A Blur of Tears and Blessing

Hey~
Today marks four weeks since we failed court and were not able to travel to bring Micah David home. As the title intimates, its been a blur for us. We have shed many tears, screamed many "whys" and begged for answers. We have also found smiles, joys, and blessings in this hardship.

Today, it has become so clear to us this journey is not as we expected it, it has become so much more.

We began this journey with desires centering on us, our family, our desires, our dreams. We have come to a place of "otherness" where our desires center others, on Micah David, on the older children at the transitional home, on our dear brothers and sisters who are also waiting on their children.

We thank God each day for the gift of adoption, for the joys and, yes, for the sorrows that it has brought into our lives. Never have I felt so many ups and downs. And yet, never have I felt so surrounded by the love of God and others. Our hearts are so strongly united to those we have not and may never meet in person but who understand the unique blessing and calling that this journey is.

Thank you to all my dear friends who have taught me what faith, friendship, and hope mean. Sherry, Becky, Holly, Bethany, Patty, Kari, and so many others who have made this experience so much more.

To My Micah

Sweet baby man,

How can I begin to tell you what you have meant in my life over the past years. You begun as a whisper in my heart that grew louder and louder. " I felt God tugging me towards you, not knowing who you were but that you WERE.

This has been the longest, most exhausting journey of my life. I am at times overjoyed, at times broken at the empty space in my arms, the lack in my home, the longing in my soul for you. Do you dream of me the way I dream of you? Do you hear my voice in every breath the way I hear yours? 

This December has been so long, so loud because of the silence. The voices that fill this house are lacking in one, a silent child who fills each corner and yet none. Our heavenly Father sees all of your smiles, takes snapshots in HIS book. I cannot wipe your tears, but your Great Daddy places each in His bottle. 

Micah, I have shed my skin for you, the skin of pride and faithlessnes, the skin of sorrow for a skin of hope. I am becomming a new heart, full of faith and a willingness to follow a God who has led me down a winding and beautiful path. Each night, I raise my hands and plead for you, not just for you to come home, but for your spirit to LONG for us as we long for you. For your hear to long for your Lord as our hearts do. 

The blessings, my dear son, are in the pain. The joy, sweet angel, is in the sorrow. That we will see your life SAVED in true, physical form is more than a blessing. This is the hope we all long for and dream of, our lives saved by His grace. A God who tied a string to the heart of a mother in Pennsylvania to the heart of a starving child in Ethiopia. This cord will never snap, dear son, for it has been knotted by God with a bow of everlasting love.

You are a miracle child and you have changed us all.  

Court Tomorrow for 3 Families

Hey All~
The following families have court over the next few days. I long to be with them but know it's not our time yet.

The Sapp Family
The Taylor Family
The Violette Family

Please PRAY EARNESTLY for these families to pass court so that they can travel to pick up their kiddos. They are all adopting older children, children who have been waiting for Mommy and Daddy for a long time.

I love you three!
Kim

Photos, News, I HEART THE BURKS!!!

My wonderful friends, Becky and Michael Burk returned from ET yesterday and have SO MANY pictures of Micah. Honestly, I bet there are at least 50 photos of Micah! We are so blessed to have them as friends and for them to have held and kissed our son in Ethiopia. 

Micah David looks perfect. He's filling out and looking too cute with very curly clown hair. He's even wearing the outfit we sent in his first care package in a few of the photos and boy does he look great in blue!

There are a few pictures of Micah and their son Ezra, too cute! They are going to be best buds, I'm sure of it. In one photo Michael is holding both babies, looking quite comfortable with two. He really loved Micah and held him for much of the day. Thanks Michael! 

The best photos are of Becky and Micah outside where Micah is just smiling away. She took him out of the house, where its dark and kids and nannies are everywhere to get some alone time with him. He opened up and just became the happiest, most responsive little guy. 

Thanks girlie! I adore you!

Kim

Merry Christmas from the Kulp House

Enjoy! Excuse the bottom half, the kid really hates wearing pants! Devon called his daddy (in the same room, hense the echo) and sang him a Christmas Carol. Merry Christmas! We love you!

GREAT NEWS!!!

So, as I was typing my email below, Becky Burk posted a HUGE entry that included much about Micah and his case. Let me tell you, we owe that girl a major "thank you" and more than a few hugs.
First, the paperwork!! "While we were at lunch I asked Duni about E*** (the orphanage that messed up our paperwork) and the Kulp's and Semlow's court cases. She told me that she actually sent some America World staff down to Awassa and they are staying there to go through all of the paperwork with the orphanage to make sure that they have everything done properly by court! I know this bit of info put my heart at ease and I hope it does the same for you guys. I stressed Kim and Sherrie just how devastated you guys were and she is WELL aware that this is unacceptable. I know she felt terrible already but I really make it a point to say how devastating it is to know that failed court can add 3 months onto a wait time."
So, it sounds like there is staff IN AWASSA until the problems are fixed. HOORAY!!! I feel really confident that we will pass on January 20th.

Second, Micah's Weight (yes, my girl put him on a scale! I LOVE her!):
"Kim, I weighed Micah and he weighs *** kilograms so what ever *** X 2.2 = is his weight."

I can't post his actual weight, however, I can tell you HE's AN OFFICIAL CHUB! He's also officially on the charts! Keep eating little man. We LOVE fat babies!

Third, and best for my heart: "We kept Micah with us as much as possible. He actually cried when Michael put him down b/c we had to leave ;0) We would get quick little smiles out of him but once you show him the camera he would get serious again and stop smiling. So I think it's a camera thing and not a personality thing. Granted he wasn't giggling, he would still smile. He doesn't seem to have changed much physically (meaning since our last round of photos). I played him your card with the message but will have to take pics of him in his Christmas outfit tomorrow b/c we ran out of time. He is held often by the nannies (he and Ezra have the same main nanny."

Just to know that my dear friends held Micah all day warms my heart so much. I dearly love the Burks and can't wait for Ezra and Micah to be great friends!

So, now I must go and try to get work done after all of this great news. I felt great joy for the Burks earlier today and now feel great joy BECAUSE of them. What good friends.!

Joy Joy Joy for the BURKS!!!

All~
I awoke today with such joy in my heart. My dear friends, Becky and Michael Burk have held their son Ezra in Ethiopia! While I long to have been there to see this moment, I am so thankful to the Lord for them.

I remember the first time I held our first born, Devon. I felt such unspeakable joy. To know that they have FINALLY felt this same joy after years and years of waiting (just like us) brings tears of joy, thanksgiving, and blessing to my eyes. Our God has moved mountains for them and their sweet son, Ezra. What an amazing story of hope, love, and JOY!

Congratulations Burks! You are so loved!


Kim