A year ago today...

Psalm 118:24 - This is the day that The Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

A year ago today, we brought our precious Micai home :) 

A year ago today, so many friends & family stopped their lives to welcome us home with balloons, signs, tears, and lots of love as we walked into the Peoria airport with our new son. 

A year ago today, I had no idea how hard this would be. 

A year ago today, The Lord began to reveal to me that after 10 years of marriage & 2 biological children, I really had no idea at all how to love the way Christ calls me to...Biblically. 

A year ago today, I didn't know how much the past neglect, trauma, and damage would impact my 11 month old son. 

A year ago today, I had no idea that adoption was a process...a long one.

A year ago today, I was scared out of my mind. 

A year ago today, I didn't know how much sacrifice this would take. 

A year ago today, my son wasn't growing the way that he should. 

A year ago today, I began to see my DESPERATE need for Jesus on another level. 

A year ago today, I had no idea how The Lord would use an 11 month old baby to begin to redeem and restore the broken places in me. 

A year ago today, I could not soothe my son. He didn't want me. 

A year ago today, I didn't know a baby could scream & cry that loud and that long and that much. And I had a colicky baby before him. 

A year ago today, my adoption "dreams" shattered into reality. 

A year ago today, I carried an 11 month old baby who had no idea how to support himself while being carried & held by someone.  He never really had. 

A year ago today, at 11 months, Micai had never rolled over. 

A year ago today, I felt more like a failure than ever before in my life. Every. Day. 

A year ago today, the lies from the enemy were so intense and convincing. 

A year ago today, I believed the lie that I was called to perfection. 

A year ago today, I felt like I was on an island. Alone. And believed the lie way too often. 

A year ago today, I thought this was about loving Micai. 

TODAY...I know that this isn't about loving Micai at all but it's about loving and obeying my Savior. 

TODAY... I continue to realize more and more my desperate need for Jesus. That apart from Him I can do and am nothing. That HE is strength in my weakness. 

TODAY...I feel privileged that The Lord would use my son to lovingly teach me to grasp what Biblical love is...a little bit more. 

TODAY... I can soothe my son & he wants me.  He comes to me for kisses when he is hurt.  He calls me, "Mama."

TODAY... My son can run. 

TODAY... I realize that adoption is a process and that I am blessed that God chose us to walk it though with Micai. 

TODAY... I am amazed at how much The Lord can restore and redeem a traumatized, neglected, and damaged boy in a year.  Nothing is impossible with God. 

TODAY, I had a follow up with Micai's endocrinologist and found out that he has grown 2 inches in 3 1/2 months. 

TODAY, I know that I am not called to perfection.  That this is exactly why Jesus died for me. That I am called to seek forgiveness, ask for help, and get back up to keep striving toward obedience.  

TODAY, I am thankful for the "process."  The Lord knows I couldn't handle it all at once. 

TODAY, it is still hard.  But I KNOW where my help comes from & ask for help more often than I ever have. I KNOW and REST in the reality that Jesus has His reasons for the hard...reasons I don't understand or need to. And that while it's hard it's so so beautiful. Jesus uses the hard. It changes us. He is so good. He is so trustworthy. 

TODAY, His smile can steal, melt, & light up the room. 

TODAY, the sacrifice is worth it, and I would do it again. 

TODAY, there are times that I still feel like I am on that island...alone. BUT I KNOW that I NEVER am. 

TODAY, I am more of a trained warrior than ever before so that when the lies come at me, I battle & strive to recall the truth of the Word. 

TODAY, I see the beauty from the ashes. 

TODAY, Adoption has caused me to stand in awe of the gospel more than ever before. 

TODAY, I am thankful for a Savior that loves me enough not to leave me the same. And I look forward to all He has instore for TOMORROW. 

Breaking the Silence...

I am finally doing it...blogging since we have gotten home.  It's been 6 1/2 months already.  So hard and easy to believe at the same time.  I honestly, didn't know what to do with the blog when we got home.  It is something that I felt the Lord wanted me to do during the adoption process-for a variety of reasons-that I have mentioned in another post.  But I had no idea what to do after that.  So, I waited....

