Hi! So sorry we haven’t had a chance to update you all via the blog since we were cleared to travel. It has been non-stop to get ourselves prepared to bring Lulu home. Rob, Emma and I fly out tomorrow (Wednesday) morning for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will arrive there late Thursday night. Our plan is to wake up Friday and go get our baby girl FOREVER! This has been such a full and incredibly painful, while simultaneously miraculous few months that I am fighting the tension of wanting to sit in front of my computer and type the story out completely. Alas, I have to pack and prepare our sweet Asher for us being gone for the next week and the story-telling will have to wait. My hope is the very long plane rides will offer me great room to write.
We are scheduled to arrive back into Nashville on Friday evening 3/23. We would LOVE for anyone local who would like to come to the airport to celebrate the victory of what has been an “it takes a village” endeavor if there ever was one. We aren’t sure how much we will be out in public for awhile after we are home – we are prepared to hibernate with our new family of five for a spell. So, we would love for you to see and celebrate your prayers answered with us at the airport on the 23rd. Our sweet friend Jen Scoggins has volunteered to be the point person for flight details and instructions, so if you are interested in welcoming Lulu home at the airport please email Jen at: Jennifer.scoggins@comcast.net and she will get you our flight # and times, and also can alert everyone if we are delayed or if there are any last minute changes. We hope to see many of you there for the moment we have imagined for two years now!
We continue to be overwhelmed by your prayers, emails and calls of encouragement. There are so many important side stories woven inside of this larger story of one child and one family and One God. Thank you for being a part of this all with us. As we prepare to depart our beloved home in Franklin in just over 12 hours from now, so many thoughts and prayers fill my head. Prayers for our Asher as he stays back with his grandparents while we are away. He thought it would be super fun and exciting to come down with an ear infection today, so please pray he is well very soon. Thankfully, our amazing pediatrician fit us in this afternoon and he is started on antibiotics. Prayers for Lulu as we prepare to take custody of her in a couple of days. May her heart attach quickly and firmly to ours, and for there to be a palpable peace surrounding her transition. My heart is breaking thinking about taking her from the nannies and her friends at the House of Hope. Please pray for their hearts as Lulu departs from their tight community. Prayers for our health and safety as we travel. Prayers for those God would have placed in our paths – that His Light would overflow out of us so they may experience God’s great Love for them. Prayers of joy and thanksgiving as we prepare to meet up again with kindred friends on the other side of the planet – again recognizing our God is one of details and relationship. We feel as if we are receiving one of the most amazing gifts we have have ever experienced by being able to walk the final leg of this road with some dear dear friends, the Dashiells. Many, many prayers – again thank you for standing with us.
One final thing and then I HAVE TO FINISH PACKING…Some incredible friends of ours who also happen to be incredibly talented photographers, Jen & Chris Creed recently spent an afternoon with our family of four as we wait and prepare to become our family of five. They posted a few of the images on their blog and so I wanted to share the link here – thank you so so much Creeds! Check out their full post here or click on the image below.
Pat - Wish I was a local 🙂
Praying for you. Trusting God. Hugs!