A Day with Eternal Treasures

I just posted this on the trip blog so nothing new if you saw that.  I wanted it here on our personal journey too:)

A Day with Eternal Treasures...

Most of the team split for Chapa, another Care Point in Awassa.  We would meet back up in Dale for the afternoon with the kids.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this meeting of our son’s first families being so early in the trip, but I learned later how informative it was for the rest of my time; the value of Care Points; seeing the lives of orphans I would meet all week differently; and the list goes on.

I was privileged to return in the morning to the Dale Care Point with KA and 2 new friends:

(yes I see the photo bombers ;p )
one with HopeChest who was also going to meet her adopted son’s caregiver at the end of the trip in another town we’d be in (Ambo).  So neat to have her help me think about it as she had been ‘planning’ for this as I felt like it was just plopped right on my lap. Her bestie offered to be my ‘photographer’;)

I’m going to say at the outset,  I’m not sure if I will share our photos of our our son’s first families publicly (maybe in time).  Right now, they are still very personal, emotion filled and sacred.  I wasn’t prepared for that.  I wasn’t sure what each next step would unfold but I knew we were being interceded for.  I had the peace of the Spirit and assurance of HIS LOVE for them and for us.  I was in awe of how ‘from the Lord’ it was.  What I wasn’t prepared for was their gratefulness.  Yes gratefulness to us, but mostly their praise offering to our Father.  Humbling. He had been with our boy’s long before they were relinquished, when they experienced death, while they were family-less, as they started a new life, and even now as I stood face to face, arm to arm and cheek to cheek with them.

It might sound too glamorous if I just say it was amazing.  It was! but what kept taking me back was the the ‘beauty from ashes’ that God was making…in each of our lives.   They had hoped and prayed their boys had new hope and were pointed to their Father.  THEY WERE! This moment of assuring them of no condemnation was almost too much for me.  You see, they wondered too.  It wasn’t just me who wondered, they had …for almost 3 years.  I could see and say God had been at work and will continue to be.

I don’t know that I want to stand where I did, but I should more often. That place of smack dab in the middle of brokenness? Where you can’t ‘fix things’.  Where you don’t get all your questions answered.  I think that’s what I love so much about our times in Ethiopia;  our adoption journey; and this morning with these ladies who’s lives were very hard. I was just there, yet Jesus united us in new ways.

waiting for them…

during…(see R. video’g? This is why losing my phone became such a disappointment)
 

A treat that unfolded was I DID NOT go to market in the morning on the way back to the Care Point where we met them.  I opted to ask them if a goat/sheep would even be a blessing? Well, let’s just say we ended up tapping out my spending $ for 2 cows:)  The gals that came with us? They bought some chickens, supposedly a male and female for the ‘reproductive effect’.  Oh I hope so!
                                                                      
                                              
So they spent a long time in market negotiating and these white foreigners stayed outside the market after we were ‘spotted’ when we dropped them off.  Otherwise they would never have been able to ‘negotiate’ the cost:p  So 1.5 hrs later, many stoppers by and our driver warding the peepers away w a stick:(, they returned.  Our translator said later he had NEVER seen anyone so happy as they were when they got the cattle rope in their hands:)

They were praising God yet again!
How do you describe this middle ground of one foot in brokenness and one foot in redemption?  Not only have our son’s been given a chance for life (I really don’t think they would have if they had stayed in the poverty), but these families and I could say TOGETHER that we are part of a larger plan of seeing God’s redeeming love.  I think I’m realizing that this is the essence of every single day for God’s Kingdom on earth.  I just get self-focused and miss it.  I don’t want to.  I’m asking him to help me not walk away from this as an ‘experience’, but spread my roots even deeper and help me walk among the broken world.

So they had a long walk home and their hands full, so our good byes were quick.  We had spent the morning together, had coffee, shared and took pictures, snapped videos (on the phone that later was stolen) and laughter. I didn’t get to ask all my questions.  It wasn’t the time.  The real eternal treasures of the visit could not be stolen!
We wept.  Mostly over God’s faithfulness to all of us…
Friends, HE gathered us on holy ground.  Do I believe that in the little ways I ‘wait’ each day he’s inviting me to HIS PRESENCE? I’m asking for help with my unbelief. It’s all worth more of HIM!

