Something Crazy

Our Story via Video

2010-05-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the LONG delay in posting, friends. I've been lovingly harrassed by more than a few of you for not posting more often...but I hope you understand! :) Along with the busy-ness of a family of 7...God called us to host an event on April 15 in Knoxville for 730 of our closest family and friends (LOL!)to raise funds and awareness for Africa's orphan crisis. You can read more about the event on that blog: www.hopeinthedarknews.blogspot.com. or click on the link on the right side of this blog. God did it ALL! And it was one incredible evening!

The video below was produced in Knoxville specifically for this event...but tells our story so we wanted to share it here. Enjoy. We love you all and covet your prayers....daily!

Yes, baby KALU is home...and we are alive!!!!

2009-12-10T19:43:00.001-08:00

Ok, friends...I do apologize for the weeks and weeks of blog-less-ness (a new word?!). Those of you who know me well know that I am not the best at multi-tasking...and I tend to put off things until I have a big 'block' of time to work on it. Well...guess how many 'big blocks of time' happen in my life these days....yep... ZERO!!! Anyway, I'm having to get better at multi-tasking (an understatement!) and am learning to jump in and do a little bit at a time on projects. Anyway...here I am...back at the computer wanting to give you a little update before I get so sleepy that I can't think straight...

So...we are a complete family at last! Many of you know that Miss McKinley Kalu Hamilton (to be called Kalu) arrived safely home from Ethiopia on October 9, 2009. I can't believe she has been home 2 whole months! Wow! It has been a BLAST...albeit tiring for this 43 year old momma (and the 46 year old daddy!) She is doing well...sleeping 12 hours (THANK YOU JESUS!!!!), eating well, loving life and settling in like she's been here her whole life.

Her big sister and brothers ALL love her to pieces...and she seems to be the last bit of 'glue'

we all needed to feel complete and settled. She is a happy and active baby...and now

that she is walking all over the place...she really keeps us hopping.

In her short time in America she has already been to four UT football games, four basketball games, travelled to NC two times, been baptized, traveled to St. Thomas (the whole family went with the UT basketball team) and celebrated her 1st birthday! Thankfully, she has adjusted fine to our 'on the move' family. God knew she would be the 5th child in this crazy family...and he has given her the laid-back but adventure-loving personality to be able to survive and thrive in it. :)

While the boys' have been sweet and attentive to baby Kalu (well, as attentive as boys can be!), I must take this little opportunity to brag about what an INCREDIBLE big sister Kalu has in Madison. Words cannot express the sweet relationship these two have...and how much Madison is shining as a loving, caring and VERY fun big sister to Kalu. We have been careful not to make Madison feel like she has to be a 'second momma' to any of the kids...but her genuine love for Kalu and her helpful spirit have been a TREMENDOUS blessing to all of us. And how precious to watch her grow and mature through this journey. God is so good!

We all continue to be 'stretched' in this journey and it hasn't all been easy...but it is all very very GOOD. And most importantly...God has been faithful at every step...providing just what we need at the right times. What sweet gifts He gives!

Enjoy the pics!

Kalu is ONE! ...not sure about this cake stuff...

Oh, I get it now...I'm supposed to WEAR the cake! FUN!

I LOVE MY BIG SIS!!!! SHE IS AWESOME!!!!

Madison and Kalu sure have some HANDSOME brothers!!!!

(Looking sweet in their traditional Ethiopian clothes for the baptisms!) Madison and Kalu 'talking on the phone' in St. Thomas!

Bathing beauty!

Fun pool time with Daddy in St. Thomas!

TEN SWEET FEET!!!!!

Not a Hamilton...but a new friend (or foe?) we met in St. Thomas...by the pool!!!

Priceless!

Mom and Kalu...in St. Thomas....GO VOLS!!

Madison, Jen (our friend and 'nanny'), Kalu and Kiya...picking out a Christmas tree!

Can't say enough about how AWESOME Jen is....she is SUCH a gift from God to our family...and I personally call her 'my sanity!'

Okay...it's almost midnight...and I need SLEEP! We love you all and hope you are enjoying and savoring this Christmas season. Blessings!

Rain,rain,rain!

2009-09-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

It's raining in Knoxville today! It was pouring rain today when Madison came home from a friends house and decided she wanted to stand in the rain! And of course, we couldn't let her stand out there by herself so we sent everyone outside for a party in the rain in their pajamas! FUN! It was so fun, but so wet! Madison, was of course, out going, and plunged right into the rain! Matthew liked standing in it with a towel and then running through it, Nate, was adventurous and ran up and down the street in it! and Kiya was timid and scared at first, but as soon as he knew it was okay for his pajamas to get wet, he loved it too! Rain is always fun to play in! but especially in your pj's!

Madison and Kiya in the rain!
Madison, sitting in the rain! In her pajamas! In the front yard!Matthew, Madison. Nate, and Kiya standing in the rain with pajamas on!

Madison and Nate laying in a puddle of cold, wet rain! In their pajamas!!!!

This is Kiya laying down in a BIG puddle in the cold rain! Madison and Nate are watching in amazment. :)

God Makes The Front Page!!!!

2009-08-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

Only God could 'move mountains' to get the headline on the front page of our hometown newspaper, The Knoxville News-Sentinel! This article ran on the top of the front page of our Sunday edition with the large quote at the top: "We serve an amazing God." WOW! Go, God, go! May He continue to get ALL the glory for anything good that comes out of our journey!

You can read the article here:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/aug/23/ut-athletic-director-tells-how-he-and-his-wife-wer/

Also look for the slide show on the same website for some more pics of our trip and our time since we've returned.

Lastly, please pray as I will be returning to Ethiopia Sept 13-18 to bring our sweet McKinley Kalu home at last. I am excited that my sister will be travelling with me. Pray for safety, health and sleep on the long flight! Also, we will be meeting our children's birth grandmother...we are so thankful to meet her and hope to be able to learn more of our children's heritage for them to know someday.

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. The steps of our journey have not all been easy...but the challenges are definitely worth it and we know we are on the exact path God has called us to. He is growing and stretching and blessing us in so many ways.

Madison directs Kiya Isaiah in his debut motion picture

2009-08-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

Madison made this great video of Kiya Isaiah the past few days and we thought it was really cute! If nothing else we are having fun around here!

P.S. Madison says..."Enjoy! And after it says THE END...keep watching!"

New Bedtime Routine to the sounds of TobyMac!!

2009-08-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

We may have begun a new Hamilton boys' bedtime routine tonight...to the rockin' sounds of TobyMac! If you have 3 minutes to spare, you might enjoy the awesome moves of these three guys...Hilarious! (I'm also hoping it will wear them out a bit to help them sleep just a little later in the morning...hee!hee!)

The Beach...continued

2009-08-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

We are home now and wanted to share a few more pictures from our beach trip. We had a wonderful, fun week at Rosemary but we are so glad to be home!! School starts in two weeks...so we hope to enjoy the last 'carefree' days and then get settled in to whatever our 'new normal' looks like. We'll keep you posted on that one! :)

Here is our beautiful princess! Wasn't she four just yesterday?

And our serious fisherman...nothing but nibbles! But he sure did look handsome trying!

Another handsome boy. This one LOVED the ocean.

The 'baby' beach boy...not a serious bone in his body! What a face!