And to be honest, those first 3-4 months home were so demanding...so exhausting... so intense... that I couldn't even write about it.  Oh, the emotional unstability.  Micai cried a lot and so did I.  I remember wondering what I would say to people on some days if they asked me how we were doing.  Let's just be real honest that many of us are not ready for the water works that may result as the answer to this question.  I so badly wanted and still want to glorify the Lord.  And I am a huge fan of being real and have strived to do that in this process.  BUT, there is this fine line...on one side a being real that glorifies the Lord and on the other a being real that does not.  I want to be real, but I also want to protect my son and bring glory to God.  So, I prayed...

A beautiful-hard is the way that I summed it up to many.  The most beautiful and hard thing that we have ever done.  Beautiful to see Jesus engraft Micai into our family and watch him thrive.  Beautiful to know God is using him to teach us so much.  Beautiful to see so many welcome him with the love of Christ.  Beautiful to learn what Biblical love is.  Hard to learn (and still learn) what Biblical love is.  Hard to be OVERWHELMED by all of my sin that comes to the surface in the process.  Hard to transition.  Hard to see Micai mourn all that he had lost.  Hard to see first-hand all of the damage that had been done to an 11 month old baby.  It has been both beautiful and hard, and we wouldn't change a thing as we have been conformed into Christ's image in the process.  God is just too good not to leave us the same.

Confession...Nothing about this process has seemed natural to me.  I don't even like to admit that.  I so badly wanted it to feel natural.  I do not speak for all adoptive families, but this has been my experience.  God is so faithful and do know that things are feeling more and more natural, which has been a joyous miracle to experience.  But the reality is that we were handed an 11 month old child with the measels in a foreign country.  And then expected to fly him home on a 17 hour flight and do the "parent thing."  Not natural for me...not at all.  Especially after having such different experiences with my 2 biological kids.  He cried and mourned so much those first few days in Ethiopia.  Then he seemed to turn a corner before we came home.  Then we came home.  Oh, did he scream and scream and scream.  Multiple what seemed like PTSD melt downs throughout the day.  Irrational.  He was so irrational...so scared out of his mind...so confused.  I couldn't blame him, but I also did not handle it well on many days.  I could not believe how much I lacked compassion on some days.  I lived many moments of fear, lies, and failure as the enemy was CONSTANTLY there to remind me of them.  It was so hard.  But God is SO MUCH BIGGER.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 became more real than it ever has to me.  My grace is SUFFICIENT for you.  It is.  My power is made PERFECT in your weakness.  It is.  So that the POWER OF CHRIST may rest upon me.  It does.  I clung to this.  We cannot experience this verse...it's truth and power if we don't go through these times.  These times when what the Lord is asking us to do is so much bigger than ourselves.  When He asks us to do something that we, ourselves, are not capable of doing well.  When He calls us to obey without a feeling.  We are so in over our heads and our faces are constantly hitting the floor that we say, "I can't and Lord, you have to. He takes us to that place...that place called SURRENDER.  We have to LET GO.  We have to CHOOSE to believe the truth.  CHOOSE to trust that He will equip and enable.  Lord, your grace IS SUFFICIENT for me.  YOUR POWER is made perfect in my weakness.  I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that your power may rest upon me.  I can't but YOU CAN.  Thank you, Jesus for these times. Thank you that they don't leave us the same.  Thank you that you allow us to experience something so outside of ourselves...your power.  Thank you that they show us our desperate need for you and that we can do nothing worth anything apart from you.       

You see, adoption is not just about God restoring and redeeming an orphan.  It's also about restoring and redeeming US, and it's hard....and it's beautiful.  Man, God is GOOD.

So, it begins again and continues...the blogging.  I have felt the Lord prompting me to do this and giving me the freedom to for a while now.  God has just done and taught me too much not to talk about it.  He has blown me away with His never changing, never giving up, always and forever LOVE.  Biblical love.  I just have to share it :).              

Cole's Blog Debut...

Hello, all my blog peeps out there!  Just kidding. I have never blogged before. I would like to take a whack at this! I love Jesus, my Godly wife and best friend, Kristi, and our 3 amazing children.  I desire to live my life in view of the Gospel, love God, love people and make disciples.  I have failed so often at this. I am so thankful that Jesus, fully God and fully man, came as a miracle, lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial death, defeated the grave, and is ruling as King! What an amazing journey this adoption has been! It has reminded me over and over again of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Kristi and I are so thankful that we have been adopted as children of God (John 1:12)! That God separated himself from His son for a period of time so that we would have forgiveness of sin. "That if you confess with our mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). This verse is so rich, because if we really believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, it will change us forever!  We will see Jesus as our authority and king. We will respond in faith and repentance, walking toward God and further and further away from sin. 

