. However, in a few months we will be back at it and we will bring our babies home!

Gorgora and the Susneyos Palace

2009-07-11T10:35:00.001-05:00

Bahir Dar is a town set on the south-eastern shore of Lake Tana, where local fishermen still use papyrus boats. It is situated 37 kms from the spectacular Tisisat Falls. Here the Blue Nile creates "Smoking Water" an awe-inspiring sight as it plunges into the gorge below.

From Bahir Dar one must explore some of the ancient monasteries that have been built on the islands of Lake Tana, or on the many Islands. These include Dega Estephanos with its priceless collections of icons, as well as the remains of several medieval Emperors, Kebran Gabriel and Ura Kidane Mehret with its famous frescoes.

Kebran Gabriel is the principal monastery visited by male tourists from Bahir Dar, with its impressive Cathedral-like building first built at the end of the 17th century. Dega Estephanos, which is also closed to women, is on the island in the Lake, and the monastery is reached by a very steep and winding path. Although the church is relatively new (only hundred years old), it houses a Madonna painted in the 15th century. However, the treasury of the monastery is a prime attraction, with the remains of several Emperors, as well as their robes and jewels.

Near Gorgora, at the northern end of the Lake, the Susneyos palace is a forerunner of the magnificent palaces and castles of Gondar, and dates from the region of Emperor Susneyos. The sixteenth century Susneyos Palace served as a 'blueprint' for the famous palaces of Gondar. It was built by Catholic missionaries for Emperor Susneyos, founder of the Gondar dynasties.

During the reign of Emperor Susneyos (1606-1632) Bahir Dar attracted the interest of the Jesuits, who erected a tall (for that time) two-storey building in the compound of Saint George's church. This place of worship was renowned far and wide, so much so that the settlement was often spoken of as Bahir Dar Giyorgis. In the same area is the medieval church of the Debre Sina Mariam.

Cost is not the issue

2009-07-01T18:55:00.004-05:00

Numerous people have asked us (and some continue to ask us everytime we meet) about the cost of adoption. They are continually amazed at the amount of money it take to adopt and most admitt that they have never spent that amount on one single thing. Even when I've discussed the breakdown of payments for the adoption people continue to say they have not spent that much in their life. Amounts as low as $5,000. My response is usually, really? You've never bought a car or a house? You've never paid for a surgery or hospital stay? If by some chance (and there have been a few) I've asked if they have children. If the answer is yes then I ask them if they would hesitate to spend any amount of money to bring their child home...to keep their child safe. If you think about it parents will not hesitate to do what is right for their children. Two of ours just happen to live in Ethiopia at the moment and we would like to bring them home...the cost is just a small thing to us to love our children!

News from Ethiopia: Not ruling out troops return to Somalia

2009-06-28T20:18:00.015-05:00

I read up on Ethiopian news every day as

part of my morning routine. I have decided it would be interesting for everyone else to be able to read some news from that part of the world. So I will be posting a news article on the blog every so often (probably once a month). Hope you enjoy this new feature to our blog.

Ethiopia Not Ruling out troops return to Somalia

By Tsegaye Tadesse and Barry Malone (Editing by David Clarke)

ADDIS ABABA, June 25 (Reuters) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has not ruled out sending troops to Somalia if the situation there worsens, but said there are no plans to intervene for now.

Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia in 2006 to oust an Islamist movement from the capital in which new President Sheik Sharif Ahmed played a role. That sparked an Islamist insurgency which is still raging despite the withdrawal of the soldiers in January this year.

"We do not want to find ourselves in a situation where a so-called Ethiopian horse would be trying to take the chestnut out of the fire on behalf of everybody else," Meles told a news conference late on Wednesday.

"And this horse being whipped by every idiot and his grandmother."

Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, fled into exile after the Ethiopian intervention but joined a peace process last year and was elected in January. His government is now battling hardline insurgents who were once allies in the Islamist movement.

Addis Ababa has said it supports the new government, but is wary of the hardline Islamists, who are seen as a proxy for al Qaeda, because they control large areas of Somalia and have threatened to destabilise neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya.

With reports of foreign jihadists streaming into Somalia, Western security services are worried al Qaeda may get a grip on the failed Horn of Africa state that has been without central government for 18 years.

"We want to wait and see how the international community as a whole responds and then see if there is any need to revisit our position on the matter," Meles said. "We believe the deployment of Ethiopian troops would be unwarranted because we are not convinced there is a clear and present danger to Ethiopia."

Violence from the Islamist-led insurgency worsened this month, with the killing of three officials. The government, which controls little but a few parts of the capital, has declared a state of emergency and appealed to neighbouring countries for military assistance.

The Ethiopian leader played down claims from the speaker of Somalia's parliament that the country's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) risked being overthrown without foreign help.

"Our reading of the situation in Somalia is slightly different from the one of the speaker of the parliament that if there is no foreign military intervention ... the transitional government will collapse," Meles said. "The TFG is facing a very difficult situation with al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam militias supported by hundreds of jihadists, but we don't believe they will be toppled."

2009-06-13T10:44:00.006-05:00

Isen has been quite the big brother, planning out where our babies will sleep, what they will eat, which toys he will share with them and which he will give them...he has a lot already planned out. I just know that he will be a great big brother to all four of his little siblings.
The other day he came to me and said that he couldn't wait to bring our babies home and that we need to bring home two because he wants more brothers. I told him that maybe we would have girls and he said, "No Mumma, I really think we are going to have boys. We have enough girls and I think God wants us to have more boys." I started laughing and told him that I was the only girl in the family, to which Isen replied, "Yeah, your enough Mumma." So much for reasoning with him :)

Ethiopia Program Webinar

2009-06-13T10:21:00.006-05:00

I participated in a Webinar provided by CHSFS regarding their Ethiopian adoption program. Here are some questions/answers from this that I found helpful and happen to be questions others have asked of me.

Question: My question is if CHSFS can give an estimated wait time by age and gender. For example parents that are looking to adopt a girl 0-12 months are waiting 15 months, parent adopting 0-36 months are waiting 12 months. I know there are many variables that affect the time but I think the more information you have the better families can cope with waiting.

Answer: No we can't. We don't have a way of knowing exactly what child is going to come in to care when. This is the reason that we have a wide window (12 to 18 months) as our estimated wait time. When we try to get more specific than that, we are setting everyone up for disappointment. In general, we can say that if you are open to a child over the age of 36 months, and/or with more medical issues, your wait will be on the short end of the spectrum.

Question: When you are discussing wait times, please be very clear on the starting event of the wait time. In the past, in other discussions with CHSFS, I have heard "6 months" or "12 months," but it has never been made clear to me as far as 12 months from when or what event? I am assuming it is 12 months from the "officially waiting" designation, but that has not been made clear in the past.

Answer: The wait is meant to start at what we consider to be your "starting point" IN the Ethiopia program. Right now the starting point is considered to be when you turn in your dossier.

Question: When is the expected court closure and will referrals be given through out the closure?

Answer: The federal court's closure occurs during the months of August and September. We hope to continue making referrals during the closure, although families must understand that the acceptance of a referral during the closure means the total wait time to get a court date and decision will be that much longer.

Question: What is the average length of time between referral and court dates?

Answer: Eight to 12 weeks.

Question: Do you think the courts in Ethiopia will expand staffing to accommodate for these increases in adoption cases so we get through court in a more timely manner?

Answer: CHSFS and the Joint Council of International Children's Services (JCICS) is working positively with the Ethiopian government to make sure the adoption process is efficient. This advocacy work, however, is limited by the administrative needs and challenges that are a part of the federal bureaucracy in other countries. There is a rumor that the federal Ethiopian court has hired 3 more judges, but this has not been confirmed by our source close to the court's affairs.

Question: Why are there so few children from Ethiopia on the waiting child list?

Answer: Ethiopia does not have a waiting international child (WIC) program, per se, as other countries do, e.g., China and Korea. This means that children from Ethiopia are not referable for adoption unless there is a presumptive family known by the placing agency. In other words, licensed orphanages and/or partnering agencies do not seek children with a specific special need. Nor can placing agencies put the photographs of children on the internet to recruit interested families. In short, the only children viewable on our WIC list are those children for whom there was a qualified and approved family; that in fact did not accept or match in the end, with the individual child(ren). One example of this is a child who ends up, upon a thorough medical examination, to be older than originally stated.

