Adoption

Adoption is Wonderful

Yesterday at lunch, while eating leftovers from my first attempt at Ethiopian cooking, my son Jude told us stories of orphanage life. How the nannies washed all their clothes and shoes by hand and the water flowed like a rushing river over the orphanage ground. How the girls showered first in the mornings while the  boys watched TV--but not on school days, mind you. How he loved to play soccer and tag with his friends. How at night, after the nannies had put them to bed and closed the doors, he and the other boys would get up and play, only to rush back to their beds when they heard the nannies coming. How he ate lots of macaroni and spaghetti.

This morning I cuddled with Sophie after she woke up and discovered that her feet are very ticklish. This little girl is full of life and joy, so different from how quiet and clingy she was in the orphanage and our first few weeks at home. Sophie charges into a room with a yell and has absolutely no concept of "inside voice." I instruct her a lot about using an "inside voice," but recently it got lost in translation. I told her I would give her a drink once we got "inside" and she thought I meant to ask for the drink in an "inside voice" and so repeated her request in a whisper. Oh well.

Right now as I type, the four kids are running around like crazy downstairs because it is Daddy's day off. As my husband recently wondered: how is it that twice as many children make more than twice as much noise? Already, it is hard to imagine what our family was like without these two precious children. I am so grateful to all of you for your prayers and encouragement along the way.

That's all I have to say. Just, thanks. And that adoption really is wonderful. 

Is Transracial Adoption Wise?

I resonate with Justin Taylor's post from last week where he explains that:

    We don’t regard our transracial adoption as something especially noble or sacrificial, or anything like a social statement. This is simply the way that God in his providence has designed our family to expand, and we sense his great grace in the way he has knit our family together.

We do indeed sense God's great grace! Each day I look at my children around the dinner table or in their beds or playing in the backyard and marvel at the how fearfully and wonderfully God has designed our family. And I feel the weight of responsibility He has entrusted to us to raise these four precious children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. 

But, as Justin acknowledges, some may also be wondering if we are wise to choose transracial adoption. Justin's answers are wise and biblical and I couldn't agree more. Please read this entire article if you are simply curious or if you too are considering transracial adoption.

A quick personal update: God is giving us much strength and wisdom, and life in our home seems to get more comfortable and joyful every day. We still have our challenging moments, but we as parents are better rested and the children are all settling into life as one friend called us, "The New and Improved Whitacres." A few days ago at lunch the four kids were counting family members in order of age: One Daddy, Two Mommy (I didn't bother correcting them that I am actually older than Steve!), Three Jack, Four Jude, Five Tori, Six, Sophie. Then they smiled in satisfaction, the counting complete. These are the members of our family. All six of us.

Great grace.

Friday Funnies

This week's Friday Funny comes courtesy of my wonderful husband:

Whitacre Family Update

So I've been trying to write this little update for over a week, but I am very much in a "new mother fog" right now. Exhausted. Can't remember what day of the week it is. Trail off in the middle of my sentences. The past two weeks have been magical, grueling, and a little blurry.

Thus far, things have gone even better than I expected. The children are adjusting remarkably well. It brings such joy to my heart to look around our breakfast table at my four children, to watch Jack and Jude play soccer in the driveway or Tori and Sophie splash together in the bathtub. I love it when they run to the door as a pack to greet Daddy when he comes home from work, or when they sing songs from our "Slugs and Bugs" cd in their beautiful Ethiopian accents. My favorite time of day is after morning school is cleaned up and all four children run around the house laughing through their daily game of "Tori's It!"

We've had our challenges to be sure. They are learning to respond to our loving authority. I quickly discovered that "embi" repeated over and over means they do not like what I have decided--and I have to stop myself from nonsensically replying "no embi" (literally "no no"). When we served them vegetables the first night they were home you would have thought we had shoveled dirt onto their plate! And all four children are learning to be kind to one another. But considering that they have left their country, family, friends, every familiar sight and sound and smell and taste, and come to live with our family--including two siblings very close in age--they are doing amazingly well, and I am so grateful for God's grace.

I am sure we will have more challenges in the days ahead. The adjustment period is only just beginning. But for right now, my prayer is very simple: strength and wisdom. I desperately feel my need for both. Strength to get out of bed in the morning and finish the dinner dishes before 9pm. Strength to insist on obedience for my children's good. Strength to still be smiling by the end of the day when my husband comes home from work. And wisdom. Wisdom to know how to handle a myriad of moments with two precious children who don't speak the same language. Wisdom to know when to comfort and when to correct. Wisdom to know which child takes first priority when all four our vying for my attention at once.

The Proverbs 31 woman is "clothed with strength" and "speaks with wisdom." I'm a long way from either but I know that God is eager to answer this simple, desperate, prayer on behalf of this helpless, happy, mother.

Thank You

Steve and Nicole reached home in Louisville, KY late Saturday night. They had left Louisville one week earlier with two children and returned to Louisville with four! The last two days have been full of fun and craziness as they settle into their new life together.

