Reunited and it feels so good!

As I sit here typing listening to some type of Amharic religious chanting to the orchestra of dogs and chickens I am reminded how far from home I am. After 20 or so hours of flying I arrived at my guest house at 10pm Ethiopia time. Thankfully I was able to transition to their time fairly well and woke up this morning ready to see N.

It is hard to describe what it felt like coming back after almost a month had passed and yet once I stepped out of the van it was just like I had been there yesterday. I felt at such peace having him in my arms again and he was just right there holding my hand and chomping on his gum. Today he spent most of the day asking me "What you call this". He seems to have picked up even more English and is eager to learn more. For lunch we went together with a few other adoptive families for burgers and N discovered the hand dryer, be was amazed. I'm looking forward to all the firsts this little boy will have. Oh, and have I mentioned that this kid has some skills with a ball!

Tomorrow I will head back to the transition home and then N will come back with me to the Guest House. He is an Orphan No More!!!!!

Up, up and away

I had this awesome blog post about traveling and something about my family and Ethiopia and some sappy stuff, but apparently my iPad wont save things when it is in airplane mode so now I have nothing but the title (I remember that part)

So, a brief update before I board the next plane as I sit on the floor outside the United Club so I can scam in on their free wifi.

Apparently trying to prepare the house for another child and at the same time prepare my family for me being gone for the next few weeks has me a little (Ok-a lot) cranky and dumb. I did accomplish a bunch and my freezer is full of 12 meals too! I may have to blog about that one as well for anyone who may be traveling soon and want ideas.

Anyway (see scatterbrained), this is suppose to be about my flight so....

I flew 3 hours from STL to Houston and have been enjoying my 5 hour lay over mostly by searching for wifi and people watching. (seriously ladies- I love high heels as much as you do but your in an airport....hello comfort!) Next I will be flying for 9 hours to Frankfurt, have a 2 hour lay over and then fly 8 hours to Addis to land about 9pm their time.

Then Tuesday morning I will head over to the transition home and be reunited with N. My head is full of thoughts and concerns and worry about our transition time and being alone half way across the world with a child who speaks very little English with spotty electricity and possibly no Internet or phone access. Kind of like the feeling you get when you first give birth to a baby and the nurses are there to help you and show you what to do and then they leave and you are left alone with this sweet baby who you love and adore but are scared to death your gonna screw them up. Yep, that's kinda how I feel.

Pray for continued courage for me and strength to meet all his needs. Pray for Gene as he will be a single father for a while with 3 kids while trying to take care of the house and work and for the kids that they know I will be back and not miss me too much (a little missing is ok!)

As we are coming to the homestretch to bring N home I am in tears at the kindness that we have seen form so many of you. It is so very hard to put into words just how grateful we are and how loved our family feels.

This isn't the amazing blog post written in the sky but I think it does the job. Gotta stop so I don't miss the next plane. Love you all,

-Amanda

Our total this week and an incentive you dont want to miss!!!!

This week we have been actively asking you to join along side us in prayer and financial support to bring this sweet boy home. The time is close for Amanda to head to Ethiopia to be with him until he clears Embassy. We wanted to thank each of you that has personally helped us along in this journey thus far.

 

We have seen some amazing things this week. Here is how God has shown up big: The insurance company working with us finally agreed on all the repairs to our electrical problems from the lightning (I have a working dishwasher again !!!!), another insurance company over-changed us so we received a small check from them, the school shared they are going to move all the employees up on the pay scale this up coming year, Gene was given an award which came with a small check, our son is in good health and his hand is healing, friends and families have given encouraging words and prayers and seeing all the financial support you have given us! So without further rambling (I never do that!)

$900! That is awesome!!!! We are blow away at the generosity!!! Amanda Leave's on SUNDAY for her stay in Ethiopia to help N adjust so we only have a few days left to fundraise. We are about $600 short of our goal. So if you feel led to donate check out the instructions below...  

As incentive the next four donations Amanda will bring you back a mini Ethiopian Basket made from the women at the Fistula Hospital. It’s a two-for-one: you get to help bring an Orphan home and a woman thrives!!!

 

To donate click on the PayPal link on the top Right of this blog! If you would like to make a tax deductible donation you can donate using our Adoption Agency America World Eternal Family Program  Link. Make sure to put our name The Collins Family in the notes section.  Or you can e-mail us for our address at collinstg@gmail.com.  We would appreciate your willingness to share this with others who may want to participate.

Thank you for coming along side us on this journey.

 We could not have done it with out you!!!

In case you would like to watch: Here is our story...

  

Check out the new total and an awesome incentive !!!!

This week we have been actively asking you to join along side us in prayer and financial support to bring this sweet boy home. The time is close for Amanda to head to Ethiopia to be with him until he clears Embassy. We wanted to thank each of you that has personally helped us along in this journey thus far.