Question: Given recent concerns about abuses of the adoption system in Ethiopia, what safeguards does CHSFS have in place to prevent any possibilities of encouraging child trafficking?

Answer: Children's Home Society & Family Services Ethiopia (CHSFS-ET) does what we consider to be the best child background investigation work of any international agency working in Ethiopia. In other words, we believe no other agency does a better job than CHSFS-ET to verify the personal history and background information that is presented on the child by the licensed orphanage at the time of referral. A social worker, an interpreter and a videographer work as a team to corroborate the child's background and information related to how the child came into legal care and custody of the orphanage. In addition, most of the adoptions facilitated by CHSFS Ethiopia are sole parent or guardian relinquishments, In the vast majority of these cases, the adoptive parents meet and talk with the birth family and/or child's former legal guardian in what is a private entrustment ceremony between the two parties.

Question: What experiences are families having waiting for sibling groups of two or more children and various ages?

Answer: I think you are asking what is the current wait time. Most recently, the wait for a sibling group of two young children (under the age of 6) has been up to 18 months.

"Orphan" due out in July

2009-06-10T09:02:00.004-05:00

On July 24 Warner Brothers will release their horror film "Orphan." The movie is about a family who adopts an older girl, Esther, who "is not what she appears to be." The film is currently being promoted, and the trailer can be seen here. The adoption message is extremely negative, and plays into the stereotypes of adopted children, particularly older children, as damaged.

The adoption community is protesting the release of the film and was successful in getting the line "It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own" removed from the trailer. Executives at Warner Brothers claimed they "messed up" and have re-cut the trailer to remove the offensive line. However, the promotional posters still use this tag line. If this movie focused on a (insert a word) child, would Warner Brothers be able to get away with it? But, stick an adopted older child into the storyline and its okay? This message plays into the fears of the general public. I can attest to the fact that adoptive parents and those planning on adopting deal with these fears, misconceptions, and prejudices on a daily basis.

While I myself love a good horror movie, I find it difficult to understand why Warner Brothers would promote a movie in such a way. I have to agree with Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Institute, who says “The film preys on who these older kids are. That's why we have so much trouble getting older kids adopted. I fully respect that they are not going to pull a multi-million-dollar movie out of the theater, but they can mitigate the damage and make the ads less corrosive.” I have only seen the trailer. I will NOT see the film. And right now I don’t feel like seeing anything that Warner Brothers, Dark Castle Entertainment, or Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way (who claims to support the world’s orphaned kids) has produced or distributed.

I urge you to contact, with me, the makers of the film, as well as your local movie theater chains, with your concerns. Maybe I am overly sensitive like many people think, but when it comes to my children can I really be too sensitive?

Contact information:

Warner Bros.

4000 Warner Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91522

818-954-6000

Silver Pictures

4000 Warner Blvd. 90

Burbank, CA 91522-0001

818-954-4490

Time Warner Inc.

One Time Warner Center

New York, NY 10019-8016

212-484-8000

I wish there was more time during the day!

2009-06-08T08:59:00.011-05:00

Things have been quite hectic here lately. I just returned a week ago from San Antonio, TX, where my youngest brother, Steven, graduated from Air Force basic at Lackland AFB. He graduated with honors, which means he was in the top 10% of a 632 graduates. He is now in Wichita Falls, TX completing his technical training.

Since there I have been trying to catch up on things around the house such as laundry and general cleaning and children. However, it has been so nice here in De Pere, WI (until today) that I have been working outside with Matthew on our gardens.

Our vegetable garden is in with the exception of leeks, lettuce and basil seeds, along with, the lavender I purchased yesterday. If it ever stops raining, I will be planting those. Tomatoes, sage, asparagus, rhubarb and cilantro are in, along with the chives that were already here (I just need to transplant those). Our flower gardens are coming along nicely. We have

removed many bushes from around the house that were overgrown or placed in the wrong spot (shade when they are sun-loving plants). Sunday we are heading out to get more of our flowers from Edgar, WI and then coming back and putting those...well, we have not decided where they will go yet but we will find room.

The adoption is coming along. We are STILL waiting to hear if all the background check went through. Until then I have just about completed my portion of our adoption paperwork and we have our physicals coming up on June 21st. In addition, I did participate in an Ethiopian adoption webinar put on by CHSFS and I continue to read the books I have purchase on the recommendation of other adoptive parents.

Why adopt?

2009-05-26T12:37:00.006-05:00

To quote another bloger/adoptive mother:

1. Every 5 seconds a child dies from a preventable disease/starvation in Africa.

2. Globally each day 30,000 children dies from prevenatable disease, food born illness, and starvation. This is equal to 100 jumbo jets full of children crashing.

3. There are 6 million suffering from malnutrition in Ethiopia.

4. In the next month 120,000 children under the age of 5 will perish because of starvation in Ethiopia.

5. Six of the nine regions in Ethiopia are experiencing a drought that has dramatically effected food production.

Once our eyes are open we cannot pretend we do not know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows we know and holds us responsible to act.

Proverbs 24.12

A Step of Faith

2009-05-16T10:25:00.009-05:00

As many of you know, I have a heart for missions. It is truly amazing to me to see God's work in the world through even the smallest hands in His family. We are all adopted

into God's family through Christ Jesus and we have all received the call to care for the world's orphans. While not all of us are called to adopt these children, we are all called upon to assist them in some way.

We are stepping out in faith and I know that our needs will be met by God. It feels like God is leading us out on a limb, when in reality God has built the bridge for us to walk over. But my sinful nature – always wanting to know everything and having to have control of everything – keeps me from the enormous blessing of trusting in God's will.

Of course there are worries involved with an international adoption but I have this strange calmness about me when it comes to our decision. With that being said, Matthew and I are confident that God is calling us to adopt two children from Ethiopia and while we know that adoption is expensive, even for one child, we know that God is good and He will provide the strength and support needed to see our children home to us!

God's call to care for the world's orphans

2009-05-14T14:19:00.016-05:00

I was doing my daily check of Ethiopian adoption blogs and came across an interesting fact in a post that is circulating. Here it is:

There are 132 million orphans in the world, according to UNICEF.
There are roughly 2 billion people who consider themselves Christians in the world.

If all 2 billion believe in Christ as their Savior then all are adopted:

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Romans 8:14-17

Therefore, if only 7% of Christians chose to adopt ONE child, all 132 million of the world's orphans would have a permanent home!

But wait...it gets better, if only THREE (yep, you read that

correctly, 3%) of the world's Christians adopted ONE child, all adoptable orphans would have a permanent home and a forever family. That's all it would take!

While I firmly believe that not everyone is called to adopt – Christian or not – I do believe that, at the very least, 3% of 2 billion Christians have been given this calling, especially since scripture defines the mark of pure Christianity as caring for orphans! It's simply a matter of obeying the call and returning the enormous gift of adoption that God has given us to a child who needs a home.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.

James 1:27a.

Busy with...many things

2009-05-08T08:21:00.001-05:00

There are so many things on my plate right now. I have a house to get unpacked, my brother’s wedding to attend (or my college graduation), children to watch and on top of it all I have set the end of May as a paperwork deadline. Yep, that’s right . . . I will have all the homestudy paperwork done by the end of May. God is good!

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:7-8

God's Amazing Grace

2009-05-01T09:28:00.006-05:00

Our family has been blessed with all the many people God has graced our lives with. At our new church, Hope Lutheran in De Pere, we are meeting countless people who show God's love daily but I am frequently reminded of my dear friends in Edgar, WI at St. John Lutheran Church who continually amaze me with their open, caring and loving nature. While my husband was still the pastor at St. John their Sunday School classes supported our adoption in many ways . . . the least not being through prayer. Even this month, with us no longer a physical part of their congregation, they are STILL supporting our adoption. What an amazing gift God has given us and the people of central Wisconsin!

Please pray for these awesome Christians, for their continued blessings and support and as they call a new pastor to serve their congregation.

Philippians 1.3-6

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU AT ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH

AND

PRAISE BE TO GOD!

Let's try this again

2009-04-23T15:19:00.003-05:00

In my last post I mentioned that my husband had received a call to another congregation. After much prayer and thought he accepted it. We are now at Hope Lutheran Church in De Pere, WI. We moved here on April 17 and after some unpacking and many of us getting sick with the flu we are now moving forward again with our adoption. We are still working with LSS and CHSFS. However, instead of working with the Wausau office of LSS we will now be working with the Appleton office.

