Adoption, Beginning Again!

Dear Family and Friends,

What a delight to have our son home with us and watch him grow day by day.  We want to say thank you to so many of you who have partnered with us (through both prayer and finances) to bring Angelo home. Thank you also for your continued prayers for our bonding as a family and growth together!

The adoption of children is a picture of Spiritual Adoption: God bringing us into His family through faith in Jesus Christ. To be clear, families' adoption of children is the imperfect shadow of a weighty and perfect reality. God's heart is for the orphan ("He sets the lonely in families" Psalm 68:5-6) We pray that through adopting children, (while meeting real needs) both we and others will know better the Fatherhood of God.

We wanted to let you know that we are beginning a new adoption! While there were many places to consider, we prayed about it and decided on another international adoption, this time from Tanzania. Our Ethiopian adoption took a little over 3 years so while sensitive to Angelo's need to adjust, we have learned that adoption (domestic or international) can have its delays. We think it's time to start again 😊

While some of the process is the same, here are some things that will be different:

-The process from start to finish is expected to be 12-18 months.

-There will be one (much longer) in-country stay (12-14 weeks) rather than 2 short trips. 

-Tanzania allows the adoption of unrelated children at the same time so it is very possible to adopt 1 or 2 children (prayers for wisdom please!)

As you may know if you have ever looked into adopting, the process is costly. If you feel led to contribute financially toward this life-changing process (even small gifts add up!) we would be humbled and grateful. 

We are glad to be on this path with Tanzania. Thank you in advance for supporting this endeavor in prayer.

Sincerely,

Jim and Lois

A New Name

Angelo has been home for over four months now, and while we all have some growing to do, one thing is clear: he is a Hogue.  You can see it in the carefree way he shrugs his shoulders like his dad, the way he helps with chores around the house, the way his eyes sparkle when he has a good belly laugh. We are family...and it's beginning to show. 

As of today, our son has a name that reflects his new identity as part of our family. Today, former orphan, Surafel, officially became Angelo Adama Hogue. 

When we are first matched with our son almost one year ago, we learned his Ethiopian name, Surafel, meant angel. Right away we felt his name should be Angelo (and he has been Angelo - in our hearts - for the last year!) His middle name - Adama - honors the place of his birth.

For Angelo, he officially became part of our family in October. Though we had not spent much time together (in fact it would be another month until he lived with us) he was in fact our son. But since then he is beginning to see, little by little, what being in a family really means. Even when he didn't feel it, and often pushed us away (because true family love is foreign and suspicious to those who haven't yet experienced its richness) we loved him. Now we are starting to see signs of familial love pulsing through his veins like buds before the flower. He is blooming.     And now, he has a new name - but this is just an outward sign of an inward reality. He is ours, and we are his.

Not much unlike God's family.

Justification - declared to be God's child

Sanctification - growing in the family likeness

Baptism - an outward sign of an inner reality

May God give grace for us to resemble His character more and more.

Tulips, Jamaican Ginger Beer, and First Steps

Aside from my (thankfully) short-lived stomach bug, this was the best Valentine's Day ever. No, we didn't get to go out for our much anticipated first date since becoming parents, but thanks to my superhero of a hubby, we sipped Jamaican Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic yumminess which claims to have 26 grams of fresh ginger per bottle) & my tummy was feeling better in time to enjoy Angelo's newest activity - walking!

He took his first steps yesterday and he is very proud - just as we are!

Standing, Wah-wah and Elephant Walking

Angelo is excited to celebrate his new skills!

He listens to some nursery rhymes on YouTube and is especially fond of the Wheels on the Bus song. So much so, that he asks for it by name: "wah-wah" (which I realized is his name for the song since of course the babies on the bus go, well you, know.)

Angelo is on the move:

Getting in on the fun

Sometimes you have to go where the toys are...

Snow Day!

Angelo saw snow for the first time today. He wasn't quite sure what to think at first...

After 5 minutes or so, I took him back inside but he started whimpering and said "Ah-tee" (outside!) while pointing outside - I guess he wasn't done exploring!

"Exploring is fun - but I am not ready to touch the strange powdery stuff yet."

Ten minutes later he said "Ah-tee" again; this time he meant "all done."  Whoever said 90% of communication is body language/facial expressions, well, they were right!

Happy New Year!