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Refining

2011-03-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we visited a piece of our families history and future. Why is this place of all random places so important to us? It is a place that God spoke to us so loud and so clear that it was as if for a brief moment time stood still.

It was a spring day in 2009, Magan and I at the time have the privilege of sharing Friday's off as a family. We had been waiting to hear news of a child that would we would get the honor of bringing into our family and loving. The adoption roller coaster is so joyous and wonderful yet so painful and tragic at the same time. It is an emotional adventure but charged with closeness to God, trust, and compassion. It is the process of fusing your heart with a loving God that desires to see all children placed into a family. The waiting is a time of refining, a time of trust, a time to cry out.

At the same time we wait we are very aware that somewhere thousands of miles from where we are there is a mother making a decision that is heartbreaking. If we fail to factor that in we fail to really let orphans change our story. If we fail to yearn to understand what drives someone to make the ultimate sacrifice then we really don't know this child's story. This story is an irreconcilable paradox. It is something we carry with us as we raise our daughter.

I can remember looking out a Puget sound as the clear water was lapping against the dock. The conversation was about waiting and being refined and how it makes you a stronger person. It was about being sick to our stomachs waiting for the phone to ring for a picture of a innocent child in a world that we know nothing about, it was a wait for heaven to come crashing into earth. Earlier that day we had talked with our social worker, jokingly asking her is she wanted to join us in Seattle. Asking her if she in fact possibly had a match for our family. We were by no means serious but at the same time we knew it was only a matter of time.

On the way back to the car from our hike Magan said she was going to give up. She was tired of feeling this way, of course as a loving husband I said "there is not much you can do about it". Followed by it is all in God's hands", infinite wisdom from a clueless husband....right.

We get in the car driving towards Seattle and the phone rings. Magan says Mike is Cathy! For those who have not walked down this path it is so surreal and supernatural and wonderful that no words can do it justice. When someone tells you they have a picture of a child that is to be your child to Love to protect to pray for to stay up at night worrying about them, to tuck in at night and to have them hold your hand and look at you with unconditional love and say things like "Daddy I just love you".

Time stops, your heart leaps around inside you. Looking around for the nearest point to access email to get a glimpse of what the future holds. It is an amazing feeling one and a feeling that takes your breath away. At this very moment you could literally feel God rearranging the DNA the fabric of who you are.

We roll down the window to the stranger doing yard work. We were going to ask her to use her computer for a moment but instead asked for the address to the nearest library. She said "about 100 yards behind you". Before she could get the complete sentence out Magan yells thank you and we float over to the library. I say float because I don't remember getting to the library I just remember walking in the door looking at the bank of computers. We see an empty computer and rush to the counter asking for a guess pass.

We login to our email and look at each other with tears in our eyes. The picture begins to load on our screen and we are never the same. From that moment forward our lives on this journey have become something we never thought possible. From that moment our hearts began to fuse with hearts thousands of miles away.

Two years are about to pass from that day. It is really hard to imagine as I see this amazing little girl playing with her doll house what can happen in two years. As we wait for our second child we go back to that fire to be refined, they say waiting is the hardest part. Waiting is the part that defines you, waiting is what makes who we are. Without waiting we might never get to become the people who we are.

3 things you DON'T(get) say to adoptive parents

2011-01-14T07:23:00.000-08:00

There are so many misconceptions about adoption and really it stems from a laziness to do the real research. So many parents of kids born of the heart put up with questions that people have no business asking. As our children get older and become more aware of some of the things that make them unique it gets to be a more sensitive issue. As we head into this next journey there is really an elephant in the room and I am have not really not heard of it being addressed. In all fairness this blog post is a little out of context but I really hope you read it and share with people who you have heard say things like this.

So I wanted to post a blog on the top three questions, and answers to the question you think you should ask but you really shouldn't. Now there are always exceptions as we have found many people we meet are actually asking the questions because they two have a little stirring in their hearts to follow the path of adoption. This is some free advice if you have talked over adoption in your family and see a family with an adopted child start the conversation by saying: "Hi we are the INSERT FAMILY NAME HERE your DAUGHTER/SON is so beautiful, we have actually been researching how our family might go about adopting a child, can you help us answer some questions."

On to the questions you don't get to ask!

Q1 - I am not sure why people think they can ask this but guess what, stop asking it!

     "Where are his/her real parents?" awkward silence "are they still alive?"

This has been a question that believe it or not people have been so daring to ask. Luckily they have not asked it while I was standing there or they might have been punched in the face. I really don't have anything more to say about this question other than what is the purpose in knowing this? The short answer is we are the real parents!

Q2 - This is by far the easiest question to find an answer on quickly but for some reason people are to lazy to take time away from updating their facebook status and google it. Here we will make it really easy for you - http://costs.adoption.com/

     "How much did he/she cost?"

I realize that you are reading this asking yourself does this question really get asked. This is not directed at you but you likely have a neighbor or friend that actually would ask something like this. Forward them this blog post so they can have a clue. Also if you want to know the government gives a large tax credit for adopting so regardless of the answer if you pay your taxes you technically paid for the adoption.

Q3 - We realize that this is the age of technology but there is something that hopefully remains sacred. The status of your personal health. I am not sure I have ever uttered the words how is your BMI? or do you have any diseases I should know about?

   "Was he/she sick when you first met them?" or "Did your child have HIV?"

Hopefully you read that and your mouth is hanging open. Hopefully you have never asked this to an adoptive parent or well really anyone. I am not sure what someone would like to hear the answer to this question to be? If you really want to know about some of the diseased in a the world, one place to start doing a little research is - http://www.globalhealthfacts.org/

The facts listed on this site from across the globe should concern us all. Treatable ailments that we have eradicated in this country are still plaguing countries across the world. The most amazing thing is we can actually get involved! We can help build wells in Africa for clean drinking water, buy nets to keep children protected from Malaria!

The most important part of these questions is they do hurt. Our daughter like so many of your children or children you know is unique. We tell Mikah that we would have swam the ocean to know her, that we would have given up everything we have for her to be our daughter. We by no means worship our daughter but we know with everything that we are, that this little girl was put on this Earth for a purpose and there is a plan for her. We hope by reading this you think about a child you know or a family you know that might think about asking these questions. Please help them to think before they ask.

yOur Adoption Story

2010-12-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

This time of year means so much more than just Santa Claus and watching Elf.For our family this time of the year represents what we have in common with our daughter. For we have something in common that runs much deeper than blood. We have something in common that changes everything and it all started thousands of years ago in a far off place in the most insane circumstances.

On Christmas we celebrate adoption! The adoption of our family and your family and everyone you know by a God that desired to see his creation restored.I know why it has turned into a marketers dream the story of the nativity is hard to take. A virgin birth, the king of the world entering the world as a baby! It makes not one bit of sense, at the same time it makes total sense. This is the story of adoption it is upside down it is counter culture it is the opposite of this world. Which is how God operates.It is the first is last, it is love your enemy, it is putting others first.

The story of Christmas is a story of our family, it is the story of your family. It should be a chance to stop and stand in awe of a God so humble and so in love with His people that he sent heaven crashing into Earth. It is the story of our adoption by a God so in love with his people (us) that he send Jesus his only Son to set things right.

We cannot help but think without the Love that Jesus taught us Mikah might not be a part of our family. The love of Christ prompted a couple in Eugene Oregon years ago to plead with Congress to allow international adoption. The Love of Christ empowers nannies and social workers in remote villages to sacrifice everything for the chance to care for an Orphan. It is this Love that take comfortable middle class families and wrecks them for the least of these. This Compassion show to us in the filthy cow trough in Bethlehem thousands of years ago shapes the very fabric of who we are. For this is our Christmas story and what we celebrate on this special day.

A Son Forgotten

2010-12-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Mother Teresa said "Today it is fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them."

There is a piece of me that still lives in Ethiopia. Sometimes at night I look up at the stars thinking about a child, waking up in the morning on the other side of the world. As a family we made a promise not to simply bring children from Ethiopia into our home but we made a commitment to bring our home into Ethiopia.

