He Promised Good to Me

It's been a while....August to be exact.  In all honesty, I've typed several posts to try and be transparent with what God has been doing in our family, but I've erased each post and decided to come back a little later.  You know...after the dust settled for a while.  

Today has been exactly 1 year since we landed in Addis Ababa for the first time.  Even as I type, I can almost smell the spices that permeated the air as I walked off the plane.  Shortly after arriving, we found ourselves at the guest house where we would feast on homemade doughnuts and coffee.  There were two children in the home that were leaving for America with their new parents playing in and out of the small room.  My heart had nearly burst when I first saw their faces.  Jason and I had looked at their file and prayed about whether or not these two were going to be part of our family.  God had not confirmed that they were our children and through lots of prayer and heartache, we had to tell our agency that we couldn't take them.  I (Michelle) really struggled with thoughts of what would happen to them, but Jason was confident that God had parents that He had chosen for the two.  I'd prayed for their parents, and in God's precious way, He allowed us to meet the wonderful parents of the young boy and girl that we had prayed for...in the flesh!! It was amazing to see them with their forever family!  Through meeting their parents, we were able to connect through Facebook and email.  Just shy of 9 months of living in America, the two children that were never meant to be ours were holding their new baby sister...a miracle birth in their family!  Isn't that unreal!

We talked with our "new friends" that were two months ahead of us in the process of passing court and then returning to Embassy to take their children home.  We watched as they tried to communicate through charades at the table. :)  By all accounts, they were doing well, but I believe they were holding it together for us so that we wouldn't run before meeting our children.  I laugh at myself now when I think of the giddy grin that must have been on my face and the confidence that I tried to exude when I HAD NO IDEA about what we were stepping in to!  We sipped our coffee and began to head upstairs for a much needed shower when our driver (now friend), Eshetu, stepped in and asked, "Are you ready to go to the foster home?"  If you know me, you know that I was thinking of my greasy head, no lipstick and the smell that must be coming from my unshowered body, but as quick as that thought entered my mind, I think I yelled, "Yes! Really? Yes!"

Minutes after our 1st Meeting

The foster home was less than 5 minutes from our guest house, so we didn't really think that we had time to get nervous.   Somehow, when we saw that gate that stood between us and the children whose pictures had been sent to us through months of weekly updates, our hearts raced and our palms began to sweat.  We drove into the small courtyard/playground/clothes line area, and within seconds, Yohannes (Samuel) stepped out from the front door.  He hugged Jason and quietly called him, "Daddy."  He politely walked over to me, kissed my cheek, called me "Mommy," and smiled.  Serkalem (Sophie) held the hand of her Nanny and then rushed over to me.  She kissed my cheek, called me "Mommy," and then jumped into my arms.  She giggled a lot and kept playing with my hair.  From around the back side of the foster home, I noticed another Nanny walking towards us.  She had a sleepy baby, and I realized it was Fiekre (Titus).  There were no kisses, no hugs, no smiles...just tears!  He went to Jason and the nannies walked away.  There we were in the courtyard...holding three children that we really didn't know, that couldn't speak English, and we were going to be their parents.  I was elated at the moment.  I kept hugging them and kissing them.  They called us "Mommy" and "Daddy,"  but by their own admission, they didn't really know what that meant.  Trying to encourage a bond, the nannies had instructed them to do so.  They knew that they had friends in the foster home that left for America, and they were going to have a  chance to go, too.  Samuel, who tells us he had asked for a pretty mom and fun dad, laughs as he remembers those first moments of peeking out his window and watching as we drove into the foster home.  He tells us that he was so glad that we were finally there because he knew that meant he was going to America soon where he had heard it was very green and had lots of candy!  They knew nothing about us or what real life in America would be.  At the moment, we didn't care to sort through all of that.  We were so relieved to finally see their faces and hold their hands.  Little did we know that in less than three months, our worlds were going to be turned upside down!

A sweet friend, Penny Oates, shared our story titled "Obedient Surrender" in a local publication this month, Faith Magazine.  We've had many dark weeks, but during a particularly dark month, she contacted me and asked if she could write the story from our blog posts and a few questions.  Once the article was finished, she shared it with us.  Tears flowed down my cheeks as God reminded me of how He providentially placed these three in our home.  He reminded me of how ALL of it, the easy and the hard, was for our good! It was a look back so that we could begin to see the progress that He was making in our family.  All along, we knew that He was knitting us together, but we've been so busy trying to survive that we were having a hard time remembering just how far He had brought us!

