Sammy is HOME!

Wow!  I cannot believe that we have had Samuel home for 2 months already.  I know we are slow in getting this blog updated.  Samuel is pretty much a 24/7 baby when he is awake so computer time is limited.  But he is also 24/7 joy, joy, joy.  It is clear that God designed this boy to be a Steimer.  He loves to laugh and make us laugh.  He is very smart and agile – making it a challenge to stay one step ahead of him J.  We are all in love with this sweet boy.  His siblings adore him and visa-versa.  Our favorite time of the day is when they start coming home from school.

But let me back up a minute for those of you who don’t know.  We got word at 8:00am on the day after Thanksgiving that we were cleared to go get Samuel – I was on the plane the next day at 6:00 am.  Yes…fast!  I picked him up at the TC on Monday morning, November 28^th with the utter joy that we would never have to say a long “goodbye” again.  We had our Embassy appointment on Wednesday, November 30^th and I returned home to a very warm welcome on December 2^nd.  A very happy family was waiting for us along with a dozen other friends who helped make this homecoming extra special.

Thank you all for your many prayers, loving words, donations, and general support over the past months.  Adoption is not for the faint of heart.  I tell others who are beginning the process to make sure that they have a strong support system around them…that is what you have been to us. 

Please don’t put your prayer “shawls” away, though.  Next month the official paperwork will begin on our other little boy.  We have been matched with him since December 2010 and are very anxious to get him home!  Please pray for no extra delays along the way.  His case is different than most and things keep changing with the process…so there could be a lot of kinks.  But God has shown us over and again His hand in the process.  Pray that we keep our eyes focused on God and not the circumstances. He is faithful!

As for the “State of the Steimers”,  we are very happy.  I just look at Samuel and am truly amazed at this sweet gift from the Lord.  I see our older children loving on him and about bust. My heart is so full! 

Sammy is HOME!

Wow!  I cannot believe that we have had Samuel home for 2 months already.  I know we are slow in getting this blog updated.  Samuel is pretty much a 24/7 baby when he is awake so computer time is limited.  But he is also 24/7 joy, joy, joy.  It is clear that God designed this boy to be a Steimer.  He loves to laugh and make us laugh.  He is very smart and agile – making it a challenge to stay one step ahead of him J.  We are all in love with this sweet boy.  His siblings adore him and visa-versa.  Our favorite time of the day is when they start coming home from school.

But let me back up a minute for those of you who don’t know.  We got word at 8:00am on the day after Thanksgiving that we were cleared to go get Samuel – I was on the plane the next day at 6:00 am.  Yes…fast!  I picked him up at the TC on Monday morning, November 28^th with the utter joy that we would never have to say a long “goodbye” again.  We had our Embassy appointment on Wednesday, November 30^th and I returned home to a very warm welcome on December 2^nd.  A very happy family was waiting for us along with a dozen other friends who helped make this homecoming extra special.

Thank you all for your many prayers, loving words, donations, and general support over the past months.  Adoption is not for the faint of heart.  I tell others who are beginning the process to make sure that they have a strong support system around them…that is what you have been to us. 

Please don’t put your prayer “shawls” away, though.  Next month the official paperwork will begin on our other little boy.  We have been matched with him since December 2010 and are very anxious to get him home!  Please pray for no extra delays along the way.  His case is different than most and things keep changing with the process…so there could be a lot of kinks.  But God has shown us over and again His hand in the process.  Pray that we keep our eyes focused on God and not the circumstances. He is faithful!

As for the “State of the Steimers”,  we are very happy.  I just look at Samuel and am truly amazed at this sweet gift from the Lord.  I see our older children loving on him and about bust. My heart is so full! 

waiting with hope

Samuel is still waiting in the Thomas Center in Addis. We took him out of the orphanage he grew up in when were there for court in July.  He is being cared for well but we really want to bring him home. Our process with the Ethiopian government is complete - he has a passport with our last name on it. Our paperwork was turned into the American Embassy two weeks ago - we watch our email every day for word. The embassy interviewed the police officer who processed him when he was abandoned at one month old. Today they requested an additional copy of a form…. Meanwhile we wait …

Good news: we are still hopeful he could come home for Christmas.  But, honestly, we just don’t know.  His crib is put together and his bed is made but we cant bring ourselves to buy Christmas presents for hm.  

Financial good news most of our matching grant has been raised  - if you would like to make a tax deductible donation to help us finish up there are instruction in the “financial update” blog post.

Other good news:  You all and our agency representative have been great support!  Your prayers have sustained and encouraged us.  Our representative has provided “hand holding” at the more difficult turns in the journey.  We feel blessed to be with CHI/YWAM and blessed to have such a “great cloud of witnesses” around us.  Thank you!