Update on the 'kebele' (neighborhood)!

So some of you are following our trip blog too so this is duplicate and you can get on with your day!

If not, remember my post last week saying we had been given the boy's neighborhoods (kebeles) and now they would see if they could find any family still there?   Well they found them!

Suffice to say we are hopeful for our time of meeting them early on our trip!  Details still coming together and now it looks like they'll bring them to the carepoint instead of us traveling the roadless route to their huts.  That's ok! At this point, I can't wait to look in their eyes, assure them of God's love and provision, thank them, ask some questions and pray with and for them, and give them personal photo albums (which is comical b/c I don't do photo albums but Aliza helped me!) !! OH my heart races at what this time will look like, but I'm thankful. 

Thankful that when we stepped back onto American soil (a little over a year and a half ago) that officially made our son's US citizens, that the story didn't stop there.  That there's a citizenship in heaven that I'm trusting unites their first families with ours:)  I have a hunch I'm going to get a glimpse of this. 

Pray with and for us!


Firmly in His Grip,
~cindy

2 weeks and some good news!

In case you don't want to read all the rambling below, I've decided to put our trip updates separate from our family blog here:
made4mercy

Oh my! Little did I know the 'prep' that would be required at this busy time of year to LEAVE my family and then step back in.  Whirlwind with each kiddo stepping into a new phase next year (2 rising Kindergarten, rising Middle School, rising School, rising part time Jr. College).  These all require their own level of 'registration' and preparation NOW.  Whew:) Almost there.

In the meantime let me just say we have been BLOWN AWAY by the continued encouragement, excitement (sometimes more than our own) and support!  I've also had to learn that Kaylee Ann and I approach 'preparing' EXTREMELY somewhat differently.  Funny how this has been good for ME as I think about our dynamics together ON our trip.  I'm grateful (now) to learn and see this!

I'm also thankful for the neat 'extras' the Lord is leading me to ask and believe He is able to answer!  One of those 'big extras' was getting the details of where the boys lived (down to the neighborhood level) before they were placed in the orphanage.  As of yesterday, WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED to look for them and try to meet any living family or friends!  One thing that has fueled me is that when they were asked (when they were placed for adoption) if they would want any future contact from the boy's future families, it was a resounding YES...we would WELCOME THAT!  So, now I'm ready; mostly ready to say YOU'D BE SO PROUD OF THESE BOYS but also a heartfelt THANK YOU!!! for blessing us TOO! Finally, I frankly just hope they're there to hug their necks.

So that's NEW for us to think about as we get closer to departing.  Someone from the team in Ethiopia has willingly offered to go ahead of our arrival to see who's there and tell them we're coming.   Will you PRAY the Lord will make a way for this 'meeting' before we arrive as well as when Kaylee Ann and I go?

There are so many levels to understanding adoption, first families and how to speak faithfully about our son's identities.  As we do this, know it's new for us too and the emotions stirred are crazy...crazy-good though:) (as she wipes her tears).

Again, THANK YOU from Kaylee Ann and I for the ways you're loving us already on this trip!  I'm going to try to keep the trip updates over here now:), so I hope you'll follow us and also hope I'll be able to regularly send pictures and updates from Ethiopia (because you know power, the internet and time will all by rampant while we'll be there!)

In much grace,
Cindy

Considering Hosting?

I know you've heard enough about hosting from me from our previous experiences:)  Now's the time if you're interested in Hosting this August!

A friend just wrote a snippet on their recent hosting experience over here:
Love on a Mission blog 

You can also poke around under the HOSTING label for more.

If you've considered hosting or would like to know more, check out the links at the bottom of her update!

~Cindy

Ethiopia Trip Itinerary and some links

I’m including here some of the places on our itinerary and some links if you’re interested in learning more about some of the things we’ll be doing and sites we’ll be seeing.  I’ll warn you, it’s not ‘easy’ to watch some of these clips. Thanks for taking time to 'journey' with us!

