Gifts...

The countdown has begun! We are leaving on May 13th
for the journey of a lifetime, and each day that
passes increases our excitement about our dear
children, Bella Adanech and Bode Samuel. Attached
you’ll find several pictures we just received last
week – I could just eat them up! To me, Bella looks
like she knows she’s been given a family – her eyes
are bright with expectation. I think Bode looks like
a dude. Smile. Can’t wait to wrap them up in that
forever embrace we keep dreaming about…

So many of you have asked about our “needs” for Bella
and Bode, and how you might celebrate their
homecoming, and it is only because of all these
requests that we are sending out this email. We have
thought long and hard about it, and hope you’ll take a
minute to consider our proposal.

We don’t need anything. These children are going to
have more than they can imagine with regard to
clothing, shoes, toys, and sheer space in which to
live. It is our joy to provide these things for them,
as God has blessed us with the ability to care for our
children. For this, we’re eternally thankful.

That said, the most honoring thing you could do to
celebrate our newest children, in lieu of gifts sent
to us, is to give back to the orphanage in which they
lived for nearly a year in their home town of Awassa.
It is the place that offered them shelter, food and
care when they needed it most. This orphanage is not
like the home in Addis where we will pick them up –
all of the kids living there have been matched with
families and are awaiting their parents’ arrivals. It
is a joyous place where hopelessness has been replaced
by such bright hope. But the Awassa orphanage is
quite different, in that the children are all true
orphans with no other place to call home. Many have
been plucked off the streets, and many are AIDS
orphans. They will not necessarily all find “forever
homes”. This disturbing fact chokes me to a
suffocating despair in my spirit, and I am honestly
afraid that the images I’ll witness on our trip will
scar me for life. But then again, scars are necessary
reminders, aren’t they, and spur us to action…
sometimes to change the world as we know it.

That said, every dime you send will go straight to the
orphanage for any and all needs they have – and the
list is long. No administrative fees will be taken
out of your donations by our adoption agency,
Christian World Adoption, who has graciously offered
to funnel all of our money through their foundation
for tax benefits. They will in turn give the full
amount to the Awassa orphanage. Please, please
consider giving to orphans who do not find themselves
in our children’s shoes. Your gifts will be given to
the orphanage in one lump sum “in honor of Bode Samuel
and Bella Adanech Schelhaas” from their “new village”.
Smile. YOU are in that village.

If this is something in which you’d like to
participate (and PLEASE don’t feel obligated – again,
we are only providing this opportunity because so many
of you have asked us about gifts!), please send a
check to “Christian World Foundation” with an EARMARK
that says “Awassa orphanage – Schelhaas”. The address
is 777 South Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731.

These gifts are truly what will bring us the most joy.
Thanks so much for considering this life-changing
gesture. Lots of love, and with a grateful heart...
Karen, for all SEVEN of us.