The adoption process has reminded me of this and that walking toward God is a promise that we will suffer, but it will be for our good, conforming us to likeness of Jesus. (Romans 8:28-29)  As I also have reflected this week on Ephesians 1: 1-14, I am thankful that He chose me to be adopted as his son through Jesus Christ! There is nothing I have done to earn this...I definitely don't deserve it. I am saved by grace!

Throughout this adoption journey of bringing Cai home God has been faithful (in spite of us) and will remain faithful to His promises. What a journey!  I must say how amazing it has been to go through this with Kristi. Watching her love for God and desire to make disciples as a mom has been an overwhelming blessing from God and has made me a better man. Thank you, Jesus, for your work in her!

The great command in Matthew 28:19 is to "make disciples of all nations..."  We desire to parent in a way that we make disciplemakers by the power of Jesus and his Spirit at work in us. How cool that one of our children is from Ethiopia!

I hope that Cai can someday understand how God has used his life...before he was even born...to impact my life for Jesus in such an amazing way. He is a miracle! This week alone my prayer life has grown as I continue to think, "I can't afford to not pray." The enemy has tried to influence us, but God in his faithfulness has used it for good.  As I look at Cai, as well as Kenzi and Kasen, it is such a reminder of what God has done. Cai is a reminder of His work in: 2 miscarriages and infertility, providing all our needs (God worked through incredible people to provide and/or pray for the adoption), an example and testimony to Kenzi & Kasen (Kenzi has prayed so much for Cai and the adoption process), connection to another nation, trust in waiting, and growth in Jesus! What a gift he is!

Today was another sweet day of connecting with Cai yet missing Kenzi and Kasen so very much!  Thankful for the this time here but can't wait to have our family together!  So thankful to God for all of the prayer and encouragement for our family! Here are some pics from today (Kristi is attaching pictures and giving the commentary)....

I got a little camera happy and attempted a little impromptu photo shoot of him on the bed :) 

I don't have to work too hard to get this boy to smile :)

Caught him in a giggle! 

You can see that I couldn't get enough...

2 of my 3 boys...precious moment.  Can't wait to get a pic of all 3 of them.



We are so VERY blessed!

Breakthrough!

James 4:7-8 - Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. 

First off, thank you so much to all of you that were lifting us up in prayer...especially these last few days.  I cannot begin to possibly communicate just how much this means to us, as we know how powerful prayer is.  We have felt them across the world.  Only God can do that. 

The last few days have been heavy as you have seen in my last couple of posts.  Cole and I spent some time last night in authoritative prayer.  It was a rich time.  We are well aware that the enemy absolutely hates what we are doing and have both felt attacked in different ways since we have been here.  We also know that the Lord has equipped us to handle the battle.  As the verse above says...Submit yourselves to God...resist the devil...draw near to God...  Isn't it so comforting to know that Christ advises us on how to handle the darkness and push back from the enemy in our lives.  All we have to do is open his word.  It is power, life, and a weapon for us.  Christ has already won the battle...AMEN.

I am so happy to report that the theme of our day would be "Breakthrough Day!"  Yay!!!  As I said yesterday, we were starting to see some baby steps to maybe him warming up to us after his nap yesterday afternoon.  This was just the encouragment that we needed after an overwhelming and draining morning with him.  This carried over to today, and I would definitely say today was an epic breakthrough.  Words that come to mind to sum Micai up today...happy.  smiles.  laughter.  contentment.  safe.  connected.  My heart is so full writing this!  What a powerful answer to prayer!  God is just so good to us.  It was like that laid back and full of joy and peace boy was back...the boy that we first saw in the orphanage on our first trip.  I had almost forgotten his personality and how happy he was when we first met him 2 months ago.  It just felt like something lifted today.  He even looks at us differently...eyes full of warmth and joy...not confusion and discomfort.  God created me to be such a relational person, and this was a HUGE day of encouragement for me.  Praise God!       

