Endemic Mammals of Ethiopia

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

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

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"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!"

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!

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

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

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

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!