Long-time beach buds...Christian and Matt.

Wow! Two beauties! Where did our baby girls go?

The Hamilton Family...for now

2009-07-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

We debated whether or not to take these photos since our sweet Kalu is not with us...thus our family is not complete. However, since this is the boys' first beach trip, we decided it was worth documenting in this way. We will, of course, have another photo session when she arrives...or photoshop her in! :)

Wow...hard to believe it is reality...but here it is in FULL color...we are a FAMILY! There are many more to share...but here's a few for now!

Now that we have seen...

2009-07-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share this powerful video from a dear friends blog. God is at work all over the world...in Africa, in Peru, in Haiti, and in our great United States of America...even right next door or sitting in the pew beside you. He calls His people to be involved. All to pray. Some to give. Some to go. Some to bring home babies. We each have the PRIVILEGE to use the gifts He has given us to love the least of these. What seed of adventure has He planted in your heart to love the broken? It is NOT easy. But if you are called...it is MOST definitely worth it!

Hello, BEACH!

2009-07-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are at the beach! (a previously planned vacation that we decided to stick with despite only being home from Africa for 7 days!) The boys have adjusted so well so far that we decided to brave it...plus it gives us MORE quality time with Daddy and our older kids are encouraged to be able to do something we do every year...a little bit of normalcy is a blessing for all!

So here we are at Rosemary Beach, Florida...with our good friends the Porters...and things are going well. The kids absolutely LOVED the ocean and beach. Their first words upon seeing the ocean was excited screams of "NEMO! NEMO! NEMO!"...yes, they have already watched the movie. Hilarious! Upon arrival at the beach, we played and played and played...for 4+hours! We videotaped their first reactions but our Flip is not downloading right now...so you will have to wait! (sorry!) Nate (Papy) was ecstatic to say the least...he screamed and jumped and played in the water non-stop! He was so very brave and even boogie-boarded some. Isaiah (Kiya) was more cautious but loved it a little at a time. He enjoyed the sand, the fish that his big brother Matt was catching (more Nemos!) and laying on the boogie board at the edge of the water. He played so hard he took a nap under the umbrella!

We have a pool here at the house...so after the beach...we played some more. So fun! Here are some pics! Enjoy! (and thanks for your continued prayers...we feel them! )

Matt, the fisherman!

Hey, Matt! Are those the Nemos you caught?

One sweet beach bum!

This bucket is heavy, Mom!

Nate (Papy) LOVES the waves!!!

Isaiah (Kiya) is not too sure about the water at first.

Kiya awaiting snack after swimming

Daddy in the pool with Nate, Madi and Matt

Nate and big sis in the pool!

Nate (Papy) and Isaiah (Kiya) explore the sand

Sand, sand...and more sand!

Matt, Christian and Nate (Papy)...boys having a blast!

Home at Last!

2009-07-21T11:50:00.001-07:00

Our first family photo after returning home...and we look pretty good for being on an airplane for the previous 24 hours!!! What a joy to return to Knoxville to the hugs and cheers of friends and family at the airport! Papy (7 yr old...pronounced 'pop-ee'...to be called Nate) ran into the arms of his big brother and squeezed him so hard Matt thought he was going to pop! Kiya (4yr old...pronounced 'key-yah'...to be called Isaiah) also gave his big bro a big hug...and at last our family was together again. Of course, as many of you know, we did not get to bring our baby girl, Kalu (8 months...pronounced Kah-lu...to be called McKinley) home on this trip due to additional US Immigration paperwork that won't be completed until early September. While it was very hard to leave her in Ethiopia...we know God is in control and knows what is best for us all. It is a blessing to have these 8 weeks to get the boys' settled and secure before the demands of an infant...so we are looking at the bright side! Also, she is in great care at our agency's transition home...spoiled actually, as the director told me, "we usually feed on a 3-hour schedule, but with Kalu...we just feed her anytime she cries!" Oh, my! That will be fun when she gets home! :) I am thankful, though, as she is growing and very strong as you can see on the video I will post soon.

It is impossible to put into words our experience in Ethiopia...though I will try bit by bit as time goes on to share parts of our journey there. Suffice it to say that our hearts continue to fall in love with this country and its people who are beautiful, strong, resilient, loving and kind. They are poor physically but rich in culture and in love for one another.

For now, I simply want to share some pictures of our time with the boys and Kalu there...Enjoy!

Day One: Waiting to meet Papy, Kiya and Kalu for the first time!!!!!!

Day One: "Well, hey there!" Our first embrace! :)

Day One: Papy-Nate hugs his new sister!

Day One: Kiya looks happy about his new family!

Together at last!!! (but missing Matthew big-time!!!)

Day One: Madison and Papy-Nate!

Day One: Daddy and Sweet Kalu!

Day One: Mommy and Papy-Nate read a book. (Madi has Kalu!)

Day One: Daddy and Papy-Nate play soccer. (Papy won!)

Day Two: We are here to take you home forever! Papy, Mom, Madi and Kiya

Kiya is great at blowing bubbles!

Papy-Nate and Kiya-Isaiah love to show off the pics of their families!!!

Madison entertained the TH kids with her animal balloon making...who cares that she can only make a poodle? :) She was AMAZING!

Mommy and Kiya by the Transition Home school room.

Baby Kalu...Precious!

Anyone have a spoon handy? :)

I love my big sis! Can't wait to have this bundle HOME!!!!

There's more folks...we took over 350 photos...but I'm tired and naptime is over! Thank you for your prayers...keep 'em coming as the transition is going well but there are bumps along the way! We know God's grace IS sufficient and He will certainly finish what He has begun! All for His renown!!! We love you!

Mike with baby Kalu

2009-07-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

This is Mike with baby Kalu on Meetcha Day! We found out today for sure that this sweet girl will not be able to come home with us this trip. She has to wait the results of her TB test which takes 8 weeks to culture. We are confident her test will be negative, but are required to go through the governmental 'redtape' to prove it. We are sad but do totally trust God's best timing for all our children to be home in Knoxville. Looks like that will be early September!

madison blowing bubbles with papy and kiya

2009-07-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

This is the first day we met the boys. Madison did a GREAT job
entertaining them and being an all-around encouraging big sis!

Kalu and Madison

2009-07-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

Meetcha Day - Kalu going for big sis' camera. She goes for just about anything within arm's reach! We already decided one of her nicknames will be 'busy bee!'

madison blowing bubbles with papy and kiya

2009-07-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

This is the first day we met the boys. Madison did a GREAT job
entertaining them and being an all-around encouraging big sis!

Mom and Papy

2009-07-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Meetcha Day - Mom and Papy hang out while he enjoys a lollipop!

Kiya Enjoying Beach Ball with Madison

2009-07-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

Meetcha Day...Kiya's BIG smile (complete with infectious giggle) while playing beach ball with Madison!

Meetcha Day!

2009-07-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

We were officially introduced to our newest children on Monday
afternoon here in Ethiopia! It was an amazing afternoon. In this
picture, you cannot really see Kalu, our baby girl but it is the only
picture of the 6 of us. We have lots of pics and video that we will
try to share here on the blog one at a time.

