Introducing our son Moses Greenup

We heard from our caseworker today that our court date did in fact go through. Moses is now officially our son. (We now wait for the US embassy to do their thing...so probably 8 to 10 weeks before we get to bring him home).

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These are some of the pictures we received from October through December. 

                                     

This smile so encouraged our hearts during the months of waiting

This picture gets me teary eyed every time I look at it. I just see him reaching out his hand and long to be there, hold him, care for him, serve him, and bring him home.

The Lessons of Waiting

While I do not usually blog much( Dustin writes most of it), many things have been mulling around my brain since our return from Ethiopia that I think need to be shared and hopefully can be of some help to others going through similar situations.

                      Our second court date was yesterday- and it did NOT pass again.

First of all- there is a chance that we may never get to bring Moses home at all.  I do not mean to alarm anyone with this news or to raise flags.  It is an inkling into what I perceive may be happening to adoptions in Ethiopia and especially our situation.  We still don't know if our MOWA letter will ever be completed and unfortunately, there is no way to know or to 'encourage' those who have the power right now over our case  This realization has been very heavy on my heart to say the least and I have been wrestling with God over the 'what ifs' and 'whys' of the whole situation.  What I do know right now is that God is challenging me to ask myself, "Will I still believe in his goodness and sovereignty if this does not go through and we lose our precious baby boy?"

Even if we do get to bring Moses home, my heart is wrenching over those lost 4 or 5 months that I did not get to feed him his bottle, or change his diapers, or play with his little toes on my cheeks as we coo to one another.  This 'waiting' on the Lord is gut wrenching  to say the least. 

And it is now that the Lord has chosen to teach me an even more deeper application into what He meant in Philippians chapter 4.  You know- those verses everyone memorizes and can quote off the top of their heads.  Verse 6- Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God.  If I give God my anger, my longing, my frustration, over to God and thank Him  in prayer and supplication for even planning this as a part of my life, then it goes on to tell me that 'the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.'  And boy does my throbbing heart and worried mind need guarding right now as I contemplate the worst case scenario- that of losing my precious Moses whom I've rocked in my arms, fed with my hands,  kissed with my lips, and breathed in his smell with my breath.  The Lord has once again brought me to a place of intense utter dependence upon him for strength and hope.

I am at a loss. I can do nothing to help the situation.  God took all my 'efforts' and said to me, "Trust in me- for I am all you have and then, Heidi, you will see just how much you truely do have abundantly."   

In faith I believe that God can move in the heart of one MOWA worker to get our letter done when it is time for Moses to join us.  In faith, I am now learning what waiting on the Lord means in all circumstances.  In faith, I get up each morning asking God to give me his peace and hope that His will be done in my life and in Moses' life.  I wait.  .   .   .   . silently.   .   .    .    .   sometimes crying.   .   .    sometimes thoughtful about how God is working right now.   And when I am feeling the most powerless, then I am supported in the strength of the most powerful, all knowing, all seeing, all loving Lord of the universe.   .   .   .   .   and I am comforted.   

Fellowship in Soddo, Ethiopia

On the Sunday evening of our trip to Soddo, Ethiopia...we gathered with the other believers for a time of worship and fellowship. 

That night I was very thankful for technology. There were about 16 of us gathered together and one of the gals loaded up her Ipod and started playing some worship music we could sing together. Salty tears welled in my eyes and puddled in my lap before the 1st song was over. Corporate worship is such a treasure. Worshiping with our fellow brothers and sisters who were on the mission field. The majority of these people were serving at the Soddo Christian Hospital, either on a short-term basis (a few months) or a longer term basis (few years). 

The majority of this group was nurses, surgeons, and others in the medical related fields. Being part businessman, I am quickly calculating the income that this group of people could have been making had their time been solely in the States. Collectively these people could be making several millions of dollars each year. Yet, they had taken up the call to GO, to be workers in the field. 

After we spent some time singing together the group there had been watching David Platt's dvd series on Galatians. This was wonderful for several reasons.

1. It was great to hear that the Church at Brook Hills was generous enough to send them their video's and series as a source of encouragement and edification to these servants of the Lord serving in Soddo.

2. One of the other couples who were in Addis the same time we were for the adoption court hearing was from the Church at Brook Hills. I know they will be overjoyed to hear about this connection.

3. David Platt's sermon was on the end of chapter 3 of Galatians and the beginning of chapter 4, which is completely about God adopting His children.

It was extremely timely and God used this as a great source of encouragement for us. We then prayed and had a filling time of worship in fellowship, song and the Word proclaimed. 

Most of these people we only had a few hours with, but it was such a pleasure to see their joy in the Lord, their thankfulness to be a part of God's work in Soddo, and hearts desiring to love the Lord and those the Lord sovereignly put into their care each and every day.

We are back

Well, first night back I got a great night sleep and the next day had no issues of jet lag, so I thought it wasn't going to affect me. Well, it is 1:40 am and I am wide awake. We will see what today holds.

The travel back to Spokane is kind of a blur, but we are so thankful to be back, and were overjoyed to see Ezra, Olivia and Camille at the airport waiting for us, hounding us and bear hugging us as we came out of the gate. 10 days was a long time to be gone from the kiddo's...but we tried as hard as we could to shepherd their little hearts in understanding what we were doing in Ethiopia and why we were doing it.

There is so much to say and write about, especially regarding our 4 day trip to southern Ethiopia. Between intestinal bugs, time with the kids, and getting back into the grind of real estate, I haven't really had time to write much, so over the course of the next few weeks, I will try to do so.