 

We have seen some amazing things this week. Here is how God has shown up big: The insurance company working with us finally agreed on all the repairs to our electrical problems from the lightning (I have a working dishwasher again !!!!), another insurance company over-changed us so we received a small check from them, the school shared they are going to move all the employees up on the pay scale this up coming year, Gene was given an award which came with a small check, our son is in good health and his hand is healing, friends and families have given encouraging words and prayers and seeing all the financial support you have given us! So without further rambling (I never do that!)

 

This week the total so far is.......

                              (Drum roll please)

 

$900! That is awesome!!!! We are blow away at the generosity!!! Amanda Leave's on SUNDAY for her stay in Ethiopia to help N adjust so we only have a few days left to fundraise. We are about $600 short of our goal. So if you feel led to donate check out the instructions below...  

 

As incentive the next four donations Amanda will bring you back a mini Ethiopian Basket made from the women at the Fistula Hospital.

It’s a two-for-one: you get to help bring an Orphan home and a woman thrives!!!

 

To donate click on the PayPal link on the top Right of this blog!

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation you can donate using our Adoption Agency America World Eternal Family Program  Link, just make sure to put our name The Collins Family in the notes section.

 Or you can e-mail us for our address at collinstg@gmail.com

   We would appreciate your willingness to share this with others who may want to participate.

 

Thank you for coming along side us on this journey. We could not have done it

with out you!!!

 

 

 

 

If you would like to see our Story...

 

 

 

Submitted to Embassy!!!!

We were told on Wednesday that we were submitted to Embassy! That means now the US Embassy is going to review our adoption paperwork. This part of the process usually takes 1-3 weeks, depending on if they choose to interview Nati's Aunt. After that we get the all clear and two days later his Visa then head home!!! By mid August we should hopefully be our full family of 6 all together!

Our fundraiser is going strong, we are now at $880!!!!! Can I just say ya'll amaze me with your giving spirit. It is absolutely amazing to see everyone coming out and supporting us. We are over half way to meeting our goal! It is just a few more days until I leave, so keep encouraging others to donate and spreading our video as well.

My days of waiting to return to Ethiopia have been full of preparing and getting things ready. I am enjoying my time home and had my first real week of summer vacation last week. But, a strong part of me aches to go back to Ethiopia, to see our son and visit with the people of his birth country.

It has also been a joy to create Nati's room. it combines things that Jacob and Saria outgrew, along with things given from family and friends, his own pictures and items form his birth country. Want to see? Well, Here is a peak!

Latest Update on Our jouney (in Video) and an Announcement!

I have been so busy getting things ready to leave I forgot to update our blog. We heard from our agency earlier this week and our little has fractured his hand. it broke our hearts to know that we were not there to help comfort him but know that in exactly 9 days from now I will be in Ethiopia and have that sweet little guy in my arms!

So back to our current fundraising totals!

 

As of today we are now up to $660 !!!!

 Our goal is $1,500 to help pay for part of his flight home and agency fees.

 

Check our the video below if you have not seen it yet and remember you can

donate through PAYPAL

Or you can e-mail us at collinstg@gmail.com for our address to send a check.

Thank you for every amount that is raised, your encouragement and your prayers!

 

 

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Gene and I wanted to share with you our journey to Nati and ask you to partner with us to bring him home. He is such an awesome kid and we are so excited to call him our youngest son!

Amanda will leave on July 28th and stay with Nati in Ethiopia until he is cleared by the US Embassy (the last step) to come home which we think will be early/mid August) . We feel this will help him to transition from his birth country to America and we will continue to respect and share his culture with him. This is a big step of faith but we know it is what is best for Nati.

Will you join us in bringing him home?


Click on the Donate Button on the top right of this Blog to use PAYPAL
Or you can e-mail us at collinstg@gmail.com for our address to send a check.

If you would like a tax-deductible letter you can make a contribution at  https://www.awaa.org/forms/payment.aspx and in the "Notes" section write:
THE COLLINS FAMILY ETERNAL FUND

Thank you for every amount that is raised!

first dates and missing someone

Our oldest daughter, S, turned 14 yesterday. Can not believe she is growing up so fast! Gene took her out on a Father/Daughter date night and talked about life in general and then gave her a special necklace. Today her and I had a fun filled teen day together with her BF! She is such a energetic and motivated lady, I know with focus she will do amazing things in this world and I cant wait to see what they are!

We also got an update of N from another family.

             Melts . my . heart !

In other news.....

 

TOMORROW is the big VIDEO DAY!!!

 

 We can not wait to share with you our story. Come check it out tomorrow morning and see the journey unfold and hear our request!

 

Photos of Addis Ababa

The past two weeks I have shown various parts of Ethiopia. I want to make sure not to focus just on the poverty but also on the beauty and the people. I hope these pictures will show a little bit of what we saw each day.