Nate (who goes by Papy for now) is 7 and a kind and fun-loving kid.
He was sweet to give lots of hugs and kisses and wanted to share all
the candy we gave him with his friends at the Transition Home. He
enjoyed playing soccer with Madison and Mike and knows quite a bit of
English words. He understands MUCH of what we say. He 'borrowed'
Madison's camera and took 50+ photos in a short time frame! Madison
was hiding her camera today! :) He can write his name and lots of
numbers. He repeats everything we say in English!

Isaiah (who goes by Kiya) is 4 and has an infectious giggle. Though
he really enjoyed blowing bubbles, playing cars and blowing up
balloons with us, he was careful with his affections yesterday, and
really took to Mike the best. Today he was more open to all of us and
had a blast with Madison back at our Guest House doing 'rocket'
balloons and playing chase.

McKinley (Kalu) was sweet and smiled at us alot. She is very aware of
everything around her and wants to be busy all the time. She is very
content though and only fussed when she was hungry. She has gained
weight and is amazingly strong. She sits very well and crawls fast
when she sees something she wants...like the beach ball.

Tonight we brought the boys home to the Guest House with us. Kalu is
staying at the Transition Home until the US Embassy clears her to get
her Visa. With the boys we have conquered play time, potty time,
meeting new friends, dinner, brushing teeth, pj's and now bedtime.
Pray we have a good night's sleep! Nate refused to take a shower
simply wagging his finger at us like 'no, no, no'.??...we don't have
a bathtub here...so we're not really sure what's up with that. So we
decided to use wipes to get the important places clean and figure that
out later! :)

We are enjoying our time learning about and experiencing the beautiful
and loving people of Ethiopia. And also getting to know the 10 other
families here with us! We also got to see our friends Marla, Jordan,
Mike and Lola today!!! Awesome! We will post pics one at a time with
captions as we have power and internet access. Both are unpredictable
here! :)

We love you and thanks for your prayers. Pray tonight that the judge
will look favorably on Kalu's case tomorrow and let her come home with
us this Friday! It will be a true a miracle if it happens...but we
know if it is His will...nothing can stop it.

And a special note to Matt! We love you and miss you and can't wait
for you to meet your brothers and little sister! the boys love to play
and will think that you are a great big brother! Hugs and Kisses!

Good Night from Addis Ababa!
Beth and Madison (for Mike, Papy and Kiya!)

2009-07-11T14:19:00.001-07:00

Here is the plane that will take us to our new family members!

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

We Love Madison!

2009-07-10T19:50:00.001-07:00

Another test. This is really cool!

This is a TEST

2009-07-10T18:54:00.001-07:00

We are testing the ability to post to our blog via email while we are in Ethiopia. Here goes.

BTW...this is the newest pic of our baby girl!

A little Birthday Fun!

2009-06-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Madison wanted to try out the flip video before our trip to Ethiopia (we will be trying to upload videos from our trip on our blog while we are there), so we decided to have a little fun with her at Matthew's birthday party today....complete with a surprise dip in the pool and a water balloon attack from Matthew's friends. Enjoy!

WE PASSED COURT!!!! WOO HOO!!!!

2009-06-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

Check out the video above introducting the newest Hamiltons! We are overwhelmed with God's goodness and are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement! We will be travelling to Ethiopia VERY soon...so stay posted for more information!!!

To Karen...and others...

2009-06-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

Romans 7:18 “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”

Okay, I just have a very quick moment but I just HAVE to get this out there. Karen, a long-time friend from my hometown, posted a comment a few weeks back saying something like, "Beth, you are an amazing person." Now I don't want to embarrass her or others who have said similar things...but I cannot wait another moment to answer...

WE ARE NOT AMAZING PEOPLE...WE SIMPLY SERVE AN AMAZING GOD!!!!!"

Okay...got it out. I feel better! I just can't live with the 'untruth' that we are doing this out of our own goodness or strength. "Apart from me, you can do NOTHING." John 15:5 Yes, Lord Jesus...that is so very true!

We love you all and appreciate your prayers...in fact, we depend upon them! Please remember our three kiddos Thursday night as the judge gets another chance to say 100% YES!

And Karen...thanks for your sweet note...I don't have an address to respond to except 'snail mail' and I'm too lazy and ADD to get that accomplished...so if you get a chance, send me your email address to hamshome@yahoo.com.

2009-06-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

We get to wait a little while longer...

2009-06-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hi to all!
Sorry it has taken all day to get to you...I was at a ladies' event for UT Football that lasted 8am to 2:30pm...which was good to keep me distracted! It was quite entertaining to see women of all ages enjoying the new football coaching staff...they were especially taken with Lane and Monty! So fun!

We did not pass court today. Our agency's words: "Things went well at court but there are a few more documents needed from the orphanage, so we have rescheduled again for next Friday, the 19th". (So get those prayers going again next Thursday night, June 18!!)

While we are disappointed, we are thankful for only a one-week delay at this point! Many families have to wait several weeks to get a new court date. Also, some procedures may be changing that would allow us to still travel in early August...so we may regain that week in the end. Regardless, we trust WHOLLY in God's sovereignty and in His goodness!!! He has purpose in ALL things...so we will trust, and wait a little longer...with purpose! :)

We so appreciate and covet your prayers as we continue this journey. We have continued to feel 'covered' and 'carried along' by the prayers of the saints!!

Peace,
Beth

Sweet words for our souls...

2009-06-10T04:06:00.000-07:00

We just got this message from the family that delivered our care packages to our babies...you cannot imagine what JOY (and tears!) these words brought!!! Thank you so much Sweeney Family...We cannot wait to see the pictures you took!!! (and Gavin is so precious...love how he clearly moved seamlessly into your family! God is so very good!)

Hamiltons: Your 3 are so sweet. The big boys are
kind and gentle and have beautiful smiles. They were delighted with your
care packages and were so cute with their reactions- we got one very cute
excited smile on camera. Your baby is also beautiful. You can tell
the three are very close to each other.

Jesus, your timing is perfect...but this momma (and daddy, and sister, and brother)wants to get these precious ones home soon!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish I could tell you...

2009-06-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it is best to let someone else's words speak for you. So, check out the link below if you want to be challenged... I do not know Heidi personally but am familiar with her story...and though it isn't 'easy' to read her words...I understand them to be true...especially on this journey we are on to adopt from Ethiopia. And I can only imagine how her words will ring even more true as we continue on this journey of trusting and obeying our Savior. The only thing I would add is that we must remember that everyone's path to 'follow Jesus' looks different and we cannot put our calling on anyone else no more than we can 'take up' someone else's cross. But I do know...if you truly know and are pursuing Jesus...at some point He will ask you to take a leap of faith that may look small to others but will be HUGE for you. And I also know...noone can take that leap except by God's grace and equipping. "for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Phil. 2:13

http://blessingsfromethiopia.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-wish-i-could-tell-you.html

Our Court Date Moved

2009-06-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

"As for God, His way is perfect." Psalm 18:30

We received word from our agency today that due to a miscommunication, our actual assigned court date in Ethiopia is June 12, not June 10. For all of you praying, that means the actual court proceedings will take place sometime between midnight on June 11 and 8am on June 12.

Two more days to wait...and pray... While we don't want any more delays, we trust that truly God's ways are perfect...and He is in control!! As a reminder, please pray that all the birthfamily members and necessary witnesses will appear in court, that the judge would be there, that all the paperwork will be there and in proper order, and that the judge would look favorably on our case.

