Update!!!--Where we have been and Where we are going!!

Well I know it has been awhile since my last post. I have spent the last year and a half really focusing being a wife, mom, and disciple. God has really opened my eyes to so many things since my last post. When I think that He can not open my eyes wider, He does. I have learned that He is faithful to lead us through whatever He puts in front of us. I continue to look to Him for guidance even when I do not understand. Let me go back in time and catch you up.

Over a year ago, God was really showing Luther and I a love for orphan prevention and loving on missionary families. We were able to travel together to Ethiopia in June 2014 with our daughter Grace (she turned 13 while we were in country). God confirmed our love for the people, country, loving missionary families, etc. We really felt God opening the door to us moving to Ethiopia. We were not clear about when, how, etc. but we began walking through the doors He placed in front of us. We became SIM missionaries in November 2014 and began to make the preparations to move to Ethiopia. It can be a long process with training, work visas, biblical and cross cultural training, among other things. So we began, walking through the doors God was opening in our lives. Trusting that He would show us what we should do. My husband says often "We will walk through the doors God opens and not kick down the doors He closes." I love this when it is another person's life, but when it is yours it is much more difficult.

This leads me to where we are today. About a month or two ago, we felt God opening doors and closing doors for our family. He was not saying that Ethiopia missionary work was not in the plan, but  He was showing us that it was not going to be in the immediate future, like we thought. He did this in several ways and one was by giving us an opportunity to grow our family. Luther and I have had our eyes opened to the number of children that are adopted into families and then, as no fault of their own, need a new family. Just like biological parents decide they can not parent a child, some adoptive parents make the same choice. I am not hear to judge these parents but to shed light on the need for these children. This is a very difficult thing for them to experience. These children have already experienced loss and trauma. Now, they are experiencing it again.

So today, I am hear to tell you that our family will be growing. We are adopting a beautiful girl (10) and boy (8). We are so glad God has given us a chance to love them and parent them. We have been able to talk with them. They are absolutely beautiful and I am so in love with them. Life is hard and messy. Being a Christ follower doesn't mean that we get an easy road. Just the opposite. I will not be sharing their story because it is theirs to share, but know that we all are ready to show them that they are loved and chosen. It does not replace their loss, trauma, pain, disappointment, and fear. But as I have seen in all of my children time builds trust, security, and love. This also means that God is faithful to walk with us every step of the way.

 PRAY!! Please lift up our family to our Heavenly Father. We are praying as a family---that God would connect our hearts together. The transition will be challenging. Adoption is so beautiful and so hard. It only happens because of tragedy but God is a redeemer. So just continue to pray for us. We are in the process of preparing our home, lives, and hearts. This is a domestic adoption so it will happen faster. We expect to bring them home in the next week or two. We thank you for lifting us up to our Heavenly Father!!

WE ARE A FAMILY OF 8!!!

Reflection: A year later

Well so much has happened over the past year home with our two youngest girls. We have watched them experience so many firsts from starting to school for the first time to learning to use a water fountain. I can say there have been many days of joy and laughter but also days filled with tears, grieving, anger, and sadness. Adoption is HARD friends. That first year was probably the hardest thing I have ever experienced. God took me to a place where I could only trust in him. I learned to listen to the Holy Spirit in ways I never have before. Sometimes second to second as Esther would grieve & cry out in anger over loss but feel undeserving of the family & love God had given her.  He taught me so much about Himself during this past year. I saw myself in Esther. I remembered the times that I have acted that way towards my Heavenly Father. I have kicked, screamed, disobeyed, grieved what I wanted for my life instead of realizing that He knew what was best and that He loved me more than I could ever comprehend. You see I love all of my children more than they will ever understand. There is nothing they could do good or bad to increase or decrease my love for them. Our Heavenly Father feels the same way towards each of use. He created us in our mother's womb. He focused on every little detail & knows every hair on our head. Just like I can not make the past disappear for my girls. I can help them, love them, encourage them, and most of all show them how much their Heavenly Father loves them & chases after them. This morning during my quiet time I read the following from a devotional by

priscilla: a yes beyond measure

by Amanda Williams in #SheReadsTruth, Daily Devo, Women in the Bible II :

  Sisters, do not be surprised when God uses you for the Kingdom. Do not be surprised when His plans for you are greater than the plans you imagine for yourself.

