The caniferous tree!

On Saturday I got to visit the place where Loza was found! It was at a hospital in the heart of the city. She was found under a caniferous tree wrapped in a white cloth. The tree was the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It was exactly how I pictured it. A huge African tree with grass underneath it. The hospital is gated and very well protected by guards. Lozas mom definitely went to lengths to make sure she was safe and protected! As I was standing there holding Loza my heart broke in two. One side was filled with gratefulness that God brought Loza to us and the future that she will now have, but the other part of my heart broke into many pieces thinking about the ache in Lozas moms heart that she will feel everyday for the rest of her life. Just thinking about the last hug, kiss, that her birth mom took before she laid her on the ground and walked away! I really feel someday I will meet Lozas mom in heaven and get to know her, she must be an amazing person...because Loza is sooo amazing! I kept thinking of a verse in the bible "blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out it's roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for it's leaves remain green, and it is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit"

The crazy thing is that we went to church the next morning and that was the scripture verse the pastor taught on...and the title of the service was..."living like a tree" isn't that crazy? God is just so big! He has orchestrated every single little detail of this whole adoption! Sometimes the seeds that God plants in your heart are scary and often a step of faith to carry out, but wow how rewarding when you have enough blind faith to take a step out of the boat and trust that Gods will for my life will shine through and be way more rewarding than you could ever imagine!

Wow, what a journey...I will never forget my time in ethiopia! It holds a special place in my heart!

Ode to Loza!

I'm sorry I have not written a lot. Truthfully when I get Loza to sleep I am sleeping as well! Everything in Ethiopia is going good. It is the rainy season and boy does it rain! Today my mom, Loza and I stared out the window while it poured outside. Our poor guard outside was soaked! Loza is amazing! She has the funniest personality. I think that it has taken a week for her to come outside of her shell, but she finally has. She is hilarious! She babbles all the time and everywhere we go people stop to talk to her! I know I'm biased, but she is seriously the cutest baby ever! I can say that she is very bonded with me which is a relief! I was worried for so long about that, but not to worry. God is so faithful to come through. Even if she is across the room she will lock eyes with me and just start laughing! I keep holding her and saying, mommy and daddy love Loza! She just laughs and looks at me! This morning laying in her crib she started saying mommy and daddy....it was so awesome!

My mom and I have ventured all over the city. We went to entoto palace, the kings palace at the university, all the markets, and even made it to church on Sunday. The church we attended was awesome! There were people from all over the world there! We are hoping to be able to go next Sunday as well! It is still so heartbreaking to see how much poverty is here. Your heart is just always crying inside for these people! It is very overwhelming! I'm not going to lie. I have made a very long list of things I will never take advantage of again! Example: washer and dryer, milk, clean air....the list goes on and on!

I am looking forward to next week! Monday is new years day here, so there are tons of festivities going on! Our driver Yosef is going to take us to his house and let us celebrate with his family. He did mention something about chicken...I just hope it is dead before we get there! Tuesday we have our embassy appointment and Wednesday we have the big coffee ceremony at Lozas orphanage. It is there official way of saying goodbye to someone they love!

Everyday I am learning something new about myself. Up until I was a mom I thought I was patient! Not so much! When it is 4am and you are changing the grossest smelling diaper ever...that is when I have felt the most humble! God has given me a person to protect, love, encourage! Wow, what a responsibility! I can't wait to get home and share it all with my better half. It's so hard to be so far away from my favorite person! Soon my love I will be home!

Until next time...thank you for all your prayers! We will be home soon!

We are cleared!

Yesterday we got the call we have been waiting for! We got cleared by the US Embassy in Ethiopia! Yeah! Now our next step was to request an appointment when we get interviewed and then they make the visa for Loza! Unfortunately they told us today that they do not have an opening until september 13th. So, I requested that they ask again for anything earlier! We will see what happens. I guess at the latest we will be home Thursday night the 15th. I will keep everyone posted when we hear! Everything is going well here. My mom and I have done a ton of stuff around town! Loza is a great baby and I am starting to learn her schedule! I just can't wait to bring her home and start our life together! Pray for us all. We have been here a week, but it feels much longer! I pray to give us patience to last another week! I know the end is in sight! Thank you for all being so supportive. Love you so much!

Having faith to jump out of the boat!

So, here I am in Ethiopia again! I have to say the more I am around these amazing Ethiopian people the bigger my heart grows. I have learned what true beauty is, and that is something I will never forget! My mom and I picked up Loza yesterday from the orphanage and stayed for hours playing with all the kids. I love these kids so much. I hope that someday we can be reunited again in heaven, because my heart breaks every time I have to say goodbye. They have definitely stolen a little piece of my heart!

Loza is amazing! It was very hard to take her from the orphanage because she is so bonded with the nannies. The nannies are amazing and love her so much! They all kiss her and said goodbye thousands of times. My heart broke because I can't imagine taking care of a baby for 8 months and then one day she is gone!I owe them so much!

