On Our Way
We’re on our way to Africa. Right now we’re sitting in JFK airport waiting to board for our flight to Dubai. We’ll blog more once we get the computer hooked up (we’re writing this from the iPod)
Time to Go
That’s it. I just double-checked my packing list. And after throwing in a pair of shower shoes and one extra baby bath towel, I declared us officially packed! We leave in the morning for one of the greatest adventures of our lives.
God’s been so good to us every step of this journey. Sometimes I still can’t quite believe he’s guided our footsteps to a baby girl in Africa. With every year that passes by, I continue to be humbled and thankful that God’s plans have often been bigger than my own tame dreams.
Well, there’s a lot stirring around in my heart, but for tonight, I just wanted to put together a few of our prayer requests before we leave. I’m convinced that prayer is powerful and real. And though we can’t take all our friends and family along with us on this journey, I do hope to travel in a cloud of your prayers!
Our requests:
1. Annie–This little girl has already experienced so many changes, so many losses. We just long for her to feel love and peace in the midst of this huge transition that is coming. Pray that she’ll be able to adjust smoothly, and that she’ll feel she can trust us quickly.
2. Bonding–Pray that Annie will bond with us, and we with her. We know this will be a process, but we’re hoping it will take off with a good start during the coming week.
3. Traveling Mercies–All the million travel details: Safety on flights, no delays, no lost luggage! (especially all those amazing toys many of you helped me make. That tote better make it to Ethiopia!) And it’s probably asking a lot, but if God could bless us with a sleepy baby girl on that long ride home, we would be most blessed!!
4. Health–Many families have struggled with some sort of health issue either during or after their trip to Ethiopia. It is a third world country, and of course that means that health conditions are often less than ideal. Pray that God will spare us and Annie from any sickness.
5. Sleep–I know I mentioned this in my last e-mail too. But really, I just pray that we get enough sleep so we can enjoy our time with Annie in Ethiopia. It’s hard to make the most of a trip if you’re exhausted the entire time, so I’m hoping we’ll be able to get some rest. (Or at least some very good coffee to keep us going!)
6. Noah–Our little guy is staying with Grandpa and Grandma Tol this week. I’m sure he’ll have a great time there, but I also know this will be a huge change for him. We’ve been talking about it for so long and I pray that the week will go by quickly for him until we can come home. Pray for him to adjust well as he becomes a big brother. And pray that his mommy won’t miss him TOO much while she’s in Ethiopia.
7. Teamwork–Okay, so here’s the thing about long trips and sleep deprivation: They can make me a little cranky with my spouse. (Hmm… I hope it’s okay to confess that on the blog.) I love Brian like crazy and am so blessed to have him by my side on this journey. Yet it’s easy to take out frustrations on the people closest to us, isn’t it? So please pray that we’ll have patient and work well together, even when the weariness sets in.
Thanks again for all the support and prayers. We look forward to our next update coming while we are on the journey!
Getting There…
It’s getting close! I’ve been weighing suitcases and practicing some phrases in Amharic. Getting Noah packed up and double-checking a million little details. And in two days, I’ll be on a plane to Ethiopia! It’s hard to comprehend it all. In less than a week, I get to hold my little girl in my arms. God is good.
But as I prepare to greet my new daughter, this week I’m also saying a good-bye. My sweet Grandma Russcher passed away on Sunday, rather unexpectedly. She’d been suffering from Alzheimers for several years, so we take great comfort in knowing that she is “herself” again–in Jesus’ very presence. It’s nice to imagine her now, peaceful and free from all the confusion that plagued her in these last years.
I will miss you Grandma. Your smile and your quick laugh. Wish I could’ve seen your eyes light up when you met Annie for the first time. So many precious memories surface at a time like this. But a blog is hardly the place to sort out my feelings about gaining a daughter and losing a grandma in the same week, even if I though I could find the words.
So I guess I’ll end by sharing a few specifics about our travel plans, for those who are interested in that sort of thing. We fly out on Dec. 31st (Thurs.) Here’s our route, via American and Emirates airlines:
Grand Rapids to Chicago
Chicago to JFK
JFK to Dubai (12 hour overnight layover there)
Dubai to Ethiopia - arriving around noon on Jan. 2
It’s crazy to think that we’ll be spending a night in Dubai on the way over. Thankfully, we won’t have to deal with that on the way home. It’s just one long day of traveling on the way back. We’ll leave around 7 pm on Jan. 8 and get back to Michigan in the late afternoon on the 9th. The flight home is one of the things I’ve felt most nervous about all along. It’s a long day to travel with a one-year-old who barely knows us. (Or we her.) Prayers for on-time flights and a good ride with Annie would be appreciated. But if we end up with a screaming baby and delays the whole way, I have to trust God will give us the grace to deal with that as well.
