Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so incredibly thankful for Jesus and His love. He is so good to me. I am so thankful for everything He has done in mine and my family's lives and I can't wait to see where He takes us in this next year of life! I am also SO thankful that we have had our Ethiopian babies for two years this Thanksgiving! They are treasures from heaven.

..From Solomon:

Hello Ellie,

How are you doing today? I am doing very well. I would like to say happy Thanksgiving Day. How God is awesome. You are the special gift I got from him. I pray for you to safe and bless you forever. You are a good young sister for me. I pray for you God to give you potential that help you to help more orphans and to fulfill your heart’s desire. Know that I love you and pray for you every day. You have a great place in my heart. I am proud what you are doing. God be with you my sweet sister.

Love your Brother Solomon Mestas!!!!!!!

We so hope that Solomon will be joining us for next years Thanksgiving celebration!

There ya' have it folks...

The world's greatest invention. Everyone saw how classy and necessary human snuggies are in life so they came out with this. A snuggie for dogs. Now when your dog is playing backgammon or laying on the couch flipping through channels, they can be warm while having their paws free. (i'm just sure that somebody from snuggie dared another snuggie employee to invent this just to see how many people would actually buy it. Snuggie is taking over the world. )

The Advent Conspiracy

"Christmas can [still] change the world."

Let's remember what Christmas is really, truly about. It's about remembering and celebrating the ultimate gift that God has given us in His Son. God came to earth in the form of a baby on that beautiful silent night. He humbled himself as a little child and He came to save us, His enemies, even though we hated him. God sent His own perfect and holy son to take our punishment, even though we did nothing at all for him except grieve His heart. He sent His perfect son who's holiness was enough to cover up our wickedness and allow us to have a relationship with the God of the universe.

That is some serious love that is worth celebrating. May we not become so busy and focused on the materialism that the world has come to associate with Christmas that we lose sight of what Christmas truly means for each and every one of us. Celebrate. (...good times c'mon.)

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

The Advent Conspiracy Promo Video from theadvance on Vimeo.

"Find My Family"

A new show is coming to town and it's not gonna be as great as it looks. Read the following from Martha Osbourne of Rainbow Kids:

"In the most exploitive and disparaging-of-adoption media effort yet, ABC will air a sneak peak' of their new series Find My Family on Monday, November 23rd. With a sensationalized and soap-opera style, ABC will take viewers into the lives of adoptees and birth families in their Search to be reunited.

With the tagline " Some people have spent their whole lives searching for the one thing that matters most... Their wish will now come true. Let's find your family, producers completely discount any worth of the adoptive families who have loved and raised these children. Instead the show emphasizes the loss of a child's Real family' as the one-and-only central issue of all adopted children's lives.

The entire premise of this show is upsetting on so many levels. I encourage every family of an adopted child to prepare mentally for the public reaction, and the reaction of their children who may find themselves the sudden center of assumptions about their needs, desires, and personal feelings on their adoption.

This new series is being heavily promoted on ABC. Created by the producer of Extreme Makeover, Find My Family is laden with emotional angst and tearful moments meant to increase ratings and viewership. Unfortunately, the general public's opinion and understanding of adoption is largely shaped by the media. ABC's exploitive new series will focus on the most extreme issues in adoption, and is sure to have an effect on how our children's teachers, extended family, and friends view and accept adoption.

For years, the adoptive community has sought to rectify the past vilification of birth-parents as people who gave away their children. Birth parents are now widely recognized as the First Parents of children, deserving of love, respect, and understanding. It is in no one's best interest to turn the tables and begin to portray adoptive families as second-class, or less-than' a family created biologically. This new series is a step back for everyone."

I pray that this show does not discourage families from stepping out to care for the orphan and love them the way Jesus calls us to. Adoption is God's idea and definitely not a "Plan B" family growing option. Both the birth parents and adoptive parents are extremely important in this plan of God's and neither should be looked down upon.

Water.

Wow. We take so much for granted. In our minds I think we become used to the fact that in Africa, they walk to get their water and it's not so clean. What if it was us though? Our neighbors that we are supposed to be loving as ourselves are dying because we are comfortable with our lives. We are neglecting our 1.1 billion neighbors who drink parasite infested water while we safely drink our extra purified bottled water. May we not ignore the lives of others for the sake of maintaining our lifestyles any longer. Watch the video and get involved. www.safewaternexus.org

Anddd...IT'S UP!

As of November 8th, Etaala's website has officially launched! ( a few things to add still but for the most part it's done!) Click here and check it out.

Teaser. :)

Website being launched on Orphan Sunday November 8th 2009

Etaala International

Youth led, Youth focused, Orphan Care Ministry

143 million orphans worldwide

YOU can make a difference.

"Learn to do right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. " - Isaiah 1:17...Do you see age requirements? We don't.

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

(Photos courtesy of Sarah Herbert Photography.)

Story Time

I have a wee story to tell you. Speaking of the word "wee". There were quite a few people from Ireland at the camp that I went to this summer and they called me "Wee Girl." It was a little hilarious and I'm glad as Americans, we don't say "wee" on a regular basis.

Anyways. Here is a story about a girl and some boys. This girl was (most of the time) a kind and sweet hairdresser. She was getting ready to go to lunch one day when a mother walks in with three small boys needing a hair cut. She was most likely perturbed and hungry because she took out her wrath on the three little boys' hair. It looked similar to something that would result from Edward Scissor Hands closing his eyes and sneezing. Well, the mother was less than thrilled and repeatedly said over the next few days as she was extremely busy that she needed to fix the three boys' hair. Well, one small boy took matters in to his own hands and here are the results. (James protecting Jer's head from a picture.)

If he cocks his head just so...you can't really tell that the top of his head is mostly bald.

Etaala's website is coming along marvelously well! I can't wait until I can share it with you all!

random moments of everyday goodness.

Kez sporting the Gangster look. Uncles, Aunts, Nephews, Nieces galore. Yogurt fu manchu's are the greatest.