We believe strongly that in order to raise children that love others first and desires to care about people the way God cares about them. We must first act in a way that models this love. As a family there is a boy that is the age of many of our nieces and nephews that lives in a remote village in the north of Ethiopia. Every month we send a practical gift of financial support to him and his family. In exchange for this support he writes us letters, and shares his heart with us. We know that in this region education, food, and the basics of life may not be within reach of a family without some outside help. It is a harsh reality but something that we only understand after visiting Ethiopia. It is not because his family is somehow different from us it is simply because his family was not blessed enough to be born in the US.

A few months ago he wrote me a letter and asked if I would be his father. Earlier in the letter he had explained that his Ethiopian father had passed away a few weeks ago. In the very next sentence he said all is well because now God has brought me a new father. While reading this letter I began to get tears in my eyes as this boy became the head of the household for his family. While he was asking me to be his father I know that he was struggling with the reality that he in fact was become the father to his siblings.The possibility of having to give up school to run his families small farm. The reality that the survival of his family may rest on his shoulders.

His story hits home in our family. We are fully aware that our little girl if still living in Ethiopia might be in a situation much like this one. We know by encouraging him through letters and emails (yes emails) reminds him that he can still be a kid in a grownup world. This is not a story to get a pat on the back but a call to get involved. A story that is one of thousands happening or waiting to happen.

While this website is dedicated to our story of adoption. It is important to know that adoption takes on all shapes and forms. If you would like more information on becoming a child's sponsor please email me at mbyrd3@hotmail.com

If you have a story of your own and how a family you support has changed your life please share. We know we are not alone.

Starting Points

2010-11-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

We have known so much joy since Mikah has come into our lives. We are still amazed that every family we talk to that has adopted from Ethiopia has a unique and amazing story. Children from far off places in worlds we will never know brought into our lives. Each child has a story of rescue of redemption of what the world looks like when things are simply broken down to two essential things. Love and Hope.

Our adoption story begins again. We have just finished our initial paperwork to begin the amazing journey to provide a family for a child who simple needs those two essential things Love and Hope. This is our families story a story of becoming a family knit together, a blend of 4 families. A story of being a part of a plan, a plan that we know little about. A plan so much greater than we can ever imagine and one that we would surely mess up if we knew the full details.

We have learned a lot from Mikah and from Mikah's birth family. It has made us the people we are now and it continues to shape our character. For this love is not a love that you and I will only see on our brightest of days. For this hope is the hope we will only see when we look up to the stars at night knowing that it is a reality there is something greater than us looking back.

Bringing Home Baby Byrd second edition starts here. We hope you will join us once again on this journey, in praying, hoping, and waiting.

Holding Patterns - The End

2010-03-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

It has been a little over twelve months ago that we first learned that we would be parents. It will be twelve months ago that our view of the world was forever changed by a little girl on the other side of the world that needed a family.

Where we are from and our experiences shape so much of who we are. It is so important to look back at the past and never forget what God has done. In the Summer of 2008 we were a family that was broken and hurting. We had been trying to reconcile why we were not having a biological child. When you looking at what you want as so many of us are very accustomed to doing it is so much like standing around a campfire, oblivious to the world around you. When the doctor's told us we could not have children without the help of science to be honest our marriage was at a crossroads.

We would like to say that adoption was our plan A, we are so amazed that is was God's plan A for our lives. What I think so many people fail to realize is that these weights that we think we must carry are not ours to be carried. So we began the process of giving God our weights our insecurities our human shortfalls and started this journey to far off places.

A beautiful tragedy sums up adoption. We announce with this very blog that we will start the process of adoption and we hear so many wonderful things. Our family our friends are excited and waiting for this story to unfold. Thousands of miles from us a mother has very much the opposite story, adoption is a paradox of irreconcilable proportion. To think that 150 MILLION mothers will experience what Mikah's mother experienced is heartbreaking to say the least.

We wait and wait impatient with the process, thinking of what it might be like to be parents. The phone rings, time stops, hearts race, reality hits. The next few hours are really a blur but somehow forever recorded in our minds. We rush to a computer to see our daughter for the first time. Something about this picture was so surreal the way the light hits those big brown eyes the way her little hands grasp the little blue plastic chair as if to say can you come right now and get me I just need to be held.

What happens for the time that we wait to travel to meet our child is something that cannot be explained well in words. The closeness you feel to God during this time is really surreal. It is the feeling of trust and the feeling of overwhelming joy that is a mix of complicated wonderful emotions. It made sense after all God tells us in the bible over and over his love for the orphan, the widow even going as far as saying “Whoever receives a child in My name, receives Me.” Matthew 18:5. It makes sense we would feel that love grow inside of us.

Another milestone hits in May 2009 the high court in Ethiopia has approved us to adopt this little girl. We wait for travel dates and start making plans to meet Millennium. We board a plane in Portland landing in Addis Ababa Ethiopia our first trip out of the country as a couple and one that would change our lives forever.

Tears well up in our eyes as we think about the family we left behind in Ethiopia. For we thought that we were just simply adding one sweet little girl to our family but really we added so much more. Ethiopia is hard to describe and is really something that is felt. The people the warmth the hardship the joy the range of emotions make a quality of people that is amazing. We pray for Mikah's family she left behind in Ethiopia never taking their sacrifice in vein.

We have been keeping a record of our journey to Mikah for some time now. This blog was really a way to record our thoughts and family our journey. That journey has come to an end and a new story will soon unfold. We thank you, those that still check this blog or get our updates. Thanks for your prayers, your support, your kind words.

Lord willing sooner than later it will be BHBB #2 but for now we enter a holding pattern with regards to adopting a brother or sister for Mikah. In the interim we hope you join us at - THE PHILADELPHIA PROJECT - we are in the process of writing a book and Lord willing so much more. So follow the link, bookmark it, sign-up, THE PHILADELPHIA PROJECT blog.

The End

mbyrd3@hotmail.com

Ethiopia

2010-02-07T08:40:00.001-08:00

Ethiopian Orphans from Simon Scionka on Vimeo.

www.hopechest.org

2010-02-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

Do Something Now from Children's HopeChest on Vimeo.

Change - 1 story from our trip

2010-01-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

We just finished a tour of the main care center where our little girl spent many nights prior to being transitioned to Addis. Walking through a house no bigger than ours seeing it full of 70 children was really an eye opener. We step to the lower terraces of the care center taking in the surroundings. There is little talk amongst the group, we are all running through our heads what it must have been like to experience care center life through the eyes of our children.

We will remember that moment forever as we enter a room lined with toddler beds and hear the sweet voice of children singing in the background. There are moments in life that take you by surprise almost as if you can feel something change inside of you.

We turn the corner walking from one building into the building that we hear the children singing. I have a vivid memory of time stopping for a moment as we stared looking at those beautiful brown eyes, the innocence, the simplicity of that moment. The same eyes that will look at us as we tuck our little ones in to bed or those same eyes we will see looking through the window as we wave goodbye to go to work.

The children in Ethiopia have something that seems very unique in their eyes. It's as if with a single glance they can tell you an entire story just by looking at them. You get a real sense that although a three year old has been through more than you will ever go through that their is a hope that is not explainable in words. Take this feeling and multiply it by 70, 70 sets of eyes, 70 little beating hearts, 70 of millions of children living without a family in this country.

A heaviness sets in as we turn the corner to the lunch room. We are all holding back tears and suddenly our entire group seems to be sobbing. We walked in one door of this little house and came out the other door different people. We didn't need to talk with one another to describe what we saw, what we experienced. From that moment on we all knew that life would be different, that the gift of our children would never be taken for granted. From that moment on we knew that life is more that we can see and touch, but about a hope, a love, a simplicity that we could not fully comprehend in this lifetime.

A Christmas Gift

2009-12-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

A year ago around this time a gift was given to our family. The bravest women we will ever know took a journey down a dirt road in a small rural village in Africa to do what many of us would be insanity.

We will never have a way of knowing what those first days and months of our daughter's life was like. We can only imagine an amazing women giving up meals for days, possibly weeks to feed her daughters. Huddling together in a small hut no bigger than many of our smallest bedrooms to gain heat on winters nights.

The weight of feeding a family of three in the middle of starvation, sickness, and possibly persecution. We can imagine the conversation with family of the decision that faced Mikah's mother. Knowing the severity was leading her to a decision to redeem her daughter and give her a chance, a chance at survival, a chance at life. A decision without shame and full of a mother's love and bravery.