We were blessed to spend the day traveling and touring the Lifesong Schools in Ziway and Adami Tulu.  What amazing and powerful things the Lord is doing at these schools.  It's so encouraging to see how the Lord is moving mightily through this ministry.  We are so thankful for Lifesong as God used this ministry in our lives to help bring Micai home.  They are in the trenches, and God is honoring their obedience.  He is providing for the least of these and His name is being glorified.  Really really in awe of this ministry.

It was also so amazing to get out of Addis into the countryside of Ethiopia.  It is breathtakingly beautiful outside of Addis.  It was about a 3 hour trip there and 3 hour trip back.  We were blessed to have Bissy, the Ordinary Hero guest house manager accompany us along with our driver Getcho.  Both of these men love the Lord.  Cole would agree that Bissy has the most powerful testimony that I have ever heard.  Talk about a man on fire for the gospel and dedicating his life to share it.  So inspired by the ways the Lord is using him and his absolute obedience and thankfulness to God regardless of his circumstances.  We felt very sharpened and encouraged to be in community with him today.  Also, can you believe that Cai did so well even though we were traveling???  I said to Cole, "this is like a totally different baby today."  Really and truly a miracle.  We are so blessed that the Lord showed us mercy in having such an enjoyable day with him :)  Precious precious boy.

Here's a glimpse into our day and do take note of the smiles! ...

A precious moment & true breakthrough...cuddles and smiles on the way.  

He seriously cuddled with me forever.  So worth the wait :)  

This one steals my heart :)  Those eyes...so warm and different today.  Thank you, Lord.

Beautiful countryside outside of Addis...

Lifesong school in Ziway.  Beautiful school...beautiful work for the Lord...

Cole, Cai and I with Bissy (left), Gary, missionary in Ziway (next to me), and Getcho, our driver (far right)

Cole is officially the baby whisperer...seriously.  Cai lost it at one point due to missing his nap. I wasn't cutting it, so Cole put him into position and off he went to sleep.  He has done this with all of our kids...he is such a blessing to me.  Love seeing him be a daddy.

2 random boys outside of our van at a random stop.  I had to capture their cuteness to share it with you.

Long story, but at this random stop a bunch of kids ended up inside our van.  I took their pictures as I know they love this.  I showed them this one after I took it and they burst into laughter...love the warmth of the children in Ethiopia.  So so joyful...and not because of "stuff."

More smiles!

And I found a tickle spot.  He couldn't stop laughing.  His giggles melt me.

  
   What a blessed day from the Lord!  So thankful for the joy and peace he blessed our Micai with today.  Such an answer to ours and your prayers.  Thank you for covering us.  Can't wait to have our WHOLE family together!  3 more days!!!  Love you Kenzi and Kasen!!!     

Baby Steps

2 Chronicles 20:12 - We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 

When I originally began this blog, I felt very compelled to portray things in a real way.  I feel that social media has us portraying only the great stuff, and while I am a huge fan of positivity, it's just not the reality of all of our lives.  I wouldn't be portraying a truthful picture if I acted like this whole deal is/was perfect.  I WILL say that adopting has been one of the most beautiful things that we have ever experienced.  However, I knew that it would not always be roses, and today, it wasn't.  This morning was a hard morning.  Yesterday was hard too.  We are at the peak of exhaustion.  We have had a more difficult time adjusting to the time difference this time, and almost every morning there have been Muslim chants.  No exaggeration, but this morning they started at 2:30am and went on nearly all day as it is a Muslim holiday today...awesome...not really.  We miss our other two kiddos so much!  In the midst of a rough moment today, I said through my tears to the Lord, "this is so hard."  Immediately, the above verse came to my head.  We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you.  It's ok not to know what to do...God does.  We are being so drawn to Jesus through this as we are constantly asking Him what we should do.  A bit convicting too, as I should be doing this more frequently with Kenzi and Kasen...constantly asking God to guide us in the moments of the day.  Bottom line, God has chosen us to be Cai's parents, so he is and will continue to equip us.  It's all about HIM in us. 

Micai is absolutely precious, but he continues to mourn all that has been lost, and I am mourning with him...it breaks my heart.  This morning pretty much consisted of Cole and I switching off holding him while he fussed and cried.  We can't take his hurt away, and it's so hard.  However, God continues to remind me that going through this process is so much bigger than what we can see.  Cai is learning to seek us as comfort.  He has someone responding to him on a consistent basis when he is in need.  There is permanency and consistency in his life in regards to a caregiver.  All of these things he is learning, and I am so privileged that God picked us to go through this heartbreaking process with him.  God is shaping and shepherding our hearts to be the parents that he needs.  Again, he is and will equip us.  We are never alone.    

