Ethiopian Orphanage

I'm a part of a yahoo group that is comprised of families in our agency. It's really wonderful and a lifesaver at times to have a network of fellow families going through the same exact process/ thoughts/ emotions/ struggles we are. It also keeps you up to date on all of the happenings and gives you a glance of what is to come from families that are further along than we are.

This week, a mom that is currently in Ethiopia attending court sent out a post about visiting one of the orphanages. This is a current October 2010 visit, not something from the 80's. She wrote a very heartbreaking description of cribs with no mattresses and babies wearing no diapers. NO DIAPERS! They had pieces of torn cloth wrapped around their bums held on by onesies. Their clothes were obviously all soiled and when they were changed, it was on the floor in the same space that they play in.

My heart broke and I had tears streaming down my cheeks. Dear blog readers, this is the reality. This is where my baby will spend the first few months of its' life. In a crib with no mattress, wearing cloth strips for a diaper. It is not an exaggerated story, it's an honest account of someone who visited just this week.

Heartbroken.   

WOW

I got some news today that has left me a little bit speechless.
I work for a company that should be family oriented, but really isn't. It's strictly business. We do a community service event every month but usually it's just to generate good PR (which is most often a success).
However, they came to me last week and told me that the owner of our school wants to do a big fund raising event to help with our adoption! Can you believe it? They told me they were tossing around ideas and would get back to me. Today, they told me they are going to do 2 jean days (Staff members get to wear jeans -a usually forbidden item of clothing- if they donate $5) at all 3 schools. That means all of the staff at all 3 schools donating $10 if they choose to participate. Also, they are going to set out a donation box and flyer at all 3 schools and the gym that also belongs to our owner. Beyond that, they are going to include it in all of the newsletters put out by the school. Can you believe that?! I never expected any support, let alone all of this! I'm blown away and so thankful! They loved the idea that November is National Orphan Awareness Month so they will be using that as their heading.

When we first started looking at the huge cost of adoption, a good friend told us that support will come in the most unlikliest of places. She was totally and completely right!

Calling all coffee lovers!

       

Our Just Love Coffee store is up!

Now you can drink delicious fair trade coffee from around the world and support our adoption efforts at the same time! Share our link with all of your caffeine addicted friends!

www.justlovecoffee.com/niehaus

Dossier Update

Homestudy Paperwork has been sent in, hurray!!! The next step is to wait to hear from our social worker and schedule our 2nd of 4 meetings.

I hope to have my dossier complete and ready when the homestudy is finished. Then, we'll apply for our
I-171H and then can send the dossier off! (Translation: Get our packet of paperwork to Ethiopia as quick as possible!)

Here's our current dossier progress:
Dossier Cover Sheet

Application Letter
Wife Birth Certificates
Husband Birth Certificates
Marriage License
Physical Exams
Proof of medical insurance
Proof of life insurance
Financial Statement
Husband Employment letter
Wife Employment letter
Letter of reference #1
Letter of reference #2
Letter of reference #3
Home Study
Police Reports
I-171H Form
Power of Attorney
Photo Pages (1/2 way done!)
copies of passports


Here's to hearing from our social worker soon!!

No one likes to wait

This weekend we finished our 16 hours of required training for Colorado. 16 hours in a classroom seemed daunting but it was actually pretty great. We got so much information that we were physically drained by Saturday night. It was inspiring and informing. As a bonus, we also met some really great people! It was amazing being in a room with people that are all in the same process as us and have the same vision/ passion that we do. We didn't really expect that. We feel like we have so much support in our life from our friends and family but there is something really great about connecting so well with someone in the same shoes.
I was actually a little sad to leave Saturday night!

Tonight while sitting in church, I was reminded of about a year ago when I was praying in desperation over and over and over again for a baby. I had such a major longing in my heart for a child. I very clearly heard Him tell me "Yes, but wait". No one likes to wait (especially me) and I figured that would look like me being pregnant "later". I actually hadn't made the connection until tonight that I'm in the midst of the answer to my earnest prayers. I now know that the "wait" part meant "just wait and see what I have coming, this will blow your mind!" This adoption is so much more great that anything I could've imagined for myself. I feel like it's so much better than being pregnant! I'm so happy and cannot wait until the day that I'm holding my peanut in my arms. God is so good!

Puzzle!

Introducing: Baby Niehaus' Puzzle!

This is our cute puzzle that we will be sponsoring out pieces until everyone is sponsered. Your name will go on the back of your pieces.There are 300 pieces and as of today we have 69 pieces spoken for. That means there are plenty left for you!

They are $5/ piece which makes it our most affordable fund raiser. Plus your name will be a part of our child's memories forever! We will be able to turn it around and tell him/her about each one of the names that loved him/her as much as we did and wanted to help mommy and daddy travel across the world to bring him/her home with us!

Spaghetti Success!

We we had a crazy 2 weeks as we planned, shopped, decorated, cooked, hosted, presented and then cleaned up 2 different spaghetti dinners in 2 different cities! A HUGE thank you needs to go to our wonderful friends and my fabulous parents who hosted the dinners. They were both a giant success. We were so delighted by all of our friends and family that came to support us. We sold a few t-shirts and several puzzle pieces. It was so nice to be surrounded by so many people that we love and to share with them our vision and heart for ethiopia and orphans.

After the dinner, t-shirts and puzzle piece sales, we are about $500 short of our upcoming $5000 payment! Hurray!!

Thanks to everyone who attended and prayed for our delicious spaghetti-ness!