She begins a journey just two days before Christmas to give our family a gift that we will be eternally thankful for. We can only contemplate the range of emotions that were running through her heart. For many of us this sacrifice such as this we can hope will never be known. It is really hard to imagine that day, we play through what it might have been like in our minds knowing we will never comprehend this selfless act on behalf of a baby, a daughter, a sister, a neice, a granddaughter.

For this time of year will always hold an extra special place in our hearts. For by her mothers sacrifice we get a sliver of a glimpse of what happened that night in Bethlehem. For that night God invaded His humanity to bring us hope and to flip this world upside down. For that action over 2,000 years later would place in a women in Ethiopia to know in her soul that her little girl would be loved if she were to say yes to the unimaginable. For the one thing we hope for is for Mikah's mother to know how great the gift she gave our family and for our little girl to know that her Mother's sacrifice will never be forsaken.

Christmas was meant to change the WORLD

2009-12-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

Journey To Ethiopia

2009-11-30T06:40:00.001-08:00

Just want to throw up a quick post to point you towards a website that will be featuring videos and pictures from Mikah's homeland region over the next few weeks.

Tom will be traveling into the same region we visited on out trip. http://tomdavis.typepad.com

4

2009-11-03T06:49:00.000-08:00

4 months ago we came home to America with a new member of our family. We are grateful for everyday we get to be with her and feel honored to be chosen to be her parents.

We think of her mother in Ethiopia every time we look into Mikah's eyes knowing that her sacrifice cannot be put into words.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21-4

2009-10-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Holt Auction

2009-10-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

A practical way to be part of a movement to bring relief to the children of Ethiopia. Join the cause because it is who we are called to be. Get involved because there is no longer an excuse to ignore the children living homeless, hungry, and oppressed on this earth........

https://www.holtintl.org/events/portland09.shtml

Notes from the Trip

2009-09-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

A crisp cloud hangs over the mountains in the distance. We peak out the windows of our hotel room just to double check that we are not dreaming all of this. The day before seemed like months ago after traveling to rural Ethiopia we find ourselves waking up after a night of restless sleep. The experience the day before this was something so surreal and tiring that a day to recover is needed but no time allows. We gather our things and meet the rest of the group in the lobby for a quick breakfast before we head back to Addis.

The hotel we stayed the night is in the middle of a little town called Durame just to the north east of the Omo River valley. The hotel seems out of place with the tin shacks across the street and the dirt alleyways that connect the village. We look out the 12 foot panes of glass to the mountains that surround the region they look like something you would see in Hawaii, rising in the distance. It is a little after 5 am and we are beginning the long drive back to Addis in about 45 minutes. We are all dragging after about 4 days of the most emotionally draining days that we will ever experience.

After breakfast we all meet up out in front of the hotel to meet our drivers and guides. A portion of our group is staying behind to work in the area with other Holt projects. We begin to say our goodbye and snap some quick pictures of the group. I ask Dr.Fikru if I may have his email to contact him and he heads off to get me a card with his contact info on it. When he hands me the card he tells me something that I will hold forever with me. He says "don't forget about us....you know when you return to America don't forget about what you experienced here". He quickly leans over to the person next to him and says don't let Mike forget about us.

We say goodbye and jump in the van. I start to process the experience, letting what I saw sink in. I guess experience is such a poor word to use experience is something that happens and you are the same person you just got to see something. The truth is that this culture the American culture that we live in wants you to experience things and quickly move to something else to "experience". I begin praying on that car ride home that God would seer the images, the smells, the feelings deep into the fabric of who I am.

This is an Emergency

2009-09-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Millions facing famine in Ethiopia as rains fail

International aid agencies fear that the levels of death and starvation last seen 24 years ago, are set to return to the Horn of Africa. Paul Rodgers reports

The spectre of famine has returned to the Horn of Africa nearly a quarter of a century after the world's pop stars gathered to banish it at Live Aid, raising £150m for relief efforts in 1985. Millions of impoverished Ethiopians face the threat of malnutrition and possibly starvation this winter in what is shaping up to be the country's worst food crisis for decades.

Estimates of the number of people who need emergency food aid have risen steadily this year from 4.9 million in January to 5.3 million in May and 6.2 million in June. Another 7.5 million are getting aid in return for work on community projects, as part of the National Productive Safety Net Program for people whose food supplies are chronically insecure, bringing the total being fed to 13.7 million.

Donor countries provided sustenance to 12 million Ethiopians last year, more than half of it through the UN's World Food Programme (WFP). Having passed that total only eight months into this year, and with the main harvest already in doubt, aid agencies fear the worst is still to come. "We're extremely worried," said Howard Taylor, who heads the Department for International Development's office in Ethiopia. DfID has given £54m in aid to the country this year, and Britain has also contributed through the EU. "This is exactly the time when we shouldn't turn away from the people in need," he said.

"Critical water shortages" were reported in some areas by the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs last week with water-borne diseases such as acute diarrhoea spreading as communities resort to drinking from insanitary wells and ponds. Unicef said that the outbreaks are putting extra pressure on its Out-Patient Therapeutic Programme, which provides healthcare in some of the most needy areas.

In Somali, the hardest hit region with a third of the humanitarian caseload and complications caused by a low-intensity insurgency, the mortality rate for infants has risen above two per 10,000 per day according to a regional nutrition survey, which gives newborns roughly a one-third chance of dying before their fifth birthdays. While there is no clear definition, one widely used threshold for famine is four infant deaths per 10,000 per day.

Declaring a famine is a political decision. While it can galvanise public opinion and bring millions into aid programmes, it is widely seen as a political failure. President George Bush challenged his officials to avoid the word, a policy known as "No famine on my watch". Ethiopia's Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission is charged with preventing famines of the 1984-85 type, the sort that bring down governments, argued Tufts University academics Sue Lautze and Angela Raven-Roberts in a 2004 paper.

Dismissing the warning signals, Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, said earlier this month that there was no danger of famine this year. And Berhanu Kebede, Ethiopia's ambassador to Britain, said at the weekend: "We are addressing the problem. Food is in the pipeline."
The main practical difference between a food crisis and a famine is whether enough aid arrives to keep the starving alive. So while the scope of the problem can be measured in the number of hungry people, the severity depends on the generosity of those in the rich world. And this year they have been miserly. Despite the promise of G8 leaders at their summit in L'Aquila, Italy, last month to provide $20bn (£12bn) to improve food security in poor countries, contributions have slumped dramatically this year as donor states have shifted priorities to supporting banks and stimulating their own economies. "The international community is not living up to its promise to the World Food Programme," Mr Kebede said.

The WFP had little trouble raising its $6bn budget last year, but in 2009 it has collected less than half of that. Its Ethiopian operation, which had $500m in 2008, is short $127m this year, equivalent to 167,000 tonnes of food. The Famine Early Warning Network forecast this month that the shortfall would reach 300,000 tonnes by December. Rations for the 6.2 million people receiving emergency food aid have, as a result, been slashed by a third from a meagre 15kg of cereals, beans and oil a month to just 10kg. Even if the shortfall were made up today, it would take three months for supplies to be loaded on to ships bound for Djibouti, then transferred to trucks for the arduous overland journey to land-locked Ethiopia.

Aid agencies are worried about the main harvest this autumn, arguing that the time for action is now, not when the food runs out in November – usually the driest month – let alone when starving children with distended bellies capture the attention of the West's television viewing public. Despite its good intentions, Bob Geldof's Live Aid came towards the end of the 1984-85 famine, which killed more than a million people. Since then, Ethiopia's population has doubled to 80 million.

Mr Zenawi's government has set up a strategic food reserve which has at times reached 500,000 tonnes – though it is currently thought to be just 200,000 tonnes – which it uses to speed up delivery. As soon as they get funds, aid agencies can borrow food from this reserve, replacing it with supplies from abroad when they arrive. Although the government could release this food without promises of replenishment, it would soon run out; after covering the WFP's 167,000 tonne shortfall, the stockpile would be barely enough to feed a million people for three months.
The underlying problem for Ethiopia is the erratic behaviour of the country's climate, or rather its regional micro-climates. Moisture-bearing clouds scudding in from the Indian Ocean can pass over the parched eastern lowlands to dump generous amounts of rain on the fertile western highlands. The famine of 1984-85, revealed by BBC reporter Michael Buerk, was actually two separate famines, one in Tigray, in the north, the other in Somali, in the south-east.

