Winner!

I was the recent WINNER of a birthday surprise... a give away from a blogging family... A "friend" with a heart & passion for orphans & adoption. *And it was her birthday not mine-wow!






Thank you Kari, for your encouragement & insight on our blessed and sometimes challenging journey of the heart!




And be sure to visit her "Crazy Adoption"... Click it in my lower left sidebar - and enjoy!




*For those of you wondering what I won: it's an awesome HOPECHEST t-shirt & beautiful African made bead necklace... I am so excited... Thanks again Kari!*




Want your own HOPECHEST t-shirt... Click on the HOPECHEST BUTTON -also in my left side bar... And help orphans in Ethiopia too... A Win-Win : )

My Crazy Adoption has set a goal to sell 400 t's by February 1st... So be part of the fun:)





God's Blessings to you!

precious life

Introducing our newest Nephew:



Emmitt Marcus




January 11, 2010


8# 7oz.
20 1/2 "
blonde fuzzy hair
little "button" nose



Welcome to the world little one!


We love you... And know God has great plans for you sweet boy!



Congratulations to my brother Tim & his amazing wife Jenny!!


You have a BEAUTIFUL family!



*Emmitt is also welcomed by siblings:
Annamarie, Bethany, Caycee, Evie, Andrew, Bryce, & Curtis :)

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." Jeremiah 1:4

only "time" will tell

We begin the New Year (2010) anticipating a long wait, in our adoption journey.



After "officially" submitting our Dossier (DTE: Dossier to Ethiopia- October 9, 2009); we were told our wait time for a referral could be 12-18 months. Longer than we orginally hoped... Sigh!



So we wait, and we trust, and we HOPE for all that God has planned for this amazing journey of the heart.


(*Define "Amazing": surprising, wonderful, awesome, wonder, in awe / Synonyms: alarm, astonish, bewilder, perplex, startle, stupefy, shock, daze*)


We continue to pray and plan for the little one(s) created to grow up in our family, to be loved & cherished here... And each day we dream of "what" this life altering journey might look like at completion. ???


Stopping to revel in our Lord & His promises... We are not alone in this journey, nor is it ever really complete... this is only the beginning of our eternal lives... truth be told, we're really not "waiting" at all. : )

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20

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When we took our first "baby steps" in this adoption journey, I never imagined the length of time each step would take.



Thus far though we truly can't imagine our journey looking any other way... We have been overwhelming BLESSED, through ways we may have missed, had this journey been orchestrated by our hands.




Thanks to so many of you who have been part of the blessings--- Your support, encouragement, love, even questions have inspired us to go back and find our strength & HOPE from the ONE true source, our Heavenly Father.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." II Corinthians 10:12

We joyfully begin 2010... excited for each new day... ready to take in ALL of it's beauty, come what may!

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January 11, 2010 / Agency Update:

The Ethiopian Director, Ato Mekonnen, has signed an agreement with a reputable orphanage called "Help for the Needy". Help for the Needy Development has branch offices throughout Ethiopia (11-13 Children's Homes). Bethany Christian Services will continue to uplift the standards of adoption practices and make sure we find families for children.

**Since September when there were 9 referrals in a week...it has been slow watching the forum for referrals...it seemed like 1-3 referrals/month.

Families had been waiting 14-15 months for their referrals which made us believe our wait would be much the same.

BUT the past week has been very EXCITING!

There have been at least 15 referrals! Families on the (Bethany's) Ethiopian forum have been blown away!

Even a family with an Aug 2009 DTE (Dossier To Ethiopia) received a referral! That's only 5 months!!

When asked about our expected wait time, we've been saying... "We've waited 3 months and expect it to be at least 6 more"....it still may be... or now it could be sooner!

We're hopeful with this new relationship with a new orphanage, more sibling groups will also become available!

So we continue to trust in God's perfect timing... more optimistic that it could be fewer months than anticipated until we get our referral--those special someones meant to be part of our family. : )

Please pray for continued peace & patience in this exciting time!

God Bless,

The Fisher Family

perfect little reminder.

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;

forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies;

succeed anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you;

be honest anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the end, it is between you and God;

it was never between you and them anyway.

-Mother Thersea