In the next few weeks we hope to complete the paperwork for the next round of background checks. Since we just moved to a new county and city we must have background checks provided for those locations. After that is completed we will finally move forward with the rest of our homestudy.

I know that I have not been all that great with posting here in the last three months or so but that is about to change....I have made the commitment to post here once a week by Friday.

Apologies

2009-02-15T15:04:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it has been near a month since we last posted anything! It has been a hectic month. I started my final degree requirement for my bachelors which takes up much of my time and leaves Matthew with very little of his since he then has to watch our children. Matthew also received a call to another congregation and so we have been spending much of our "free" time talking and praying about that. I just wanted to let you all know that we are still here and still working towards our adoption...just at a slower pace than before.

Curious?

2009-01-21T17:48:00.006-06:00

A lot of people have been asking a lot of questions lately regarding our adoption. Most of them are answered here - somewhere - on our blog. Three of them are not - or at least I don't think they are. So, I thought I would answer them all in one blog post since I can think of nothing earth-shatteringly amazing to tell you :)

Question #1: What agency are you with?

Answer #1: Two agencies actually.

Question #2: What do you mean? (I know, these two could be combined but that would only be two questions then, wouldn't it?)

Answer #2: Our homestudy agency is Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan and our placement agency is Children's Home Society and Family Services of Minnesota.

Question #3: Are you trying for a girl?

Answer #3: No, we are leaving that up to the Ethiopian orphanage and government along with our agencies and ultimately, it is all up to God. Are we hoping for a girl is a totally different question :)

Adoptive Families the Norm for Christian Families

2009-01-16T09:56:00.008-06:00

So I'm reading the book "Passing On the Faith," by Merton P. Strommen and Richard A. Hardel in preparation for a class I'm going to teach at Concordia University- Wisconsin (pretty good read, by the way... if you're at all involved in family ministry or in ensuring that the children of your congregation are raised in the faith). I'm not very far into it yet, but the first chapter talks a lot about how strong, life-changing families need to build and maintain two key relationship- a strong family relationship and a strong relationship with God. The argument is that these relationships are two sides of the same coin and that the church needs to help families to encourage and support this sort of faith formation in the home. The chapter then goes on to try and define what family is (you have to decide on what family "is" before you can try and address how to help it!). It was in this context, then, that I came across this throwaway paragraph that speaks strongly to the notion of adoptive familes as normative for the definition of a Christian family:

As the first and most basic community, the family acts as a model for other, larger faith-learning communities. Diana Garland, director of the Family Ministry Project located at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Kentucky, defines family. According to her, the model of family that Jesus endorses is the adoptive family. The last act of Jesus' earthly ministry recorded in the Gospel of John enacts that adoptive model. Jesus turns to his mother and says, "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the beloved disciple he says, "Behold your mother." The Church follows Christ by ensuring that no one in the family of faith is familyless- everyone is adopted into the family." (revised edition, 2008, p.23).

Not only do I agree wholeheartedly with this quote from Diana Garland, but I think it strikes right to the heart of what Maggie and I wish to do. Although I believe Garland's intention was to state that the congregation itself functions as a family of believers, thereby ensuring that no one in the congregation be "familyless," still I think it speaks to our domestic families as well. After all, it seems pretty clear that God is calling Christians to reach out in Christ-like love to many types of needy people- orphans being (if not foremost) at least prominent in that group.

God is speaking to His people through His Word, calling us to love one another as Christ has loved us (1 John 4:19), the question for us is: are we listening?

Ethiopian Museums

2009-01-15T18:42:00.007-06:00

So, I kind of have a new job. I am now an intern at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and it is amazing...but this also means that I have less time for the adoption. While it has been difficult not to focus on the adoption and all that goes with it, I know I have to get this internship out of the way before we bring our baby home. So, I am an arts manager for the next 12-13 weeks. In light of my current job I wanted to bring to your attention the following -- nothing very exciting but it is something to do with two things I love -- art and Ethiopia. The online arts journal I read features a collection of news stories and blogs on art and culture. The following link is a short blog about the loss of funds for Ethiopian museums due to budget cuts by other museums around the world...in this case Chicago's Field Museum. www.artsjournal.com/culturegrrl/2009/01/skeletal_budget_cut_no_lucy_fo.html

Passports and Adoption Paperwork

2009-01-09T10:22:00.003-06:00

Greetings! So, we are still waiting on one background check (Marathon County Sheriff's Department). Hopefully, they get it in soon. It was the only background check I had to pay for and it is the only one that took longer than a week! Grrrr. While we are waiting for that - and while I have some "free" time on my hands - I am getting my passport application ready. That's right...I've never had a passport. I'm old enough to remember when you didn't need a passport to cross the Mexican border :) So, I am filling out my application - which is quite exciting by the way - and getting the needed fees, proof of identity, proof of citizenship and all that wonderful stuff together. Then it is on to Matthew's renewal application. The picture on his old passport is AWESOME! Ask him -- wait, ask me and I will show it to you.

Melkam Genna!

2009-01-07T10:00:00.007-06:00

Happy Christmas (Melkam Gena) to you all!

According to Christian Orthodox tradition Christmas falls on January 7th. A little less than half the population in Ethiopia belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church. Christmas in Ethiopia is called Lidet (or Leddat) and is not the religious and secular festival that it is in the West. On Christmas Eve, January 6, the city is crowded with pilgrims and tourists from all parts of the world. The people remain outdoors all night, praying and chanting. On January 7, the Ethiopian Christmas known as Ganna is celebrated. The word Ganna is used interchangeably with the word Christmas, to mean the birth of Jesus Christ (Leddat). Traditionally, young men played a game similar to hockey, called genna, on this day, and now Christmas has also come to be known by that name. The preparation of the feast is an important part of the day in Ethiopia. A typical Ethiopian feast for the Christmas meal includes a main course, such as doro wat ( a spicy chicken stew), injera (a flat round bread) and homemade wine or beer. The injera is used to scoop and eat the food, thereby replacing ordinary utensils. Gift giving in an Ethiopian Christmas celebration is a very small part of this ceremony. Children, if they receive gifts, usually receive simple presents such as clothing.

Endemic Mammals of Ethiopia

2008-12-31T11:55:00.017-06:00

There are seven endemic (specific to one area) mammals of Ethiopia. Many of them are endangered but all are absolutely beautiful.

Canis simensis: Ky Kebero (Amharic), Jedala Farda (Oromic) or Ethiopian Wolf is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources' (IUCN) Red List as Endangered. This creature is endemic to the Ethiopian highlands and is confined to seven isolated mountain range populations due to increasing agricultural pressure. There are approximately 500 adults left. Ethiopian wolves are long-limbed and slender with a reddish coat and white marking on the legs, underbelly, tail, face, and chin -- slightly resembing a Vulpes vulpes (Red Fox) in color. The boundary between the red and white fur is quite distinct. White markings on the face include a characteristic white crescent below the eyes and a white spot on the cheeks.

Equus asinus somalicus: Meda Ahia (Amharic) or Somali Wild Ass is on the IUCN's Red List as Critically Endangered. It is one of the wild ancestors of the domestic donkey -- the other ancestor exist in the northwest Indian deserts. It is possible that a few remain in Somalia, but the main herd is located on the Afar Plains of Ethiopia. There are three recognized species of the African Wild Ass. The Algerian Wild Ass has been extinct for many years. The Nubian Wild Ass, formerly abundant on the plains of Nubia and the Sudan deserts, was last recorded in northern Eritrea, however, total absence of sight records of the Nubian in recent years has led to the assumption that it too is extinct. The Somali Wild Ass is, therefore, very probably the only African Wild Ass left on earth and its numbers are, at best, around 200 mature members. Due to their roaming lifestyle, an accurate account of their numbers is impossible.

Tragelaphus scriptus meneliki: Dukula (Amharic), Menelik Bushbuck, or Arussi Bushbuck. Over forty races of bushbuck have been identified and are the smallest of the spiral-horned antelopes. They live only in the high mountains and forests of Ethiopia. Of the two Ethiopian races, meneliki and powelli, the latter is the more common and somewhat smaller. But Menelik's is also fairly widespread and can be seen in much of Ethiopia's highland forest up to the treeline. No accurate estimate has been made of their total population because of their nocturnal and furtive habits. It is usual to spot them from about four o'clock onwards, or in the early morning. They have a loud barking alarm call, like that of domestic dogs, which can be heard from some distance away, and also a series of grunts. Very few Menelik's have been collected by hunters. The multiplication of numbers in the park could lead to its greater accessibilty to authorized hunters.