Two main rains sustain the people of Ethiopia, the belg in spring and the kiremt, which usually start in July. Both are influenced by variations in sea-surface temperature. The El Niño phenomena in the eastern Pacific usually bring droughts to Ethiopia, and America's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that the current El Niño will strengthen over the next six months. The belg has failed for two years running now, while the kiremt started three weeks late this summer and the amount of rainfall when they did come was below normal. Aid agencies fear that the season could end early, or, equally bad, produce delayed downpours just when farmers need dry weather for the harvest. Even if the kiremt ends on time in October, some crops may not reach maturity because of the late planting.

Ethiopia is overwhelmingly dependent on agriculture, and some 90 per cent of its crops are watered by nature rather than by man-made irrigation systems. During droughts, farmers and nomadic herders tend to sell off their assets to buy food, leaving them with nothing when the next growing season begins. It can take three to five years for pastoral tribes to rebuild their herds.

Although Ethiopia is particularly hard hit, drought has also affected neighbouring countries. Resources in Somali are under additional strain because nomadic tribesmen from Somalia and Kenya have driven unusually large numbers of cattle across the border in search of water and pasture. Estimates of the number of cattle coming into the country range from 95,000 to 200,000.

The spike in global food prices in 2008 exacerbated a worsening situation, hitting the urban poor particularly hard. While they have fallen back this year, the price for grains in the markets of Adis Ababa are still some 50 per cent higher than their average in the four years to 2007.
The Ethiopian government is acutely aware of the danger of famine, not least to itself. Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed a year after the 1973 famine and the Derg military junta led by Lt Col Mengistu Haile Mariam was overthrown in 1991 after a civil war driven in part by the 1984-85 famine. While most other countries with food shortages allow charities to distribute food, Ethiopia's government insists that the bulk of food aid must pass through its hands.
The irony is that the Zenawi regime has done a reasonable job of boosting food production, achieving self-sufficiency in the late 1990s. One agency described it as the "bread basket" of Africa, harvesting more grain in a good year than South Africa. The government promotes best practices and distributes fertiliser to farmers. It also has an ambitious scheme to relocate 2.2 million people to more fertile areas. But even it can't control the rains.

Photo Shootin

2009-08-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

Well we can't lie she did not get her ability to take great pictures from her parents. Also a big plug for ChristyStudios for taking her pictures or making her pictures as they say in Texas. They turned out wonderful.

Realizing that these are the closest we will have to baby pictures makes every one of these moments so special.

Visit http://www.studiochristy.com/blog/ to check out the rest of the photos. If you know anyone looking for picture of kids Christy is your person.

2009-08-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

This video is about the closest thing I have felt to being in Ethiopia since our return.

Fields of the Fatherless

2009-08-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

We flew out of Ethiopia early July with heavy hearts knowing it may be some time before we get to see those wonderful people again. As we left the country a friend of ours was heading in. You see Mikah is 1 of the 4.7 million children in Ethiopia living without parents. Sure we can feel bad all we want or we can even say these kids are not our problem, some might even be as ignorant to say they are not ours. The fact of the matter is these little kids from the smallest to the oldest are our problem. For if our society fails to care for the children of this world then we have failed. Below are some pictures from Jen's journey..... of change, of hope, the one that we are all called to walk. At the bottom is a link to the organization Jen traveled with. Get involved, buy a shirt, sponsor a child, maybe even be bold enough to say yes and travel over and hold a kid in your arms and tell them they are loved.

Say Yes

https://www.mochaclub.org/

The Big Day

2009-08-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Okay trying to keep this blog live and fresh. Mike is back at work and Mikah is walking around saying pa...pa.... looking for him. Really hard transition but well billz got to get paid.

So the big day and if are anything like me you are slightly obsessed with Ethiopia. Mikah's hometown is on the map...google maps that is. Not sure when it happened but it was not there a few weeks ago. So maybe someone at Google is reading our blog. Ohh the name of the town is Durame.

View Larger Map

Okay stop thinking we are nerds because if we had our way we would be living in a hut in that small town hanging out with some of our new family.

Coming up on a month

2009-08-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

A month back from Ethiopia so much has changed in our lives. We still wake up thinking of those kids we saw in Ethiopia that so desperately need parents. We pray that God would awaken more people to step forward, to say yes, to be aware of the massive problem our society faces with the fatherless children in this world.

Our house the past month has been full of laughter, guests, and a joy that we did not fully understand prior to this. With each day Mikah learns a new word, a new facial expression and has come to know that everything will be okay. She has learned that you cannot silence the ocean with a simple shhshh, she has learned that a cat says meow, and a dog says ruff. She has yes even learned to sing the song hot blooded (this is because Oregon has been so hot lately). I think most of all her parents more than ever understand that God's plan is so amazing if you just say yes and step out in faith.

Mikah's parents have been fumbling through the joys of parenting. Believe it or not we have found more time now it seems to be together than ever before. Reading a book called Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller he writes an amazing paragraph that sums up how we feel.

"And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love other more than we love ourselves, about leaning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?"

5,760 children became orphans today

2009-07-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

New Video

2009-07-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

The Big Day - Day 6 - June 30th

2009-07-15T07:47:00.001-07:00

Back to the trip before we forget important info. Well this day is not hard to forget. We travel to the US Embassy. Taking Millennium from the care center into a van onto the most dangerous place to drive on the face of the earth.

We are sure it is not like this all the time but the pollution in Addis is out of control. You want to talk about global warming forget your reusable shopping bags and your hybrid car this place is polluting enough for about three Americas. Nothing against Ethiopia. If the infrastructure was in place and they were worried about other things than survival it would be priority.

With that said Magan began getting sick from the pollution. After arriving at the Embassy she proceeded to get sick on the security barricade out front. I guess if these were our delivery complications then we were doing pretty well. Plus she was nice enough to throw up on US soil.

The process inside the embassy went smoothly and was less formal than we had thought. Little Millennium passed her big test and we were simply waiting on the Visa paperwork to be able to travel to the USA! We returned to the hotel with Millennium and rested for the remainder of the day sick and worn out from the week. I am sure Millie was thinking her new parents were no fun but we had a nice day in at the hotel playing with her new toys and watching DVDs.

Mt. Hood

2009-07-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

1st trip up to Mt. Hood and I think she kinda likes the place. Well we hope she does because this is home away from home.

We will see about trading the stroller for a snowboard come winter.

A day in the life.....

2009-07-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

of Mikah Millennium

The end.

Back to Addis - Day 5 - June 29th

2009-07-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

This day was full of travel back to Addis. We left part of our team in Durame as they had meetings this week regarding the hospital work. Before departing for our journey home Dr. Fikru said something to us that brought tears to our eyes. He gave us a hug and told us not to forget about what is happening here. We will hold those words with us forever.

With those words we depart. As opposed to writing about this day we will just put up some pictures, besides my grammer and spelling are horrid. We head 6 hours back to Addis spend time with the kids at the care center and then off to a cultural dinner.

(thanks Matt for letting me use some of your pictures they turned out amazing)

Back in Addis

Cultural Dinner

Hometown - Day 4 - June 28th

2009-07-08T06:10:00.001-07:00

We have been dreading re-living this day even via the blog. A day that we cannot even recount without tears in our eyes and in our hearts. There are days in life that change who you are as a person, this day was one of those days. A day that drilled the massive problem our society faces with fatherless children so deep into the fiber of who we are. For we realized this day that if we don't do more to love the fatherless, the widow, the oppressed who are we as a people? What have we become to let the children of our world be thrown away, or more importantly what will we become as 250 million children sit at night asking God who will be their parents?

We head south out of Addis on what is supposed to be a highway. The best description is the road is a sidewalk with the random car or massive freight truck. You do not go 100 yards without seeing people, cattle, donkeys, camels, monkeys, goats, and of course coca-cola. We are on a six hour journey to the kam b ata region of Ethiopia birthplace of our daughter. Below are some pictures along the road out to Dur am e.

National Geographic and the Discovery Channel have done a great job of pretending to capture life in these areas. We can tell you that you have not lived until you have seen how amazingly majestic this landscape is. Living in America I think we see Africa as people who are unhappy without all of the trappings of modern life. We learn on this drive what we have known all along happiness is found in the simple things. From the seven year old wrangling cattle to the market with a smile unlike anything you have even witnessed. To the little child without pants on the side of the road waiving to traffic as it passes. This culture has what we have long forgot in our country, love the simple things, love your neighbors, and live as a community.