On a positive note, he is healing well, and after a good nap today, he was doing much better.  So thankful to the Lord for the encouragment.  We are getting more smiles!  Before he just kind of looked at us like, "who are you people, again?" :)  He is starting to respond to the fun baby games that we all play with babies...so fun!  We were also so blessed to find the cereal that they were putting in his bottle at the orphanage at a supermarket down the street while on a walk this evening.  He fell asleep on me too...loved!  God is so faithful, and gave us the encouragement and baby steps of bonding that we were so longing to see tonight.  He also drank his bottle before bed tonight with the same brand of cereal they used at the orphanage in it, and I have never seen the boy happier after drinking his bottle, and he also finished it!  Think it was a little taste of familiar for him that he was needing :)

We are also noticing that he gets so tired so quickly.  Before I was thinking it was because he was sick, but I think it is really due to the fact that he is used to being in his crib for the majority of his day.  While at the orphanage, we noticed that unless they were being fed or changed, the babies were usually either in their cribs or outside of them laying on a cushion.  Honestly, I think we are kind of exhausting to him.  We play with him, talk to him, make him do tummy time, and he's tired :)  I told Cole today, it's just too bad for him that he got two parents that are athletes :)  Baby steps...he will get there, and so will we :)

We are super excited to be going to a school that Lifesong for Orphans has in Ziway, Ethiopia tomorrow!  Lifesong is an AMAZING ministry that helped us raise the money needed for the adoption.  We are so excited to see all that God is doing there!  

Last but not least, I will end with some pics of our day...I know he has some grandmas and friends at home that live for these :) ...

Kicked off the morning in a little walker that the guest house had and Cole had him smiling for just a bit :) 



Getting ready to venture out to a store after his nap

A pic of the three of us before we went out

He is loving playing (untying the laces) with these sweet Jordan's that I got him at the KCC (consignment sale) this past Spring 

He fell asleep on me during our walk tonight.  I'm just a little wrapped around his finger...just a little :)

Random, but check out the logo on this cup...look familiar???  Let me introduce you to the Starbuck's of Ethiopia...Kaldi!  How funny is that?  Yes, please!  Love us some Kaldi!

   

  

I cannot thank you all enough for the encouragment and for taking the journey with us! 

  

     

Mourning What Has Been Lost

Isaiah 42:16 - And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them.  I will trun the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground.  These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. 

We were blessed that Micai slept so well last night!  He was up once because we had to give him his medicine, but other than that he slept great.  We had a rough night as we were up trying to get a flight finalized to get home.  This morning, the Lord totally answered our prayers and provided us with just the right flight at just the right time at just the right price :).  It seriously was a miracle to us as flights have been so insane to get to the U.S. right now.  They are really booked, expensive, and also maybe a little crazy due to all of the terrorist threats going on in all of the surrounding countries.  However, we are so blessed that everything is so peaceful in Ethiopia as it has not been affected by any of the threats.

Micai is healing well but is still healing.  Today was a good day, but I am sensing so much uncomfortability from him as he has never spent a night away from the orphanage.  While we are his parents, we are at this point, still 2 strangers to him.  I cannot possibly imagine what he is going through.  Overwhelmed...scared...sad...homesick...I cannot begin to imagine.  While I am so happy that we get to walk him through all of this, my heart just hurts for him.  Last night, we had some issues getting him to sleep.  Cole and I switched off with holding him and walking him around the room.  As I watched Cole with him, I completely lost it and broke down.  Tears are streaming down my face as I write it now.  As I watched Cole and heard Micai crying,  I felt as if I was watching him mourn everything that he has lost.  He has lost everything that he has ever known.  I think that it is the most painful thing I have watched one of our kids go through thus far.  My heart just aches for him.  I was discussing this with Cole just now as I was writing (I had to take a break due to the tears :), and he was reminding me of how this could be such great preparation for the future.  We cannot take away his pain.  And then, I felt the Lord reminding me that we cannot fill his void.  Only the Lord can do that...even now.  A true reminder to constantly pray for the Lord to fill any void in his life...always.  Don't we serve an awesome God? :)

The above verse has also been one that I am clinging to right now...  And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known, I will guide them.  Well, I just happen to feel blind as far as what's to come, and it is definitely a path that we have not known.  What a beautiful promise and a perfect verse. God's word is once again life to us :)  We are never alone...a promise.

