Judah Playing

An uncut, 2-minute video of Judah playing in our guest house room. It's a sneak peak into his emerging personality...

What I Most Want to Say...

We've been home with Judah and Addise for exactly 1 week and what a week it's been!! I've been well informed by our faithful blog community that blog posts are eagerly awaited. I know you most want to hear how the trip to Ethiopia went, what our first days as a family in Addis were like, what the trip home was like [one word: HARD! I will blog more on this], what Judah and Addise are like, see pictures and videos [we have LOTS!], and maybe you're even wondering how Brian and I are holding up. I hope post ad nauseum - mainly for Judah and Addise's sake one day - but today I want to start with the one thing I can't get off my tired momma brain.

My greatest hope and prayer is that our adoption
will cause many of YOU to adopt.

A long time ago I sensed that our adoption wasn't just about the 2 kids that would become Diaz's. I wasn't thrilled about the idea because it was so personal and because I had a sense that some things were taking longer so that God could pull more of your hearts into our story. A while back I accepted the reality that our story was larger than our little family. While I'm honored, moved, and humbled that so many of you [some I don't even know, others I've known forever but haven't walked with in years] have followed our journey, I desperately hope our story and Judah and Addise's homecoming irrefutably compels many, many of you to bring orphans into your family.

I haven't been shy about calling people toward caring for orphans. I firmly believe that ALL Christ followers are called to care for orphans in some way, shape, or form. [I believe that Christians could solve the orphan problem if we would just respond.] But I deeply hope beyond all hope that more Christians will respond to welcome the orphan into their family and call them "my child". I pray you'll go all the way. I believe that some of you are called to adopt, and I hope you will. I hope you will trust God with your fears, the finances, the barriers. I hope you will say "yes" to one of the most amazing journeys you could experience in life. I would wish adoption on anyone. Clearly it has utterly changed us. MUCH LOVE, my faithful blog friends!!! The best is yet to come...

Welcome home, Judah and Addise!

Here we come, Judah and Addise!

I can hardly contain the fact that we are leaving on Friday morning to be re-united with our children [one of our friends is house sitting for us in case you're thinking of robbing us...ha]! This past week has been a blur of activity as we've prepared to travel to Ethiopia [it's crazy how quick you can plan a trip to Africa!], worked myself into 10-week maternity leave [for the 2nd time], and celebrated our last days as just "Brian and April" [some days have been better than others].

[another picture where we aren't all looking in the same direction!]

If you'd like to pray us through the next 10 days, here are some things to guide your prayers...

PRAYER REQUESTS ::

• Bonding with Judah & Addise :: Pray that God would melt our hearts together so it would feel like we've always been a family. Pray that they would immediately sense deep in their little beings that we will always love them and care for them!
  
• The Basics :: Health, sleep, and eating for J&A.
  
• Mercy Traveling :: We are more than a little terrified about traveling 30+ hours with 2 little people who've just become ours. Pray that we'd acquire an airplane bassinet for Addise, they'd both sleep well, they wouldn't have any medical issues - including flight pressure/ ear pain, they'd eat well.
  
• Co-Parenting :: I'll write more about this in the future, but pray in our first days co-parenting that we'd be simpatico with each other. Pray that we'd be gentle with each other, sense how we can serve each other, anticipate each other's needs, and give each other grace. We're new to this, but we're head long into it, too!
  
• Financial Hiccups :: Canceling our first trip actually gave us cheaper flights, but not finalizing our adoption in 2010 is a HUGE financial set back. Pray that God maneuvers a change for us.
  

CELEBRATING :

• Ethiopian Christmas :: Who would've guessed that we'd still experience a Christmas miracle on January 7th when we leave to get our babies?!?! We are so grateful that God's promises are true and that he always comes through.
  
• Time Off Together :: God has provided abundantly through both Brian and my jobs to allow us some paid-time off together. It's not fully what we normally earn, but we are crazy grateful for this gift from our workplaces. We are so grateful for the 4 weeks off we'll have as a full family and the financial provision to make it possible. We love that we work for organizations that support what we do theologically and practically!!!!
• Mummert's and Mitchell's :: The other 2 families who were a part of our travel group were informed TODAY that they got the 11th Embassy date, too!!! We will meet in DC for our flights together. So grateful that God's moved MOUNTAINS to allow them to be with their kids this week!
• January 14th :: The day that we will enter our home as a family of 4. I've wondered if this day would ever come.

See ya on the flip side. Can't wait to share this next season of life with you!