Saturday, 3/9: ARRIVE

Kaylee Ann and I will arrive a day early to HOPEFULLY visit the Thomas Center (boy’s orphanage) and people in Addis from our adoption trips.  :)

Sunday 3/10 : Worship at the International Church; Meet up with team

Monday 3/11: Drive to Dale in Awassa, 5 hours south of Addis
Visit, play and get to know folks in Dale; Conduct VBS like games, songs, activities. 
***This is the potential CarePoint I’m hoping we can consider partnering with.  I will be meeting with the FOVC (see below) contact and any village leaders identified.  They have an initial need/group of kids being sponsored and are partnering with Children’s Hope Chest to further their support.
Friends of Vulnerable Children (FOVC)
FOVC website

Tuesday 3/12 8AM-6PM: Back to Dale potential CarePoint
~more getting to know/see need and love on the folks!
~MAYBE side trip to visit our boy’s birth home

Wednesday 3/13 8AM-2PM: Return to Addis
              2PM-5PM: Visit Hands for the Needy / Korah.
This is the ‘dump’ in Addis where people live, find food and raise their kids.
We aren’t partnering w these folks, but this is a good 5 min documentary about it.
Documentary on Korah

Thursday 3/14 8AM-10AM: Drive to Trees of Glory CarePoint
          10AM-4PM: Visit Trees of Glory CarePoint.
This is an established care point. Neat to see how these CarePoints CHANGE lives!
Trees-of-Glory

Evening back in Addis:  Dinner with Youth Development Program Participants
I’m really excited about this too as it echoes to my heart to care for youth transitioning out of foster care here in US.  This is a transition home:
http://www.hopechest.org/life-skills-for-ethiopias-most-vulnerable-children/
Pray for these kids and them to be open to the love of God for them!

Friday 3/15 : Tour of Fistula Hospital
I watched this Walk to Beautiful documentary a while back, not knowing I’d ever go to one of these hospitals.  It's about 50 min long, but does an incredible job explaining the realities these women face. 

Walk to Beautiful
Afternoon: 2 hr drive to Ambo and visit Stand for Vulnerable Children Orphanage
We’ll love on these kids and pray for them! 25 orphans are sponsored here through Children’s Hope Chest. I’m anxious to see the difference ‘sponsorship’ makes in the life of an orphan.

Saturday 3/16: Visit Stand for Vulnerable Children Orphanage
And more VBS like activities:)
Evening return to Addis

Sunday 3/17: 8AM-12PM : Service at International Church w/youth from the Development Program
Evening airport and departure at 10pm!!

Being 'the friends' and 'the paralytic'

So when I last posted it seemed that 7 weeks would be ‘long enough’ to start processing and talking here about all the things stirring.  Well, I don’t seem to be as ‘structured’ as I use to be about my time.  Maybe it’s a season with littles and teens (therefore someone always saying ‘mom’ or standing right in front of me); maybe it’s the sporadic flares of ‘illness’; maybe it’s me getting older so I can only ‘think’ during the daytime when I can’t write’; maybe it’s just all so unclear to my own heart that I don’t even know how to give it words.  REGARDLESS, my DESIRE is to share because it’s just.so.good! 

I hit a point last week where I realized, ‘Oh my! I did not think through the weight of the brokenness we would see and enter into’.  Yea, silly me, right? I mean I ‘knew’ but I didn’t ‘go there’ until last week as I began to pray specifically through our itinerary.  As I did, I started seeing, hearing, taste, smelling much of what I remember about Ethiopia.  It truly is a place of ‘sensory overload’ and I think it awakened and numbed me all at the same time.  Also, we began asking others (many of YOU) to partner with us.  Truly, I began to realize the ways others prayers would have to be what carries us, I can’t. 

Please pray for us as we start getting our ‘details’ together as a team and individually.  In addition, I have NOT received any direct address information about how to find our boy’s families there (umm...there aren’t hut #s or addresses like we think).  Of course they may or may not even be there still.  We know they were placed in an orphanage in Dale we’ll be mighty close.  Pray God will give us favor to somehow find them. Again, this isn’t the purpose of our trip, but what seemed like a possibility as we stepped into it.