We laid low today and only ventured out for just a bit this evening.  Here are some pics of our day...

This picture captures what we are often doing with him when he is fussy...looking out the window :) You'll see why...check out the next pic to see the GORGEOUS view outside our window!

 Awesome, right?!?!?!

Sleepy Cai in sleepier daddy's arms :)

Check out my view at nap time :) Cannot get enough of looking at him while he sleeps.  Melts me every time!

Working with him on getting stronger...tummy time!

Playing with toys that Grandma Harms sent over and I can't help but wonder what he is thinking on this one...too cute!  Maybe, "What is that thing that you keep sticking in my face that flashes?"  He'll get used to that one real fast :)

Oh, and I cannot forget to mention that he officially initiated me into being his mom today :) He pooped in the bath tub, pooped and peed in between diaper changes (that small time when the diaper wasn't on yet), and spit up on me.  I am feeling the love!

Love to you all from Ethiopia!!!  We feel your prayers! 

Gotcha Day!

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares The Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you ...

Psalm 112:7 - They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in The Lord.  

Micah 7:7 - But as for me, I watch in hope for The Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.  

We got him!!!  Thank you to all of you that called out to The Lord on our behalf!  For those of you that haven't heard, we were fully expecting & anticipating to go straight to the orphanage after landing in Ethiopia yesterday (Aug 5th). We excitedly got off the plane, got our baggage, and were informed by someone from our agency that Micai had some sort of an epidemic...completely blindsided.  While we were blindsided though, there was a calm that came over me as I knew that the Lord wasn't. He alway goes before us. However, not knowing what it was, we were also told that the orphanage did not want him to leave that night. Again, it had never even dawned on me that this could be a possibility. We pulled up to the orphanage, and I felt sick.  We went in to see him and heartbreaking doesn't even begin to describe what we saw. Laying in his crib, he looked up at us with the most sick and helpless eyes I have ever seen.  I had imagined this day for so long and now I was experiencing a reality that was the furthest from it. Tears began to fill my eyes and it took everything in me to hold them back. I knew that me becoming a hysterical mess would do the situation no good. With God's strength, I went into "let's be grounded" mode :). We were all in agreement that it was the best decision for him to remain in the orphanage for the night.  We were only able to visit a half hour or so, because it was clear he was ready for bed. Beautiful peace set in as we walked away.  God is so gracious!  The thought that we would not be leaving Africa without him kept comforting me so much. We knew that this was God's timing and that He would see this through. One benefit was that were able to get some much needed rest last night though :)

We woke up this morning with high hopes.  I was reminded in my devotion & other scriptures that God had a plan, we needed to not fear bad news & trust, and that God heard our prayers.  We just needed to keep our eyes on The Lord...to not get overwhelmed by the situation but to just take the next step of obedience. We arrived to find him looking much better than the night before and fever free...praise The Lord!  We were praying for dramatic healing & so many of you were too...thank you!  God is so good!  We stayed the morning with him there, and felt that he was well enough to leave for good with us.  They gave us medicine to continue to give him, which we were so thankful for. We had an Embassy appointment at 1 this afternoon and all went great!  His visa will be ready to pick up tomorrow!  We came back to the guest house and took naps, a bath, & gave him a much needed haircut :). We had dinner with another adopting couple here, who were so great, and then it was clear he was ready for bed again. He is sleeping soundly in his pack and play right now, and we couldn't feel more blessed!  I don't know that it has officially sunk in yet. I just look at him in awe and amazement. While our "gotcha day" didn't go as we had planned, it was in God's complete control.  Still so beautiful and so ordained by our mighty & faithful God. I will close this post with a few pics from our day :)

This is me holding him in our new baby carrier in the orphanage this morning.  He fell alseep, and it was more than a precious moment :)

His first official haircut that we know of :) I know it's a little gross with the hair on the table, but we had to both be involved in the haircut, so it was kind of our only option to capture the moment :)

 And here is the sweet face that napped in our pack and play :) Can't wait to show him off to all of you!