Ermias is our second adoption from Ethiopia. We knew when we adopted our first son from Ethiopia that we would be back to adopt again. God had touched our hearts in ways that we didn't even fully comprehend at the time.

When we began researching adoption for the second time, we were drawn to the children at AHOPE (an orphanage for children with HIV in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). We prayed for months about whether God wanted us to adopt a child with HIV. We did much research, spoke to some amazing people, were in constant prayer, and deciced that, yes indeed, this is what He wanted for us.

We found Ermias in March of 2008 on a waiting child DVD. There were many little faces on this DVD that just cried out to us, but his was the one that said, "take me." So we began the process.

In May 2008, the Monday after we sent out acceptance paperwork to the adoption agency, we were told Ermias was in the hospital. This began a very long and very hard road for him, and for us as his parents here in the U.S. His health declined very quickly and he was very near death, but by God's grace he was strong enough to pull through. He was very weak and his illness left him with many new health unknowns. We were given the option to not continue with his adoption or to move forward and accept him.We prayed and decided that if God had spared his life, then we were to bring him home to live a life of love and care.

Because of his deteriorated health, our agency tried to have our case expedited in the Ethiopian courts. While our agency was able to get the proper paperwork together, the courts needed extra forms, so our case took longer than expected. In the meantime, Ermias was still in very precarious health.

When our agency put the paperwork into the Ethiopian courts for expedition, I contacted Project HOPEFUL, who works with EACH (Equality for Adopted Children), to help with our I601 waiver paperwork. They were immediately in contact with the Embassy and had prepared them for our arrival.

When we were finally able to travel to pick up Ermias, we were hit again with more medical news that we hadn't been prepared for. Our journey in the country was very emotional and very hard. We were struck by how sick he looked... and he was actually doing better than he had been in months. We felt unprepared for the road that would be ahead of us, with the new issues and new unknowns. We felt very prepared for the HIV; this was a nonissue for us but teh new added complicatons were out of our realm of experience and knowledge.

We chose to trust God and let Him work out the details. And He did!

Our Embassy appointment was on a Wednesday afternoon. Due to the diligence and amazing work done by Project HOPEFUL and EACH, Ermias' visa was ready to go that very Friday! A process that normally took 10 business days (and had previously taken 3-9 months) took less than 2 days!

By the grace of God, we were able to rebook our flights home that very night. We arrived in the U.S. the next day and our son spent the next 12 days in the next 12 days in the hospital, mostly isolation.

With the help of our adoption agency and the tremendous efforts of Project HOPEFUL and EACH, our son is home and healing and being loved. He would not have survived if he had stayed in Ethiopia, and we would not have known the love of this amazing little person, who deserves love and a home as much as any other child does.