I've shared bits and pieces with family and friends that have asked (some of you probably heard more than you wanted to hear!), but sometimes speaking the truth of what was happening in our home and in our hearts was just more than I could handle or could ask someone else to process with me.  We've often looked at each other and without saying a word, we've known the other's thought, "Will this ever get better?"  

Today, exactly one year after our first meeting, the Lord gave us a sweet glimpse of what He is doing in our family.  Today, Samuel and Sophie graduated from Kindergarten and Pre-K4.  When we stood in that courtyard one year ago and held them for the first time, we never would have dreamt that we would be cheering for them as they sang songs, recited a poem, and received a diploma on a stage with a classroom of children! 

I am a promise!  I am a possibility!

Samuel's class sang, "I am a Promise!"  As he sang these words, "I am a promise!  I am a possibility!  I am a promise with a capital P!  I am a great, big bundle of potentiality!"  Time stood still for a moment.  I realized that what He has done, and will continue to do, is good!  He promised that, and He is faithful!  At one moment, I looked around and saw Titus on Brendan's hip, Sara Kate hugging Sophie as she looked at Sophie's graduation picture, and Spencer and Samuel laughing in the foyer of the church.  While someone may look at our younger three and marvel at how "well" they look, we know that what He has done inside of each of us is far greater than anyone can "see!"

So, today, I was thankful for the hard that has changed us! It has certainly drawn us closer to each other, to his Word, and to Him!   To God be the glory...great things He hath done!

Mrs. Catherine

Receiving his diploma from Mrs. Tracey

Our Newest 1st Grader!

Mrs. Angie - As tough as me, but still full of sweetness!

Our Newest Kindergartner!

Stumbling Along

It was a hard weekend.  By Sunday, I was on the verge of tears within minutes of waking, and I just didn't see how I was going to have the stamina to make it to the end of the day.  I can usually go with the flow, but Sunday, I couldn't flow anymore.  I had plans in my mind, and no one was working towards my plan.  Before 11:00 AM, I had kids separated in every part of the house, and the walls felt like they were crushing in around me.  Tossing up a quick prayer, I kept walking one foot in front of the other, fed this massive crowd (I still can't believe how much it takes to feed this crew!), and put little Titus to bed.  One down and six to go...except, Mr. Titus was not buying my idea!

I looked around at dirty floors, loads of laundry, school curriculum to be organized...you get the picture!  Not only was everything around me a mess, but it was 2:00, and I was still in my PJs!  I hadn't even finished my cup of coffee.  Two weeks in, and I was seeing "failure" all around me.  The Lord quickly reminded me to commit my plans to Him.  I prayed for Him to show me the next step.  Hearing Titus' cries, I decided to go to his bedroom and try something that I had read from an adoptive mom regarding nap time.  Our little guy sleeps all night (HUGE BLESSING) and barely makes a peep when we put him to bed, but he really struggles through his naps.  I had tried to hold him and rock him, but he just screamed (no tears, just screams!).  Honestly, God carried me into that room, because with the walls crashing in, the last thing I wanted to do was sit within 6 inches of this incredible set of lungs.  With absolutely no tears, this sweet little thing can yell like nobody's business!  He wailed as I walked in, and slightly opened his little eyes to see if I was looking.  When he does this at the dinner table, we all count to three and holler back.  His eyes will open wide and his face will break into a huge 6 tooth grin!  Anyway, I tried to lay him down, but his legs were locked.  I placed his little singing sea horse in his arms and reached through the crib to touch his legs.  As he yelled, I prayed for God's wisdom and direction of just how to survive our family's transition.  I was weary after just two weeks...how could we make it to a new normal?  I knew that it was just right for me to stay with him, so I resolved to sit it out and take the time to use my free hand to check the 500+ emails that have been sitting in my inbox.  Before doing so, I saw that I had a text from a sweet friend sent earlier in the day just about the same time I was feeling paralyzed by the challenges of our new family:

The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord.  He delights in every detail of their lives.  Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Psalm 37:23-24

Oh, how my heart and soul needed to hear that God was delighting in every detail of our lives!  We had stumbled many times through the weekend, and I, their mother, had certainly stumbled, but He promised that we would not fall.  He was holding my hand as I walked through each challenge and each glorious moment with our transitioning family.  He held my hand and led me into the room with Titus, and those next few moments allowed me to laugh at a stubborn little guy who finally fell asleep.  Those moments that I wouldn't have chosen for myself allowed me to stare at the wrinkles in his feet, the curls in his lashes, and long fingers that eventually grasped mine as he tossed in his bed.  Through my hardest day, I fell a little deeper in love with my seven and the One that loved all of us before we ever knew the moments that laid ahead!