This is the simple happy side of Africa. On the flip side are problems caused by population explosion, lack of clean water, lack of doctors, lack of medicine, and the overwhelming amount of poverty. From our van windows we capture glimpses of life here. We turn down the road to Dura me and this reality sets in quickly as in front our vehicle two men are carrying a body of a half dead man across the road, as we drive a few more miles we enter the town of Dura me we snap a photo of the welcome to Durame sign only to realize there is a body being carried across the road. Welcome to the heart of Ethiopia the problems are a reality AIDS, Malaria, and Death are a part of everyday life. The feeling of your heart being broken is unmistakable and real, at this point we are no longer as numb as we were just twenty minutes before.

We put our bags at the hotel we are staying at. Grab a quick snack and head over to meet Millennium's birth mom. We will leave the story for a moment here. We can tell you the meeting was amazing, and so refreshing. Her mom is truly an amazing women of God and loved Millie so much. With that said it is Millie's story to tell when she grows up, if she wants to.

From our meeting we drive a block down the street in which the care center in which Millennium was first dropped off. We enter through the gates of the compound that is nothing more than a modest house. Our stomachs sink as we see the wall in which are little girl was photographed in front on when we first set eyes on her. We were unable to photograph inside due to security of the children and out of respect for the future parents of these little ones.

It really hard to describe the atmosphere one of Joy, Hope, but the elephant in the room is the amount of children. 72 kids are living in this care center waiting for families! This process has taught us that 4.6 million children in Ethiopia have no parents and no place to call home. You never really think about the number until you see just 72 kids in an orphanage and that is overwhelming.

The area of the orphanage is terraced with babies in the top house and toddlers and older children in the bottom two buildings. We made our way down to the lower buildings. Echoing off the walls you hear the sound of children singing in their native language. We walk into a room full of empty children's beds. How many nights did our little girl lay away wondering what was going on? The thoughts are overwhelming, how many of these children still need homes? How did our society get to a place? What can we possibly do to help.

We exit the bunk house and walk into the area where the kids are singing. By this point the emotions of the group are all holding on by a thread. Upon entering the room there are 20-30 Millennium's sitting around the room clapping their hands and singing in the most amazing voices. We begin to sob watching the kids look at us in confusion. It is really hard to describe the emotion that was felt. It was a new emotion, a shift in purpose, a new found love for Millennium a new found love for the fatherless.

Leaving the orphanage we wish the hurt, and pain stopped inside that compound. The truth of the matter is Holt has their work cut out for them. Adoption is such a small part of the work that is going on in Ethiopia. In the village next to Durame, Shinshicho Holt is running a hospital to care for the people of this village. With a ratio of 1 doctor to every 60,000 citizens the problem is dire. Talking with Dr. Fikru he explained that the problems they face are able to be overcome. Working to identify members of the community with the like heart for people and whom want to be used by God. We visited the hospital under the cover of darkness to finish off the day.

Welcome Home Video

2009-07-07T05:52:00.001-07:00

Thank you Michael and Kara for posting this video.

http://babybyrd.michaelandkara.com/

Millennium's first moments in the USA!

Care Center / Addis - Day 3 - June 27th

2009-07-07T05:29:00.001-07:00

I think the below picture best describes the feelings this day.

Is this the same child we received photos of frowning? We get a real glimpse of Millennium's personality today. She is such a smiley faced light hearted little girl.

After spending several hours at the care center loving on the kiddos and getting to know our daughter better Magan rocked her to sleep and said goodbye for the rest of the weekend.

We headed out to see the sights of the city.

We learned so much about Ethiopia this day. A country with rich history and treasures that are date back thousands of years. It was nice knowing that our little girl will have so much history to learn about and be proud of.

Care Center - Day 2 - June 26th

2009-07-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

We get our first glimpse of the city in the daylight. Well actually we realized our hotel was located at the edge of the town where the city meets the rural area. The field across from the hotel was filled with activity, you cannot tell by the picture but there are hundreds of people walking around on their way to work, school, market. God had protected our hearts this day as we seemed to have tunnel vision of the amount of poverty and hardship. The things that we were seeing were unreal and for some reason we were numb for the time being. This would change as we began to know the people and begin to fall in love with the people of Ethiopia.

We got cleaned up and ready to go meet our kiddos. We had an orientation to ask questions about the activities for the week and go over what our schedule looked like. They asked are you ready to go to the care center and all of us answered with a resounding YES!

We load up in the vans and head over to the care center. Below are the first pictures of us in front of the care center.

We enter a front area at the care center full of children. The director of the center asks us all to find out children and we start looking for Millennium. After about 10 minutes of looking we passed our first parent test, she wasn't in the room. We went up to the second floor with one of the nannies to get our first glimpse of our little girl.

In your head you envision the moment in many different ways. We both had tears in our eyes as we scanned the room for our little girl. All the pictures we had received of her she did not have hair, so I guess we always pictured her without hair. She was playing in the center of the room and we simply walked up to her sat down and began introducing ourselves. To be honest to both of us it felt natural, this path we had walked for 10 months to this moment made so much sense. We looked at her she looked at us and it was as if God was revealing that before all of this even existed this was the plan. It felt right and it felt really good to finally be with our little girl.

It is amazing to look at the evolution of her comfort for us. I cannot imagine the emotions of confusion she must have had when these strangers were picking her up and saying her name. That evening we returned to the hotel to go over forms and paperwork we would need to ensure that the embassy process would go smoothly.

We returned to our hotel room after dinner and slept better than we had in months.

Addis - Day 1 - June 25th

2009-07-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Arriving in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the cover of darkness you know your in Africa. The smell is something that if you breath deep you can still smell. It is the smell of campfire, diesel fumes, and a tinge of frankincense.

After waiting in an hour line to get Visa paperwork taken care of to enter the country we step out into our daughters homeland. Looking out over the area you can tell immediately that something is not right with the city, power right now is rare in Addis. The town is pitch black, 4.6 million people living under the cover of darkness. The hydropower plants that power the cities of Ethiopia have been shut off to conserve water. The rain season has not arrived yet for the year which is quickly turning into a crisis situation for the people of this region.

We were expected to hotel at a place next door to the Holt care center, instead tired and jet lagged we were dropped at a hotel that was very unexpected. This turned out to be blessing as the hotel had power, cable, wireless internet, and an amazing staff.

We check in, drop off our bags and attempt to sleep knowing our little one is in the same city as us.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

“Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these, you did it unto Me.”
Matthew 25: 45

Home

2009-07-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

Flying over the cascades into Portland was a surreal feeling. Millennium was amazing on the plane she cried maybe two times for about 4 minutes. 24 hours on our journey was very peaceful. With Mom and Dad feeling better and getting a few minutes of rest. Millennium stayed awake when we got home and slept through the night about 10 hours in her crib.

We will miss the people of Ethiopia very much. It was really sad to say goodbye to all the wonderful people we met while traveling. The hospitality of Ethiopia is something that is hard to describe, by the end of the trip you feel as if you have known people for years.

Stay tuned we will write up something for each day in Ethiopia just to make sure we can have a record of everything for Millennium when she grows up.

-M&M&M

Thinking of home

2009-07-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

It feels like we have been in Ethiopia for months. We love the people here and will be sad to say goodbye. We are praying that when we travel tomorrow we will feel better. Magan is really sick and but Millennium is being such a great kid throughout this whole trip.

Cannot wait to be back to the states and get everyone updated on our adventure here. What an eye opening and amazing time it has been.

Pray for our safe and healthy travel...we are going to need it!!!!

Millenuham Byrd

2009-06-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

This little girl is such a ham.....

and yes we are driving around in Addis without seatbelts, I got some video of the driving it is so...so..so.. crazy

SHE IS OURS

2009-06-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

We had our embassy appointment! she is officially ours in the eyes on the US!

Hope to post pictures soon.

She is back at the hotel with us now. Let the fun begin!!

Back in Addis

2009-06-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

After a heartbreaking, joyful, amazing adventure into the heart of Ethiopia we are back in Addis.