I have a new respect for mothers because it is so much work taking care of a baby, especially in a third world country. But everytime Loza smiles at me I feel one step closer to bonding. I did have a huge moment last night. I went into the other room to grab a diaper and Loza started to cry and I ran back in the room with tears in my eyes because it was the first time i felt that we were bonded! I am totally in love with her and the more I get to know her and her sweet spirit, the bigger my heart grows. I can't wait for everyone to meet her!

So God has really been teaching me to have faith, blind faith. We came early to Ethiopia before our case has been cleared by the embassy! So, my mind was filled with doubts the whole flight here. I was reading and the story of Peter walking on water and it hit me like a ton of bricks! God said...you of little faith, why do you doubt me? I was very humbled and had to apologize for my horrible faith factor. So, with all that said. I am having faith that the embassy will clear our case this week and we will be able to bring Loza home next week!

Thank you for all the support and prayers! It is felt all the way across the world! Here is praying for good news tomorrow!

An Orphan Prayer...must read!

An Orphan's Prayer
I am waiting...somewhere far...far...away on the other side of the world. I may not know who you are or what you look like, but some how deep in my heart I know you are out there. That one day you will come and find me. It's a long journey,and it takes a lot of time... I wish it could be easier. But I know that the ones who come for me will not count the cost. They will only see the joy of finding me. For now I abide in the fields of the fatherless. Day by day wondering why I was born here and not somewhere else? Asking....why my life couldn't have been different.
It is so lonely...Even though I am surrounded by hundreds of other children, I know something is missing... I know in my heart I need a place to call home. My arms long to be wrapped in a father's embrace..I long to be saved by a mother's love...
Gazing out the orphanage window I offer a prayer of hope,"Oh, God, please help them come quickly." Even as I lay there in the darkness each night somehow I feel assured, that no matter how lost I appear I am not alone,
Holy hands guard my steps, sacred fingers wipe my tears, touching my lonely heart. The one who made me, the God that knew me before I was born, hears me every time I call. He whispers his promises in my ear. I listen with hope to His voice.
But what I worry about most is that no one wants to look for me. The fields are vast and there are so many scattered all over the earth. I wonder how one little child, so lost can be found?
Yet he calms my heart and assures me,that He will find you. That he will make sure that you hear His voice clearly. He has promised me that He will make a way through the fields. That he will personally cut a path,and lead you right to my orphanage door.
My prayer is... When he speaks... Please don't forget to listen... When he calls don't be too afraid to go. For I am waiting somewhere, far,...far...away, on the other side of the world... TO COME HOME.


 Thank you to my friend Kristen for posting this on her blog.

Loza...here we come!

I heard great news today! The document that we have been waiting for the past weeks was obtained today! Praise God! My mom and I are flying to Ethiopia next Friday august 26th! Our case will be resubmitted on Monday. Thank you for all your prayers...they have been heard. Now I am running around crazy trying to get everything ready! Your prayers for safe travel would be greatly appreciated! Love you all!

Prayer Please!!

Hello all of our friends and family! Well, I promised I would write with an update when I received one. The US embassy has requested more information. Our agency is currently trying to obtain some additional information to proceed with our case. All of this is very typical for adoptions, but obviously it is very hard to wait when we want Loza home with us so bad! If everyone could pray very specifically for the paperwork to be obtained and processed in the next week that would be so great! We serve a HUGE God and I know that He has a plan for Loza and knows when we will bring her home! We are so blessed to have such an amazing baby in our lives! I will let you know of any updates when we receive them! 

Update!

I just wanted to fill everyone in on our status with the adoption. We did hit a snare about 4 weeks ago with some documents. They got all the papers that they need now and submitted our case to the embassy on Monday July 18th. We are now just waiting for the US Embassy to approve our case and pick a date to fly there to pick up our precious Loza! We are hoping the next couple of weeks! As soon as I hear anything I will let everyone know! Thanks so much to everyone for so much prayer and love. We are so excited to bring Loza home and have everyone meet her!

Welcome Loza Journey Robbins!

well, we got informed on friday that Loza's birth certificate has arrived! We are getting so close. We are still waiting to hear when our case will be submitted to the US Embassy....but I thought while we wait I would post some picture of Loza Journey! Enjoy...

Update

I just wanted to update everyone on where we are at in the process. Since we passed court right away, now Loza is legally our daughter! Yeah! Now we wait for her passport and birth certificate to be made and sent to our adoption agency. This typically takes three weeks. Zach and I have finished all the paperwork on our end....so now we wait..again..hehe. When our agency has all the documents they will submit our case to the US embassy in Ethiopia. From there two things can happen. They can accept our case and we can fly down whenever we want to get her, or they can ask for more documents and then it would take longer. We are praying for the end of June, early July! We can't wait to bring Loza home...so excited! Thank you everyone for your love and support!

May 18th, 2011

Well, today is our last day. I am feeling much better today. We went and hung out with Loza for three hours. She is so funny. She eats so fast. Zach couldn't feed her fast enough and she was getting upset. She has the best personality. She is so content and smiles all the time. It was very hard to say goodbye and leave her. The nannies said not to worry they would take good care of her. I know they will, but it is still so hard. Hopefully it will go by fast and then we can come back and get her. We ate at the Zebra today for lunch and it had a great view of the city. We just came back to the hotel and am hanging out until we fly out at 11PM.