Saying yes to the Lord goes far beyond logistics. It goes beyond a block in our schedules, a note in our planners. It reaches beyond the gifts we feel comfortable using, beyond the box that our status and culture and insecurities would like us to live within.

A yes said to the Lord is impossible to qualify on earth because it is kingdom business. It has eternal repercussions, soul-changing ripples that reach all the way to Heaven’s shore.

I want to ingest this and make it my prayer every day. You see friends as hard as this past year has been I know that God knew where we would be now, a year later. I see my girls embracing the love, claiming us as their family, believing they are beautiful. A year later if you see them they have a glow that they did not have a year ago. This is NOT anything Luther & I have done but is only from God. Yes we listened to him but still made mistakes. Yes we trusted Him but not 100% of the time. And yet God is faithful. He took our imperfect selves & has used it to show off. I can not wait to see what the next year holds. I know there will be tough times but God will be faithful. It might not look like what I think it should because remember it is kingdom business not Ronda's plans that are important. 

Update!

Our case was submitted to the US Embassy in Ethiopia on May 29th. We have been waiting for this since we arrived home from our first trip. We knew that it could take anywhere from three to eight weeks to be submitted. Our agency had to gather a lot of paperwork before they could submit it. I wish I could say this part has been easy but it hasn't. This has been the most difficult part of the process. After our time in Ethiopia I have wanted nothing more than to bring my daughters home. I have spent time with them, loved on them, & then had to leave them half way across the world. I spend my days wondering what they are doing, how they have changed, do they feel sad or lonely. It is an awful feeling, but I know that God has a perfect plan. He knew that we would have to all go through this part of the journey. It has definetly changed me.

Tomorrow, June 12, our girls' uncle will be testifying before the embassy. I know this will be very difficult for him as he discusses the passing of his sister, the birth mother to our girls. He has been traveling to Addis from Mekele to do this. This is at least a two day journey. I have been praying for his heart as he prepares for this part of the process. I had hoped to get to go to Ethiopia early so I could meet him, but the embassy discourages travel until a Embassy appointment date is given. This only happens after the birth family interview. I tried several avenues to see if they would make an exception, but it was not part of God's plan.

Please pray with us that the interview with the uncle will go well. We hope that we can get on a plan this weekend to get our girls & bring them home forever. We miss them so much!

This Mother's Day

I never imagined all God had planned for me. I mean last Mother's Day I didn't know that I would now be able to say that I am a mama to 4 beautiful girls. I never imagined how blessed I would feel today & if I'm honest-afraid. I mean I do not know how all of this will turn out. Those of you who know me know that I am a planner. Well...that has changed. I haven't been able to plan much since last October. But I can say that God has changed me. He has totally molded me through this process. I don't know why, but I know that I am not the same person I was 7 months ago. God has opened my eyes. I want all children to be able to be held when they are scared, fed a descent meal, & tucked in with a kiss at night. It broke my heart (and stll doess) to know there are children living on the street, eating from dumps, and having to sleep on the ground all over the world. I am so thankful that God chose to save our girls. As some of you know our Esther could have been one of those children on the street. It is just by the grace of our heavenly father we will bring her home with us. I am so thankful to be the mother of 4 girls that I love more than myself. I am thankful for getting a chance to love & care for them. Thank you Lord for allowing me to love & care for Gabrielle, Grace, Esther, & Emma.

Ethiopia Trip 1 Day 4

Today was our last day in Ethiopia. We got up for our last breakfast in our hotel. We ate and then Luther came back to the room and got sick. We think it was something he ate the day before. He didn't want to miss a day with the girls so he rested a bit. He took some nausea medicin. He decided that he could go and just take it easy. We then left on the bus for Hannah's Hope for the last visit. I could not believe that I would be getting on a plane and leaving my girls in Ethiopia. I decided I would not think about the leaving and just enjoy hugging and kissing on them for this last day. We drove up and pulled in. Emma B was playing and ran to the van with a huge smile on her face. We couldn't get out fast enough. Emma Bwas in the van as soon as the door opened. She jumped on Luther and hugged him as tight as she could before he could get out of the van. Then she did the same to me as Esther K was hugging Luther. It was so great to feel how happy they were to see us. It is so hard to explain how we have connected in just these four short days. It is evident that God prepared their hearts and answered my prayers. I know we will be going through transitions and struggles on this journey but this sure is a beautiful beginning. The rest of our day was spent playing, hugging, talking, and laughing together.  Luther rested on the couch but was able to still spend quality time with the girls. They were both so sweet to him.

