Chickens everywhere

Can you believe Ethan is holding a chicken? He HATES getting his hands dirty but will actually hold his chicken if the tush is facing outward!!!!

Easter cookies

Zachary knows how to enjoy cookies!

Easter cookie decorating

Scott is on the mend

UMMMMM, Yum yum yum.

This is what your body looks like without the flu shot!!!

No really, he flew to Africa and came home with the regular ole flu. Nothing facy thank God but still kind of funny to fly to Ethiopia and get the flu. He is feeling much much better now. 

I highly recommend an African daughter!

 Lete is cooking Injera for us. We bought the teflon coated pan and it works wonderfully. No more prying it off the frying pan.









She is showing me how to make larger quanities with less teff though which is wonderful.

Lydia is enjoying the skilled braiding too. 

enjoying closeness

We were watching TV and just having a great time together.

A Family Reunion

This is a picture of Letemeskel and I on our last day in Ethiopia before we flew back to America.  We spent time at a playground with another family and their children.  She was very excited and nervous for this day.

Our flights flew from Addis Ababa to Rome to Washington DC to Atlanta to Tulsa, OK.  We got to the airport around 6:00 PM (Ethiopian Time) and boarded the airplane around 9:00 PM.  We left Ethiopia about 1 hour later.  Our stop in Rome was to refuel and swap flight crews.  After about 17 to 18 hours of traveling from Addis to DC, we finally landed.  Lete was all smiles at this point and we went through Customs and Immigration in about 2 hours.  Once we completed this, we boarded the flight to Atlanta.  In Atlanta, we were delayed about two hours due to plane problems, but Lete took it all in stride.

As we landed, we held hands and she was very excited.  When we left the air plane, we walked hand in hand towards the baggage claim area and once we were about one hundred yards from the security gate, we could see Zachary jumping up and down and waving his hands.  As we got closer, we saw Levi starting to do the same.  Lete ran to see her brother and hugged both Levi and Isaac tightly.  Then she hugged her Mom.  Their were joyful tears everywhere, even Lydia got emotional too.  It was one of the most beautiful moments both Susan and I have every been blessed with in our lives.

James 1:27 (Contemporary English Version)

²⁷Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.

When I read these words, they can sound somewhat empty, especially when one looks at how little the typical church walks to these words, but when I see how these words can create what Susan and I just experienced, I simply am at a loss to adequately describe the raw emotion and love that was expressed from everyone.  It was amazing.

Believing in God...by Levi Nichols

We were driving back home today from the store. It was warm, quiet and both Ethan and Levi were quietly looking out the car window.

 Levi said," I like myself like dis."
Me " What do mean? "
Levi " I really do believe now dat I can talk to God."
Me." Huh."
Levi " I didn't believe it in Etiopia. I was like 4 or something. Now I believe it."
Me " What do you mean Levi? Tell me more."
Levi, " Every night I say prayer, quietly, in Tigrinya. I say for my sister to come to America. I pray like you say. "
" Now she come to America and I believe God hear me when I talk Tigrinya or English. ."
" My life is good now,..... I believe God hear me."....." I hear him too. "

Levi...." mom why you cry?"
Me " I am proud, happy."
Levi " I do not understand girls cry when day happy."