Here's a little clip of our little guy that refused to lie down:

IMG 1784 from Michelle Wiley on Vimeo.
 

After waking a little bit, he decided he would at least sit down:

IMG 1788 from Michelle Wiley on Vimeo.

So...here's to stumbles without falling!  We're ready for the next week to come!

Finally Home

We've been home for a week, and with the lack of blog posts or Facebook shares, you can tell that it. has. been. busy!  We still have so many nights when we watch Samuel, Sophie and Titus run through our home and play with their new brothers and sisters, and Jason and I simply stand in awe of the gift God has given us.  It is so amazing to see the faces that we stared at through pictures come to life in our family room!  

Let us not kid you, the transition has been quite a challenge, but everyday, we see glimpses of where life is becoming more settled.  Samuel is understanding more English with each passing day, and Parker, Spencer, Brendan and Sara Kate having been incredible with caring for and loving their siblings.  The most incredible transformation has been in sweet Titus.  We've watched a fussy little baby turn into a bustling little boy that now sleeps through night, laughs and plays Peek-a-Boo!  Sophie regularly sleeps with Sara Kate, and she is quite the girly-girl with her hair filled with bows (literally 10 at one time), clip-on earrings, and princess attire!  Samuel's sweet heart humbles us all the time.  He's been most excited about learning how to ride a bike, and none of us would have guessed how happy he would be with drawers that were dedicated to clothes just for him!  There isn't a day that he doesn't thank us for the clothes that he is wearing.  He now owns a pair of hand-me-down tennis shoes and flip flops from Old Navy, and to him, they are like precious gems...a lesson that has touched the hearts of each of us.

We're beyond thankful for a refrigerator, freezer, and pantry FULL of food and paper products.  These kiddos are major eaters...especially bananas.  We've gone through 8 bunches of bananas this week.  They've had no real issues with food, and they will eat almost anything you put in front of, behind, or beside them! :)  They aren't particularly fond of sweets (this causes some concern for the Wileys), but we have plenty of volunteer consumers for anything chocolate at this house!

 SIDE NOTE FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS:  Let your friends stock your pantry with paper plates, bowls, cups, napkins, utensils, paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues.  OH MY GOODNESS!  The. Greatest. Gift. Ever!  

Finally, the love, support, meals, well wishes, texts, calls and emails have been some of the best food for our hearts.  Through the transition, we've had tears, frustrations, laughter, and moments where everything seems to be flying out of control, but through it all, we've felt God's presence, his strength, his comfort, his wisdom and his love.  Through a song, a text, a call, a meal, a bag of hand-me-downs, a bag of fruit, a ride for a child, or an offer to help God has wrapped us with His love through the body of Christ.  It has been through Him that our family has grown, and it has been through Him that we've had the strength this week!  Never underestimate the power of expressing His tangible love through the body of Christ.  We've felt it...really felt it through our entire process, and without it, we shutter to think of what this may have been like for us and the seven precious gifts that He has given us.  Our hearts sing of thanksgiving for each of you that have supported us along the way!  Thank you!

Our friend, Clay Miller of Miller Video Productions, captured our sweet homecoming and our kids' first time meeting.  We're so happy to share this day with all of you that have walked with us through the journey!  Thank you, Clay, for this precious gift!

wiley homecoming highlights from Miller Video Productions on Vimeo.

Three Little Bugs Snug In a Rug

It was quite eventful making it to Addis...38 hours of delayed flights, re-routes, and security checks where we thought Jason might be arrested for carrying Playdoh in Germany. Really scary!  It sounds like we're complaining, but it ended with a sweet deal of a free upgrade to business class where our seats reclined into beds!  We all three snoozed like nobody's business!  We even slept through portions of the meal!

We're staying at a new guest house, and the view is amazing and beautiful!  What a thrill to have our children looking down over their city and countryside.  It was dark when we arrived, so they haven't seen just how beautiful it is.  We can't wait to see their reaction in the morning!  We'll post some pictures later!