We came back to the hotel around 4:30pm. We finished packing, took showers, ate supper, and rested before going to the airport. We flew out about 10:55 pm. I really felt a saddness as our plane took off and I knew that Ester K and Emma B were going to be a world away. I do know from my days at Hannah's Hope that my girls will be loved and taken care of while they are there. The mama in me justs wants them home with me. I am praying boldly that we will get our Embassy appointment very soon. My girls know that we are not there and I want to get them home, but I know that the Lord knows the plan and I am trusting him through this next step of our journey.

Ethiopia Trip 1 Day 3



Leaving our hotel to go to court to adopt our girls

 

We are the proud parents of Ester K and Emma B

We went to court this morning (April 25, 2012). Esther K and Emma B are official our daughters. We are so excited but in our eyes they have been our daugthers since March 9th (our referral day). We were in love with them before we came but I can say that we are even more in love with them now. After court we were able to get some lunch and we picked up a few pieces of artwork at a gallary connected to the restaurant. Afterwards we were able to go to Hannah's Hope. It was not on our schedule to go today but we could not imagine going a day with out seeing our girls.  So we asked Almaz if we could skip the shopping on the schedule to be with our girls. I am so glad we did. They were so excited when we arrived. They screamed and ran up to us and gave us big hugs and kisses. It was wonderful to know they were happy to see us. We got to stay about 4 hours. Emma B. crawled up in my lap and fell asleep. It was another precious time I will not forget. Luther and Esther K drew and played on the ipod touch. After Emma B woke up we ate a snack and colored. We then played with some of the other kids as they were taking turns getting their baths and pjs on. All of the children are so wonderful. It is amazing to see each of them and how God created them. I feel so blessed to be able to say that I know each one of them. They all have definetly impacted my life.

Me and Almaz (She runs Hannah's Hope)-
She is a great lady and loves the children.
I am so glad we got to spend time with her.

Esther K drawing while Emma B slept

Emma B taking a nap on mommy

Ethiopia Trip 1 Day 2

We had a great day. We went to see the girls. They were so happy to see us. Both of them ran up to us. We picked them up and they gave us really big hugs. We spent time playing, jumping rope, & coloring. Emma and daddy kicked the soccer ball around and acted silly. I pushed Esther on the swing. Then we jumped rope with all of the older kids. They are all so amazing. It is so great to see them laugh and smile. The special mothers take such good care of them. I know they are sad to see them go because they really do love them. It is comforting to know they are in such good hands while we have to be away from them. It rained a little off and on throughout the day. The temperture was amazing. I could not have asked God to give us a better day. Around nap time Emma got upset. She let me take her, hold her, & she laid over on me and fell asleep. It was probably the most precious part of the day. Once she woke up she just wanted to lay on me and was so relaxed. We know she has been struggling with everything so this was such a wonderful thing to happen. We are so in love with them. After we left Hannah's Hope we went shopping with the Conroy family. They are also here adopting a daughter from Hannah's Hope.We were able to buy some traditional clothing for all 4 of our girls. Finally we returned to the hotel and ate supper. God continues to show us He is present in each step of this journey.

