Sunflower update

Above: Children from the Oromo tribe.  Going by region and physical features alone, we assume Sunflower is of this tribe.  They are in regular conflict with the Gumuz tribe, also in the region.  Please pray for all of the children caught in homes and orphanages in Ethiopia because of the wars of their parents.

Please pray for Sunflower and her papers.  She, along with her papers to submit her to Ethiopian court in Addis Ababa, are still stuck in Kamashi.  There are serious ethnic conflicts going on between the Gumuz and the Oromo tribes along the route from Kamashi to Addis, so neither Sunflower nor her papers can get to Addis.  The roads are blocked and the violence is trying to be controlled by the governments.  Courts close in Ethiopia every year mid-summer for their rainy season.  We need a miracle to clear the roads and get Sunflower submitted to court in time.  If we miss the deadline, we won't be able to travel to get her until the fall.  Our pediatrician is very concerned about something going on with Sunflower's stomach, so please pray with us that she gets submitted, gets to Addis, makes the deadline, and gets home ASAP!  Thank You!

Hello, Shadow!

C. has discovered the finer nuances of the shadow concept lately, though I have yet to discover how to remember to hold the camera horizontally when capturing a video clip.  So, because they both have cute moments in them, assume the tilt position and enjoy C. and His Shadow Parts 1 and 2, presented in dual cinema-graphic perspectives.

Family Camp

The beginning of summer was marked this past weekend with our church family retreat at the camp where the teens go to church camp in our area.  Church camp was a HUGE part of my teen years, memories I can share with my St. Louis readers, and it was interesting to be on the other side of it all this weekend, watching my children catch frogs and throw rocks in a campfire.  I have to say I think I liked it!  Tim got to spend quality and quantity time with the boys this weekend, which with his new work schedule is a rarity.  Literally, from 7:00am to after midnight, my boys (all 3) were playing baseball, hiking, at bonfires, in Bible class, etc... they had a great time.  J. followed Tim everywhere and rarely broke his "I'm a man" face all weekend (see the middle pic)!  I don't think his Superman hat came off much either! ;) I got to sit and do nothing with girl friends without feeling guilty about not vacuuming or doing the laundry!  Bliss!

On another note, we STILL don't have a court date for Sunflower.  Grrr....  God's timing, right? We did get an explanation though, and a new timeframe, but that doesn't change the fact that yesterday would have been better for me!  But....along with this bad news we got very good news: our Ethiopian contact is moving Sunflower from the orphanage in Kamashi to Addis on Thursday!  YEAH!  We knew she would get to be moved for court, but they decided to move her to a guest house as soon as possible, and Thursday is that day.  I feel much more comfortable with her in Addis-near medical care and where other American traveling adoptive families will see her-than with her being in one of the remotest, darkest places on the planet: Kamashi, Ethiopia.  

Please pray with us that she has a safe trip.  It's an 10 hour arduous journey to Addis Ababa from Kamashi.  Also that we get a court date soon!  We are at a standstill until she passes court in Ethiopia.  July travel is still possible, but barely.  Regardless of the frustration that comes through in this written word, I really am confident that she will get here when she is supposed to...probably just after I get C. potty trained! :) 

Burma is still a mess.  This disaster, Burmese government intensified, is expected to create thousands of orphans and kill even more.  Missionary friends of mine are scheduled to arrive in Yangon this week.  Our church in Yangon was located-praise!-and they are in  need of food, water and shelter.  Please pray for all the affected Burmese-that their needs are met, that eternal hope is restored or given to them, and that they are comforted.

Have a great Memorial Day week!

Warning-graphic video

...and let's not forget denying cyclone aid workers access into Burma so that no one can take pictures and get first hand accounts of all the horrible things this regime has done.  Please continue to pray for my friends in Burma, and that aid gets to ALL the victims, not just the victims who have never spoken out for democracy or who are of the "right" tribe.  We are STILL waiting to hear from church members we know and love in Yangon.  See my sidebar, under Partners in Progress, for ways you can help.  And just to make sure that your anger is placed in the right direction, it's China who supports the Burmese military regime. And it's Satan who is influencing China.  Yes, I'm telling myself that a lot lately: "Don't hate, Tiffany. Don't hate Than Shwe; don't hate China.  Hate Satan."  Only Satan could do things as horrible as what happens, as what I've seen with my own eyes, in Burma. 

From here to Addis with love

Another family from our agency is traveling next week to pick up their sweet boys in Ethiopia. Mary, the mom, was kind enough to offer to hand carry little care packages to the children still waiting at the orphanage for their families to travel.  As long as it fits in a gallon ziplock, she'll find a place for it and bring it to our little Sunflower.  I'm getting ours all ready to go, full of infant vitamin drops, a Mommy scented, super-soft, crocheted, mini-blanket; pacifiers, onsies, rattles, soap, shampoo, diaper creme, lotion, and a photo album full of pictures of her new family.  It's amazing what'll fit in a gallon baggie! Prayerfully, it'll all make it to Sunflower.  To see Mary's beautiful boys-and the rest of her family-check out her blog:  www.fillingthequiver.blogspot.com

THANK YOU, MARY for making room for this in your luggage! 

Still no news of a court date for us, so please continue to pray that we get that soon so I can travel and bring little packages for other families!  Blessings,

I'm out of control...

Good thing I have a lot of pregnant friends or Sunflower would have more blankets than any one baby could ever need!  I'm crocheting like the second ice-age is about to strike!  C. and J. insisted on having blankets for their baby girls also, so I made them those too.  Yes, I'm even crocheting for babies that aren't real...  Thank you, Grandma M. for teaching me how to crochet; I'm sure you're watching from Heaven wishing you could tell me how to crochet a blanket with straight edges! ;) No, they are far from perfect, but they are getting better, and it is a pleasant mindless activity I need to keep myself from stressing about getting Sunflower home.  We are still waiting on a court date, but will hopefully have news of that next week.  Please continue to keep her in your prayers, and if you're pregnant, your less-than-perfect-though-made-with-love-blanket will arrive shortly! ;) Blessings,