One Year Ago-Isaiah's Story

This week one year ago Isaiah found out that he had a family, a forever family. Many days he would ask an AWAA employee if he had a family yet, and for 10 months the answer was “no”. But this week, one year ago, God answered his prayers. Fortuna, an AWAA employee, was walking by him as he was at recess and he heard the words he longed to hear “yes, you have a family”

I have asked Isaiah about finding out about us several different times over that last 10 months, but I never got many details. He usually answered “I knew it was going to be you when you left with Jacob” or “ I prayed it would be you guys and it was” or “I was so happy”. But yesterday I wanted to know more. A few days ago he spent an hour telling Brad and I all about his first three days being in the orphanage. His first three days actually consisted of 3 different orphanages in two different cities and saying good bye to his birth dad twice. He told us hour by hour what he did, who talked to him, what he ate, what he rode in from this place to that. I treasured these words that he was sharing because its more than he has ever said. I honestly don’t think he was scared or ashamed of his story or past, he doesn’t like to talk details. He will tell you the most recent thing that happened (like “how was school” and he will always talk about the thing that happened at the end of the day).  He wasn’t upset to talk about it, but he wanted us to know. He mentioned how he was nervous and how great some of his new friends were. I’m so thankful for these boys that took the time to make him feel loved and fit right in. He said some guys were sad that he only spent one day at the orphanage (the 2^nd one in two days) because he was good at soccer and they really wanted him to play on their team.  Anyways, all this talking about his past made me think more about what he was thinking when he found out he had an American family waiting/praying/preparing/loving him from afar. Here is the story from his point of view, he told me as I typed it:

I was playing outside at recess. Fortuna walked by and I asked her if I had a family yet. (I asked if he asked her this everyday, he said no, just sometimes the nannies, never her before). She smiled and said “yes, you have a family, but it’s a secret.” I said “whoooo whooo” and went back playing. That night I went to sleep thinking it was you and Dad, and I prayed it was. The next morning I was in school and Fortuna showed up and said “Kirubel, come here”. I ran fast to her and she took me to the office and showed me your pictures on your computer. Then she printed them out so I could have my own copy. I saw you and Dad walking Molly (our dog) and playing a game. (These were the pictures from our Dossier for Jacob but they still had them and gave them to Isaiah). I started smiling real big and said “I knew it” I knew that God would answer my prayers. I still had your pictures from when you were here with Jacob and I looked at them. I just knew when you left with Jacob that you would be back for me and Kaleb. Then I went back school and everybody wanted to see the pictures, even my teacher. Everbody was asking "is this your family" and I said "yes this is my family". My teacher remembered you guys from last year when you came to get Jacob. Everybody said "wow they are a really good family". (He said many people remembered us from when we were there adopting Jacob.) I was smiling and happy all day. Everybody at America World wanted to see my family, so all day I got to show the nannies and everyone my family.

So, he says he knew that we were his family the whole five months from when we left Ethiopia after completing Jacob’s adoption to starting the process again and receiving the referral. I was sure we wouldn’t be. At first I knew we couldn’t start the adoption process again, then I knew they wouldn’t give us the referral for another baby (Kaleb was just over a year when we met him, and is only 9 months older than Jacob) . I didn’t want the boys to wait around for us (not that AWAA would have done that either) to be able to come back and adopt them (little did I know that we would be back in Ethiopia less than 7 months later). But we went home and started updated our homestudy the 2nd week we were back. Long story short the boys papers were ready the same week ours were at the end of September. God knew these boys WERE meant to be our sons. SO THANKFUL!