On our way to Hannah's Hope to see the girls

Daddy and Emma B playing

Playing on the ipad and ipod touch

Our First Meeting

Today has been such a blessing. We were picked up at the hotel at 9:30 am by our driver Wass. He drove us to Hannah's Hope. We entered the gates & Tsigie led us to where the older children were playing. Our time together was great. The girls are more beautiful in person than in their pics. We spent time alone playing, coloring, and getting to know each other. After a while we played with all of the older kids, ate lunch with them, and played some more. Both girls made it clear to the others that we were their mommy and daddy. They loved the camera and the iPod touch. Emma B would hold up the camera see me in the preview pane & say "mommy mommy". She would try to take a pic & show me but she couldn't figure out that she needed to push harder to actually take the picture. She also enjoyed coloring. I would draw something & she would color itin. Esther K was a great photographer. She really enjoyed playing Angry Birds. She also enjoyed drawing pictures. Both girls really enjoyed listening to music & dancing. The leaving was very emotional & difficult today. Esther K did ok but I could see a change in her expressions. We hugged & kissed. I told them we loved them & kept telling them that we will return tomorrow. Emma B just broke my heart when we had to go. She just cried & cried as we drove off. We knew that at 4 years old she would have a harder time grasping us returning. Please continue to pay for all of us. We can't wait to spend time with them tomorrow.

A journey through 4 contients in 28 hours!

Well we arrived at our hotel in addis ababa @1:10 am Ethiopian time. We traveled through North America, Europe, Asia, and now we are in Aficia all to see the girls God has blessed our family with. I would have never imagined I could add this to the things I had done in my life. Let alone adopting two girls from another country. Wow wow wow! That is all I can say as I write this post. In just a few hours Luther & I will get in a car & we will be driven to Hannah's Hope where our two girls are living. We will meet them for the very first time. I can not even put into words how I feel knowing that tomorrow is the beginning of a new chapter in our family. Thank you just doesn't even begin to be enough to say to all of you that have & continue to support us. I will continue to post as internet allows ths week.

Here We Go!

We are getting ready to board the plane for our first of 3 flights. I am overwelmed with excitement and joy. I can't believe this day is here. God has been so visible in my life since we began this journey back in October. I never thought I would get to meet the children God wanted to place in our family this soon. Esther & Emma one day you will read this & I want you to know that daddy & I have chosen both of you to be our daughters. I can not wait to see you & show you how much we love & care for you. Always know that I love you!!

One More Week!

I can't contain my excitement!! One week from today- at this time -we will be heading to the airport in Nashville. We will get on a plane and start our long flight to see our beautiful girls in Ethiopia. I have so many emotions as I write this morning. I think about the fact that God spoke to Luther and I six months ago about taking this journey. Little did we know that at the same exact time our sweet girls were being dropped off in the orphanage by their uncle because their mother was to ill to care for them--BUT God knew. During this time, God was wrecking mine & Luther's hearts and pointing us towards Hannah's Hope & Ethiopia God was moving in our girls lives to get them to Hannah's Hope. God was working out the paperwork over 400 miles away and journeying our agencies people to that exact place to locate OUR girls & bring them to Hannah's Hope. Again we didn't know-BUT God did. To some this may seem like a coincidence but I know that God has been instrumental in bringing both Our girls & us to this exact place and time. Even when we didn't see his hand he was moving in every little part of thier journey and ours. So here we are, a week before we leave on a plane to see the two most beautiful Ethiopian girls in the world. Did I imagine God would place me here? No, but I am so glad he did. Even though I do not know how they will react or feel when I see their sweet faces, I know my God has a plan. Even though I do not know what our journey will be like down the road, I know my God has a plan. I am so thankful that this world does not just happen by accident, BUT that my God has a plan.

Thankful this Easter!

I saw this and it sums up so much for me today! I am so glad God sent his Son & that he rose again!!


“I will not leave you as orphans… I will come to you.”
John 14:18

Dear Lord,

Thank You, our Father on this Easter Day
For the love that you shared, the gift that you gave.

We really don’t know what we would have done,
If you hadn’t planned Easter and sent us “Your Son.”

In the fields of despair we all would have stayed,
Lost and alone…and, oh so afraid.

Helpless and hungry, begging for bread,
Longing for love, so weak and distressed.

Thank you for hearing each “orphan prayer” said,
For the promises you whispered, the hope that you sent.

On this Easter morning we rejoice and we pray,
For the families you sent us, and the ones on their way.

For those who give care and bestow gifts of love,
For others who come to help and share hugs!

Our Father in Heaven we ask in your name,
Please watch over the orphans needing help and who wait.

Please fill up their hearts with Your Hope and Your Strength,
Bless all your orphaned children on This Holy Easter Day.

Rejoicing Together This Day!

With Love,
Your Children...
...who are orphan’s no more!