Tragelaphus buxtoni: Dega Agazain (Amharic) or Mountain Nyala is on the IUCN's Red List as Critically Endangered. It was the last of the great African antelopes to become known (in 1908) and very little is known about its habits or the full extent of its range even today. They lived at very high altitudes, between ten and thirteen thousand feet, in the mountain forests where it was cold and wet much of the time, until the pressure of the human population destroyed vast tracts of their forest habitat. In Arsi the population is now reduced to a remnant but the Bale population remains intact due to the creation and preservation of Bale Mountains National Park. The number of mature individuals is estimated at less than 2,500 Nyala.

Alceluphus buselaphus swaynei: Korkay (Amharic) or Swayne's Hartebeest is on the IUCN's Red List as Endangered. The common African hartebeest has fifteen races of which two are already extinct. There are about 600 individuals remaining (with the majority of the population confined to the Senkelle Wildlife Sanctuary and Mazie N.P. in Ethiopia); no subpopulation numbers more than 250 mature individuals. The small size of the mature population makes it close to qualifying as Critically Endangered. Three types of horns can be distinguished in the buselaphus group: U-shaped, as in the now-extinct North African buba hartebeest, and in the western hartebeest from Gambela, Nigeria and Cameroon; V-shaped, as in the Lelwel Hartebeest, Jackson's Hartebeest and the South African cape hartebeest. The third type of horn is shaped like inverted brackets as in Coke's Hartebeest, in the pale tawny Alceluphus buselaphus tora from Sudan and Ethiopia, and Swayne's Hartebeest, previousy found in both Somalia and Ethiopia, but now restricted only to Ethiopia.

Theropithecus gelada: Gelada (Amharic) or Gelada Baboon is listed on the IUCN's Red List as Least Concern/Vulnerable. There are two subspecies of the Gelada Baboon. The one that is classified as of Least Concern is Theropithecus gelada ssp. obscurus (common names: Southern Gelada, Eastern Gelada, Heuglin's Gelada) has a large range, remains abundant despite increasing threats. The other classified as Vulnerable is Theropithecus gelada ssp. gelada (common name: Northern Gelada) is located in Simien Mountains National Park but remains fragmented due to expanding agriculture. However in the Simien there are as 20,000, and troops of 400 together may be seen. While they are quite tame they live along the edges and steep slopes of precipices for safety. At night they climb down the steep cliff faces to caves where they roost on ledges, often huddled close together for warmth as Simien nights are frosty and bitterly cold. Apart from feeding, "grooming" is their other main pastime. This entails simply picking through each other's fur. This is not only a friendly and peaceful occupation, but it serves also to establish bonds between various members of the group and to cement the accepted relationships in the hierachy.

Capra W'alie: Walia (Amharic) or Walia Ibex is listed on the IUCN's Red List as Endangered. The total population of the species is estimated at around 500 individuals (probably less than 250 mature individuals total) is largely confined to Simien Mountains National Park. Although the population has been showing signs of increase over the past decade or so, the habitat continues to be degraded by human encroachment. At the first record of the Walia in 1835 it was considered a mythical beast. It wasn't properly observed until 1900. Mountain sheep and goats have feet that are specially adapted for living in mountainous terrain. Their hooves have sharp edges and the undersides are concave, enabling them to adhere somewhat like suction cups. To watch even the youngest and smallest of the Walia kids racing about on slanted rocky ledges in a cliff face of terrifying steepness, makes one catch one's breath with anxiety. They never fall. In 1963 it was classified by the IUCN as in danger of extinction. In that year the total number remaining alive was estimated at less than 200, probably 150. Fortunately before the end came the Ethiopian Government recognized the danger and, in 1965, drew up plans to establish a national park to protect both the habitat and its fauna.

Information has been adapted from (if not already linked):

Canid Specialist Group at www.canids.org/species/Canis_simensis.htm.
Ethiopia's Wolf Conservation Programme at www.ethiopianwolf.org/wolves/overview.shtml.
The Animal Diversity Web of the University of Michigan at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Canis_simensis.html.
Ethiopia First at www.ethiopiafirst.com/Tour/endemic/Endemic-mammals.html.
Blue Forest Safari's at www.wild-about-you.com/GameArusiBushBuck.htm.

New to the blog

2008-12-29T10:36:00.005-06:00

I just wanted to point out some new features on our blog. If you look to the right of your screen you will see two of them. The first is a list of all the wonderful people out there who have been so kind to us as we've been starting on this adoption journey. This is, in a small way, us saying thank you. We will never be able to truly thank all of you for your prayers and kindness...you are all such a blessing to us! The second is a prayer list. These are all adoption related prayer requests but not only our adoption. These are families that have, are or will be adopting from Ethiopia. They have asked for our prayers...please pray for them in your daily devotions. The last addition can be found at the bottom of your screen. I am a member of various groups concerning Ethiopian adoptions and international adoptions in general. This group, CAFEKids, is amazing! Check them out if you'd like...they would be happy to have you there.

Blessings to you all!

Adoption Statistics in Africa

2008-12-29T05:47:00.005-06:00

Did you know? Every 15 SECONDS, another child becomes an AIDS orphan in Africa. That translates (if you do the math) to 5760 children becoming orphans every day, or approximately 2,102,400 per year. Those statistics are for AIDS orphans from Africa. But by contrast, the number of adoptions worldwide per year is only around 250,000. Even a hasty glance shows that this translates to millions of children every year going un-adopted. It breaks my heart to think of millions of children growing up into adulthood each year with no one to belong to and no place to call home.

A prayer for orphans:

Almighty God, I pray to you in the name of Your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. O Lord, be a source of strength and hope for orphaned children in Africa and everywhere. Protect them from all danger and grant Your abiding presence. For those who are awaiting adoption, O Lord, grant them loving care-givers. And move your people everywhere, Lord, to consider adoption. Grant loving families, O Lord, to those who have lost their parents... loving families that will love them, feed them, house them, and lead them to faith in Your Son Jesus. through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

That yummy little "sinful drug"

2008-12-27T18:16:00.010-06:00

For those of you out there who love good coffee as much as Matthew and I do, here is a little something to awaken those coffee tastebuds. The following is taken from Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony by Emily Doyle <www.epicurean.com/articles/ethiopian-coffee-ceremony.html>.

"Ethiopia's coffee ceremony is an integral part of their social and cultural life. An invitation to attend a coffee ceremony is considered a mark of friendship or respect and is an excellent example of Ethiopian hospitality. Performing the ceremony is almost obligatory in the presence of a visitor, whatever the time of day. Don't be in a hurry though - this special ceremony can take a few hours. So sit back and enjoy because it is most definitely not instant.

Ethiopian homage to coffee is sometimes ornate, and always beautifully ceremonial. The ceremony is usually conducted by one young woman, dressed in the traditional Ethiopian costume of a white dress with coloured woven borders. The long involved process starts with the ceremonial apparatus being arranged upon a bed of long scented grasses. The roasting of the coffee beans is done in a flat pan over a tiny charcoal stove, the pungent smell mingling with the heady scent of incense that is always burned during the ceremony. The lady who is conducting the ceremony gently washes a handful of coffee beans on the heated pan, then stirs and shakes the husks away. When the coffee beans have turned black and shining and the aromatic oil is coaxed out of them, they are ground by a pestle and a long handled mortar. The ground coffee is slowly stirred into the black clay coffee pot locally known as jebena, which is round at the bottom with a straw lid. Due to the archaic method used by Ethiopians, the ground result can be called anything but even, so the coffee is strained through a fine sieve several times. The youngest child is then sent out to announce when it is to be served and stands ready to bring a cup of coffee first to the eldest in the room and then to the others, connecting all the generations. The lady finally serves the coffee in tiny china cups to her family, friends and neighbours who have waited and watched the procedure for the past half-hour. Gracefully pouring a thin golden stream of coffee into each little cup from a height of one foot without an interruption requires years of practice.

Coffee is taken with plenty of sugar (or in the countryside, salt) but no milk and is generally accompanied by lavish praise for its flavour and skilful preparation. Often it is complemented by a traditional snack food, such as popcorn, peanuts or cooked barley. In most parts of Ethiopia, the coffee ceremony takes place three times a day - in the morning, at noon and in the evening. It is the main social event within the village and a time to discuss the community, politics, life and about who did what with whom. If invited into a home to take part, remember - it is impolite to retire until you have consumed at least three cups, as the third round is considered to bestow a blessing....