So that’s where we are... aware of what’s ahead, awakened to the reality and dependent on others sending and carrying us.  It’s humbling and thrilling! It reminds me of the accounts in the Gospels of Jesus healing the paralytic.  You know, the one where the friends had to lower the paralyzed man down through the roof and PUT HIM IN FRONT OF JESUS!  Oh, to be that man is not easy, but it sure would be amazing.  Think about the beauty in this.  At times we are called to be 'the friends'...lowering, hoping and asking on another's behalf and at times we're the paralytic.  On this trip, I feel like I get to be both...'the paralytic' as we prep and go as well as 'the friend' of who I'll be led to serve in Ethiopia. 

Stay tuned too, been brewing (with my awesome friend) on a blog for this trip and beyond.  Let’s just say...starting CONSIDERING how you too can be humbled, thrilled and see Jesus! 

If you're interested in partnering financially, you can send any tax-deductible donations to:
WEPC (West End Pres Church)
9008 Quioccasin Road
Richmond, VA 23229
memo: SCHWARZ TEAM/ETHIOPIA
They will send you a receipt and notify us of your support:)

Our sincere gratitude in advance for your partnership in prayer and/or financial support! Blessed!

T Minus 7 weeks!

So a week ago Kaylee Ann and I officially ‘committed’ to going to Ethiopia on a “Vision Trip” with Children’s Hope Chest.  In a note to our small group I specifically asked for ‘prayers against the ways the evil one would move now that we’ve decided to go’.  So you’re thinking...way to go Mrs. Pessimist!  No way, just the opposite! I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT MISSIONS is at the heart of our Father and upholding the cause of the weak and oppressed is part of His DNA.  It makes the enemy crazy!! I’M THANKFUL!! I can set out knowing that yet believing more the prayers of His people are BIGGER than the enemy’s lame attempts.

I’m not sure how to unfold everything that’s going on, but hope to attempt that as we prepare, go and return. 

Back to the beginning:

We adopted 2 precious boys from Ethiopia and made them our sons Summer of 2011.  When we went for our “court date”, we took our older 3 kids and traveled around the countryside some.  WE FELL IN LOVE!! Not only with the beauty of the country, but the beauty and JOY in the people.  There were STARK contrasts of life at every turn.  Bleak poverty and brokenness alongside exuberant praise and welcome.  We were just spectators, absorbing and yet being changed.

In addition, we felt that we wanted our sons to know their birth country and to take pride, not shame, in their heritage.  Our world and The Kingdom to come is not just about Americans, but God’s people of all tribes and nations.  Somehow in Africa, I got my clearest glimpse of that Kingdom to come, and I can’t wait!

What I didn’t expect was that my daughter, Kaylee Ann, was going to leave part of her heart there.  She had the hardest time putting what she saw in ‘compartments’ when she returned.  That doesn’t mean it was ‘too much’!  I believe it means she was ‘moved’ by seeing the heart of her Father in heaven and how only He can set all things right again.  But those are my words.  I look forward to her sharing hers:)

So I’m sure you’re thinking this trip is about her ‘dream gift’ and ‘giving back’ to Ethiopia.  In some ways those things were stirring in our hearts but we weren’t able to put our hands around it.  Those things aren’t new.  What was new was this Christmas I was able to ‘surrender’ figuring out this “Africa thing” for Kaylee Ann and “our vacations” as well as this desire to respond to my Father’s love and mercy for me.  I can’t put words to it except I was satisfied in Him more fully.

Suddenly, we had 3-4 options on the table to go to Africa (1 to live!!). And there I went...trying to figure it out, analyzing in the name of ‘being wise’, pushing my husband, not sleeping and crying out to God.  You know what? He heard me!  He moved and this trip and it’s purpose melded with our hearts and lives.

So ...

We follow.
John 10: 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

We believe.
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

We pray. 
Matthew 6:9-10 Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven... Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Follow! Believe! Pray! with us...and see our Father's heart as you do!