the most precious gift

Dear Beautiful Young Ethiopian Woman,
I have not met you, I don't know your name and may never get to. All I know is that a sad reality will lead to you giving us the ultimate gift. I think about you everyday and pray for your heart,health and safety. I wonder about your life now. Are you pregnant with our child, or have you given birth? Do you have other children? Will our child have siblings in Ethiopia? Who is the father... are you in a loving relationship... is he still living? Are you scared,sick or hungry? How long will you be able to care for and love the precious one that connects us? I know that you will love the child with all that you are and have. What are the events leading up to you surrendering your child to the orphanage? I can only imagine the heartbreak you feel. I pray that you will feel comfort and a sense of peace about the future of your child, our child.
With all of our hearts, we will love this blessing of a child that you are going to share with us. As s/he grows we will nurture and love with all that God has given us. We will teach about their roots in Ethiopia and share our love for all of Africa. You will be a part of our lives and always in my heart. I will tell our child how you gave the gift of life... and how much I know you love them.
The feelings in my heart are beyond words. Please know that I am grateful for you and the child we are waiting for, as well as sorrowful because you will be losing so much as we are blessed with this child.
I wish with so much that I could spend time with you now, show you how much David and I already love this child, help you in someway, but most of all wrap my arms around you because I love you as a sister and for the gift you will be giving us. I put my faith in the Lord and pray that He will wrap His loving arms around you, protect you, and cover you in love.
We share something so special, the privilege of being a mother to the same child. I will be "mom" on the first day of school, David will teach our child to ride a bike, we will teach about the love of God, and we will be there when the child finds love and starts a family... but you will never be forgotten. You were mother in the beginning and gave life. We will honor you in any way we can by keeping the Ethiopian name you give as a middle name. We will celebrate Ethiopian traditions and be eternally thankful for the life and love you have given.
Mother to Mother,
Stacy

dreaming about our "Gotcha Day"

I came across this video on a blog and watching with tears of joy and anticipation. All of the videos I have seen are great but this one is really special because it is the same orphanage where we will get our child.
Watch and enjoy.

Evyn's Gotcha Day + Adoption story from emily Vogeltanz on Vimeo.

Go the distance.

Dear Sweet Child of mine,
You are living across the world and growing in my heart. 8390 miles is the distance between Colorado Springs and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I would go any distance to bring you home. What a blessing you are. God has destined you for our family...it is Providence . I can't wait to make the journey and embrace you in my arms and pour upon you the love bursting from my heart.
Loving you more each day, patiently waiting to meet you,
Your mother

Blogging makes me cry

So today I got a chance to catch up on some of the Ethiopian adoption blogs that I follow/stalk. God is doing amazing things. I love to track the progress of others and see them pass court, travel, or post video of their African beauty taking their first steps into their "forever home." It is also hard for me to submerge myself in it, I get anxious and my eyes fill with tears that drip onto my "expecting a special delivery from Africa" T-shirt. I know that everyone endures the long paperwork pregnancy and I need to be patient and content with the lessons God is teaching me right now. But, of course I want to bring my baby home now.
Isn't the Internet a crazy, scary, and wonderful thing? I feel I have a familial connection with people all around the world. The shared bond of Ethiopian adoption or adoption in general. I find it strange/awesome that in a google search I can find so many stories, similar to ours. I really want to meet up with some of these people. Praying for connections. Loving Africa more everyday. Baby, I am coming for you... this is providence!