-J Beazely

I have come so they can have Life.
I want them to have it in the fullest possible way.
John 10:10 (NIRV)

Joy & Sadness

I am writing today with excitement and a very heavy heart!

Yesterday we got a call from Toni (caseworker @ AGCI). She said that we were getting on a plane & going to Ethiopia to see our girls. Our court date is scheduled for April 25th. I was shocked. We will be on our way to see our sweet daughters in about 3 weeks. I would get to hug them, play with them, & tell them I loved them for the very first time. The day was crazy with phone calls and making plans.

Today I was surprised when Toni called me again. This was not one filled with joy but of much sorrow. Many of you know that I have been praying specifically for their birth mother during this time even before we had a referral. The love that she must have to want her girls to have a life where they feel loved and secure. Well we found out that our girl's birthmother passed away. A sadness filled the very pit of my stomach. The girls have not been told yet because our agency wants to be sensitive to the timing & make sure it is done with as much love & compassion as possible. I know God led us down this path for a specific reason. I know those girl's are mine just like I birthed them from my own body. I know that may be hard to understand for some but when I say they were "born in my heart" it is true. I want to protect them & take away the pain but I know that God is the true comforter. He has a plan for their lives even in the midst of this pain. I experienced this first hand over 2 years ago when my father passed. No words, love, or time can heal only the power of my heavenly father. I feel God took me on the journey of losing my earthly father, who I love with all my heart, to bring me to a place where I can love like I have never loved before. For my husband, children, mother, & most of all my heavenly father. I think back to the Garth Brooks song about missing the pain means missing the dance. I can say today that all of the pain is well worth where I am today but it has only been possible with my heavenly father. I want that for all of my girls. A relationship with their heavenly father that is unlike anything on this earth. We are only here for a season. This is not our home. If we are a believer we can look to being in heaven for eternity. Where there is no sadness, pain, or loss.

Please consider praying specifically for our girls in Ethiopia: 1. That the Lord would begin preparing their hearts for hearing about the loss of ther birth mother. 2. That the Lord would give the special mothers at Hannahs Hope (the orphanage) the strength as they share this news with our girls. 3. That the girls would feel the Lord's comfort. 4. That Luther and I will have the right words when writing our letters that will be read to them. 5. That as we prepare to meet each other this may begin a time of healing for the girls & they will one day understand that they were given up because they were loved.

Shots Shots & more Shots!!

Well yesterday Luther and I got our shots we needed to travel. We went to the travel clinic at Vanderbilt. We got our polio booster, meningitis, yellow fever,& typhoid. We already had hepatitis, flu, & tetenous. If not, we would have had those also. We also got a prescription for an antibiotic in case we need it while in country. I realized how lucky we are to live in America where we have access to these vaccines. We also have to use bottled water while in Ethiopia because we can not trust anything coming out of the faucet. So that means bottled water even when we brush our teeth. We can't eat fresh fruits & vegetables because they are washed in the water. Again, I realized how fortunate I am to live in a part of the world where I can drink water from my faucet. I praised God for allowing me to be able to live where I do not have to worry about this every second. I praised God that he was allowing me to bring my two girls home from Ethiopia where they would not have to grow up worrying about this. I think we live in our comfortable world and forget or just don't let ourselves think about what other people live with on a daily basis. I thank God for using this entire experience to open my eyes to what is happening in the world. I pray that I continue to get a glimpse of others the way God sees them and remember that we were ALL created in his image no matter where we are from. I know he has so much more to teach me as we continue on this journey.

Fundraiser

This week we are having an online fundraiser. Our friend Bonnie sells Thirty-One. She is helping us by giving her profits to us to help with our plane tickets to Ethiopia. Please go to this site & order some great items.

http://www.mythirtyone.com/bonniebowers/

*click my events
*click Ramsey Family Fundraiser
*click shop now

Remember that this online fundraiser is open from March 23-31.

Praying for the call!

How do I begin to tell you how much I already love you? The day I saw your faces, I knew that God had brought both of you to us. I just wanted to get on a plane and wrap my arms around you and bring you home. God placed you in my heart in October and I cannot wait until we can be together. I can't wait until "T" calls to tell us we have our court date. Our documents are being translated and some documents are in Washington D.C.. We are also waiting for the girl's birth certificates. We will continue to pray for you Esther K and Emma B. We love you so much!!!

