Family

I have been struggling to write this post as I want to share with you the amazing way that God connects and creates families but I also want to respect our son's past as it his life to share.

Since learning that N has lost both his parents and has an Aunt that was part of his life we knew we had to arrange a way to meet her. We had the honor of meeting her in the city where she lives. We traveled two hours outside of Addis on the one paved road through amazing Ethiopian countryside. We saw the traditional round huts with thatched roofs as well as the more modern square huts. There were Hebesha (Ethiopian) farmers plowing the fields with oxen and young boys herding sheep and goat with bull whips. We saw many women and men walking down the road with packs on their backs and yellow water jugs in their arms. On the way we would drive by small towns that consisted of tin houses or the traditional houses and a few stores.

We arrived in Debra Brahan which was like a mini addis. It had one Main Street with all kinds of little shops in tin. Many people were walking and there were very few cars. We saw mostly donkey pulled carts similar to the carts you would see in China, only with donkeys to pull. Off the main road were dirt or stone streets that lead off to other buildings, houses or shops.

Our place to meet his aunt was at the Kids Care Orphanage Branch in Debra Brahan. We were told that N spent the first six months of his time in care here. While we waited for the aunt to arrive We met the incredible people who worked there and found out not only is it a small orphanage ( they have 11 children total) but also hosts a school, community outreach programs that include English and job skills as well as specific training programs. They partner with a Swiss humanitarian group and even had about 8 children that are sponsored because their family is not able to afford to send them to school.

Finally it was time, we set up the video camera and our guide introduced us. This lady is amazing. She was wearing the same scarf from the interview we had seen over two years ago. She thanked us for adopting N and then began to tell us some of his life story. Through our conversation it was apparent how much she loved him and how much she wanted him to have a family. There were tears on both sides and praises to each other and to God. About half way through the conversation she asked us to come to her home for a coffee ceremony and to meet her family. We were honored and accepted the request.

When the meeting was over and all our questions had been answered and blanks filled in as best as they could be, we left to go to her home. Be.still.my.heart!!!!!!! This kinds woman kissed all of us telling us we are family now. She walked hand in hand with Kellsie and stopped on the way to buy a special bread for her. We then walked down a rock alleyway that was about a quarter mile down hill. She invited us into her home and we sat down, right away she had a neighbor begin on the coffee ceremony. W have had a phenomenal guide/translator Ami who helped us communicate. His Aunt brought out photos, many of them were of her family but we did catch one with N's mom in it (she was a beautiful and tall woman). We then met her two children at home and she served us injera with shiro wat and performed the coffee ceremony. Kellsie and her daughter were given a special type of celebration bread for little children. She kept thanking us over and over and telling us "family". She gave Kellsie an Ethiopian scarf and me a family coffee pot. I have never received such a more meaningful gift then that. She told me again "now we are family, praise God, I ask for a good family and he have one".

Gene and I were so moved by her sweet spirit and kind words. We felt like the blessed ones to have such an amazing experience and see such love for N. I can now tell him we know he was loved and is still loved. I am honored to be called his mom and he will forever have a family that is spread across two continents but share the same boy. We will always strive to honor his birth country and his birth family, taking a little piece of them with us back home, because we are now...

FAMILY