The day that we got Ansley and Karis in Ethiopia, we were able to meet their biological father, Teshome. You can read the entry we wrote about this while we were in country here. It was a day that brought such a wide range of emotions. Obviously the joy of physically having the girls in our family forever, but also the pain of seeing a father let go of his children because he knew he could not take care of them due to his illness. The image of him walking away from the Transition Home that day crying, knowing he was likely to never see them again, is so vivid in our minds. Our hearts have been heavy with that vivid imagery ever since. In a just world, no father would ever have to do that. And we felt helpless to help him.
In addition, we know so little about our girls early history, other than their extreme poverty and the circumstances which led to them being taken to Kids Care Orphanage. As we have dealt over the past year with difficult issues regarding their attachment, we have often wished that we had more information. In the past month or so, I have mentioned to Shelley that I would greatly desire to go back to Addis Ababa by myself and try to find out more info. Of course the cost and logistics of such a journey make that next to impossible. But I have been praying that God would allow some way for us to connect with the girls past and some way help Teshome.
Two weeks ago, I got a facebook message from an old college friend who is currently on staff with Vanderbilt Medical School. In that message he asked, "Your girls were from Addis Ababa, right?" Of course I responded yes and instantly was intrigued as to why he would be asking.
Turns out he is traveling with a group of doctors and medical professionals to do work with a Christian clinic that provides year-round free care for the poor in Addis Ababa. They only serve a limited number of individuals, but they serve them for life, making home visits, building relationships, and also addressing their spiritual need. One of the purposes of the particular clinic that my friend is working is to identify new patients to be in the program. I instantly emailed a friend that works with our adoption agency in Addis and asked if there would be any way she could connect with Teshome. She replied immediately (from Ethiopia! Total God thing!) and said she knew how to contact him because he came by sporadically asking to see pictures we had sent with our post-placement updates! She said that she would be more than happy to try and find him and take him to the clinic!
That is where we are now. I write all of this to ask you to pray. My friend's team left earlier today (7/29). We sent with him some recent pictures of the girls, a letter to Teshome from Shelley and me, and some pictures that the girls have drawn. We don't know what to expect. We know this whole thing is a long shot, but our God is the God of long shots. If this works, we would have the opportunity to tell our girls that not only are we taking care of them as their forever family, we are also taking care of Teshome, because he is our forever family, too.
BTW, the girls do not know about any of this. We don't want to get their hopes up for something that may not materialize. So please, if you see them, don't mention this. Just pray that God would give us this opportunity to possibly help meet his physical and spiritual needs, and maybe even help us learn more about our girls' earliest years.
Thanks, friends.
7 comments:
Oh Jason! God is so very good! He most certainly is the God of Long Shots. He so deeply loves you and your family that He will bring healing to brokenness right before your eyes in ways that only He can be glorified. I cannot wait to hear "the rest of the story".
Oh Jason! He most certainly is the God of Long Shots and He loves your family so deeply that he will unfold healing for brokenness right before your eyes in ways that only He can receive the glory. I cannot wait to hear the rest of this story.
Long Shots byGod- If I may, sounds like a title of something.
But more seriously, I will be praying about this. I have started to type many different sentences here only to backspace and begin again. Sometimes I would mispell a word and that would force me to retype and some completely different thought would appear. I didn't have burrito's so I know that isn't causing the confusion. I would say it is my A.D.D. but who knows where that would lead or end up. I thought maybe humor would help, but it's not really a funny matter nor is it a sad matter (mad hatter? sorry!). Jason, a child will always yearn for their father, his love, his praise, his forgiveness, his guidance, looking for all of those little spaces to be filled with what only a father can give. (ramble, ramble, ramble I know be quiet)
I just want to "warn" you against feeling that you can provide ALL things at ALL times for ALL of your children, particularly heart healing. Your heart and soul are committed to them as is Shelley's, this we know because your souls tell us so.
I don't know if the girls were able to see the pain in Teshome as he walked away, I want to think the love and happiness they are getting would heal that soon.
Short story long, I believe your blog is more about helping Teshome's healing. As tonights starting pitcher, I think you through a strike right down the middle by sending what items you did. Maybe he will be placed on the treatment plan and will have a long life. Will it be free of pain? I don't know, I can't even imagine being in his sandals. I will be praying that as settle in for your next delivery to God that he will be standing at homeplate with his arm raised and finger pointed straight out to centerfield and he sends a Long Shot right where he pointed. What am i saying, of course HE will, that is what HE does.
HE is on our team. Done.
You got it!
Hi, I am a friend of Amy Watson and she told me to contact you. We are leaving next Saturday (the 7th) to go pick up our kids from Ethiopia. We will have the opportunity to meet thier birth mom. I am a little anxious about it,but have been encouraged my many to do it. Amy said that you might have some ideas of questions that you wished you would have asked your birthparent. If so, I would love some advice. My email is beckyrutland@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Becky Rutland
God often saves entire families together. And He is often up to the miraculous in the middle of His orphaned children and the very poor--we are expecting a miracle from His amazing love here. We have just walked through an experience with foster children in which their mother became our sister as well--this relationship "came out of the blue" and was an incredible blessing for all of us--and felt very organic --as we already loved the children-it was so natural to love the one God used to bring them into the world.
Any parent who has adopted gets the ache in your heart--our children's family becomes our own for sure--plus this dear father IS our brother in Jesus. I am sure that if many of us had the same oppurtunity to reach out (for life!--wow!) to the parent of our adoptive children we would consider this a miraculous gift. More of God's heart coming forth here on the Earth--we will be praying!! Love to you ALL. We pray that God will give ou each more than you could ask or imagine. Our loving Father sets the lonely in families. We have great hope as we wait with you.
Blessings and Grace, Gillian and the Tucker family
You have my prayers. I am confident that His will, will be done...and who loves the people of this world more than Him?
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