The Mahaney clan gathered on Saturday morning to meet Kassa and Mulunesh for the first time. It was an unforgettable morning. I will be posting pics from our time on 52home this week.

We are so grateful to all of you for your outpouring of love, support and prayers for Steve and Nicole and our entire family! God has been so good to us.

And a very special thanks to our friends Chris and Jean Mays. Since the summer they have come by our house every single Monday to leave a note of encouragement and/or gift for my parents. And today was no exception. A huge basket of gingerbread men with the name of each grandchild showed up on the doorstep. I was able to snap a quick picture before the crazy grandchildren went to town. Chris and Jean, thank you! “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Day 2

[from our adoption blog]

Day 2 was great. This morning we had the great privilege of meeting our kids' grandfather. We spent the afternoon shopping and playing soccer with friends. Then we walked a few blocks to an local restaurant we like. We are having a wonderful time with Kassa and Mulunesh, enjoying each others' company and making some great memories. Tomorrow we get their visas and passports and--around midnight--fly home!

We visited America today…. Sort of

[from our adoption blog]

Technically, we did visit America today. By stepping inside a far-flung US Embassy, we found ourselves standing on a little patch of American soil. Our embassy visit went great. I'm happy to report that the kids' visas were approved. We pick up their visas and passports Thursday morning and then fly home late Thursday night. We'll be on a much bigger patch of US soil Friday, Lord willing. After the embassy, it was a great day. Ice cream, soccer, dinner, baths, and a whole lot of flipping through an Amharic phrase book. The day went smoother than we could have hoped for and we are so grateful to God to be here with our children. Can't wait to do it all again tomorrow. Thanks again for all your prayers that have made this happen!

Safe in Addis

[from our adoption blog]

After 30+ hours of travel, we have arrived safely in Ethiopia. It is so good to be back! We have an exciting couple days lined up, starting tomorrow. In the morning, we go to the transition home to pick up Kassa and Mulunesh. We CAN NOT WAIT! After lunch we go to the embassy for an appointment related to their visas. We are thrilled to be here and so grateful to be bringing our kids home. Thanks for all your prayers and support that have brought us this far.

Time to Travel

Yesterday we heard from the US Embassy that we are officially cleared to travel. We snatched up the first available appointment and will be leaving next Sunday to go bring our children home! I can't help but smile every time I see the airline ticket confirmations in my inbox.

The past week has been full of phone calls, paperwork, obsessive checking of email on my phone, anxious waiting for the final details to come together--"just labor pains" Janelle reminded me on one particularly challenging day. But we've also been doing lots of fun stuff like hair lessons from a wonderful new friend and adoptive mom, trips to Old Navy and Target for cute clothes, and turning the boys' sailboat room into a sports room with a few new pillows and accessories. We've filled our scabies prescription at Target (just in case!) and scheduled doctor's appointments. We've stocked up on hot sauce (which apparently Ethiopian children love to put on everything!) and bought ingredients for homemade Ethiopian stew. And filled out more paperwork.

Our second trip to Ethiopia will be very quick. The morning after we arrive in country we will be reunited with our children and we will never have to leave them again. They will come with us to our Embassy appointment and then we will spend two days doing fun things around Addis before our visas are issued and we can fly home.

Home. We are bringing our children home.

Thank you for your prayers! More updates and pictures to come.

Adoption Update—Almost There

We are counting down in days now, instead of months and weeks. Eight days until the US Embassy in Ethiopia has completed their paperwork and interviews and God-willing, gives us the all-clear to travel and get our children. Eleven days until we (hopefully!) get on a plane, thirteen or so days until the final step--an interview at the Embassy, and fifteen days until we get our children's visas and fly home. All very subject to delays of course so we would greatly appreciate your prayers that all would proceed smoothly and speedily.

Right now my house is turned upside down redecorating the kids rooms and Jack and Tori talk daily about what they will play or share with their new brother and sister. There's not much more to tell actually. Isn't that the way with waiting? It is the uneventfulness that makes it hard. Our agency warned us this would be the most difficult part of the wait and they were right. Knowing our children, having held them in our arms, being their legal parents but having to leave them behind is excruciating. But just as the day and hour of our biological children's birth was ordained by God, I know that the day when our family will be complete is entirely in His wise, powerful, loving hands. We'll just be so excited when it gets here.

Thank you for all your prayers.

(Another) Whitacre Adoption Update

Things have been quiet here on the adoption front because we've been in waiting mode. But I'm excited to announce that yesterday we were finally submitted to the US Embassy! In a week or so we hope to receive an embassy appointment, and then travel a few weeks later to bring our kids home.

Here in America we have moved from Fairfax, VA to Louisville, KY, unpacked our new house, celebrated Christmas, and bought bunk beds. Our Ethiopian children's clothes are in their closets, their booster seats are in the car, their chairs are empty at the dinner table, and our backyard seems deserted with only two children.

There's still a lot of paperwork to get processed between now and when we bring Kassa and Mulunesh home, including the Embassy clearance and our home study update. We would love your prayers that it would speedily pass through the proper channels.