You'll find that each region's coffee will taste slightly different, according to the growing conditions. Kaffa's forested hillsides, at 1,500 feet, provide larger trees to protect the coffee plants from the harsh sun. Harar is renowned for its longberry variety with its distinctive wine-like flavour and sharp acidic edge. And Sidamo's beans, known as Yirgacheffes, have an unusual flavour. The coffee Arabica strain is Ethiopia's original bean and the only one still grown and drunk there today. It does not have the excessive pungency or acidity of the neighbouring Kenyan brands and is much closer in character to the related Mocha variety of Yemen. The composition of its delicate and strong flavour can be lost if it is high roasted.

According to national folklore, the origin of coffee is firmly rooted in Ethiopia's history. Their most popular legend concerns the goat herder from Kaffa, where the plants still grow wild in the forest hills. After discovering his goats to be excited, almost dancing on their hind legs, he noticed a few mangled branches of the coffee plant which was hung with bright red berries. He tried the berries himself and rushed home to his wife who told him that he must tell the monks. The monks tossed the sinful drug into the flames, an action soon to be followed by the smell we are all so familiar with now. They crushed the beans, raked them out of the fire, and distilled the stimulating substance in boiling water. Within minutes the monastery filled with the heavenly aroma of roasting beans, and the other monks gathered to investigate. After sitting up all night, they found a renewed energy to their holy devotions. The rest, as they say, is history.

Coffee holds a sacred place in their country -just the growing and picking process of coffee involves over 12 million Ethiopians and produces over two-thirds of the country's earnings. The best Ethiopian coffee may be compared with the finest coffee in the world, and premium washed Arabica beans fetch some of the highest prices on the world market. In a world where time has long become a commodity, the Ethiopian coffee ceremony takes us back to a time when value was given to conversation and human relations. Perhaps an ancient proverb best describes the place of coffee in Ethiopian life, Buna dabo naw, which when translated means Coffee is our bread!"

Plotting out the Twelve Days of Christmas

2008-12-27T16:02:00.004-06:00

The title of this blog article sounds suspicious, doesn't it? But don't worry, no chicanery involved. Maggie and I have decided that we want to more intentionally celebrate the twelve day Christmas season and so we've been thinking about how best to do it. The idea we've come up with is to "plan" a specific Christmas tradition for each day of Christmas... so that each day of Christmas (over the years) becomes infused with its own particular festive note. This is what we've come up with:

Day 1: attend the Christ Mass at church; open Santa gifts

Day 2: make a birthday cake and sing "Happy Birthday Jesus"

Day 3: take an evening drive to view Christmas lights

Day 4: have a Christmas carol singing night

Day 5: celebrate Christmas according to Ethiopian traditions

Day 6: go Christmas sledding and/or make a snowman

Day 7: sort through toys and donate some to needy children

Day 8: make a Christmas project to give to homebounds

Day 9: visit 2–3 homebound members of the church

Day 10: read the Christmas story using the King James version

Day 11: Watch Christmas specials (any that we missed on TV)

Day 12: gather all received Christmas cards and pray for the senders

Since not all of these days are vacation-type days, the order of events may be switched around from year to year, but this is the order we are trying this year. Nor do we yet have any idea how to do day #5, but we're started to research it. Anyone out there have any ideas?

Isen's Excitement

2008-12-21T08:16:00.002-06:00

In the past week Isen has realized that our family is somehow connected to Ethiopia. He had kept forgetting that his new baby brother or sister would be joining our family from Ethiopia but now he finally understands exactly why Ethiopia is important to us. It is so exciting that he has come to this conclusion all on his own! Enoch and Keenen still don't understand, but they are too young to really understand much. I am surprised that Isen has, seeing as he is only five.

Tomorrow we will be giving a presentation at our church regarding our adoption. It is amazing how God has blessed us with such wonderful family and friends! We will be having an Ethiopian dinner...just a sampler of some foods. I will be showing pictures of Ethiopia and talking about the culture, the people and our adoption. It is exciting to be doing something again for our adoption.

Sorry about the non-posting

2008-12-18T13:41:00.003-06:00

All quiet on the adoption front. All quiet because we're all sick, that's why. Just wanted to pen a quick note to everyone that, no, we haven't forgotten about writing here... it's just that a nasty little thing called "rotavirus" has invaded our home and run (quite literally) through us all. Our rotavirus journey has lasted a week now and Keenen and I seem to be relapsing. That's it. That's all I have to say.

Have a happy and wonderful day in God's grace!

The sister-in-law

2008-12-12T14:54:00.006-06:00

Hello again! If you’re not related to me (but you probably are, aren’t you?), an intro:

My name is Lindsay, and I am married to Matthew’s youngest brother, Patrick. I am 27, he’ll be 30 in February, and we have no children. (That's us down there, last August.) We've been together since fall 2000, married since fall 2003.

What we do have: arts-related jobs (I’m an arts journalist, he’s a pianist), two cats who are afraid of pretty much everyone but us, 10 lbs. of ingredients for Christmas cookies and family scattered all over the place.

I was adopted at five days old, as was my brother (also named Matthew), who is two and a half years younger than me. He is a Marine and has lots of tattoos. And big muscles. And probably lots of firearms but I don’t think about that much. (That's him, after his second tour in Iraq, making my mother's patented "Krissy face.")

My sister Emily is 19 and she was adopted at three months old. Emily is Hispanic and very beautiful and a student at the University of Toledo. She has two dogs named Chubby and Opie.

It’s kind of weird to say that Emily’s Hispanic, although I guess technically she is. Really we’re all Slovac. My mother’s parents were both first-generation Slovakian American, so that is our adopted heritage. Emily speaks no Spanish except what she picked up in high school classes, but we can all curse in somewhat bastardized Slovac.

My parents, Kris and Craig (below), live in Ohio. I get to see them soon and I am very excited about that. In my life, this is what adoption looks like.

Families: made, not born

2008-12-12T14:35:00.002-06:00

I always thought if I ever had kids, I’d adopt them. I mean, that’s what my parents did, so obviously that’s how families are made. Right?

As I got older, it made even more sense. No painful labor? Check.

No gaining lots of weight? Check.

No worrying about mysteries in my genetic background coming back to bite me in the form of some strange genetic disorder? Check!

I don’t feel weird or different or special (OK, maybe a little special) because I’m adopted. I have awesome parents and I remember no others. So what could possibly be a problem?

Well...there’s the price. Adoption is very expensive (especially overseas). A friend from high school insisted she was treated differently than her bio siblings. My sister doesn’t look like me, so nobody believes we’re related. That makes me sad.

For the kids themselves, there are other challenges. People you barely know ask intrusive questions about finding “real” parents, as though curiosity is a valid reason to disrupt a stranger’s life. I’ve known people who lean on their adopted status to justify a myriad of problems: abandonment issues, confusion about their background, frustration at having no health history. (Some of these “issues” I think are bunk, some I think are valid, but that’s for another time.)

There are hard questions all over the place here, so let’s open it up! Some of the things I want to talk about, with the permission of my gracious hosts:

What is heritage? Is it something thrust upon us or something we choose to engage with? Is it different than ethnicity?

How do you strike the delicate balance between respecting birth parents and their selfless choice and giving due respect to the adoptive parents? (Further, why do I still get so rankled when someone references my “real” parents? I find that incredibly offensive and insensitive to my mom and dad. Is that a reasonable reaction?)

How do you explain to a young child what adoption is and how it works?

How do you integrate a family with biological and adopted children?

Do skin color differences a) matter, b) affect the child, c) warrant concern depending on the make-up of your community?

The other day on the radio I heard a talk show host say that adoptive kids are, statistically, psychologically more well-adjusted than their biologically raised counterparts. While I'm admittedly kind of tickled by that, I believe that if a child is raised by two loving, attentive parents, he or she has the best chance of growing up happy, healthy and sane.

In my mind, families are made, not born, crafted by God, full of challenges and joys unique to each mother, father and child. I now know that adoption is just one way to make a family. You'll forgive me if it's still one of my very favorite ways God works.