We will talk more about our trip to Durame when we get home. Just thinking about the things we saw there makes tears well up in our eyes. A day unlike anything I have ever experienced. Everyone on the trip had a true shift in thinking about the fatherless among us. I will tell you that the people are unlike anyone I have ever met they have a true sense of community and love that is unlike anything I have ever experienced.

We head today to the American embassy to have a meeting to get Millennium passport to the USA! We will attempt to post pictures of Millennium tonight. She has really taken to having parents. She was building legos yesterday with her Daddy saying "daddy"..."daddy"!!! She also is just a laugh a minute cracking herself up every chance she gets.

A quick prayer request Magan is coming down with a throat infection of some sort. Both of us our holding up okay but we are just emotionally worn out and overwhelmed.

Thanks for checking the post and I can tell you the pictures we have and video are amazing. We cannot wait to post them.

-One Love

Day 4...We think

2009-06-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was incredible Millennium smile and laugh lights up the room. We found out she is not as shy as we thought she might be. She loves passing a ball, walking around, and she loves her mom. She thinks her dad is funny but is not sure about hugs and affection from pops just yet.

Sitting in the main play room yesterday Magan was holding one of the other kids while I was passing the ball with Millennium. She looked up at her mom and called out to her mommy...mommy....mommy it was something else. By the end of the time at the care center she was asleep in Magan's arms. Amazing....really something to see how fast she has made a connection with us.

Today we head south into the Omo river valley. We will overnight in the village that Millennium was brought into care. Pray for our safe travels. Hopefully we can post pictures of this little girls smile in a few days.

-M&M&M

Pops and Millie

2009-06-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

tell me this girl is not ours look at the facial expression.....

The Big Day

2009-06-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Ethiopia after a 24 hour plane trip. Waited through customs to find out we would not be staying at the hotel next to the care center. One thing is for sure about Ethiopia....expect the unexpected.

Not sure if we have processed mentally all that we have witnessed the last 48 hours. Hardships the people of Ethiopia live in are something that is heart breaking and make you want to cry all the time. At the same time the people have hearts of gold and love talking with you.

Okay now for the update on our meeting today. Millennium is more than we could have ever expected. She is really something. She already is falling in love with her mommy and well dad can get her to laugh but she it not really sure. We played with her and the other children today for a few hours. These kids are amazing all of them are just so lovely.

She is much smaller than we had thought. She is wearing 6-9 months and has little curls now in her hair. He eyelashes don't even seem real they are so perfect. She has a cure little smile.

We will post more later.

Love you all and thanks for all your prayers.

2009-06-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you

2009-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Ohio we lived close to a few theme parks with huge roller coasters. Looking back as an adult the thing that all coasters have in common are that simple chain that propels them to the top of the first hill. When your a child you just think this fun ride happens by magic. This is the only way to explain the feeling right now, we are climbing that first hill propelled by our friends and family the proverbial chain that will inevitable send us racing through the most amazing adventure.

In the next 48 hours we will experience things that will change us as people. We will meet an amazing little girl who will be our daughter. We will be joined forever with a new culture a new family. We didn't get here by ourselves and we sure can't take much more credit than simply saying yes. So we gotta say thanks to our support team.

To our parents Rick and Judy Byrd and Tom and Joann Carmody. If we can be half the parents you are to this little girl we will be doing great. For never letting us know how crazy you think we are to travel around the world to get you a grandchild.

To our church family Solid Rock. Praying for us, walking beside us, and teaching us to look at God's will for our life in whole new ways.

To our good friends Steve and Barbara Kisley. Who were brave enough to come over to our house and challenge us to take the next step. Something nobody in our marriage has ever done this little girl will know your story.

Thank you to all our friends who pretty much bought enough clothes for about 4 little girls. You know who you are!

To the amazing donations provided by Xenium employees. Kids on the other side of the world will know they are loved because of you!

This is just to name a few, we love you and are forever thankful your on this journey with us.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God"
Luke 12: 6

First things first

2009-06-21T12:47:00.001-07:00

Okay enough with packing and final paperwork lets get to what really matters... riding bikes....

Little Millennium is in for a fun summer. Hopefully she likes biking. I think she will need her own bike before too long but in the meantime she will probably loved getting pulled behind in the chariot.

The Countdown

2009-06-11T23:11:00.001-07:00

The last blog post was not a mistake, we are in fact heading to Ethiopia in a little over a week. Spare time has been spent packing and getting ready to travel. Hard to imagine what this journey will be like.

In the past weeks we cannot help but reflect on what brought us to this point. Last year at this time Adoption seemed out of reach. We can still remember going to our first meeting with an agency leaving thinking this process will take years and money that we don't have. This journey has been so much the opposite of that.

This journey although just beginning has been a series of signs and moments that cannot be traded for anything. From the moment that our dear friends told us that God had a bigger plan for us and HE is calling us to this. From the moment that amazing little Ethiopian girl looked at us with those big brown eyes as if to say you can help my brothers and sisters. From that first glimpse of this little girl named Millennium that came to us moments after saying that not our will be yours be done.

Who would have thought two kids from Ohio would be given the opportunity to have a family in this way. To be entrusted to be parents in this amazing way. Something we will never take lightly and engage in knowing fully we will not be the same people on the other side....

Travel Time

2009-06-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a quick note. We are headed to Ethiopia!!!! Before the end of the month....

Stay tuned for details.

Now is the time

2009-06-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

We are "patiently" awaiting travel dates to fly across the world. Hopefully we get more than a few days notice but you never know. We plan on bringing lots of supplies for the orphanage as shipping anything from the USA into that area is shady to say the least. Below is a list of supplies that are needed at the care center in Addis. Contact us at mbyrd3@hotmail.com and we can arrange for supplies to make it into our luggage.

Baby Packs/Slings (for the nannies to carry the babies)
Clothes and shoes for children aged 5-10
Sippy Cups with lids
Toys for toddlers, preschoolers:
Blocks for stacking
Stacking cups
Wooden Puzzles
Baby dolls
Activity quilts (with buttons/ zippers etc)
Plastic Feeding Spoons for toddlers
Fly Paper
Baby Powder
Cloth diapers
Plastic pants or cloth diaper covers
Clotrimazole ointment
Disposable Masks
Flashlights with batteries
Baby blankets
Bottle/Nipple brushes
Thermometers
Mosquito nets
Travel Packs of baby wipes (for the nannies to take with them when they travel with the babies)
Anti fungal creams
Vitamins for infants/toddlers/older children
Educational and Instructional Items – the staff is setting up a classroom to teach children in at each care center. Education instructional items, such as the Alphabet to hang on the walls, numbers, etc.would be greatly appreciated

Mizpah Coin

2009-05-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

We had planned a vacation with both of our parents to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons about 5 months ago thinking we would not even know any news of an assignment. With tickets bought and reservations made we couldn't cancel the trip. As we drove out to the parks we were glowing as we knew that the trip would allow us to be with our parents as we heard the big news on Millennium.

The date of Millennium's court date we climbed up into the backcountry to spend time alone praying and thinking about this next journey in life. Ohh yea we sang songs and clapped to scare any hungry bears away. I guess that is what you do when your 8 months pregnant go into the middle of bear country.

The next day we are hoping to hear news on the outcome of court. Driving out to Jenny lake our phone all the sudden had a voicemail. It was Holt telling us our case had passed the high court in Africa. In the shadows of the Grand Tetons we lept for joy and had a party in the middle of the woods. Our cell phone coverage was not good in the area so Magan called as many people as she could before we lost cell phone coverage.

After a short drive we arrived at the shores of Jenny Lake. We had never been to the lake before this trip. I am pretty sure it is one of the most amazing places on the face of the earth. The mountains appear rise thousands of feet out of the water when standing next to the lake.

We took a little hike and after returning to the car we were packing up the car and grabbing a snack. Walking around to the car I heard what sounded like metal under my foot. I reached down to pick the object up and it was half of a Mizpah Coin. I did not know what one before this, all I knew is there was scripture on it and it looked like half of a best friend necklace (see picture below).

We have said many times how hard it is knowing that your little girl is on the other side of the world. As we watch families enjoy their little ones that are Millennium's age, as we miss out on some important stuff in our childs life. It was nice to know that God is watching over us and planted this little sign in our path. An amazing reminder that He is involved, He is concerned, and most important He is speaking to us.

PASS

2009-05-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

We were unable to post earlier but we wanted to let everyone know we passed court. May 25, 2009!!! We were fortunate to be with our parents when we found out which was such a nice treat.