The older two little guys were glad to see us and came down the stairs of their home with huge smiles.  Little Fiekre took a while to warm up, but quickly cuddled with each of us.  The ladies' of the transition home hosted us to a coffee ceremony with a special cake.  After a quick check-up, a doctor's visit, and some hugs, we were on our way.  We're so glad Sonia was with us, because Yohannis was car sick, Fiekre was hungry and crying, and Serkalem wanted to eat every snack we had.  It was still wonderful being headed out together instead of leaving them behind, and we made it back to our guest house and had a yummy meal.  After a short time of play, we headed up to our room for showers.  It's obvious that we have gotten accustomed to 4 children that bathe, dress, and brush their teeth on their own! :)  It was a three on three event, but we all survived! :)  Thankfully, they all loved their showers and baths.  I opened new Batman underwear for Samuel Yohannis, and he kissed my cheek and hugged my neck.  This Mama's heart was full!  Sophie Serkalem has a beautiful head full of curls, and I think I managed to comb and condition it pretty well for my first time!  Bedtime books, hugs, and kisses and we tucked them into their beds.  I wish we could share their smiles with you...I'll never forget Samuel Yohannis' face.  Sophie Serkalem was full of giggles and took a little time to "settle in,", but here is a picture of the precious gifts we have lying in their beds tonight where we will be just across the room:

Blessed beyond measure and so thankful for your prayers!
Love,
Jason & Michelle

Face to Face

DON'T FORGET THAT TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ORDER T-SHIRTS!

Thanks to your wonderful donations, we were able to send a check to cover the fees associated with our children's care in the transition home since November!

It was an expense that we had overlooked, so we are so grateful that God has provided this through each of you!

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 2:19

One of the great blessings of working with our agency is that we receive weekly emails with news about their health and pictures!  We've been able to watch our children grow and change since November!  While these have been wonderful, we are thrilled that our next update will be face to face!

Here's to the last update!

From Here to There

We are beyond thrilled to know that we will be leaving Sunday, July 21, to begin the final leg of bringing our family together!  In one moment, we could shout it from the mountain tops.  In another moment, we begin to shake and tremble as think about what is to come.  So many uncertainties and new territory for us all, but we keep being drawn back to the the realization that God knew all of the moments that are to come before we took our first breath.  We know He is not surprised by anything, and in these last few days of planning our travel and booking flights, He has shown us that He is there with us through each step of the way!

Remember my belly aching from Friday...well, that delay resulted in our losing a hold on our tickets.  I was wringing my fists as we searched for new flights.  I really wanted to fly out of our home town so we didn't have to drive two hours home with 3 new little guys in car seats for the first time.  Another hold canceled, and I feared the flights would be so high that even out of Charlotte or Atlanta, the fares would be too high for us to continue with our plans to travel next week.  Turns out that our agent actually found flights out of our home airport $50 cheaper than the larger airports!  Yippee!  God is good all the time!

So, the countdown is on!  We're shaking and grooving and trying to scramble around here to get ready for some more Wiley chaos!  Pray with us as we finalize our accommodations in Ethiopia and finish our t-shirt fundraiser.  The outpour of support has BLESSED OUR SOCKS OFF (or flip flops...it's too hot for socks)!  We can't sing His praises enough for the generous donations and gifts from you all!

Thank you for your prayers and support!  If you or anyone you know wants to order a shirt, please just tell them to go to our blog and click on the picture of the t-shirts for directions!

Pre-recorded Moments

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:16

God is not surprised by the events of the last couple of days.  I am!

God is not surprised that we don't have an appointment with US Embassy.  I am!

God is not surprised that we don't have flights for ourselves or our three children.  I am!

In my head, I know that God's timing is perfect, but why another moment?  My mind wrestles and my stomach twists as we agonize over the quick jump in air fares as we wait for our appointment to be confirmed.  I know that God will provide, but I still fret throughout the day because I know that one night of rest can result in rates that double overnight.  He wasn't surprised by those fares!  But, I still ask why.

How can I read Psalm 139:16 and fret?  He knew me, my husband, and our children before we were born.  Every day of our lives were recorded in HIS book.  Every moment was laid out...EVERY moment.  I can't remember most of the moments from today, but my Father knows and cares about every moment. WHOA!

He has a purpose.  Part of the purpose we may not know, and it may never be revealed.  But one purpose has been this:

He has used so many of you to encourage us as the clock ticks, and we know we are getting closer to our children every second of each day.  Overwhelmed and humbled are probably the best words that we use to describe how much your notes and donations have meant to us.  God has rallied troops around us!  Like Aaron and Hur holding Moses' arms during the battle, we feel the prayers that are launching us towards a new beginning.  As crazily frustrating as these few days have been, and as disappointed as we are in not knowing when we will be united with our children, we know that He knows the perfect time and recorded that moment before any of us had a single day pass.

So...until THAT moment, here's a few "pre-recorded" moments to share.

For still the vision awaits its appointed time;

it hastens to the end-it will not lie.

It seems slow, wait for it;

it will surely come; it will not delay.

Habakkuk 2:3

Want to order a shirt, click this link, SURRENDER SHIRT, and scroll to the bottom to learn how to order your shirt before our deadline, July 19.