Thank you for your continued prayers!!!! We hope to have good news to post next Friday!!!

Peace,
Beth

For those of you praying...

2009-05-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Friends, I forgot to mention that our court date which is June 10 in Ethiopia will actually be the NIGHT of June 9 for us as they are 8 hours ahead of us. So, the actual court appointment will be taking place sometime between 12 midnight and 8am here in the States. We so appreciate ALL your prayers!

It all started a year ago today...

2009-05-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

I could not end my day here without remembering how this journey began one year ago today. On May 21, 2008, Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman lost their precious 5 year old daughter, Maria, in a tragic accident at their home. God used this event and the Chapman's honest grief and bold faith in the midst of their darkest hour to draw me closer to Himself...and thus my journey to this, our newest calling, began. In a tribute to this precious family whom we now have the privilege to call 'friends'...I share with you here the poem God put on my heart for Mary Beth, written on October 21, 2008. I hope it will encourage you and show you the depth of God's love for each of us as His children. He has a plan for us...even in our darkest hour...and He WILL redeem our suffering.

Journey to God’s Heart

How do I dare let you know,
That your pain has helped me to grow?
It seems so incredibly unfair,
That, for me, you had to walk there.

No words are enough for you now.
How I long for your pain to be gone.
I’d take it away in a moment,
Yet, with Christ, you were never alone.

Shared tears, yet I don’t really know you.
‘ Bearing your burdens’ — is that what this is?
God’s love pouring out through me…
Are the tears I have cried actually HIS?

It is true that we all are ONE body,
So it fits that your pain would be mine.
A mystery beyond understanding.
Through our tears, Christ is most able to shine.

You showed me the splendor of Jesus.
You were faithful to Him in the dark.
I will never be the same, so I thank you
for my journey to the center of God’s heart.

Written to Mary Beth Chapman and family October 21, 2008.

©Beth Hamilton, 12/29/2008

Steven and Mary Beth...what a privilege to know you and to SEE all that God is doing in and through you and your entire family. May God continue to carry you all and hold you close! We love you because HE loves you!

Hooray! We have a COURT DATE!

2009-05-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to let you know that we officially have our first court date (and hopefully our last!). God-willing, on June 10, three precious ones from Ethiopia will legally become Hamiltons! Woo! Hoo! For this step, our agency (not us) will appear in Ethiopian court on our behalf and should the judge look upon our case favorably...we will become the legal guardians of N (boy, age 7), K (boy, age 4) and K (girl, age 6 months)...and the Hamilton family will officially be SEVEN! Incredible. Exciting. Humbling. Once we pass court, we can share their beautiful Ethiopian faces and names with you here on this blog! If we do pass court June 10, we are anticipating traveling to bring them home in early August!

We would covet your prayers for this court date as many families do NOT pass court on the first try...for various reasons. Please pray specifically for the following:

Regarding our court date/travel dates:

-that the family members and witnesses required would be able to appear in court

-that all the necessary paperwork will be there and perfectly in order

-that the judge will look favorably upon our case

-that the power would stay on (I'm serious...)

-that no unforseen hurdles would appear

-that upon passing court that God would clear the way to bring our children home quickly...in His perfect timing.

Regarding our ET children:

-that they would KNOW the love of Jesus through their amazing caregivers at our agency's transition home.

-that God is preparing their hearts to be a part of the Hamilton family. :) It's gonna be a WILD ride, little ones!

-that they would have peace and excitement (even in the midst of their grief) about this HUGE transition in their lives. (They have known for about 4 weeks that they have a family in America!)

-that God would give their family members deep peace about their decision to place them for adoption...to KNOW that He has amazing plans for these children...to give them a hope and a future...

Regarding our home:

-that God would allow us to put the necessary time and effort into preparing our home (and our hearts) for these little ones!

-that we would not be overwhelmed with the physical and emotional tasks before us...but would enjoy the 'miracles of each moment' with M & M as we all four prepare to receive our newest family members!

-that M&M's excitement will continue to build as we prepare our home and approach our travel dates.

Regarding others who are on this path of Ethiopian adoption:

-peace and perseverence for our fellow sojourners who have failed court (some multiple times)

-that the new 'abandonment'/potential fraud issues would be handled wisely, yet as quickly as possible, by the Ethiopian government

-that no other crises will happen to slow down the work God is doing in placing orphans in loving families.

THANK YOU all for your continued prayers and support. This is a bumpy path with many potholes, turns and twists...your prayers have kept us on track and somewhat sane! :) Below is a pic of Madi (sporting her new cool glasses) with the care packages we recently sent to our children by another family traveling to Ethiopia. (sorry, had to blot out names and photos...) It was so fun to prepare the gifts, picture and notes for our brothers and sister!

So, that's it for now...we are taking it one day at a time and we can't wait to sit back and WATCH OUR GREAT GOD at WORK! "Greater things are yet to come....greater things are still to be done in this CITY!"

Taking The PLUNGE!

2009-04-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

"As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, 'It is the Lord,' he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and JUMPED into the water." John 21:7

Late last week as Mike and I wrestled with the decision before us regarding whether or not we would say "yes" to three (yes, 3!!) precious children from Ethiopia...Mike used this analogy: "I feel like I'm standing on the edge of the pool on a really hot day. I want to jump in but I know the water will be shocking and uncomfortable at first...but I also know that once I'm in the water a short time it will be the most refreshing thing ever! I'm so close to the edge...I'm just afraid to jump." His words described my heart EXACTLY. So, there we were...standing on the edge together...our hearts afraid to jump but also afraid not to.

We awoke the next morning...the day we had to give our agency our answer...and our devotional verse for the day (Oswald Chambers) was the verse above..."and (Peter) JUMPED into the water!" Can you believe that? Crazy? YES! But why should that surprise us on this our craziest of journeys? We continued to wrestle and pray throughout the day as our hearts shifted back and forth from fear to peace (quite the spiritual battle!) until 4pm when I received the following text from my courageous husband, "Call at your convenience. Tell them (the agency) that we're in. Hold my hand and let's jump!"

So, after almost 3 weeks of intense prayer and counsel, we are thrilled to announce that we HAVE accepted a referral from our adoption agency for THREE precious children! They are a sibling group ages 7, 4 and almost 5 months. Yes, a baby, too! We are awaiting our court date (which will finalize the adoptions) and hope to travel to Ethiopia in mid to late summer to bring these children home.

We are excited and scared but most of all in awe of what an amazing, loving and BIG God we serve! We are humbled that He would trust us with such precious cargo (FIVE children!) yet we know that 'apart from Him, we can do NOTHING" John 15:5 He will be our sufficiency!

Thank you for your prayers...please continue to pray that God will prepare our home and hearts to receive these children! We can't wait for all of you to meet the soon-to-be newest Hamiltons.

(By the way, this photo is of Madison and her cousin, Kimberly, jumping in the pool last summer in Sedona, Arizona! Awesome, huh?)

"You're messy...but I love you."