Happy Advent,

Lindsay

Byzantine influence on Gondarene Art

2008-12-08T17:14:00.007-06:00

Gondar's founding occurred a little less than a century after Ethiopian Christendom came close to total destruction at the hands of the Islamic warlord, Ahmed Gragn, whose forces swept in from the east in 1528. Gragn's war on Ethiopian Christians was a catastrophe for the Ethiopian Christian church. The Christian highlands, from Axum in the north to the shores of Lake Tana in the west, were almost completely overrun for more than a decade and much of the cultural legacy of previous centuries disappeared. Hundreds of churches and artistic treasure houses were looted and burnt and the booty carried away. There is little doubt that Fasilidas and his successors saw their capital as a phoenix and so patronized the arts – they were rebuilding their culture and heritage.

Sculpture seems to have very few artisans and patrons in Ethiopia while there is a fascination with painting. It dates back to the beginnings of the Christian era at least; but the plundering of invaders meant that relatively little from earlier than the sixteenth century has been preserved.
The medieval school of Ethiopian painting was dominated by Byzantine influences, which is to say the Byzantine style of art, not necessarily Byzantium itself (whenever Byzantine art is used in this post it is referring to the style not the location). With the rise of this new capital and art patronage, the Gondarene artistic period formed from the historical tradition (Byzantine).

Byzantine art is marked by more symbolic approach to the subject matter as opposed to, say, Classical art, which attempts to be more realistic and less symbolic. The subject matter of Byzantine art is more often than not religious (Christian) or royal in nature. The most commonly seen examples of Byzantine art are usually mosaics and murals from churches or icons. Icons often depicted the Virgin with the Christ Child and, sometimes flanked by saints and angels. An Ethiopian example of an icon can be seen in this tempera on panel example, entitled Diptych with Virgin and Child flanked by archangels, apostles, and Saint George, from the late 15th century.

The Byzantine style of art can be identified by numerous characteristics. These are, but are not limited to:
1. The use of rich, bright colors (often the colors found in a Crayola 8-box of crayons)
2. Flat figures that seem to float on the surface and are piled on in a frontal pose
3. Detail is avoided and drapery is often simple and curvilinear
4. Large eyes and one facial type
5. Gold background

Many of these characteristics are seen in this mural that stretches across the ceiling at The Debre Berhan Selassie Church in Gondar. The ceiling is covered by hundreds of faces with wings (angels). All of them are a flat (2) facial type with large eyes (3) depicted with bright colors (1) on a gold background (5).

Even today much of the art in Ethiopia continues to reflect the cultural tradition that was reinvented at Gondar.

Gondar

2008-12-08T15:40:00.016-06:00

Fasilidas was the emperor of Ethiopia (a hereditary position abolished in 1975) and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. That dynasty is the traditional Imperial House of Ethiopia which claims descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who is said to have given birth to King Menelik I (the first traditional king) after her visit to Solomon in Jerusalem. Fasilidas is credited with founding Gondar in the mid-1630s. Gondar is often called the Camelot of Africa becasue of its numerous medieval castles. It is also famous for the incredible Gondarene art that graces its churches in the form of Byzantine murals -- the most famous of which is Debra Berhan Selassie.

The main castle was built in the late 1630s and early 1640s by the Emperor, who had architectural inspirations. St Mary's of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia (seen below) is another one of his architectural creations.

Fasilidas was also responsible for seven of Gondar's 40+ churches , numerous bridges, a pavilion and a sunken bathing place, which is still filled during the Timkat season with water from the nearby Qaha river. Other structures date from later periods. The grandson of Fasilidas,Iyasu the Great’s castle was described at the time by his chronicler as finer than the House of Solomon. Its inner walls were said to have been decorated with ivory, mirrors and paintings its ceiling was covered with gold-leaf and precious stones. All of which has long sine vanished from th now gutted castle.

Iyasu's most impressive achievement may be the Church of Debre Berhan Selassie, the Light of the Trinity, which is still used as a church.

While the building itself is plain, comprised of a simple thatched structure on the outside, the interior is painted with many religious and historical scenes. The ceiling is painted with more than 80 angels’ faces all. The north wall holds a depiction of the Trinity above the crucifixion. The south wall has a mural of St Mary; that of the east wall the life of Jesus; the west wall shows saints.

It is believed that Fasilidas chose this location and name based on a legend which holds that an archangel prophesied that an Ethiopian capital would be built at a place with a name that began with the letter G. This led to a number sixteenth and seventeenth century locations named, Guzara, Gorgora and Gondar. Another legend says that while Fasilidas was out hunting God told him of the place that the capital was to be built and Fasilidas followed a buffalo to the spot.

Following the assassination of Iyasu I by his son, Tekla Haimanot came a struggle for control of the imperial throne during which period no significant structures where built. Tekla Haimanot was murdered, the next successor was forcibly deposed and the next poisoned. This all stopped when Bakaffa came to the throne. He left two castles -- one attributed to him and the other to his consort, the Empress Mentewab.

Iyasu II, Bakaffa's successor is considered the last of the Emperors of Gondar to rule with full authority. During his reign, work began on new buildings outside the main palace compound as well as a city on the hills to the north-west of the city center known as Kweskwam.

Gondar remained the capital until 1855. The city was a center of religious learning and art. Painting and music, dance and poetry, together with skilled instruction in these and many other disciplines, thrived for more than 200 years. At the end of the eighteenth century a poet wrote:

Beautiful from its beginnings, Gondar, hope of the wretched!

And hope of the Great, Gondar without measure or bounds!

0 dove of John, Gondar, generous-hearted, mother!

Gondar, never bowed by affliction!

Gondar with its merry name!

Gondar, seat of prosperity and of savoury food!

Gondar, dwelling of King Iyasu and of mighty Bakaffa!

Gondar, which emulated the City of David, the land of Salem!

She will be a myth unto eternity!

The Spirit of Advent is the Spirit of Adoption

2008-12-06T18:02:00.002-06:00

Have you ever considered how different the priorities of the Church are when compared to the priorities of the society around us? To most Americans, we are full-swing in the center of the most materialistic time of the year... the time of year when the main focus is on over-shopping and over-eating, and over-working ourselves with self-imposed obligations until we collapse on Christmas Day in somnolent exhaustion. For Christians, though, we purposely take a step back from all of that this time of year. We focus on waiting, on expectation, on delayed gratification: on preparing ourselves to welcome the Christ Child -Jesus Christ the Son of God- and on readying ourselves for His return again on the Last Day.

It strikes me, too the desire to adopt is a spirit that reflects this same Advent mentality. Think about it, didn't the very beginning of God's redemptive plan involve adoption from the start? Inasmuch as God's plan was that Jesus Christ be conceived by the Holy Spirit and not by a man (see Matthew 1:20 and the Apostles' Creed), the necessity for a father-adoption was part of God's Christmas plan. Consider the two parents standing behind the manger in your nativity set at home... have you ever thought much about Joseph, the husband of Mary (Jesus' biological mother)? Joseph was the man who adopted Jesus as his own son, devoted himself to raising Jesus as his own child. Without an adoptive father, for instance, the society into which Jesus was born would never have listened to Him; Jesus would not have had the social standing to even begin a teaching ministry!

This importance of this adoptive relationship is shown in the first chapter of Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus' lineage is traced (not through Mary, his biological mother), but through Joseph, his adopted Father! (Not to minimize the role of his biological mother, however... see Luke 3:23ff).

This adoptive principle, begun by Joseph, is continued in Jesus' own ministry as He pursued the reconciliation of sinful humanity with His Heavenly Father. Consider John 1:11-13, where we find this description of the Incarnation: "[Jesus] came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."

In other words, the reason for the Advent of Christ was that we all might be adopted into the family of God for eternity. It's the same adoption principle espoused by the St. Paul to the Christian congregation at Rome: "All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons" (8:14-15).

In the end, I suppose the thing that strikes me about the adoptive character of Advent is how it reminds us of the value of love. To my mind, orphan adoption is one of the clearest manifestations of God's redemptive, adoptive love which is revealed to us in the first in the manger and in finally in the cross and the empty tomb. Soli Deo Gloria!

Curry-Spiced Samosas with Plum and Tomato Marmalade

2008-12-03T09:15:00.008-06:00

Happy Advent everyone! Things on the adoption front are going smoothly. Both of our applications have been received and accepted. We have to fill out the second part of our CHSFS's application and we are still waiting on the various law enforcement offices to complete our background checks. One is done so far with two more to go. It is hard to wait for something you have no control over. Once those are in and we have been cleared we can then start the home study process.

