Our daughter, the world changer

My daughter here in Ethiopia- she just turned one (on the day I arrived) and many people look at her body born missing legs and one arm and think "pity" and "how unfortunate" and "so sad." But she's already capturing people's hearts and shifting perspectives and bring unmatched joy.

The nun who runs the orphanage where she lives has been caring for orphans in Ethiopia for 42 years. I haven't even been alive for that long! I can't imagine the thousands of lives she has touched and the countless number of tragic and heroic stories she has witnessed. Sister Lugarta told me that when a priest called her and described Tizita situation to her, she just couldn't even imagine it. "I had never even seen a child like this and I just didn't think we could care for a little one like her. But then God touched my heart and we just had to take her."

We aren't the only ones who chose yes. It just takes a "yes" to what seems impossible for God to do miraculous work.

Sister said when she arrived, they all cried. Not out of pity, but because of her beautiful face and the joy she exudes. Changing the world, one heart at a time.

I met with our adoption attorney on Friday morning. He's worked as an advocate for orphans in Ethiopia for a long time and has a stellar reputation in Ethiopia. He was anxious to tell me a story about Tizita. A few months ago, MOWA (Ministry of Women Affairs) had decided to close down adoptions in Ethiopia due to political pressure. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia found out and said they had to form an Assessment Team first and visit several orphanages (and not just process paperwork) before any definitive decisions were made.

This Assessment Team included the Deputy Minister of MOWA which I assume means he is the head honcho in charge of major decisions regarding orphans in Ethiopia. They visited Kidane Miheret where Tizita lives. My attorney told me, "When they met Tizita, they had never seen a child like her. But when they saw that the sisters would take her in and care for her, and even that she had an American family that would adopt her... this shifted everything. Tizita was a turning point in the assessment and they decided to keep adoption open, especially for children with special needs."

Changing the world, one heart at a time.

And then I met volunteers at the orphanage from Australia and Malta and Sweden and the U.S. who had met Tizita back in March when she first arrived. They were anxious to meet me to talk about the effect Tizita has had on them. "Her picture is all over the world. And it's not even the picture of Tizita that touches people but the expression of the person's face as they hold her like they are being touched by an angel, a very special presence like they haven't known before."

Changing the world, one heart at a time.

And hopefully very soon she'll be home with our family, changing our hearts and our world. I feel humbled and in awe that God has chosen us. I feel unequipped and unworthy, but then I remember that God's not asking me to have it all together or to be Super Mom. He's just asking for a simple "yes" and I'm confident that all the unknowns that follow that yes will be covered by His abundant grace and provision.