2009-04-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

To be honest, these words..."You're messy, but I love you." were actually spoken by me--NOT to Matthew and his cousin Harper when they went mud-sliding in our yard, pictured above--but to our dog, Rubie, who is truly the ultimate mud-magnet on rainy days. :) (You have NO idea!) Yet, as the words came out of my mouth, I could so hear my sweet Jesus whispering the same words to me..."you're messy, Beth...but I love you!" I then actually repeated this interchange out loud to my children...because I think we cannot hear it enough. God KNOWS we are messy and sinful and selfish and afraid and rebellious...He knows it all...yet, He loves us so. INCREDIBLE.
In this Easter season we are asked to be more aware of our sin and more aware of what Jesus did on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sin...past, current and future. It is a good and right thing to be aware of our sin...but ONLY in the embrace of His amazing love can we honestly deal with our sin. Looking at our 'mess' without knowing and believing in His love brings only futile attempts to hide or earn his love...which only leads to hopelessness. We must believe the truth: It is finished. He has done the work. Hallelujah!
As for our adoptions...all I can say right now is that God IS at work. Please pray for us all as God prompts. May he grant us ears to hear, eyes to see and most importantly, hearts to trust Him as His plan unfolds.

Love and Peace,

Beth

P.S. I, like others, cannot seem to figure out spacing on Blogger...crazy!

Labor of Love

2009-02-23T16:37:00.000-08:00

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

At last! We are finished with our paper chasing! Hooray! And, thank You, Jesus! We received our USCIS (Immigration) approval on Friday and today, our dossier is headed to our agency. So, it's officially out of our hands and into God's (although we know it has truly never been in our hands, but His!) Now comes "The WAIT". Our dossier should be in Ethiopia within 2-3 weeks and we will officially be on the list to recieve our children. As the Lord prompts, please pray for wisdom for the agency staff in Ethiopia to know the children God has planned before the beginning of time to add to our family. It is so exciting!

The photo above is literally ALL the papers we have been waiting on, collecting, notarizing, tracking down and photocopying for the last 6 months...and it has been a true "labor of love." Just as we experienced in our first two adoptions, the love God has placed in our hearts for these children has allowed this process to be...can I really say it?...enjoyable. Some weeks...nothing happened. Other weeks...we were a flurry of activity. But truly...it has not been overly stressful or burdensome...and I can only attribute that to God's grace...and your prayers! (Thank you!)

As we have been making all these efforts to track down documents, go to the doctor for physicals, get fingerprints, meet with social workers, write letters, get signatures notarized (will I ever sign my name again without a witness?), complete 10 hours of on-line adoption training, read 5 books (required), crunching financial numbers, not to mention beginning to clean out closets, shop for new bedspreads, furniture, thinking about toys, books and clothes...it occurred to me that our children on the other side of the world have NO idea what is occuring RIGHT NOW to ensure that they have a loving, safe and secure future!! Yet does the fact that they don't KNOW what is being done on their behalf make it any less TRUE? (of course not!) As this reality settled into my heart, the Holy Spirit whispered..."just like you don't know all the amazing things your Heavenly Father is doing to make sure you have a loving, safe and secure future, Beth!" WOW! I can tend to worry and doubt that God is working on my behalf because I cannot SEE His hand all the time...yet ultimately I must choose to trust and believe that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him..." Romans 8:28 This also brings to mind Jeremiah 29:11 " 'For I know the plans I have for you', delcares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' " He knows the plans...and I know Him...that should be enough to give me peace! Oh, that I would continually put all my hope in His unfailing love and care!

Okay, enough preaching...for now! :) I just thought that was a really cool 'picture' of how God is caring for each of us even when we cannot see it with our eyes. "Now faith is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 May God grant us all that kind of faith!

We love you and thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement and support! We are so glad you want to walk this journey with us!

We will keep you posted! :)

Carried

2009-01-26T06:58:00.000-08:00

"In His love and mercy He redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them..."

Isaiah 63:9

This picture (taken of MSH and his good buddy, CP, at the Science Museum in Nashville over New Years) reminds me of how we feel most of the time right now...picked up and carried along toward God's purposes. I am so thankful that God straps us in! :)

On the adoption front, we have officially sent in our home study to USCIS (US Department of Immigration and Homeland Security) and are awaiting our formal approval. Once that comes...we will have our dossier complete and all of our paperwork will be on its way to Ethiopia! Then, we simply wait (sounds easy, huh?!) until our agency sends us a 'referral' which means photos, background and a time to pray for God's leading. Though I cannot imagine saying 'no' to any children...we know we must be prayerful in our decisions and we trust fully that God will make His desires known to us. He already knows our children and He will reveal that to us in His perfect timing. Once we say 'yes' to our referral, we would likely travel within 8 to 12 weeks after that. Though it could still be months and months away...we are getting so very excited!

This weekend we will be attending our first gathering of the East TN Yahoo group of families who have adopted or who are in the process of adopting children from Ethiopia. I think there will be easily 30 families there! It will be wonderful to meet these people who will become a part of our 'community' and will bring great comfort to our new children when they arrive! Please pray we will make the connections God intends us to have...and that our children will enjoy the time with all the other children.

Otherwise, we are plugging along with life as usual. School, church, ministry, soccer, UT sports, friends, planning summer vacation, and house projects (project #1: Madison's decor for her 'new' room...she will officially move into Steph's room in May.) Life is busy, but manageable...we are more 'settled' than we've been in a long time...of course, it may be the 'calm before the storm!' Though I still KNOW it will take a miracle to manage all the change that is coming, I am starting to be able to actually picture it in my mind...which is so sweet! Thank you all for your prayers and notes of encouragement! We have felt them in amazing ways.

I'm posting a few more photos from our Christmas break below...just for fun!

MSH (the tallest!) and some buddies (with siblings) at the downtown Knoxville movie theatre!

MGH and her good friend, LP, playing games (after showers) at hotel in Nasvhille.

MGH and best friend, SS, with a handsome little buddy from church.

The gang's all here. Our great friends and us at our hotel in Nashville for New Years!

new year. new dream. new crazy.

2009-01-12T05:58:00.001-08:00

"But, I trust in You, O Lord. I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in Your hands." Psalm 31: 14-15a

Happy New Year! And welcome to those of you who just discovered our blog after receiving our New Year's card! In an effort to save paper (and time), we didn't go into all the 'news' on our card...but wanted you to be able to hear what God is doing in our family...so we sent you here...to blog-land! Blogging is still quite new and different to us, but seems to be a good way to keep everyone updated on the latest happenings.

Now, for the news...

new year...2009 will see the Hamilton family grow (in heart and in numbers)

new dream...God is sending us to Ethiopia to bring home TWO children!

new crazy...did you read that last line? 'nuff said!

So, there it is...crazy...amazing...incredible. We are still in awe of God's hand in our lives this past year and can't wait to see all that He has planned for the days to come. If you want to read about our journey...there are several older posts that explain much of how we arrived to the decision to pursue adding to our family through international adoption. "The Journey" dated November 2008 and "Welcome to Our New Crazy" dated October 2008 will be the most helpful in catching you up. Just keep scrolling down until you find the one you want.