Now we await travel dates to fly to Ethiopia to pick up our little girl. It should be 4-6 weeks Lord willing we will be on the ground in Africa!

The great court date wait

2009-05-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Oh the joys of waiting. Will our soon to be daughter speak her first words today will she take her first steps? Will she be told she is loved does she know so many people on the other side of the world are praying for her?.... we hope so.

Last winter Magan and I both read a book called there is no me without you. If you have not read this book we would highly recommend it. You will be a changed person and see the situation in Ethiopia in the way that you could never imagine. There is story near the end of the book of a conversation between a daughter and her new mother that is such a reality right now.

________________________________________

Just to give some context - Miki - Adoptive Parent / Mekdes - Child / Haregewoin - an amazing woman in Ethiopia that ran an orphanage.

On another day she began a story and stopped: "When I was with my mo - I mean Mulu."
"Baby, you can say Momma," Mikki said.
"Do you like Mulu, Mommy?"
"I love Mulu!" said Mikki, and Mekdes embraced her.

Mekedes soon told her mother about the day her aunts took her to Haregewion's. "Yabsiri cry a little. I am scream."
"Why did you cry, baby?" asked Mikki.
"I don't know this Ethiopia. I want my Ethiopia with Goshay (Grandfather) and Fasika. I don't want new ethiopia."

"you were sad," said Mikki.
"No hope, Mommy. I have no hope."
"Oh, honey..."
"Because no one told me, Mommy."
"Told you what?"

"That you are here in America. I will not feel so sad if I know you are here."
"Yea, I was here getting ready, getting your room ready. I was here, me and your daddy, waiting and getting ready."

"I am cry because I don't know you will coming."

Of course, for most of Africa's ten million, fifteen million, twenty million orphans, no one is getting a room ready. No one will come.....

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Kid's Room!

2009-04-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Some pictures of Millennium's new room!

Court Dates

2009-04-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

This process is one of valleys and peaks. You get a burst of information and then silence for weeks on end. Checking email becomes routine as you await maybe a picture or an update. With that April 14th was one of those days.

This morning we received an email that our court date has been set for May 25th! This is the date that the judge will see Millennium's case in order to determine if we can come pick her up. From that date we could travel four to six weeks from that date.

To say the least we are amazed at how fast we are moving through the process. We know that Millennium is receiving great care from the Holt nannies and the staff in Ethiopia. Just a few more months before we get to meet her and hold her in our arms!

Holt in Ethiopia

2009-03-14T16:01:00.001-07:00

We wanted to share a video that was recorded recently of what Holt is doing in Ethiopia for the amazing people of this country. We have over 500 pictures of this trip included more pictures of Mikah but thought this video was just heartbreaking and amazing.

Also view the video by following this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyxm--6ZaHk

So many have step forward after seeing the pictures of Mikah and started to raise money to help the situation in Ethiopia. Thank you so much it not only means the world to us; but it really means the world to our little ones brothers and sisters.

If you would like to help sponsor a child visit - http://www.holtinternational.org/cgi/sponsorship/country.cgi?country=Ethiopia

Mikah Millennium Byrd

2009-03-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

We are humbled and amazed to be allowed to be used in this way. We learn Friday March 6th, 2009 that we would be parents to a baby girl.

We will be posting additional info as time passes. With the legalities we are unable to make too much information available via the blog. If you are interested in details contact us at mbyrd3@hotmail.com

Pray that our court dates go smoothly in Ethiopia and we may travel to pick up Mikah Millennium!

We thank you all for praying for us and our family. Please don't stop the power of prayer has been carrying us through this entire process.

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Micah 6:8
No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

The real crisis

2009-02-28T10:23:00.001-08:00

We talk of financial crisis, we talk of octomom, we talk of democrat vs republican. We talk of these things because we have no way to impact the situations, we simply pay lip service. I came across this video and it struck a reality into the real crisis that is going on. Someday very soon this reality will be something that we will all be faced with. Stop worrying about global warming, stop worrying big government, and start worrying about the 143 MILLION children with no one to call Mom or Dad, no place to sleep at night.

On waiting.....

2009-02-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

Nothing really can really explain the feeling of knowing that your child is somewhere on this earth right now and you don't know them. You want nothing more than to look into their eyes and to hold this little one in your arms and tell them that everything will be okay. Families that go through this process know the feeling all too well. It is a strange kind of patience that one must learn.

As we started this process we knew a little of the matters of the heart we would combat. We knew that we would forever be changed by this process. We cling fast to the words written in scripture in Luke 12:6 - "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God." So much so that we thought this would be a great theme for a babies room. Given our last name is Byrd and we love the idea of our child growing up knowing that God will never forget about any of us and he is concerned about the little things in life.

With that Grandma Carmody gifted us with an amazing blanket a few months ago, that so wonderfully represents this time waiting. Lord willing our little one will soon be resting peacefully in this blanket knowing that God has not forgotten about them.

One more hurdle out of the way

2009-01-22T14:14:00.001-08:00

We are making a habit of checking our email constantly now. We checked last week and to our surprise we got word from Holt that our paperwork had reached Addis! We had also received the finalization of our immigration paperwork that will allow us to enter Ethiopia and come back with our new family member! Which hopefully we will be able to see this billboard sooner rather than later in person.

With this good news there is some bad we are receiving word back that the process has been slowed slightly due to changes with the courts in Addis. Which essentially what this means is once we get assigned there is a 3-5 month wait until we can get a court date to fly to Ethiopia. At this point it appears as if the wait time is in a state of transition. We are just hoping and praying that once we know who our kiddo is the wait times for a court date will take less time.

Our Christmas Wish

2008-12-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

Our city has been transformed into a winter wonderland. We are stuck inside we stare at our sparsely decorated house not feeling that is okay to celebrate Christmas as in years past. What we have learned over the past months has changed us. We now know that there will be MILLIONS of children this year that wont get to know that feeling of a loving family. No hope of a stocking hanging from a fireplace or new toys to unwrap on Christmas.

There is an unsettling thought that we continue to think that our child will be lucky to get a meal on the day we celebrate our King coming to this Earth invading humanity, and changing the course of our entire history as a people. How did we get to this point? Why did this happen? What can be done to help reverse this spiral we are in? We know big thoughts and ones that are not pleasant to think about during this the most joyous time of the year.

This year we ask that you hug your loved ones a little more. That as you look at your child that you would remember that there are children around the world (20 million in Africa alone) that are waiting for us to do something even a small something to change their circumstances. Our wish this year is to take a moment from your day to visit one of the sites below to learn how you and our family can help with kids around the globe.

Below is a quick list of places where you can go to learn more and get involved.

http://www.water.cc/ - Living Water International

https://www.mochaclub.org/ - Mocha Club

https://www.holtintl.org/gifts/ - Holt Gifts of Hope

http://www.worldvision.org/ - Sponsor a Child

If you want to make God laugh, make plans.

2008-11-14T21:58:00.001-08:00

Hard to imagine this package will end up on the other side of the globe and open another chapter to our journey. We have completed our dossier paperwork and begin what is the official wait for that call, for that first picture, the first glimpse of the newest addition to our family. The full reality has not set in as of yet, we still find ourselves looking back at those plans WE made to start a family. Only to find our plans would be replaced with the real plans for our family. A plan that is more amazing that we could have ever dreamed up to be parents, to be a family, and to get to experience this amazing process.

Home Study

2008-10-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

We received the completed home study from our caseworker this week. A big milestone in our journey and we are one step closer to the reality of having child in our family. Many of you reading this might not know the process so it might be important to give some background.

A home study for adoption is really the gateway to the adoption process. Essentially this is a report that is completed for you from your caseworker that is assigned to you by the agency your working with or possibly by the state. So many rumors circulate around about this, saying everything from the social worker comes in and critiques your house to having your pets check for rabies etc. In reality this report comes from a series of questions that you are asked and also three references that are compiled from people that you select. As you know by now Magan and I aren’t completely shy about the process and we welcomed the chance to talk through things.

After the home study was complete we looked back on the process thinking that every couple should ask themselves these questions. Questions like what was the most important part of your childhood? What did you learn from your parents? How do you plan to discipline your child? What do you see in your spouse that you like? It really got us to communicate and open up and start to think about things in a whole new light.