We told Isen, Enoch and Keenen (our children) about the adoption. They are a little young to understand the concept of adoption so we asked it they could love another brother or sister to which Isen and Enoch both said no. I asked again if they could love a baby brother or baby sister and Isen smiled and said yes, he could love a BABY. Enoch still said no...he still thinks of himself as the baby in the family :) Keenen just smiled and giggled.

Anyway, I wanted to share another recipe with everyone. If you are going to be in the Edgar area on December 21 around 3:30 come to St. John Ev. Lutheran Church on Huckleberry Street and see the Sunday School Christmas Program and stay for our first-ever Family Mission Sunday and Ethiopian inspired dinner!

Curry-Spiced Samosas with Plum and Tomato Marmalade

Samosas have long been present throughout Eastern Africa due to the Indian trading routes. This sautéed version of the typically deep-fried Indian snack is best served with the marmalade to temper the curry paste's heat. Plums from South America, which may be easier to find during winter, will work fine in this recipe.

Marmalade:

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 cups coarsely chopped plum (about 3)

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons butter

2 medium tomatoes, quartered (about 1 pound)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon harissa

1 thyme sprig

1 (2-inch) piece vanilla bean

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

Cooking spray

1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

1/2 cup chopped carrot

2 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup water

1/3 cup light coconut milk

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dough:

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup hot water

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

7 teaspoons peanut oil, divided

To prepare marmalade:

Place pine nuts in a saucepan over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until fragrant and golden, stirring often. Add plum, shallots, olive oil, butter, tomatoes, and garlic; bring to a simmer, and cook 30 minutes, stirring often. Stir in sugar, harissa, thyme, and vanilla bean. Simmer 20 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Discard thyme sprig and vanilla bean; stir in basil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

To prepare filling:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and potatoes to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Reduce heat to low. Add carrot, curry paste, and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup water and coconut milk; bring to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates and potatoes are tender. Stir in lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a bowl; cool. Partially mash potato mixture with a fork.

To prepare dough:

Combine turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 30 seconds or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Transfer to a plate; cool.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, toasted spices, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a food processor; pulse to combine. Combine 1/4 cup hot water, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a bowl. Add the hot water mixture through food chute with food processor on, and process until dough forms a ball. Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.

Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), roll on a lightly floured surface to a 4-inch circle. Place 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each dough circle. Moisten edges of dough with water; fold dough over filling to make a half moon. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining 11 dough portions and filling to form 12 samosas.

Heat 2 teaspoons peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 6 samosas to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook 3 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 teaspoons peanut oil and remaining 6 samosas. Serve with Plum and Tomato Marmalade.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 samosa and about 2 tablespoons marmalade)

Nutritional Information

Calories 161 (29% from fat); Fat 5.2g (sat 1.3g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.5g); Protein 3.2g; Carbohydrate 26.3g; Fiber 2.1g; Cholesterol 1mg; Iron 1.3mg; Sodium 255mg; Calcium 14mg

Marcus Samuelsson, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2008

Ethiopian Monolithic Churches

2008-11-24T10:58:00.005-06:00

I was thinking this morning that Maggie and I have embarked ourselves upon a journey. The path upon which we're traveling is oriented toward the eventual adoption of our youngest child from Ethiopia. As a result, I thought a post about some of the sights in Ethiopia might be appropriate to describe. In this post, I'll highlight one of the (little known) wonders of the world.

I'd like to introduce you to Lalibela, a holy city of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and a pilgrimage site for centuries. It lies in the north of Ethiopia and the eleven churches there are regarded as one of the wonders of the world. They are all excavated -literally carved- right out of the bedrock. Carved into the solid rock, they are an immense maze of underground tunnels and passageways.

Ethiopian tradition says that they were carved in one night by angels. The legend goes that King Lalibela (the Ethiopian monarch in the late 12th to early 13th centuries A.D.) was carried off one night to the heavenly Jerusalem. There he was instructed to build the churches and that angels worked beside each men as they cut each one from the rock.

Some scholars, noting that the style of the Lalibela churches closely matches the architecture of ancient Aksum (the capital during Ethiopia's "golden years" of the 1st to 10th centuries) believe the churches are actually older than that- that some may in fact be converted palaces.
In any case, after King Lalibela's death, the city began to draw thousands of pilgrims coming to see the "new Jerusalem." The people of Ethiopia have a saying about Lalibela that goes like this: "If you do not wish to see Lalibela, you are like someone who has no desire to see the face of Christ."

Ethiopian Tastes

2008-11-22T17:44:00.007-06:00

I was so excited to discover that my latest issue of Cooking Light (Dec 2008) had an article entitled "Ethiopian Tastes." I wanted to share a few of the recipes found in it with everyone so they can get a sample of Ethiopian cuisine.

The first recipe I wanted to share was for Injera which I have been told is very difficult to make and often the ingredients are nonexistent in areas like the rural Mid-West. So with that in mind I will be trying this recipe first since it is not a traditional recipe but rather, it is one that has easily found ingredients and a short prep time (no long fermentation period).

Teff Injera Bread with Carrot-Ginger Chutney

A traditional injera batter may ferment for days, but this streamlined version comes together quickly. Yogurt adds sourness, while the club soda creates bubbles for a lighter batter. To use the same amount of whole wheat flour in place of teff flour, add 1/2 cup water to the batter; the characteristic tangy flavor may be subdued.

Chutney:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled carrot (4 medium)

3/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 3 large)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 (3 x 1/2-inch) julienne-cut strips peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon butter

4 cardamom pods, bruised

2 thyme sprigs

2 cups organic vegetable brother

1/2 teaspoon salt

Injera:

9 ounces teff whole-grain flour (about 2 cups)

4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups club soda

3/4 cup plain yogurt

cooking spray

To prepare chutney:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, shallots, garlic and ginger to pan. Reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar, honey, butter, cardamom and thyme; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until carrot is tender and liquid almost evaporates. Discard thyme sprigs and ginger. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt; cool.

To prepare injera:

Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine club soda and yogurt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smoot. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture; stir with a whisk until smooth

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Pour about 1/3 cup batter per flatbread onto pan in a spiral, starting at the center; cook 20 seconds. Cover the pan; cook an additional 40 seconds or just until set. Transfer to a plate, and cover with a cloth to keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining cooking spray and batter, wiping the pan dry with a paper towel between flatbreads. Serve flatbreads with chutney. Yield: 14 servings (serving size: 1 flatbread and 2 tablespoons chutney).

Nutritional Information:

Calories 171 (20% from fat); Fat 3.8g (sat 1.1g, mono 1.8g, poly 0.3g); Protein 4.2g; Carbs 30.5g; Fiber 3.8g; Chol 4mg; Iron 2mg; Sodium 520mg; Calc 70mg.

ENJOY!!!

Dealing with others

2008-11-20T14:39:00.002-06:00

When does one finally come to terms with adoption? For parents, when did you realize that this is where God was calling you – calling you to have a child that is not your flesh and blood child – and then you realize that there really is no difference between that child and your other children?

Someone who I attend class with asked me the other day why we were doing an international adoption. I don’t recall my exact response but I do recall them asking the follow up question of “well, its not really your child, so how could you know what is best of them?” From talking with this person before (this is the same person that has started referring to me as Angelina Jolie – apparently she adopted from Ethiopia), anyway, I have come to discover that my classmate somehow think it is wrong for Americans to go overseas and "take" children – to this person it is something not far from kidnapping. Now, I can’t say that I understand this sentiment but it is not the first time I have heard it expressed either.

Just because I am not adopting a blue-eyed, blond-haired child does not change the way I already feel about my child. This concept has been very difficult for my classmate to understand, much less accept it. He does not have children of his own and according to him had a very nasty divorce from his wife and other things have happened in his life that may have cause his outlook on life to be a bit cynical. That being said – how does one deal with others who don’t view your child (your adopted child) as your own child?

I already view the child that God has planned for us in Ethiopia as my child. I refer to this baby (whether he or she has been conceived yet) as our child. I don’t see the difference…it seems to me that this is just another form of pregnancy. We simply found out we were expecting earlier than a pregnancy takes. I am experiencing the same sorts of conflicting emotions and the fear that comes with the unknown. In the case of our adoption – fear for my child’s safety (no different than fear for a child I carry), fear for the future and being able to provide for the child and be the best parent that that child needs (no different than fearing for a biological child you are going to raise from their birth on), conflicting emotions over whether or not I am doing the right things (no different than wondering if eating this extra piece of cake is the right thing for my body now that I am carrying a baby)…. those sorts of things. It really is no different in my eye, so how can I convince others of that and help them to see that God has already given me a child to care for, love and worry over?