For those of you who aren't new to our blog...or who just want to hear the latest... here it is:

Our Paperwork
We have finished our home study (hooray!) and are awaiting the final draft from our agency. That should come this week. The home study will then be sent to USCIS/Dept. of US Immigration for approval. This could take 6+weeks. During that time, we will finalize all of our documents for our 'dossier' which is a fancy word for the paperwork that Ethiopia (or any foreign country) requires for us to be approved. As I understand it, once we receive USCIS approval, our agency will send our 'dossier' to Ethiopia and we will be officially 'on the waiting list'. The wait time has been quoted as anywhere from 3 to 12 months...based on the availability of children who 'match' our request. We are prayerfully asking for two children (not necessarily biological siblings): a boy (aged 6-8) and a girl (aged 2-4). This is where our hearts are today...but certainly God could 'tweak' the details as we go along. We feel confident that He will bring our children to us in His perfect timing...so it's a matter of trusting and waiting to see His amazing plan unfold.

Our Hearts
Soft. Malleable. Excited. Scared. Overwhelmed. Amazed. In Awe. I think we've felt every emotion imaginable on this journey and if you happen to bump into me on any given day and I look like I've been crying...I probably have! My tears come unannounced and at unpredictable times...more evidence that God has literally taken over my heart! Yesterday, during communion at church, our pastor's daughter (who is white) was holding the precious 6-month old daughter of an African couple (I believe they are from Kenya...and students at UT) who attend our church. I looked up, took that beautiful sight in...and the waterworks began. I simply cannot believe that God would trust ME with the privilege to love on these precious ones who are coming from such a broken, hard place. And I continue to believe with all I am that in sending us to 'rescue these little ones from their hard, broken place', God is in fact, rescuing us from our own hard, broken place of self-focus, busyness and spending ourselves on things that will not last. "See, I am making all things new!” Rev. 21:5 And in case you are tempted to think we are ‘great people’ for doing this…you MUST know…this is ALL God…100% His work…for His glory…not one ounce of “us” made this happen because without Him we are too selfish, too busy and too lazy!

Our Children
For those of you praying for our older children (ok…that sounds weird!)…THANK YOU! God has been working in amazing ways in their lives as well...MSH is 110% ready for his brother to come home…(I keep reminding him there is a sister, too…). And his servant heart is coming out, too…he has offered to sacrifice by staying home from school when the children come to teach them English! (Of course, I’m sure this has NOTHING to do with the fact that he hates school …hee!hee! What a smart boy! :) ) But, seriously, he is ready and excited about our family growing.

Our sweet MGH’s heart is softening, too. We have given her great freedom to express her true heart…no pretending allowed…and she has (as usual) taken us up on it. Her response this summer when we first discussed the adoption plans with her was certainly honest…”I think you should do what God is telling you to do…but don’t expect me to like it!” I LOVE HER HONEST, REAL HEART! God is going to use that girl in amazing ways! Recently, she did say to me that she is ‘kinda getting excited about it’ and there is no doubt that she is excited about making the trip to Ethiopia. (She is definitely going with us…we are still praying about MSH making the trip.)

So, thank you again and we would continue to ask for prayer as God forms and reforms our hearts and our family!

If any of you are praying for our children in Ethiopia…please pray for protection, comfort, food to sustain them and above all, the peace of Christ…that they would know deep in their little hearts that God has a plan for their good. I weep now…as I always do when I let my heart think of them. I am sad for their loss. What they have already lost and what they will give up…even in coming to the comforts of America. I weep for their birthfamilies, if they are alive, and for their caregivers…I pray they will know their children are not forgotten, but SEEN by the God who made them and that He is caring for them…even now. I know more than ever that THIS…caring for the ‘least of these’…truly is at the center of God’s heart. And though it is hard and painful to look at…it is beyond beautiful.

So thank you for ‘listening’ and for making the journey with us. We cannot go it alone. Your prayers and words of encouragement are gifts we cherish. I will try to keep updating the blog…but as you can see…I tend to get a little long-winded…so I often procrastinate getting started! We’ll see how it goes…

Until then, I hope you will enjoy these pictures (and one piece of artwork) from our Christmas…

MSH's drawing of his Ethiopian brother!

Gift I gave my husband this Christmas. His old watches that represent all the places he has worked, plus the watch I gave him as a wedding gift (20 years ago!), plus a watch with Ethiopia on it...in a timeline form...with the verse at the beginning of this blog..."My times are in Your hands." Psalm 31:14-15a Totally a Holy-Spirit inspired idea. Pretty cool, if I do say so myself!

The kiddos with cookies and milk for Santa!

MSH and Daddy trying out his new BB gun!

MSH watching over Daddy's shoulder while he opens gifts.

Yes...Santa brought a cell phone. She's been VERY responsible with it so far
...and Mom and Dad are loving texting with her!

Just a little Christmas wrestling...where is your brother?

Bring on the comments!

2008-12-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Many of you have mentioned to me that you would like to comment, but cannot because you do not have a Blogger account. I do believe I now have (hopefully)opened it up so that anyone (yes, even you!) can comment. Simply select 'anonymous' but be sure to sign your name in the comment so we know it is you!

Thanks...I promise to blog more soon! Christmas craziness is upon us all!

The Journey

2008-11-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

Hi, friends. I have promised many of you that I would share on this blog how this unbelievable journey began. And I want to, but I am resistant. Does the thought of running naked through the streets thrill you? (Okay, if you said, "yes"quickly...I don't want to know about it! LOL!) Anyway, this journey has turned our hearts inside out...in a very profound and very good way...but sharing that with "the world" can be a little intimidating. Yet, I truly sense this is a story that needs to be told because as one dear friend said to me after my sharing with her..."Your story makes God so BIG!" And He IS SO BIG! So, I am compelled to share...

I am also hesitant to share because a major turning point in our story came about because of the tragedy in another family...a family that I did not know personally at the time but was linked to by mutual friends. A family whose pain, honest grieving and true worship in the midst of tragedy placed me on my face before our God where I was seemingly called to grieve for them, interceed for them and have the privilege of seeing them reflect the glory of God during their darkest days. It was truly a sacred place. I want to respect that. I deeply desire to honor their pain. Still, God is teaching me in a profound way that in this fallen world...there is no love without pain...in fact suffering IS heart of the gospel itself. The Joy comes from realizing that He has NOT left us alone in our suffering and that God, in His great mercy, does not waste our suffering but uses every ounce of it for the good of His people and for His glory!

So, that long-winded introduction brings us to the beginning of what I am calling my "summer of tears" (which, in fact, has lasted 6 months now...and continues...) I'm not sure why, but I think we all are afraid of tears...I know my children hate it when I cry...but I keep telling them...tears are not bad...they can be tears of joy or sadness or fear or worship...but they all soften our hearts and take us to the place of being real. (Okay, I'm digressing again...get on with it, Beth!)

May 21, 2008. A seemingly normal day at the Hamilton house. School year winding down, getting ready to travel as a family to Destin for SEC meetings. All the 'normal' craziness. Some 200 miles away, another family was experiencing the most devastating day of their lives. In the driveway of their home, the 5 year old daughter of Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman was accidently struck and killed by a car driven by their 17-year old son. We first heard the news from a text from a mutual friend and then a forwarded email from a pastor at their church in Franklin. We immediately began to pray for this family asking God to meet them and comfort them in their terrible loss.