So okay to the important part that we are getting questions about. Timelines, baby room, car seats, and BPA free baby bottles! The process of international adoption for out program follows the below timeline.

1 – Apply (done)

2 – Home Study (done)

3 – Dossier (about 80% complete)

4 – Send Dossier & Home Study to Ethiopia!

5 – Wait for assignment (4-6 months)

6 – After we know who BabyByrd is we wait 3months to fly

We are hoping and praying that we will be able to travel to Ethiopia by early summer 2009. Please keep us in your prayers that we can travel prior to the government-taking holiday in August and September. If we cannot travel before this time we may need to wait an addition two months to meet our little one and return to the states. Also more important than cribs, and car seats pray for the birth parents that as they are faced with the reality of giving up their child that they may have peace in their hearts knowing that God has a plan for their little one.

About the Children

2008-10-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

We will be posting more in the upcoming months we promise. Sorry the lack of communication. We have just completed the first portion of our home study with our wonderful social worker Kathie. We should have the home study completed by mid month.

The great thing about this journey we are on is we are learning so much about what can be done to help the orphans in Africa. If you are interested in going to the benefit auction above let us know or buy tickets by visiting - https://www.holtintl.org/events/portland08.shtml

Stay tuned.... for an update on our homestudy!

Why Ethiopia?

2008-09-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

Flashing back almost a year ago we were visiting family in Texas. My parents dragged us to the museum of natural history to an exhibition on Lucy. Said to be on of the oldest human remains to ever be found on the face of the earth. Thinking back we wish we had paid more attention because we are now going to not only be bringing a child into our home from Ethiopia (the home of Lucy), but also bringing forever a culture into our house. Thinking back this was for sure a sign of the path we are now on.

Follow this link if you want to read a little more about the rich history of Ethiopia:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/ethiopia/history

So why does this matter, a kid is a kid and people are people? One of the big questions we get is why Ethiopia? So that question leads us to believe it does matter. Much of it we will be honest is for selfish reasons. The path of adoption from Ethiopia is about one year (vs. 24 months for many countries), the cost is much less than many countries, and well the kids are beautiful. When we were in the process of selecting a country you start to educate yourself on a whole new world. You begin asking yourself, what is the food like, what are their traditions, and how can we bring those traditions into our home? What are the people like? What language is spoken there? It all seems like an alternate universe that you must transport yourself to mentally to see if you would be okay with it all. Both of us have found one another day dreaming of those brown eyes and beautiful skin looking at us with the heart of unconditional love as we stare back with that same heart.

We both came to the quick realization after beginning this journey that deciding on a country would be a very difficult decision. We comment on the practical reasons above but in reality it comes down to that tug at your heart, that dream of a family, and faith that God will guide you. For us we had it narrowed to two countries based upon our ability to adopt a child under one knowing that we would be first time parents. Once we narrowed the countries down to our select few we prayed, fasted, and waited. You will get to know that we are pretty impatient so trust us we didn’t wait long. We also knew that as time goes by there are more and more homeless children while we run through the “practicalities” in our head.

We needed a nudge a push over the edge to guide our steps. We got that push one night we went to an informational meeting with Holt to help us clarify any questions as well as meet a family who had recently adopted. We came to the meeting knowing we could not move forward without selecting a country. The family was introduced and to this day I don’t think we could tell you any details about the family only about the new addition to their family. We instantly notice her amazing smile and laughter that could light up the darkest of moods. All of the sudden our fears of never having a family had vanished in the blink of those beautiful brown eyes.

We are not sure if this answers the question for so many of you have wondered about our choice. It can best be described as one of those moments in life when you can clearly see the path in front of you and taking that next step. We can tell you this is not a decision of America, or China, or the multitude of other countries on this planet where children go hungry in the streets waiting to be loved and cared for. Our decision is God’s heart for children, our desire for a family, and knowing that when we ask in faith we will be guided in the steps we should take next.

To our Family and Friends

2008-08-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

For some reason many people seem to ask you the same question throughout different phases of life. A pretty common question for a newly married couple would be, well when are you going to start a family? When are you going to have children? A cultural norm for sure but this would seem to be a very personal question to ask on a whim. Regardless of how you feel about it sometimes these questions have unintended consequences. For us we have always been very open about our plans for a family, actually to be honest Magan probably more than Mike has been more upfront about the subject. Well like most couples when “we” thought the time was right, you know the savings account looks good, house, two cars, the “American dream” looked right it was time for a family!

All this planning and getting “our ducks in a row” was our plans and not the plans that God had for us. A year into our expansion plan we knew something was not right, we began to get frustrated asking questions like “are we on the right track?”, “what is wrong?”, “why is everyone else?” We were in our desert, we were desperate, and we were confused. All this led to a huge wake up call for both of us (of course this is all in retrospect). We are fortunate we only had to go to a few doctors appointments before we realized. I think we both remember it very differently, but one thing was clear to us and to the doctors we were not having biological children. Fortunate in many ways because they didn’t say we could have children they said “THERE WAS NOT A CHANCE”. For the next few weeks/ months we were in shock, in disbelief. We were questioning our faith, questioning who we were, and the all important question of why we were on the opposite side of the country from family facing this alone.

God has a funny way of getting your attention but more than ever he had it now. We would never say that we weren’t open to the idea of adoption; I think like most couples you say to yourself we will have a biological child prior to adopting. The idea that there are children out there that don’t have parents (450 million!) seems to be one of those things no one talks about. As long as you don’t educate yourself on it and learn about it then it doesn’t exist. So we started where everyone starts researching something GOOGLE it! What we found was overwhelming there weren’t just seeing agencies we were seeing actual children available waiting for homes. We came to the quick realization that why we were trying to start a family there were kids waiting to be a part of our family. We would like to say our hearts were immediately open to the idea but we saw the truth and waited until one day it all made sense. We were connected with people who were adopted, who are adopting, and had adopted. We even turned on the television one night to find a Simpson’s episode about adoption! We knew that was for sure a divine sign, we dove in!

We started researching agencies, and countries, we were in the strangest of ways pregnant. We met with several agencies before landing at Holt; and from there we looked at the countries we were eligible for. We had it narrowed down to South Korea and Ethiopia the decision was daunting, there was so much need, how would we be able to choose? Our friends who had been through the process told us to start looking at pictures of the children and let your heart guide you. I think we both blew off the advice as our hearts broke for all the kids that we saw. Then we met with Holt and a few other families one of which just adopted a little girl from Ethiopia. This feeling was very different from what we had gotten by looking at the pictures what we were experiencing was a tangible, laughing, breathing beautiful little one from the other side of the globe. Our hearts were broken, we took a week prayed about it and called the agency and started the official process to adopt from Ethiopia.

A little less than a month into the process now we realize that the amount of questions, paperwork, and feelings can be overwhelming. The logistics of the process are not to be taken lightly but when you look at the big picture it is all worth it. The timeline for the process is approximately one year. At some point next summer we will travel for 10 days to Ethiopia to pick up the newest member of our family.

We hope that you might be interested in joining us on this journey, we intend to post our thoughts, feelings, and experiences along the way. You can subscribe to the blog via email if you would like updates emailed to you. If you would like to contact us we can be emailed at mbyrd3@hotmail.com

----side note ---- Many have asked how they could support us in this process. First at foremost pray for the protection of our hearts and minds right now. Pray that we will be at peace during our the wait period as we know God has perfect timing in this. Practically we are attempting to raise support for transportation to and from Ethiopia (approx -5-6k) we are applying for grants and have added a way to accept donations to the bringhomeBabyByrdfund on the right hand side of this blog. Any funds that we collect in excess of our transportation costs we will be donating directly to the orphanage in Ethiopia for clothes, formula, food, toys...

Welcome - It starts

2008-08-09T10:04:00.001-07:00

Thank you for taking time to read our blog. We are opening a new chapter on our journey of life that we hope you might be interested in joining us on. In a little less than a year God willing we will be traveling to Ethiopia to bring home the newest edition to our family. So many of you have prayed with us through this process to where we are today as well as have given us so much encouragement for that we can't thank you enough.

The mission of this blog is to 1. document our process for others 2. share with family around the states 3. be open about our process in hopes that you might know someone interested in helping the situation with orphans around the world.

Enjoy!

ONE Love
-The Byrds