Amazing...that's the only word that can describe the past two weeks. What a blessing it has been to finally be able to bring Jeremiah home ~ home to his forever family.
Our trip to Ethiopia was pretty uneventful and filled with much excitement, curiosity, and anticipation. Upon our arrival on Monday, January 30th, after a full day of travel, we were able to choose if we wanted to pick Jeremiah up that day or wait until Tuesday after we were rested up. Of course, we chose to get him on Monday! We have waited 2+ years for this day and we weren't going to let a little jet lag slow us down.
So, after we got settled into our room, we headed to the orphanage to get Jeremiah. When we arrived at the orphanage, all of the children were seated in a room...ready for the going away party. The nannies had Jeremiah dressed in a traditional outfit and as they brought him out, all of the kids were chanting his name. They then sang a couple of songs. Then they had a coffee ceremony for us, along with popcorn and bread. We were able to take some pictures of the event and also took some of Jeremiah and his nanny. It was a bittersweet moment for all of the workers at the orphanage as they were happy for Jeremiah, but sad knowing that they would miss him terribly.
Once we got back to the guest house, we quickly realized how much work a 10 month old is as we started the repetitive tasks of feeding, burping, changing diapers, bathing, rocking, and playing with Jeremiah. We were also able to confirm what we already knew ~ that Jeremiah has a great personality and has an infectious smile and laugh. That first day, we examined him from head to toe, constantly gazed at him, cuddled him, and kissed every square inch of his body (several times!).
On Wednesday, we had our Embassy appointment. The goal of this meeting is to be approved for a Visa to bring Jeremiah into the United States. They had already reviewed all of our paperwork, investigated the case, and were now ready to interview us. This process should be pretty straightforward, however they could make it complicated if something stood out. In our case, it went perfect! A couple of questions from the agent...and we were approved for his Visa.
We left on Friday night to return home...and after a brutal 29 1/2 hour flight (due to weather, airline, and airport complications) we arrived in Indianapolis to family and friends awaiting their first meeting with Jeremiah. We are so blessed to have such a great family and friends who are very supportive. They all immediately fell in love with Jeremiah as he cooed and grinned at them all.
We have now been home almost a week and it all seems so surreal. A process that took over 2 years to complete is now a reality. Jeremiah is adapting wonderfully. He loves playing with Jaden and Justin and exploring all of the new sights. He is also saying "da da" and "mam ma" which melt our hearts!
All in all the experience has led us through many emotions, but the joy in our hearts that we currently have trumps any past feelings of sorrow, anticipation, worry, or heartache. We continue to pray for the many families that have yet to bring their children home. We pray for comfort and contentment for the new daddies and mommies as they await the completion of their next step. We also pray for the health and safety of all the children that are awaiting their turn to be placed with a family.
As I complete this post, Jeremiah is on the living room floor playing with Justin...a day that just a few months ago seemed so far away. What a blessing!! God is good, all the time!!