Meanwhile, we receive regular updates that our kids are doing well and they know that we are coming for them soon. Here's a recent picture our adoption agency sent us a few days ago. Aren't they the cutest, smiliest kids you ever saw? Our hearts just ache to bring them home soon.

And although this is not related to our adoption I must add a personal note of thanks to all of you who have welcomed us to Louisville. So many of you sent me your contact information, invited us over to your house, offered to bring meals or watch our kids, and helped us move in. I haven't had a chance to reply and thank all of you personally but please know you have made us feel so welcome to the seminary and the lovely town of Louisville. I hope I can meet all of you soon!

Thanks again for all your prayers and encouragement for our adoption. Our family is so blessed by your care. Can't wait to share pictures of our family, complete at last.

It is (Almost) Complete

We are home from Ethiopia now, but a big part of us is still ten thousand miles away with our two new children who are still there. The adoption process in Ethiopia requires two trips--the first to meet and appear in court to legally adopt your children, and the second to receive approval and visas from the US Embassy to bring them home. Oh, we can't wait to bring them home!

Leaving Kassa and Mulunesh was gut-wrenching. We marvel that God made so much room for us in their little hearts so quickly, and for them in ours. Our family isn't complete without them. In fact, that is what Mulunesh's name means: "it is complete." We pray it will be soon. God-willing we will be submitted into the embassy process today (Wednesday) and it can take anywhere from 4-12 weeks after that before we can bring them home. We would love your prayers that the process would move ahead speedily.

By God's grace Jack and Tori did great in Ethiopia. They love their new brother and sister and talk daily about when we can bring them home. We were so blessed by the wonderful guides from our adoption agency who love all the children there and take outstanding care of the adoptive parents. And we made many wonderful, and I hope life-long, friends with the other couples who were also in Ethiopia to adopt. Several of them did not pass court due to a variety of paperwork issues, so we would covet your prayers for them as well. All in all, we could not have had a more blessed trip and we are grateful to God for his many mercies--most of all for giving us our new son and daughter.

This week though, we are busy packing up our house in Virginia. We are moving to Louisville, KY so that my husband can attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, prior to planting a Sovereign Grace Church. For many years, Steve has had a growing desire to plant a church, and an equally strong desire to be further equipped and trained for the task of preaching God's Word. We are so grateful for this opportunity to attend Southern and we have already been so blessed by the godly people we have met there. We will greatly miss our dear friends at Sovereign Grace Church and are so grateful for the eternal investment they have made in our lives.

So, that's the update from the Whitacres. In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy this brief little video of us meeting our kids for the first time. I can't thank you enough for all of your prayers!

Meeting Kassa & Mulunesh from Nicole Whitacre on Vimeo.

“They Are Yours”

With those sweet words from the Ethiopian judge, we are now legally the proud and joyful parents of 

Kassa Jude Whitacre 

and

Mulunesh Sophia Whitacre.

Thank you for all your prayers! More details to come…

Court Tomorrow!

These past few days with our two new children have been simply delightful. We have been well-served by wonderful staff from our adoption agency here in Ethiopia and we have made great friends with the other families who are also adopting children. Jack and Tori have had a blast riding in a van with no seat belts, eating popcorn, and drinking mango juice at an Ethiopian restaurant, and most of all playing with their new brother and sister. Steve posted the following update on our adoption blog. Thank you for your continued prayers that we will pass court tomorrow! Nicole

We had another wonderful day with the kids today. We're discovering, by trial and error, what our kids like. We've discovered that they like fruit snacks, but who doesn't? Piggy-back rides are a hit. They love balloons, but not if you tie off the end. Soccer was popular, and coloring never disappoints. They love hugs and kisses no matter what. And they're getting lots of them. 

An Amazing Day

Well, it's 2am in Addis and I can't sleep. Jet lag plus excitement is a powerful combination. Today was indescribable, meeting these two little ones for the first time, but Steve has captured it well on our adoption blog so I'm going to let him fill you in. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support. Our court date is Wednesday so please pray for favor with the judge. If, God-willing, we pass court, we will finally be able to show you pictures of our new son and daughter!

Quite The Introduction

Today was as exhilerating as it was exhausting. After a morning spent settling in and a lunch that just couldn't go by fast enough, we rode across town to the America World Transition Home to meet our new children. We waited only briefly and then rejoiced as we watched them walk to us, stooped to embrace them, and felt their little arms around our necks.

We got to spend a few hours together: playing soccer, coloring, blowing bubbles, and building Legos. Our hearts are bursting with joy and gratitude to God - Happy Thanksgiving indeed. Watching our two new children play with Jack and Tori, we marveled at the way they are already beginning to fit right in to our family. There's not a lot we can communicate with them just yet, although we loved hearing "Dad" and "Mommy" from their lips. And we're peppering them with "I love you's," in English and in the best Amharic we can muster, which isn't very good. But we think they're getting the point.

Yesterday was delightful but oh, so brief. Today we'll get to spend a significant part of the day with them. Can't wait to get started. I can't let this post close with issuing another THANK YOU for your many prayers that brought us to this point. Thank for sharing in our joy and helping to make it possible!