Well, before I sign off, could I leave one quick prayer request for today? Please ask God to bless us with good sleep in the coming nights. I often struggle with insomnia leading up to a big trip and I rarely have any luck sleeping on planes, so I could use a little divine help staying rested for the trip. I know Brian had a rough night last night and ended up getting up VERY early b/c he couldn’t get back to sleep. So we’d really appreciate those prayers. We just want to be at our best as we help Annie through this huge change in her life–and sleep makes such a huge difference.
Speaking of which… I think I’m off to dreamland for the night. Big day tomorrow with the funeral, saying good-bye to Noah, and final packing.
God Smiles…
Well, everything has shifted here at the Tol house: We are full tilt in travel mode because we received our travel call yesterday! We will be leaving for Ethiopia on January 31st and returning on January 9th. (Flights are still pending, but that’s what we’re hoping for.) It’s incredibly surreal to finally be planning this trip that we’ve looked forward to for nearly two years.
In the midst of all our preparations and plans, we’ve noticed God’s fingerprints all over the place. Here are a few of the fun coincidences that must bring a smile to God’s face:
1. Christmas! Several months ago I got this kind of crazy idea in my head to buy a bunch of toys from Oriental Trading Company that needed to be assembled/painted/sewn together. I thought it would be fun to get a bunch of friends and family to help me work on them, pour love into them, and then bring them over to some of the kids in the orphanages when we visit Ethiopia. So, over the past weeks I’ve had lots of helpers (35+ at last count) help me with sewing puppets, painting race cars, making teddy bears, and stringing beads on little bracelets. I have quite the collection of toys to pass out!
Now when I started hearing from others who’ve traveled, a lot of them seemed to bring more “practical” items (diapers/toothbrushes/medicines/etc.) I was feeling a little bad about all my frivolous toys. But here’s the fun part: We will be in Ethiopia during their Christmas. Since they use a different calendar, they celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, which means we will be passing out all those little toys right around Christmastime! And I have sneaking suspicion God had that in mind all along when he planted that crazy toy idea in my heart.
2. Immigration Papers. Okay, let me start this by giving you a random fact about Amy: I served as an intern for Congressman Hoekstra’s office my fall semester of college. I got to do various interesting tasks, but a good deal of the work that got passed my way involved filing papers and entering data for their Immigration Liason.
Now, fast forward ten years to yesterday. We got a travel call to visit the US Embassy in Ethiopia on January 5. Great news, EXCEPT that there was still a form we needed processed by Citizen and Immigration Services (CIS). We needed that form approved in order to travel, and fast. Without speedy approval, we would’ve had to delay our travel plans.
So… it was time to get some congressional help in beseeching the good folks at CIS to hurry along on approving this form. I called the office, and lo and behold, I’m suddenly talking to the very person I used to work for as an intern. Only this time, I’M the one needing congressional help with CIS! We had a good laugh about that one. But thankfully, everything got straightened out very quickly and we now are clear to travel next week!
3. Coffee. So here’s a little thing. I’m a little addicted to coffee. It’s hard for me to kick things in gear without my morning dose of sweet caffeine. And so, as I thought about travels to Ethiopia, I was curious how available my morning cup of joe would be. It IS the land where coffee was “discovered”, so I wasn’t too concerned. But still… coffee is an important part of my physical and emotional well-being.
So we’re staying at a guesthouse in Addis Ababa, and here’s part of the description of their amenities: “Coffee available at any time.” Any time! Oh glory! I will be fully caffeinated on this amazing African adventure we are about to embark on!
All these wonderful, sweet “coincidences” remind us that God has had his hands in these plans all along. I’m still humbled to think how he has chosen to knit our little family together. And though I’m feeling some nervousness about all the travel plans and adjustments to come, it’s so reassuring to know that God is smiling on us as we go. We covet your prayers for peace, health, and sleep as we prepare to bring Annie home.
Note: I’m hoping to create a “prayer requests” post later this week for those of you who want to be our prayer warriors while we travel and adjust. Check back in a few days if you’re interested.
Dear Blog
Dear blog,
There’s no way around it: I owe you an apology. As the rhythm of everyday life has picked up, I’ve left you stranded like a homely teenage girl on the side of the dance floor. (And I should know how it feels b/c I was once that girl “sitting out” the slow dances!) I’m so sorry to have neglected you for so long. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?
I know, I know. I’ve made promises before. “I’ll blog more” “I’ll do more updates.” “I’ll update my computer to Windows 7 so I don’t need to mutter incoherently about Vista’s gross incompetency while I write new entries…” You’ve heard it all before. So this time, no promises. But for today, I thought I’d take you for a quick spin around the dance floor.
Oh dear. I’m so sorry. “Balancing the checkbook” just tapped me on the shoulder and asked if he could cut in for this dance. And I believe “Laundry” has the next slot on my dance card. . .
Sincerely,
Amy