Maya Kisanet Joy Maxwell

We would like to introduce you to our daughter, 

Maya Kisanet Joy Maxwell.

We passed the Ethiopian court process on Tuesday, August 14th, and Maya K became legally our daughter!!!!

Praise the Lord for His goodness!!!!

Thoughts #1

When we get home, we are going to work on doing a post of each day that we are in Ethiopia. This is just a quick post on some of our thoughts up until this point.

Pam ~ I'm in Ethiopia. I've met my daughter. The little girl who has already changed my life. A strong-willed, affectionate, playful, FAST, sparkling, smart, beautiful child who has stolen my heart.

Our trip to get to ET was very long and tiring. We arrived in ET having just been in an airplane for 13 1/2 hours and not been able to sleep. We were able to get our stuff brought in to the guest house where we are staying and had about an hour and a half to "freshen up". Then it was time to meet the other adoptive families who are in country and go to lunch.

I wasn't hungry. I ordered a cup of tomato soup but was only able to eat a few bites. My stomach was in knots and I was soooooo nervous and tired. I kept waiting for that adrenalin to kick in.

We went from lunch straight to the transition home where we were the third of four families to meet our daughter.

Love. that. girl. to. pieces.

She came right to us and I tried to not cry as I scooped her into my arms for a hug. She was wearing the shirt we had sent her and had the photo book we made for her in her hands.

More to come on day #1.........

Today (day #2 in ET). Our daughter met the van as it pulled into the TH yard and grinned as she looked up at each window to see if she could find us. We grinned and waved and she was waiting by the door as we got out.

We had a fantastic afternoon together.

Then it was time to leave. We thought. But then we found out that we were taking "K" with us as we walked down the street to the older child transition home where "K" actually lives. Her face was VERY serious as Nathan carried her down the road and she wouldn't smile.

We got to see the room and bed where "K" sleeps and she started crying. And then I started crying. And then Nathan started crying.

I don't think I will ever fully be able to explain the look that was in my daughter's eyes as we took her into the home where she lives. The sadness, the fear, the panic, the PAIN. I'm starting to cry again as I type this. I took a picture of her face and it is NOT a face I EVER want to see on my daughter again.

Needless to say, leaving her was HARD. She clung to me and just sobbed. I was trying sooooooo hard to not cry, but as I set her down, told her that mommy loves her very much, and walked away (I didn't let myself look back) I lost it. The tears started and I don't know if I will really get them to stop or go away until I have my little girl in my arms FOREVER!!!!!!!

Nate ~ Well. I just read Pam's part and I'm crying again. When Pam says a long flight...she is under-stating what 13.5 hours on a plane really means. Those of you that have done it know, but there is a special mental pain that begins for people like me when we sit that long...and no. getting up to walk down a plane aisle full of people doesn't really help.

When we went to lunch, I ordered vegetable soup. However, I also had no appetite and only had a few more bites than Pam. I felt completely sick with nerves. What will we do? What will she do? What will she think? Will I ever be a good daddy to this little girl? Will we love her? Will she love us? Admittedly, I was terrified. In the end, it went well. She was hesitant at first but warmed up to us. She connected with both of us very quickly...OK. This is summary only. I have lots more to say about this day, but I'll wait until there is time to be thorough.

Today started with a service at IEC, the local Evangelical church that we attended. I won't say much here, but it was not like the services back home, but I could get used to it none-the-less! Today with the kids was much harder. Not just with "K" but with all the children. Yesterday, she cried when we left, but that seemed to be more because we were taking the things with us. Today, it was definitely because we were leaving. That was very hard and my heart broke for my daughter. I didn't want to leave her, but I knew that I had too.....Pam's has recapped that already and I'll talk more about it later. What also struck me today was how many wonderful children are here. For them to be at our agency's transition home, they either have a family that can't bring them home yet (waiting on paperwork) or they have not been referred out yet (most likely, waiting on paper work), or they are on the waiting child list. You can't imagine the smiles on these kids faces. They just want to be loved and cared for by a family. There is a longing in their eyes that I can't explain. The kids that would look at us while we played with "K"....and my heart broke again. It just hurts to see such a need and not be able to help them in some way....so I'm helping them, by asking you to pray for them. Pray for paperwork to move and God to move in the hearts and lives of the forever families that He has picked out for them.

