Merry Christmas!

Jonas' Infant Dedication

Jonas' infant dedication was last Sunday. He wore the traditional Ethiopian outfit we bought for him and he was so cute in it! I thought it was going to be big on him, but the pants were a little snug on our little chub. Ray was able to do the dedication, and it was so surreal for me. Here was the baby that we hoped for, prayed for, and longed for... Here was the child that God had in mind when he answered our prayers for a baby NOW with, "No, not now. Trust me and wait." Oh, he knew what he was doing for sure. So dedicating him to the Lord was a chance for us to acknowledge that God has entrusted him to us and to offer him back to the Lord. I pray that we will be examples of Christ's amazing love in his life and that we will rely on God's guidance as we raise him and teach him.

swimming

Burger King

Jonas had his first outing to Burger King today. No fast-food for him, but he had fun with the crown. Or maybe we're the ones who had fun with the crown. :)

Birth Parents

A friend of ours, Meg Brask, is using our adoption story as the subject for her film class projects. She came and filmed us before we went to Ethiopia, having us share about the adoption process and our thoughts and feelings leading up to our trip.

She came back this week on Wednesday to do another piece now that we're home with Jonas. I'm really thankful she chose us as her subject matter because it's a great way to chronicle our journey.  We saw the first piece, and she did a great job.  I can't wait to see the finished product of this next one!

Something Lisa said during the filming on Wednesday really struck me.  She said that she wished she could tell Jonas' birth mother what a special son she had given birth to.  It struck me because early in our adoption journey, I thought that I didn't want to meet the birth parents and didn't want them involved in my child's life.  I guess it was because I was afraid that their existence and involvement somehow threatened the legitimacy of me being Jonas' daddy and him being my son.

We don't know anything about his birth parents.  We just know that, as it is in most developing countries, although birth parents love their children very, very much, things like illness, disease, poverty, war and genocide force them to make a very difficult and self-sacrificing decision: give up the child I love so that he or she might have life.

In Jonas' case, either his mother was dying and left him to be found so that he would be cared for or she had already died and a relative, friend or neighbor left him where he would be found and cared for.  If she was dying and had to make that choice, well, I can't imagine the courage, strength and selflessness it took for her to do that.  I remember thinking the same thing when I was in Jamaica on a mission trip after just finishing my undergraduate work.  A three-year-old little girl had become my buddy, and because of the poverty they faced, her mother offered to let me take her little girl home with me so that she could have a better life in the US.

The depth of love like that amazes me, and it gives me a glimpse of what the love of Jesus must be like.  Think about all he gave up, all he became, all he took on, all he experienced, all he suffered so that we could be forgiven, cleansed, set free and restored to right relationship with our Heavenly Father.  "Amazing love, how can it be that you, my God, would die for me?"

So early in our adoption journey, I thought that the existence and/or involvement of birth parents somehow threatened the legitimacy of me being Jonas' daddy and him being my son. But knowing him and having him know us, I see things a little bit differently now.  He is such an amazing gift, such a special boy, such a great joy that I wish his birth parents could see that.  I wish they could see how cute he is, how chubby he is, and hear his laugh.  I wish they could see how observant he is, how demonstrative he is, and how big his personality is.  But most of all, I wish they could see how their hopes and dreams for him - to be loved, to be cared for, to be healthy, to learn and to have the chance to grow up into the man God has made him to be - will be realized.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that Lisa and I are these great people that are rescuing Jonas and giving him a chance. I'm just saying that putting myself in the context of his birth parents, I know that I would wonder what was going to happen to him when I was gone.  Would he be cared for, sheltered, protected, encouraged, taught, unfolded, tickled, hugged, kissed, cherished, i.e., would he be loved like I loved him? If I were in their place, I would be wondering these things, and I would be comforted to know he was loved like I loved him.

All of this makes me realize what a great privilege it is to raise Jonas and be his daddy.  His care, well-being and development have been entrusted to me.  It's a great responsibility and a precious gift.  And I love it! :D

Pictures!

Steelers Fans

Thanksgiving outfit (Thankful for Mommy and Daddy). This picture was taken after Thanksgiving because I completely neglected to take any pictures on Thanksgiving Day!

One Month

Today is the one month anniversary of meeting Jonas.  I can't believe it's been a month already, but at the same time, it seems like we've been a family forever.  A month ago today we were completely in love with a little boy that we didn't know at all.  There were times that first week that I felt like an imposter mommy because I didn't know his likes or dislikes, his routines, or what he wanted when he cried.  Now I know him.  I know when he's tired, when he's hungry, and when he's bored.  I know what makes him laugh, his favorite toys, the faces he makes, the way he likes to fall asleep, and the sounds he likes to imitate.  I know I'm his mommy.  A month ago today two strangers walked into Jonas' life and changed his whole world.  I'm sure there were times that first week that Jonas wondered who we were and if he could trust us.  Now he knows us.  He knows the games we play with him, the way we change him and feed him, and the ways we comfort him when he's upset.  He prefers us over anyone else.  He knows that we're his mommy and daddy.  

I mentioned in an earlier post that we found out something about his Ethiopian name, Ekra.  A few Ethiopians that we talked to on the way home from Ethiopia said that Ekra is an unusual name.  They said it sounded Arabic or Muslim to them, not Ethiopian.  I was puzzled at that because he was named by the Christian orphanage where he was first placed.  I figured there must be some story behind it that I would never know.  We mentioned that to my father-in-law, who decided to do some research on the name.  He said that Ekra is either Hebrew or from the Hebrew and it's found in Psalm 27:7.  

Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.  Psalm 27:7

"When I call" is Ekra.  It gives me goosebumps to think that I called out to God for a child, and he mercifully answered me with a son named "when I call".  We've found two Hebrew meanings for the name Jonas.  One is Gift From God, and the other is He Accomplishes.  So, Jonas Ekra is either "Gift from God when I call" or "He accomplishes when I call".  Either way it's a reminder of God's great love and faithfulness, and his amazing plan in joining us together as a family.