We just received the boys' birth certificates! Their names are Zerihun Darren Phillips and Melaku Darren Phillips. In Ethiopia, people take their father's first name as their last name, so I think that's why they give adopted kids their adoptive father's name as their middle name. It is so cool to see the official documents with our names listed as their mother and father.
They put Zerihun's birthday in June 1996, so he is 14, turning 15 next month. That makes him and Alex almost twins, because Alex just turned 15 in May. :) They put Melaku's birthday as February 2001, so he is 10.
The pictures are funny - Z looks mad and Melaku looks like someone scared him right as they were taking it - but I'm just so happy that things are moving along! I think they will be able to submit everything to the Embassy next week, so please continue to pray that there won't be any hold-ups in that process, and that we can bring them home soon!
We also got three letters with some pictures from Melaku this week -- one to Darren and me, one to Lindsay and Alex, and one to Justin and Trevor (not sure why he divides them up that way...:)) -- and I also got a very sweet letter from Zerihun. Here are some excerpts:
Dear Mom,
I am very excited to see you again for the last time and then we will be together forever, but I am praying and waiting for you...If I don't have homework I will write more letters, and I know that you are busy but you are still writing letters for me and for Messi and Melaku. Mothers are always mothers and kind for their son and for everyone and my mom is just like that. And I always miss her and love her. I think I will see you soon. God be with you -
Our adoption of Zerihun and Melaku was officially approved by the court in Ethiopia back in March, and at that point we were told it would take about 6 weeks for the U. S. Embassy process, until we could go pick up the boys. But 6, 7 and 8 weeks came and went, and we had no word at all about what was happening - frustrating to say the least! Apparently, even though we had passed court, they the would not release the official adoption decree right away; I think they wanted more information or documents. And until this adoption decree is released, the agency can't get birth certificates and passports for the boys, and turn the file in to the U.S. Embassy for them to process it.
But this week, we finally got the great news that our case is finally "finished and approved" by the Ethiopian court and the adoption decree was received:
We got the court decision today for Melaku and Zerihun Philips. We should have the translated court decision sometime next week as well as the birth certificates. Possibly we will be able to submit the file to the embassy by June 1st. We will keep you updated.
We still can't plan the trip to bring them home, because the Embassy has to review the file once they receive it, but we are closer to that point. This is what they told us the process is once the file is submitted to the Embassy:
It typically take the embassy 1-2 weeks to review the file. At that point, the embassy may ‘clear’ the case, or they may ask for clarifying information. Of course, AAI must answer any questions the embassy may have concerning any given case. Once the embassy ‘clears’ the case, they will email your family directly to inform you the case has cleared and will request that your family select three possible dates that would be acceptable for your family to complete the visa interview process. Then the embassy will respond by confirming one of the three dates. At that point, you make travel arrangements.
So, we are encouraged, and trying to still be patient. Please pray that the file will be submitted quickly, and that the Embassy will review it quickly and have no issues. We will also need to raise more funds for this trip, as flight prices have gone up quite a bit, so pray for all the funds we need to come in.
Hopefully these two awesome boys will be here soon!
(Pictures taken by my awesome friend Mandie, who has been a big support to me through this whole process; she took the pictures when she delivered all the Christmas presents to all the kids at Layla House. :))
What’s a mom?
I suppose a mom is just where we all come from – a simple origin of sorts.
Our genesis. Beginning. Source.
But what’s a mom?
I guess a mom is simply a tutor – a trainer of sorts.
To start us off in life. Point us in the right direction. Guide us. Teach us right and wrong.
A mom? Who’s mom?
Oh, she’s the maid. She cleans everything. Dirty dishes? She’ll take care of them!
Leave your clothes on the floor? Don’t worry – that’s HER job! They’ll be washed soon.
So what’s a mom?
A mom is just a disciplinarian – the slap on our hand when we reach for the cookie jar.
A policewoman.The rule enforcer. “The Man”.
Hey, have you heard of a mom?
She’s like a sidekick, - the comic relief. You live your life, and every once in a while, when you interact with her, she says something hilarious.
And makes everything a little bit easier because of it.
And what IS a mom?
A cook. All she does is cook. Her job is to feed us.
Spaghetti, pork, vegetables, casserole – you name it. She’s a pretty good cook.
I like her food a lot.
What is a mom?
Two words. Trans. Portation. She gets you where you need to be.
She’s a chauffeur. A driver. When you need a ride, she’s your woman!
Wait, a mom? What’s that?
Oh, it’s this awesome money machine! Dude, like you just push a few buttons and say a few words, and you get money! It’s so crazy. And it never runs out.
Oh, and you can set it up on this recurrence plan, where it like automatically gives you money on a certain day every month. Plus it pays for meals. You should totally get one.
Could you tell me what a mom is?
Sure – she’s a confidant! Life’s got you down? Go to your mom!
Her job is to listen to anything you say, and give advice on anything and everything.
I bet a lot of people wish they had a mom – the awesome secretary/fixer I have!
She does all my paperwork for me, calls the people I need to, straightens out messes, does tech support, fills out applications, and makes appointments.
You name an administrative task, and she does it for me! (P.S. She got me into college.)
I bet a lot of people wish they had my mom. She does everything: She created me, she raised me, she disciplined me, she cooks, she cleans, she judges, she keeps order, she jokes, she drives, she pays, she works, she works, she works! And she works.And how.
But she loves.
She loves like I don’t understand. It’s like if I told you that I would pay you 70% of everything I ever earn, and as MY payment, I made you promise to take it. It doesn’t make sense. I guess her house will just be really big in heaven.
Yeah, I think I’ll probably want to live with my mom there. She’ll have like, a mansion. And I’ll ride my moped over from my hut, up her driveway past all her limousines and hummers and ferraris, up to her personal parking deck. And then I’ll take the diamond elevator up to the front door, where she’ll have one of those awesome video doorbells that projects a 3D hologram of who you are the owner inside, and will probably play you your favorite song as you wait patiently outside for her to fly down from her bedroom on the 87th floor. She’ll open the door and see me with my hopeful grin and mooching face on, and she’ll be like “Trevor, do you even have a house?? This is the like 120th time this week (‘cause weeks in heaven are 70 times 7 days long) that you’ve ‘needed a place to crash for the night’!” And I’ll just mumble something incoherent about “unruly cherubim gangs in my part of town” while she kindly lets me in again, and as she rolls her eyes and flies back upstairs, I’ll dive onto her pegasus-feather couch and be engulfed into its succulent comfyness.
Suffice to say, she’s done a lot. And she deserves a lot.
