Today marks the anniversary of the life-changing 2 week trip that we took at this time last year.
I remember very vividly how anxious I was. First off, I hate flying...but I knew I wasn't going to get this far and not have God look after us on our travels (I had to really remember that as we were being driven on windy roads in the country, dodging donkeys.)
When our plane pulled out on the tarmac I just kept seeing how similar this "birth" was to when I had each of my other children. Unknowns, anxieties, excitement. We had waited a long time for this child to be "born" and I had to fight very very hard to keep my cool and not let more than a few tears escape as I watched out the window to see us rolling down the runway. As soon as the wheels were in the air it felt like I had reached the point of full blown labor with contractions that were telling me "no turning back, your baby is coming NOW!"
It would still be a few more days before we met our child, but this trip was just as much of a life-changer for me as was becoming a mother again. NEVER in my wildest dreams had I ever thought about going off and venturing to somewhere in Africa. Me? I'm a small-town Texas girl that enjoys family trips, but that National Geographic stuff was for the exciting adventurous types...I would never be able to venture off and explore somewhere by myself where I didn't at least know somebody, ya know? My idea of well-traveled was having my husband that had been all over Europe for work trips...which I already had.
I watched movies where characters dreamed of seeing the world...good for them! That just wasn't ever anything that was on my bucket list...yet, here I was....dying to get to Africa!
As soon as we touched down, the smells, sights and sounds came rushing at me from every direction. I felt like I had heightened awareness of everything just trying to soak in every single detail. It was very sad, but very beautiful all at the same time.
It's amazing how God pushes us toward certain things that he has planned for our lives, even as much as we think we have it planned out for ourself. Domestic adoption? That wasn't what he had us down for, even though we thought it was...and he guided us exactly and precisely to where we needed to be. And now that is where my heart is. I feel like half of my heart is left in Ethiopia, and it will always be my second home.
Anyone who has been to Ethiopia will tell you how much they love it, how much it is in their heart and how much it consumes them.
Making that trip changed my life. I like to hope and think it has made me a better Christian, Mother, Wife, and person in general.
I remember very vividly how anxious I was. First off, I hate flying...but I knew I wasn't going to get this far and not have God look after us on our travels (I had to really remember that as we were being driven on windy roads in the country, dodging donkeys.)
When our plane pulled out on the tarmac I just kept seeing how similar this "birth" was to when I had each of my other children. Unknowns, anxieties, excitement. We had waited a long time for this child to be "born" and I had to fight very very hard to keep my cool and not let more than a few tears escape as I watched out the window to see us rolling down the runway. As soon as the wheels were in the air it felt like I had reached the point of full blown labor with contractions that were telling me "no turning back, your baby is coming NOW!"
It would still be a few more days before we met our child, but this trip was just as much of a life-changer for me as was becoming a mother again. NEVER in my wildest dreams had I ever thought about going off and venturing to somewhere in Africa. Me? I'm a small-town Texas girl that enjoys family trips, but that National Geographic stuff was for the exciting adventurous types...I would never be able to venture off and explore somewhere by myself where I didn't at least know somebody, ya know? My idea of well-traveled was having my husband that had been all over Europe for work trips...which I already had.
I watched movies where characters dreamed of seeing the world...good for them! That just wasn't ever anything that was on my bucket list...yet, here I was....dying to get to Africa!
As soon as we touched down, the smells, sights and sounds came rushing at me from every direction. I felt like I had heightened awareness of everything just trying to soak in every single detail. It was very sad, but very beautiful all at the same time.
It's amazing how God pushes us toward certain things that he has planned for our lives, even as much as we think we have it planned out for ourself. Domestic adoption? That wasn't what he had us down for, even though we thought it was...and he guided us exactly and precisely to where we needed to be. And now that is where my heart is. I feel like half of my heart is left in Ethiopia, and it will always be my second home.
Anyone who has been to Ethiopia will tell you how much they love it, how much it is in their heart and how much it consumes them.
Making that trip changed my life. I like to hope and think it has made me a better Christian, Mother, Wife, and person in general.
I can't believe it's been a year.
I hope that one day we can go back again, to my other home.
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