If you followed our last blog, 4 years ago now, (www.kerriganadoptionstory.blogspot.com) you know that we have waited on Ethiopia before. As I write, I remember four years ago, we were a week away today from the referral of our two oldest boys and two months away from meeting them, those weeks felt like years as our 6 year journey for children came to a climax. Since then we have added four children in the past four years! Now we are waiting for something else. Another tug on our souls that has been growing...and now that we are anticipating happening, moving internationally. I'm not sure how much longer this current wait will be but we I thought I'd start writing now as in our planning, we would have arrived three weeks ago.
In his heart a man makes his plans...but THE LORD directs his steps. (Prov 16:9)
History: We have desired to move overseas for several years. It has been in our minds since we dated and through every job transition and move. When we lived in Charleston (2002-2004) we looked seriously at moving to Honduras. When we lived in Phoenix for two years (2004-2006) we spent a summer in Guadalajara Mexico and loved it, then considered seriously a job that would have moved us to the DRC. We chose instead to move just north to the Seattle area where I started a private counseling business and Sean began his work with World Vision. We considered moving to India a few years ago for a project Sean was working on there, but that also fell through and we moved instead to the DC area where we have been since 2010. We have moved a lot in ten years but have not yet made it across an ocean and we continue to feel a tug on our hearts to do this, to serve and learn from people in a different place.
"...spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs
of the oppressed..." Isaiah 58:10
A year ago we were presented with another opportunity to move
internationlly. Sean's current role in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
often takes him to Africa and there was a need for him to be closer to
the work. We were excited at the possibility to return to the country
of Caleb and Eli's birth so this past summer we packed up our house in
Arlington, VA and moved with three suitcases and a couple carry-ons back to the the other Washington to
be near family, and to have our fourth child before moving to Ethiopia.
We expected the paperwork for the move would go through early in
the summer and our things would be shipped while living here. Our plans
were to move on October 8th but the paperwork still sits unsigned
so we wait here until we get word; and our belongings all wait in Arlington to ship. Apparently Ethiopia is among the hardest of countries to obtain a work permit. In the meantime parents have been very generous
and have taken all 6 of us in. They stayed in lovely home down the
street until earlier this month (when they thought of course that we'd
be gone) but now the eight of us are living in my childhood home until
we get notice from the office there in Addis that we can come and
begin working in Ethiopia. I will spare you the details but it
continues to grow us to wait on these steps that we have such little
control over. Meanwhile we are blessed beyond measure to be around
friends and family for longer than we expected. Our sweet kids know
their cousins and Grandparents so well now and having extra hands around
with four kids under five fills my heart with gratitude. This morning
during Keziah's nap, my Dad stayed with her and I took the three older boys on a couple hour bike ride. Here are the boys when we stopped to throw some leaves:)
 |
| Luke age 2 |
|
 |
| Caleb age 4 |
|
 |
| And here is baby Keziah-2 months |
 |
| Eli age 4 |
|
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