 [On a side note- Gene and I had a competition over who could take better pictures of everyday life in Addis- I have to say many of these pictures Gene took- apparently he is a better photographer than I (insert groan from the looser) ]

Every morning when I woke up at 5am this woman next to the guest house was already up and cleaning for the day. I noticed these women are such hard workers and take so much care for their families.

Road construction outside the Yebsabi Guest House
 

How they do construction- no scaffolding, just some wood sticks.

 

 

Shoe shiners- in Addis the roads are muddy and dirty and shoes are very expensive and

so you will see shoe shiners on every street corner trying to make a living.

 

Street cleaners, Gene kept trying to get more pictures, they wear these really neat hats.

Sheep- aka dinner!

 

A woman selling roasted corn while feeding her baby.

These women are all over the city. We bought corn often and then gave it to one of the shoe cleaners or someone begging. The women stay out there from early morning until past dark, day after day hoping to be self sufficient.

A store front in Bole, where we stayed which is like the upper class shopping district.

Many of the clothes were really nice knock offs from Asia.

(I did refrain from shopping for a new outfit though!)

 

Two more shoe shiners, I can image this would have been our Nati...

 

The upscale downtown high rises by a round about.

 

 

Selling bundles of coal, one of the methods of cooking in ET.

 



Another woman selling corn and potatoes.

 

Unloading Coke bottles.

 

 

One of the girls by the post office stores (outside tourist shops) that was trying to sell gum.

 

An up close of some of the kids. Each one tries to sell you gum or asks for food. Whenever we had a chance we gave them food. Some have families and some do not. There is  a man with a big stick that tries to chase the kids off so they don't interfear with the stores business.

 

 Traffic.

There are no stop signs or lights, only round-a-bouts and a few

traffic policemen here and there.

 

 

 

 Children playing soccer

 

 

 

Women working at a construction site. EHE said this was

one of the better paying jobs for women.

 

An orthodox butcher. This is how all the meat is bought.

 

 

A home in Addis

What can I say???

- This Is Africa

 

These pictures remind me- I need Africa more than it needs Me.


And just a little plug---
Our next blog post will have VIDEO of us and a cutie pie!!!!

A little update, a few potos and some news!

 

It has been a little over a week since we hugged N.  Back home we are busy as always with the three kids and summer in full swing. But I find myself just staring off into space, thinking about our little boy and what he is doing. Now that we have met him, smelled him, held him, played together, saw him every day we were in Ethiopia and now we have no communication with him other than through other families. We can't just call him or ask him how his day was. It feels very strange and I don't think I like it very much. Are whole family misses him like crazy!



 

 

 

 

Thankfully  a few families from our agency are over in ET and they tell us

 that he has been out playing with the other kids, not as silly as he usually is but he is ok. And he wants more pictures of his family !

 

 

Our next steps in the adoption process are :

    -Our agency obtaining post court paperwork: court decree MOWCYA letter, birth  

      certificate, passport, medical exam  (3-5 weeks)

   -Get submitted to Embassy (this only happens on Wednesdays)

  -Embassy will review and hopefully approve the process (1-3 weeks)

 

 

We are working on something now that we hope if you have not joined us before we would love for you to be a part of. 

 

A Video Announcement is coming soon!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random Things I Love about Ethiopia

I am so close to being back on US time but the one thing that has stuck with my body is waking up at 5am. Not a bad thing I guess, it does mean I should be on time to more things in the morning (in theory anyway).

While I was laying in the bed this morning deciding if I was going to physically get up I started thinking of Africa and specifically Ethiopia kept rolling around in my head and thus the list was born. (Disclaimer: I have been to Malawi and South Africa as well and can say many of these same things exist there. Africa is an amazing country- go see it! )

 Random things I love (and miss) about Ethiopia

 

The smell - mix charcoal, coffee, burning wood, car exhaust and incense. Some days the air was a little heavy on the car exhaust and on those days I would have petitioned some major Cadillac converters.

 

 

 

 Coffee- seriously people, best coffee I have ever tasted!

 

 

 

 "ish" time- Africa as a whole has the "ish" time. We will leave at 7 (insert ish here) which could mean we could leave as early as 7 but more than likely 7:30 or possibly 8. At first it throws you off because you thing you are late but then you realize so is everyone else and after a few days its not so bad. For a perpetual late person like me, it actually turned out as a bonus for me :) You learn to relax way more!

 

 

 

 Bartering- other than restaurants you barter for most anything you buy on the street or in most stores. I had some wonderful ladies to shop with and man- we were good! (Shout out Erica and Michelle!)

 

 

 Amharic- the language of ET is beautiful. It is filled with rolling r's and changes in pitches. Their words are long and complex and are sweet on the ears.

 

 

 The spirit of the people- this one is hard to describe. The people are amazing, they have life inside them that penetrates through you. Again, this can be said for Africa as a whole. The people have such genuine happiness in the midst of hard times with such beautiful smiles and hearts to match.