We miss you guys....though we wouldn't leave without "K" if it was possible. We will be home in under a week and will try to get our thoughts completely down as soon as we can so we don't lose them. Thank you for praying and loving from a distance.

We Received A Court Date!!!

Pam ~ Yesterday, we received the phone call we have been waiting for the past few weeks!!!! Nathan and I have a court date scheduled in Ethiopia on Tuesday, August 14th. Praise the Lord!!!!

We have to arrive in Ethiopia no later than Saturday, August 11th, in order that we can spend time with our daughter before attending our court appointment, so we need to leave Des Moines on either the 9th or 10th. Our travel plans have just clicked into high gear. There is a lot to get done in just one week!!!!

I thought it might be helpful to explain a little about what we will be doing during this first trip to ET (at least, I'll try to explain as best as I know!!!)

The purpose of this trip is to meet our daughter and then to appear before an ET court judge, tell the judge that we have met our daughter and spent time with her, and that we do want to adopt her. The judge will then ask us some questions. There is a lot of paperwork that has to be completed by the time of our court date (a lot of it is paperwork that the ET government is responsible for and nothing that WE can help with) and if all that paperwork is ready and in order, then at the end of our meeting with the judge we will be told that we have passed and that "K" is now legally our daughter!!!! However, if ANY of the paperwork is missing, we will be told that we have not yet passed and "K"'s paperwork will need to be completed. This DOES happen, so we are already praying that God will see fit to have all the paperwork there on time!!!!

(Our court appointment will most likely be during the morning of the 14th. Because ET is eight hours ahead of us here in Iowa, please be praying as you go to bed on Monday night, the 13th, and/or if you wake up during the night.)

Regardless of whether we do or do not pass court on the 14th, we will not be able to bring "K" home with us :-(. Once we have passed court, paperwork has to be filed with the US Embassy and "K" will have to first be "submitted to Embassy" and then "clear Embassy" before we will be able to make our second trip to ET and bring her home. This second trip will be anywhere from 4-16 weeks after we pass court.

While we are in ET, we will be visiting some of the government-run orphanages, trying to see some of the cultural places in the capital city, doing a little shopping, making a long day trip to see the orphanage that "K" was originally brought to, meeting with "K"'s living birth parent, and spending as much time as we can with our daughter!!!! It will be a busy trip!!!!

Prayer Requests:
  * That travel arrangements will go smoothly and that we will get a good price on tickets. They are currently ranging from $2,000-$3,000 per ticket.
  * For peace of mind as I gather what we need to take and then pack it all
  * For the Ethiopian government and our adoption agency as they work on gathering the needed paperwork (it's a little hard to explain, but there are a couple of VERY important things that need to happen on August 7th, so please be praying on the 6th and 7th!!!!)
  * For Nathan and I as we prepare to meet our daughter and as we prepare to become parents!!!!

I hope that I have been able to explain all of this clearly!!!! Please feel free to comment and ask any questions you might have!!!! We are so very thankful for all of you readers who have been praying for us and encouraging us through our adoption journey!!!!

One Month "Referralversary"

Pam ~ It's been one month since we received our referral for our daughter "K" and one month since we first saw her beautiful face!!!! In some ways it seems like its been longer than a month, but in other ways the time has gone by quickly.

We are still waiting for our court date and we are still praying that we will be able to get a court date before the courts close on August 22nd (exactly four weeks from today). I got an e-mail from our adoption agency today that was VERY encouraging!!!!

"At this point, there is definitely still a chance you will get a court date before the closure. Your case is open and in line at court, and the court is still issuing dates.......Definitely still prepare for receiving a court date before the closure, as there is a good chance you will receive one."

I LOVED reading those words!!!!!

What are we doing to prepare to travel???  Well . . . . . . . 

Making a packing list

Finding luggage that we can borrow

Buying medicines we need to take

Praying

Finishing the required "older child adoption" training

Finding a pediatrician

Finishing the "Post Adoption Plan of Action" report

Praying

Working to empty out "K"'s bedroom

Keeping the house clean

Praying

Probably lots of other things that I am forgetting

It's a little hard to wrap my mind around the possibility that we could be in Ethiopia hugging our little girl in less than a month!!!!!!