Normally, I would pray that day...maybe for a few days later and then move on. God had another plan as he drew my heart into a on-going season of praying, grieving and watching. In watching the Chapman’s grief and their worship in the midst of it, I was changed. Drawn into a deeper, sweeter fellowship with my Lord Jesus. Called to pray and weep for this family I didn’t even know time and time again...even in the middle of the night. Drawn to worship my God with greater fervor and passion. Drawn to my own deeper repentance…into a sweet, but intense, refining fire. God had begun a work in me to pray for my marriage and family earlier that year, but this time of grief for another family accelerated my own personal growth and prayer life.

Being drawn into the Chapman’s story took me to their website and ultimately to the gifted writings of Kerry Hasenbalg where God began to prick my heart to care ‘for the least of these’ even as He was pricking my heart to repent for ways I was not loving my family well. Mike and I had talked many times about adopting internationally, but never seriously pursued it and life got busy...and as it often happens, life got in the way. We were ‘comfortable’. Our children were 9 and 12...independent. We were 42 and 45...old! LOL!

As Kerry’s writings pierced my heart and I continued to pray and weep for the Chapmans, a dear friend invited me to the Beth Moore conference in Atlanta, June 27-29. I didn’t really want to go because of an already busy summer travel schedule, but God continued to open doors and made it clear that He intended that I go. How thankful I am that I didn’t miss out on the incredible blessings of that weekend! Intense repentance, incredible worship (like I’ve never known!), and a ‘loud and clear’ message from my God: “You and Mike need to be pursuing Me above all else. I am getting ready to ‘rock your world’. You need to ‘fortify’ your city.”

So I came home with this message and as Mike and I began to pray about how we should be pursuing Jesus, I also asked the question of Mike, “If we were independently wealthy (read: free!) and could minister to any group of people, who would you take care of?” I had not yet mentioned to him my growing heart for orphans...it was still so new to my heart as I had never been open to adopting older children. Yet, his answer was emphatic, “No question. I would give kids who had no home a home.” BIG tears from me...right there in one of the nicest restaurants in Knoxville. "OK, God, You are up to something...and why didn’t I know my husband’s true heart? How blind can I be?"

The next day after ‘the date’, was July 4th. Our friends who come over every July 4th walked into our home and Marisa (who is never late for anything) handed me my birthday present...6 weeks late! A book about orphan care. (She had NO idea of our talk or where God had been leading our hearts...only that we had 2 adopted children and might enjoy the book.) Of course, my tears came again. “God, what are you doing in my heart?”

The next day I emailed a friend who is on my ministry board to ask if she was going to make our next summer book club meeting. She responded that she was planning to, but had not been able to read the book because she had gotten into another book called, “There Is No Me Without You.”. Again, although she knew nothing of our recent thoughts or prayers about orphan care, I immediately knew in my heart that that book, too, was about orphan care. And, amazon.com provided my answer...it was a 400+ page book about orphan care in Ethiopia. “God, we asked you to make it obvious...but really?” I emailed my friend and asked her to PRAY! She ‘ran’ the book right over to me the next morning and before reading it, Mike asked me, “Do you think God wants us to adopt African children?...because both these books are about African children.” I responded, “I don’t think so, I think it is just about orphan care. I’m not sure, but I don’t think so.” (ha,ha,ha,ha...God must have been laughing at my answer.)

I took this 400+ page book on a trip at the end of that week and being the one who NEVER finishes a book unless it’s a novel, thought I would never be able to read it all. In reality, I devoured it and cried most of the way through it (as I had the first book my other friend gave me.). By the middle of the book, I looked at Mike with tears and said, “I only want to adopt children from Ethiopia. My heart is broken for this country and their children.” WOW! I mean it when I tell people that God ‘arrested’ my heart with that book. Mike didn’t need any convincing, as he reminded me that he had brought home a letter from Bethany Christian Services some 6 months before about a sibling group of 3 from Ethiopia that needed a home. Not that he seriously sat me down to discuss it, but after he said it, I remember him commenting on it, and I said, “no way! That’s crazy. I can’t handle the two we have now! “ (Again, God is laughing! He is so AMAZING!)

So, our journey was officially beginning. We continued to pray about it and talk about it and told one another how crazy this was...that God could not really believe that we with our crazy schedule, over-stressed lifestyle, Mike’s demanding career, could handle more children...and older children...and yes, we were thinking TWO additional children. It just did not make any sense...but since when does God’s way make human sense? He did send His Son into the world to a poor family to grow up and die on a cross, didn’t He?

God has continued to cross our paths with people who have adopted from Ethiopia without us pursuing them. One such couple are good friends of my sister and we ended up on the exact same 20 person shuttle bus with them at the Biltmore House amidst thousands of other fans attending Steven Curtis Chapman concert the night of August 1. What are the chances of that? We had a wonderful, encouraging conversation with them right there on the steps of the Biltmore! Simliarly, Mike had an old friend call "out of the blue" and ask to come and spend some time with us on a football weekend, so Mike invited him to sit in our box. He came in the box and proceeded to tell Mike that the reason he had wanted to visit us was to talk about adoption...he knew our children were adopted. He continued to tell Mike of he and his wife's plans to adopt from Ethiopia...through the same agency we were using! He had NO idea of our new plans to adopt! God crossing our paths...for more encouragement. My parents have also bumped into the Ethiopia "ark" (We now know a little of what Noah felt when others thought he was crazy for building the ark.) Anyway, they were at a board of trustees dinner for Mars Hill College and one couple started sharing how they had just welcomed home twin 4-yr old grandchildren from Ethiopia! (hmmm, Lord...you might really be up to something!)

Not only have we seen God cross our paths with others to encourage us, but in pursing Him through His Word...He has affirmed our hearts over and over again with the Scriptures. We truly feel 'picked up and carried along' by His purposes. And we are more than ever, daily dependant on HIM! A strange, but truly amazing, place to walk. It hasn't always been easy and we have encountered many trials (our children's initial resistance, feeling inadequate, stress of Mike's job, intensified parenting issues, among others...)...yet God continues to 'show up' and give us peace and resolve for the journey. And, we see God growing us and changing us in wonderful ways (individually and as a family) along the way.

In addition to our feeling called to bring home our children from Ethiopia, we believe deeply that God is leading us to be more involved in helping orphans in other ways. We would love to be able to help other families adopt who cannot financially afford to do so (it is VERY expensive!) and to be involved with other efforts to 'care for orphans'. Just as God has 'bumped us into' others adopting from Ethiopia, He has continued to 'bump us into' the Chapmans and their ministry, Shaohannah's Hope. Through our mutual friends, we have remained connected to Steven and Mary Beth and as you know, attended their fundraising weekend in Franklin a week ago.

My prayer to God a few weeks before the Shaohannah's Hope event was, "Lord, if this is NOT of you...if you do not want us to attend for Your purposes, then close the door. Interrupt our plans to go." I certainly knew with Mike's job that interruptions happen...especially with the difficulty surrounding the football program this year. God was so gracious to answer quickly. THAT same day I received our 'random' government-assigned fingerprint appointments: they were in Nashville on the same exact Saturday we would be there (10 miles away) for the SH event...at the only time we could make it and not miss key parts of the events. "Ok, God...I guess You want us to be there." God truly protected our time with Shaohannah's Hope because with the demands on Mike's schedule in starting a football coaching search, our plans could have been easily interrupted! (Not that our enemy didn't try...more on that another time.)

