I'll be wrecked

I don't have tons of news, but I do have important news. Plus it's been a while since we've written anything and several of you have asked. Thanks for caring and keeping up.

I will be traveling to Ethiopia to go to court the end of this month. November 29th is our court date. Jessica will be staying home with Evie because we are not ready to leave her and go that far away yet and we certainly would not get on a sixteen hour flight with her. A great friend, Dr. Donnie Williams is traveling with me. He's not really a doctor, but I just made him one because he deserves it for this. It's not that I need someone to go with me, but it sure beats traveling alone! So, we'll be flying over the day after Thanksgiving and returning on the first Friday in December.

I finally get to meet our kids! I can't even play the video of them in my memory without tearing up at their voices calling me 'papa', so I'm quite sure I'll be wrecked when I see them. It's a swirl of emotion as you can probably imagine. Nervousness and excitement.

Well, a little about Evie. She probably weighs close to 9 pounds now and is great with nonverbal communication. All she has to do is sit back in her carseat while I carry her and she quite effectively informs me that I need to workout more. Jessica picks up on her cues far better than I. Jessica knows her so well. My heart is glad to watch Jessica mother. She is so good at it.

One last thing. Different people have asked about or commented on the fact that we are still adopting even though we had a child. Yes we are. For several reasons. God had placed a love for these kids deep into our hearts before Evie was born. Also, adoption has been the plan for a long time now. We were not adopting out of loneliness, guilt, obligation, or altruism. We are adopting because we are called in scripture to love people the way Jesus loves people. How does He love us? Up close and personal. Regardless of race or status or past. Deeply. So deep in fact that He gave His life to make us His. That is what Jessica and I are called to. To give ourselves fully and completely, not to a cause, but to children with names. David Platt said (at least I think it was him) orphans are forgettable until you know their names, see their faces, or hold them in your arms. There's so much truth in that. Before the dawn of time God knew your name and He had a plan from the beginning to make you His. Not because of anything special about you, but because He is good.

Caring for orphans and widows should be on the hearts and minds of all of God's children because were it not for adoption none of us would be His.

Thanks for reading.