Family of 6!

Wow Wow Wow!!! Well as of 2:04 yesterday we became a family of 6. Our family accepted the referral of two amazingly beautiful girls. I left the house with two beautiful gifts from God and am writing this as a mother of 4 beautiful gifts from God. I am so overwhelmed that God is allowing me to show his love to 4 girls. I write this as I cry tears of joy. What a humbling experience this has been. God has showed me that he is the one that truly knows our path. On October 12th, he spoke to me for the first time & asked me to listen to him on adopting. What a journey these past 5 months have been. I know that this is just the beginning. I am just so humbled. I have longed for them over thses months not knowing what they looked like. I saw K and B (we can't use their real names on our blog yet) and feel in love with them as soon as I saw their wonderful faces. I can't wait to hug them and comfort them. God has made them and I am just so in love with them. I can't wait to see the plans God has for their lives. I feel humbled to be their adoptive mother and that I get to help them see how much God loves them. I want them to know they are princesses to us and to the Heavenly Father that knitted them carefully together in their mother's womb. I have cried already over the tragedy and pain in their lives. I have prayed diligently for their birth mother. I hope to do her proud and be the very best mom to those sweet girls. I think about the bible verse my MaParker used to quote--"train up a child in the way she should go and when she is old she will not depart from it". God has given this command to parents and we are responsible for showing our children His way and being the example in our walk with him. I only hope that with my 4 girls I can strive to do this. It is only through the Lords guidance and a relationship with Him that this is even possible. I ask that you continue to pray for us and our daughters.

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. (Psalm 139:15, 16 MSG)

Looking Ahead!!

It costs anywhere from 28,000-30,000 to adopt from Ethiopia. This covers our home study, our Agency's paperwork & authorization process, international documents, flights (two trips to Ethiopia), and the adoption fees in the US and Ethiopia.

We have raised $9,000 so far towards our adoption. We have been so blessed to have so many family and friends help support us on this journey. You have bought necklaces and bracelets which have also supported the women in Uganda. Many of you supported our Valentine's dinner "Connecting Hearts".

We are now in the process of making sure we have the funds when we get the referral call for our child or children. This could happen in the next couple of months or it could take a year. We feel we need to start moving forward with raising the money so we have added a donation button & meter on our blog. Please feel free to share it with others. Everything that is donated will go into our adoption account. You can donate as little or as much as you feel God is leading you to. We are still selling the necklaces and bracelets also.

If you can not donate financially, please donate your prayer time to pray for our journey. We pray as a family each morning that the child or children coming into our family are being loved and cared for by special mothers in orphanages. We also want you to pray for the birth mother. Pray that she will be able to feel God's presence. I am still struggling with the pain that must occur for us to adopt. We know God has lead us on this journey for a reason. We take the responsibility of raising her child or children seriously and feel it begins with prayer for both of them. As a mother I want to raise this child or children like I would want someone to raise mine. I want to show God's love and just follow his lead.

Our March Numbers

We got our email from "T" (our case worker) at AGCI (our agency). We are very excited to have moved up 5 spots on the girls list and 1 spot on the sibling list. There has been a lot of movement over the past week--Yeah!!!. The girls and I decided to use sidewalk chalk and draw our new numbers. It was such a gorgeous day to be outside together. We are going to try to do something creative each month to help us while we are waiting.

Favorable Determination Letter

We got our Favorable Determination Letter in the mail today. I was completely surprised. It can take up to 2 1/2 months to get this from the USCIS government office. We got it in 2 1/2 weeks. This is the letter that states the government will allow us to bring an orphan into the United States. This is also the last piece of paperwork we needed for our dossier to be able to go to Ethiopia. This makes us one step closer to bringing our child or children home. God has allowed our proces, up to this point, to happen pretty quick. I feel extremely torn knowing that a mother somewhere in the world will be giving up their child so we get a referral. During our wait I pray daily for that mother and her journey. I pray that God will give her peace and comfort. I can't imagine the dispare she will have to feel knowing that the only way to save her child is to give her away.

Wait patiently for the LORD.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. (Psalm 27:14 NLT)