After attending the weekend...Mike and I both said, "This is DEFINTELY where God wanted us to be this weekend." I will blog about that in another post...It was amazing, but a lot to process even now. But I had to get the 'background' out there for the rest of the SH story to make sense. Thus, this mammoth blog. (I'm tired...are you?)

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement along this path. We certainly couldn't do any of this without the prayers of the saints. Please continue to pray for us to have wisdom, discernment and courage to obey God at each step.

God is IN the details, people!

2008-11-01T11:18:00.001-07:00

What do these two things have in common? One is our invitation to the Shaohannah's Hope Fundraiser and the other is our government-appointed time to have our fingerprints done for US Immigration purposes (a.k.a. our adoptions). Read on to find out how they are linked...and how God reminded us again today that HE IS the GOD of EVERY DETAIL!!

For our home study, we have to get our fingerprints done locally (for state) and by the USCIS (Dept. of Immigration). We were told we would get "random" appointments from the USCIS...could be in NC, Nashville or Atlanta. They even might give Mike and I different states/days. Anyway, we got our appointments today in the mail and you won't believe this: They are BOTH in Nashville on Saturday, November 15...the exact day we are already going to be there for the Shaohannah's Hope dinner! God is so good! Just when I start asking (once again...), "Are you SURE, Lord, that we are on the right path with this adoption thing?" He sends ANOTHER billboard for this little dumb sheep to say, "YES, YES, YES!" Isn't that so cool? He is so faithful...even in the smallest of details. I love that!

BTW, we would covet your prayers for the November 14/15 weekend which we will spend learning about the ministry of Shaohannah's Hope (and, as you now know, getting our fingerprints done!). SH is the ministry of Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman that raises funds to assist families with the financial burden of adoption. Of course, that is a passion we share, but we believe God is leading us to take a more active role in promoting and assisting others to be able to adopt. We are essentially attending this weekend to soak up all that is going on and to hear God's leading about what role He would have us play in helping others be able to adopt. So pray for open minds, teachable hearts and listening ears. Thank you!

Thoughts from the Facetious

2008-11-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

These are just some random pictures from Madison. Some are cool, some are crazy, some are funny, ans some are just, well,.... You'll just have to see. In the first picture you can tell I am in DEEP thought. In the second, I hate clowns, so I am probably about to smack this guy. Third picture, I am in attack mode. You DO NOT want to see me in that mode. And third and fourth pictures, we go to a drive-trough zoo and this is what we get! Two insane llamaa and a bitten thumb. Yes, it was mine. It might be a little voilent, so it is not shown.Plus it is a little embarrasing. It's like "What happened to your thumb?" "oh, I got bit by a deer" "oh. Ha! ha! ha!" So any ways I hope you like the pictures.b

Thoughts from the Facecious

2008-11-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Ghosts and Pokeballs and...COWS? Oh, My!

2008-10-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, this has nothing to do with our Ethiopia adoptions...but everything to do with the Hamilton family! It's one of our favorite times to be 'crazy' around here...carving pumpkins, making costumes and just having fun. MGH got especially crazy with her pumpkin this year...you'll see her beautiful 'acting' job below where her creation 'attacked' her with a stick! So funny! MSH and I went trick-or-treating with a buddy of his while MGH hit a few neighborhoods with some girlfriends from school. Then we all met back here for hot cocoa. Lots of laughter! Enjoy the pictures...(sorry i can't seem to figure out the best way to do lay outs on this program.) MSH is a pokemon trainer and MGH is, obviously, the Chick-Fil-A cow. Didn't she do a fantastic job on her message board?!! I love seeing their creativity in action! Thank you, Jesus, for a fun and safe halloween!

TB Tests and Fingerprints...

2008-10-22T04:54:00.000-07:00

We have officially begun our home study and that includes all kinds of doctor's tests and background checks and fingerprints for me, Mike and Steph (0ur cousin from Oregon who's living with us while in MBA school). Quite the adventure! (I think I'm gonna be okay on the TB test, what do you think?)

Although the progress seems slow and there is much to do, we are thankful to be moving toward Ethiopia! We met with our home study coordinator and really enjoyed her! She is friendly, very thorough and easy to talk to...such a blessing in a process like this. If all goes as planned, we should be able to complete our paperwork and compile our dossier documents by early 2009. From there it could be three to six months until we receive a referral and once we accept the referral...we would go to Ethiopia within 8 weeks! We are trusting God for His perfect timing.

For those of you who have been praying for Madison and Matthew...thank you! God has given both of them a peace about this 'craziness' and we see their hearts opening up and beginning to get excited about welcoming their new brother and sister. Madison will be going with us to Ethiopia and she is very excited about that! Matthew is content to stay behind, but we'll wait and see how the plans unfold. Continue to pray that God will prepare ALL of our hearts for this adventure.

Well, I better get back to the MOUNDS of paperwork awaiting me...thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. We know we couldn't do this without you!

(Praise: We just heard from some new friends that we met just 2 months ago (to talk about adoption) that they have ALREADY welcomed home their first-born adopted son, Jacob! Woo! Hoo! Thank you Jesus!)

Welcome to our 'new crazy'!

2008-10-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

"Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you. Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts!" Isaiah 26:8

Welcome to our blog! We have started this blog to communicate with family and friends about the journey God has us on to bring home a brother and sister for Madison and Matthew from Ethiopia. Those of you who know us well understand perfectly the title of our blog, "Something Crazy"...you know how busy our lives are, how demanding Mike's job is and how we already seem to have our plates over-filled. You realize how 'crazy' this idea of adding such a HUGE responsibility of two more children to our family is...and so do we! Yet if you know us at all, you also know that we put our faith NOT in ourselves, but in our AWESOME God who can do anything He decides to do...and it certainly appears to us that He has decided to grow our family by TWO!

I will attempt at some point to put into writing the path that has led us to this point...if only for the purpose of allowing others to see just how BIG our God is! For now, suffice it to say that God has moved in our hearts in profound ways to cause us to LOVE without question the country of Ethiopia and to enter in to the work of the Kingdom there. For us, the first and most natural way for our family to love this country is to provide a home for two of its orphans...two out of 6 million! But two who are precious in God's sight and two who already have a piece of our hearts. We don't know their names or their faces yet...but we KNOW they are there. And in God's perfect timing they will come home to Knoxville and the Hamilton family will officially be SIX! I weep as I write this because I, too, know how CRAZY this feels, yet the LOVE we have in our hearts is UNDENIABLE!

We know that this journey will not always be easy...it has already had some bumps and bruises, yet it is our desire to persevere for His glory...as the verse above says, "(His) name and renown are the desire of our hearts!" We do covet your prayers as we take each step because we KNOW we cannot do any of this in our own strength. Some have actually said to us, "you are such heroes." We certainly know that is NOT true! GOD is the ONLY Hero in this story. We are broken, imperfect, struggling people who happen to be loved and carried along by a Loving, Perfect and All-Sufficient God and Savior, Jesus Christ! It really is that simple.

So, welcome to our journey...it will be crazy...but expect to see God work! Woo!Hoo! I'm including some of my favorite pics of our 'crazy' family below to commemorate the start (or maybe it is the continuation) of 'Something Crazy'! ENJOY!

M3...James Bond-style!

She really DOES love him! :)

She's too cool! Never a dull moment...