May 17th, 2011

Today we had our courtdate at 8:30AM. We waited outside the courthouse until 9:00am and then our Illien representative arrived and took us up to a small room. We waited there until the judge called us in. We did not wait very long. The room was full of all different types of nationalities...Italians, Israelis, German. I was not expecting that. The judge was very pretty. She was dressed very elegantly. We just sat on some chairs and she asked us if we had any children at home? If we met Loza? If we will teach her ethiopian culture? If we are ready to handle racial issues? That was it. We were very lucky because the MOWA letter was there. We passed right away. I got very sick today so after visiting Loza I went home and slept all night. Zach went to Lime Tree for lunch and then an amazing pizza place at night. Loza is so great. She recognizes us right away and smiles all the time. She has such a great personality.

May 16th, 2011

We asked the nannies yesterday where Loza's name came from. They said the name is biblical from Jacob's story in Genesis 28. The story is Jacob had to flee from his brother so he was on his way to live with his uncle and he stopped for the night at a city and made camp. During the night Jacob had an amazing dream from God. When he woke up this is what he said "God is in this place-truly. And I didn't even know it: incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God's house. This is the Gate of Heaven" Genesis 28:17 The Message....The place where he had this encounter was Loza....In the English translation it is called Luz...but in the amharic translation(which is their native language) the place is called Loza and that is where she got her name from. It is a very amazing story and one which has stamped my heart forever....the really cool part is that everyone knows we are going to name her Loza Journey Robbins. In Genesis 28:20 it says this "If God stands by me and protects me on this JOURNEY on which I'm setting out, keeps me in food and clothing, and brings me back in one piece to my Father's house, this God will be my God." So...officially her first and middle name are in this whole story from the Bible. Zach and I are just in awe of how amazing God is and how detailed he is. This last verse has been what I have been praying through the past two years through this adoption process....very amazing stuff...

Very busy day today. Had breakfast and then went and visited Loza. She was very active today. She is smiling at both Zach and I a lot. She was talking a lot of babble and Zach got to feed her and change her today. We are so in love with the little kids there. After visitation time we exchanged money and then had lunch at Dembit Dome. We met Tsedey today and she was awesome. She is the women who forsees Illien Adoptions in Addis. She prepped us for the court hearing tomorrow and told us that our MOWA letter was there so we should pass court tomorrow. That is awesome news!! We went "shopping" at the post office today and bought all sorts of authentic Ethiopian treasures. Zach was hilarious...he was bargaining all over the place. AFter that we came home and took a nap. Teddy took us to an authentic ethiopian restaurant tonight called Yod Abyssiania. It was awesome. We all shared a meal and ate with our hands. They had live entertainment and dancing. It was an awesome experience. I am exhausted...headed to bed. Big Day Tomorrow.

May 15th, 2011

We left May 13th and flew from Billings, Montana to Denver. Denver to Frankfurt Germany. From Germany to Addis Ababa Ethiopia. I forgot what it is like to hear all different languages and have no idea what people are saying. The whole travel experience went very well, but very exhausting. The time difference between Addis and Billings is 9 hours. The best part so far is meeting other families that are adopting. We met a very nice lady adopting a little boy and there are other families in Yebsabi( our guest house) that are adopting from Rawanda, we just haven't had the chance to talk with them yet. Today is the day we get to meet Loza...YEAH! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I'm having a hard time believing that this day has finally arrived.

We had the most amazing breakfast at our guesthouse. The chef is amazing. We had an omelet and Zach loves the coffee. After breakfast Denknish and Teddy( our driver) picked us up and took us to the orphanage. The ride there was very interesting. The streets are crazy. The orphanage is on a hill tucked away. All the kids from the orphanage were outside and followed us in. They sat us down and brought in Loza. She couldn't stop staring at us and touching our face...she is so precious. We spent the rest of the time playing with the orphans and holding Loza. The kids are amazing. After we said goodbye our driver Teddy took us to Amsterdam( a restaurant) for lunch and it was delicious. There are 9 families that are adopting children from Rawanda at our guesthouse. All the kids are so cute. It is fun to have all the families here and share stories. Zach played soccer with some local boys for a little while and then we had dinner at Yebsabi. Can't wait to hang out with Loza again tomorrow.

The Day Has Arrived!

Wow, I can't believe that I have not posted for 2 years...haha..it doesn't seem possible :) I have updated our blog and will be posting now consistently considering we are leaving for Ethiopia in 1 week! Yeah! We leave May 13th and will be in Ethiopia until May 19th! I will try and post as much as possible while I am there. We have a beautiful baby girl named Loza. She is six months old and we are just so excited to meet her! I will post pictures as soon as we legally can! Thank you to everyone that has stuck by us these past two years! There is light at the end of the tunnel :) All our Thanks and Glory to God who has opened every door and every heart through this process! Can't wait to meet you Loza!