Do I believe in angels?

This is probably one of the hardest stories to write about but is part of our adoption story. Very few people even know that this happened one year ago.

This was Thursday in Ethiopia, the day to visit two orphanages that our agency partnered with. We decided before we even traveled, that we wouldn't take Gavin with us on these orphanage tours. We couldn't imagine how scared he would be, just meeting us, just going with us and then go with us to an orphanage, especially the one he had been in, without any way to communicate to him that he was staying with us. So Mike, Kael, Janika and Ellison boarded the bus and went to Kids Care. They took donations and just planned to love on kids. Gavin, Layne and I stayed at the Guest House and decided to walk one street over with two other families, as one family needed to buy some local baby cereal for their baby.

As we were walking, this young man befriended our group. He seemed to know a great deal about us all, what agency we were with and where we were staying. He talked and talked with us and helped us negotiate the streetside grocery store. We were all standing there, when all of the sudden we heard a very loud sound and a car came crashing across the street and hit the side of the building about 6 inches from my right side. Gavin was in front of me, but I couldn't find Layne. She had been standing just behind me, holding her friend Mallory's hand, as we all waited for our friends to make their purchase. In a frantic moment, I just started yelling her name, as did my other friends, as none of us could find her and she and Mallory would have been right in the path of the car as it careened straight towards us. Suddenly, I heard a man yell, "I have baby, baby is fine. I have baby!" He had seen the car heading our way and had picked up my baby girl and held her in his arms. This was the same man who had befriended us on our walk the store. One of the dads, jumped to help the lady in the car and found Layne's hat on the hood of the car.

Do I believe that an enemy exists? yes I do. Do I know that he is against those things that God is for like adoption? Yes I do. Do I also believe that God sends his angels to protect those who are doing what He loves? YES I DO. We never saw that man again, after this incident and perhaps he wasn't an angel, but to us that day, he definitely was. He saved my daughter's life.

Oh and while we were experiencing this horrific ordeal, Mike, E, J, and K were back at Kids Care, LOVING playing with the children and meeting the four children we hope to bring home soon. Their hearts were definitely broken for the orphan that day.

We will always remember that day. The experience is cemented in our memories. The families that walked through that with me, are forever family..thank you Egly and Jaeger Families. Thank you for helping me get Layne and Gavin back to the Guest House quickly and for praying with me until Mike got back.

I know some who read this will then ask us if we are afraid to travel back to Ethiopia to get our children. I know that they will also insist that we don't take any of our other children with us. I am not afraid to do either. God has already demonstrated His protection over our family in so many ways. We are trying to raise our kids to follow GOD, not fear. He is SO GOOD!!