Struggling with God's many callings

2008-11-19T12:53:00.000-06:00

So, the last week has been a real struggle for me to do what is required of me right now. I am continually drawn to be “doing something” for the adoption. I feel as if that is where I am, that is where God has called me . . . but that is not where I am yet and even though it is where God has called me to go, it is not where I have been called to go immediately. I am finding it very difficult to understand that I have also been called to be a student at the moment and that that is an important job – one in which God has called me to complete. I feel this need to abandon my current callings and just leap head first into this adoption calling. Matthew has been a real strength but it is hard to go to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I miss my children and feel this unbelievable urge to go home and hug them, kiss them, play and read with them and tug them in at night!

I have an exam tomorrow in my NeoClassical and Romantic Art History course and I have been unable to study for it. I continue to think that I can sneak off to the computer and work on our narratives for our home study or start collecting some of the paperwork needed for our dossier. All the while, I know in my heart and in my head that this is not what I am being called to do at the moment. How does one find balance? I have been praying constantly and have asked almost everyone I know to be praying for me but I am continuing to struggle with this and it is not getting any easier. Please, continue to pray for us and for God’s continued strength and support!

The Orphan's Cry: "Abba, Father!"

2008-11-17T14:47:00.004-06:00

When I was a youngster, I used to love to sit down at the piano and play and sing a song by Steve Fry called "Abba Father." (O.K., I still love to sit the song, but that's not germane to my point!) It's a song that takes up Jesus' cry of "Abba, Father" in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of His betrayal. Over the last couple weeks as Maggie and I have been starting to pursue our hope of adopting a child from Ethiopia, I have been greatly encouraged by this Word of our Lord. When Jesus used it, when He addressed His Father (and our Father) on that terrible night, He was crying out for deliverance.

Yet, even though Jesus was clearly and understandably frightened and trembling at the prospect of being crucified for us, still I don't believe this was Jesus primarily crying out for Himself. It was not simply His humanity crying out for deliverance from suffering. Rather, I believe it was His cry of deliverance for you, for me, for all the orphans in this world needing adoption by the Father.

The key, for me, is the context in which Jesus prays this impassioned prayer, this impassioned cry for deliverance. "Abba, Father" is what Jesus cried out, as I said before, in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed. It was the beginning of that three-days work which would culminate with the cross and the empty tomb. Listen to how Mark tells us in His Gospel: "And going a little farther, [Jesus] fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. YET NOW WHAT I WILL, BUT WHAT YOU WILL" (Mark 14:35-36, emphasis mine).

Notice how Jesus is not primarily praying for Himself. Even though He was "sorrowful even unto death" (v.34)... even though Jesus WAS praying that God would determine a different way and obviate the need for His own terrible suffering and death... even still (and above all), Jesus was praying for US: He was praying for the removal of the cup of his Father's wrath against our sin. He was praying for our deliverance, that God would take pity on us poor unworthy orphans and adopt as His own sons, worthy of (and heirs of) eternal life. It's a truth we see confirmed by Jesus' humble submission to His Father's will when He drank every last drop in order to deliver us from what we justly deserved.

Good News for Us
"Abba, Father" is also a prayer that God the Father answered. Oh, He didn't answer it in maybe the way that we would have expected; but He answered it in the way that was the best for us. God HAS granted us deliverance. God the Father sent Jesus Christ to the cross in order to answer the cry of Jesus' heart- His desire that we be redeemed from our sin and damnation. The Father enabled His Son to humbly submit to the cross and that, in turn, has resulted in an indescribably good gift to us: the gift of sonship through adoption. St. Paul writes in Galatians 4 that "when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE ADOPTION AS SONS. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "ABBA! FATHER!" (vv. 4-6, emphasis mine).

Jesus submitted to His Father's Will "for the joy that was set before him" (Heb. 12:2). And because Jesus did that, because Jesus went to the cross for us and earned us adoption into the Father's family... again, because we are now adopted as the Father's sons, we also now have the right to pray that same prayer Jesus prayed. We now have the right to address the Holy God of Hosts as Father, as "Abba, Father" knowing that, because of Christ, God is our true Father and we are His true children" (Martin Luther, Small Catechism, Lord's Prayer Introduction).

How Should We Respond to God's Great Gift?

There are many different ways and avenues through which God moves His people to respond to the Gospel. For Maggie and I, we believe that God is answering our cry of "Abba, Father!" by leading us to James 1: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction" (v.27a).

Some people are moved by the love of Christ to sing at nursing homes (as one dear departed friend of mine was moved to do for many years). Others are moved to volunteer at the local food pantry. Others are moved to provide a place of home and shelter for abused women. Finally, others are called to "visit orphans"; that is, to provide a home for those who have no home, to provide a family to those who have lost their family, to bring the adoptive love of God to someone needing the Father's love.

In sum, we believe that our family is missing someone- that God has given us a family full of love, love which is overflowing. As the Father has loved us, so He is calling us to love others: in particular, to love one little child who (perhaps not even born yet) has no father, who has no mother. How do we know this? I don't know; we just do; God works in mysterious ways (see John 13:7). He is calling us through the Word. We know that God has adopted us, and that when pray "Abba, Father!" that God is answering our cry. To God alone be glory, Amen.

Applications!

2008-11-15T16:31:00.001-06:00

Both of our applications go out in the mail on Monday. All I have to say is: Yay for being done with application paperwork and bring the rest on!
It is exciting to think we are one step closer to our child with the completion of the applications. Now comes the waiting to see if we are approved by the agencies and then the home study...but I get ahead of myself. I am just going to enjoy this small accomplishment before I move on to the next one. Glory be to God!

An Inter-racial Family

2008-11-14T10:42:00.003-06:00

I just read a post on a Yahoo.group that totally remind me of where I was just a few weeks ago...before we told my family about our decision. The post was on starting an interracial family in the rural midwest where the population is 99% caucasian. I must admitt that I struggled with this idea for a while but then I talked with a friend of mine whose family had adopted two children, one from China and the other from Sierre Leone. With her help and along with lots of prayer I came to the following conclusion:

We are drawn to Ethiopia for a reason and I believe that reason is to help a child. Would we be happy just with our three boys? Yes, we would be happy just having our three boys but we feel that our family is missing someone and that we are being called to help a child in need. We feel that a lot of people out there are helping children here in the United States and a lot are helping children from Europe and Asia but there seems to be a need for people willing to adopt from Africa. Ethiopia's culture is an amazing one and the people there are truly beautiful. I try to keep that in mind when people look at me and say "why a black child"? We already love our child and have yet to complete our home study! That is what I need to keep in mind. The minute people see our child they will not see his/her color. I truly believe that people are good and will get past their prejudices if they are given the chance. If they don't that is their own fault and I will avoid them or ignore them -- which will be hard but all I need to do is remember that my child looks like me. MY child will have two eyes, a nose, ears, a mouth...all the features I have. MY child will also have skin, just like me, who cares what the color of that skin is...it does not change how I feel or my ability to love and care for your child!

God would not be leading me here if it was not where I was suppose to go.

To the women I respond to...I pray that all goes well for you and your family should you chose to adopt from Ethiopia!

Being patient

2008-11-13T14:07:00.001-06:00

Being patient is so hard. I really want my case worker to get back to me about the questions I had so that I can send our application in. I know that he said he would not be able to answer them on Tuesday but it is now Thursday. What's the deal! It is so hard to know that you are being let somewhere but that the process is dependent about SO many others who don't share your unique enthusiasm about the opportunity. How do others deal with this? It is hard to think that we have just begun and that there is only 1 1/2 to 2 years more ahead of us!

Applications

2008-11-11T14:29:00.001-06:00

By the end of this week it will be official. We will have sent in our application to our home study agency along with all the other mountains of paperwork we were given! We have yet to complete our application to our placing agency. My husband and I are very excited. We have yet to tell our children but we want to wait until we are sure that our applications are excepted. When have others told their children about a possible (adopted) sibling ? We are new to this and it is just so exciting! I know that that excitement will wear off but I just want to enjoy the positive moments because I know that there will be some rough times ahead. However, with the help of God – who is leading us to Ethiopia – we can do all things!