Stay tuned for THE next update!!!

financial update

Good news we recently received...we have been approved for a matching grant up to $2,500.  This will truly bless us in this long process that will not be complete until the second little boy comes home.  We have 3 more trips across the ocean until we can have both boys home.  Our remaining expenses are mostly travel and some fees when we get to formally accept the second boy's referral.  We are approximately 8 thousand dollars short on our expenses. We are putting the word out since some of you have asked us about how to donate and God has provided a matching grant.

You can donate in our name and it will be matched in our account! (and since, you give Life Song freedom to use your funds as they think best, your donation is tax deductible.) You can send a check to the address below or you can use the link to donate online.

Please make sure you use our last name and our reference number in the memo of the check or when you donate online0 (preference Steimer/ #1698 adoption): Lifesong for Orphans, PO Box 40,  202 N. Ford St,  Gridley, IL  61744

for online donations use this link but remember to put Steimer/ #1698 adoption  in the preference line http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/donation.html

September Surprise!

Mark and I received wonderful news on September 27th.  We are official!  The judge returned and signed our adoption decree stating that we are legally the parents of Samuel Mark Steimer. Needless to say there were smiles all around and even some dancing!  Of course the next question on everyone's mind is, "What's next?"  We do not have an exact date yet.  Some paperwork has to travel from place to place before it reaches the US Embassy.  It will then be reviewed and then we will get an email discussing travel dates.  Please pray that this part of the journey goes smoothly.  We are so anxious to have our little boy home.

Thanksgiving...and Thanksgiving

Mark and I had a wonderful surprise on July 16th...we were given a court date for August 3rd!  So, Mark and I flew over to Ethiopia on July 27th then drove to the boys' orphanage on the 30th.  The drive was bumpy, strenuous...and beautiful.  More beautiful, though, were our boys!  Mark got to meet them for the first time.  He is quite smitten with both of them!  I feel very blessed to have had such a quick return trip.  It had been just slightly more than a month since I had last seen them.  It was such a fun visit.  They are both very happy boys.  Very loving and very smiley. We are so thankful for these two boys and for this chance to play with, and hug and snuggle them.

We had a very emotional goodbye as the orphanage nannies had to release several babies they had raised and loved for many months.  The love the nannies have for these precious children is very evident in the way they interact with the children, but was demonstrated that day in the sobs and tears as they hugged each child.  We are thankful that our boys have been so loved!

We then traveled back to Addis with one of our boys - the one who will come home first.  More fun, and snuggles.  We settled him in at his new temporary residence. Over the next two days we were able to visit with him there...we even got to see some of "S's" first steps!  We are thankful for these sweet moments with "S" and for the people that will be caring for him over the next few months.

Court went well then we headed home late that night.  We are now awaiting an appointment with the embassy so that we can bring that sweet boy home...we are hoping he will be home by Thanksgiving...which would be fitting...for we are very thankful!

Thanks again for your love, prayers and support.  This is an exciting part of this journey, we cannot wait to bring "S" home!  We will not be completely settled, though until both boys are here with us.
 Keep praying...
...nothing would hold up either case on their current course
...that God would supply the remainder of the financial needs
...transition for baby "S"
...transition for all Steimers
...wisdom about who will travel for each of the 3 remaining trips (one in Nov. and two next spring/summer)

In closing...as I reflect on this summer I continue to be amazed (and, yes, thankful) at the family that God is weaving together.  Through the ups and downs of last spring we often could only see the "underweave" of the tapestry that God was working on.  Now we get a glimpse of the other side and it is beautiful!

Julie in Ethiopia, "They both have great giggles too. So fun".

this short post was from a blog from one of Julie's tram - ethiopiateam2011.wordpress.com

We had a long bumpy ride out to Nekemte, VERY bumpy! Nekemte was filled with painting, fixing, enjoying time with babies and loving on the people.
Then on to Gimbie. Gimbie was an experience in God’s grace. A mom got to meet her future children.
God provided several team bonding moments. As well as the awesome opportunity to meet an amazing woman who has been in Gimbie as a missionary for 2 years.
Thank you all for your prayers! WE appreciate them!

It is Awesome that Julie got to meet our children for the first time!
she sent a very short email to me -

The trip is going well.  The boys are beautiful!  The trip to Gimbie is long and bumpy, but so worth it to see those two boys.  I was able to play with both and even able to hold and cuddle both, putting each one to sleep.  So precious.  They both have great giggles too.  So fun.  I am going to get kicked off the computer so I will send this then try to send more.  I love you all.  I am looking forward to seeing you at the end of the week. 

 on a very cool side note, God's providence was evident in that Julie flew from Knoxville to Ethiopia on the same plane as the medical team from our church that Julianna, Elizabeth and I went with last year. I just saw this post from the Cedar Springs team:

"Went to church today as a group then out to eat for lunch. We ran into Julie Steimer and her group at the restaurant

..Please keep praying, with much thanksgiving ....

-Mark