Prayer Requests

Here's an email Michael sent to his family, we'd love your prayers!!!

We will be leaving soon to pick up Melia from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and would greatly appreciate prayers for the whole trip. Here are some specific areas for prayer:

- The biggest prayer item in my mind is that Melia, by God's grace and sovereign power, would prepare Melia to meet us even now.

Please Pray:

-That the Spirit would let her know now that her parents are coming to take her home soon.

-That when we meet her for the first time, she is not fearful or anxious, but knows that we are her parents and that we love her.

- Also pray that Lauren and I have a blessed time of bonding and attachment with Melia throughout our time in Ethiopia

- Pray for travel mercies, especially on the trip home. This will be a long flight with a child in our laps. We would love for Melia to sleep much of the time as she cuddles with us!

- Please pray for our other children, Caleb, Nathan, and Addie, as they will be away from us, (and we from them!) for the longest stretch of time in their lives. I'm not sure who that will be harder for, us or them! We will certainly miss them! They will be having fun with their aunt, uncle and cousins in North Carolina.

Here is a quick rundown of our traveling schedule and agenda in Ethiopia:

Fri 12/11 Leave Detroit at 6 am (fly through Dulles to Rome to Addis Ababa)

Sat 12/12 Arrive in Addis at 8:30 am (12:30 am EST)

Sun 12/13 Meet Melia around 9 am local time (1 am EST)

Mon 12/14 Embassy Appointment at 9 am local time (Visa and Passport for Melia)

Tues & Wed 12/15 - 12/16 Bonding with Melia at hotel, playing with her at Hannah's Hope Orphanage, meeting the "Special Moms" who took care of Melia for the past few months, shopping, cultural dinner, Bonding with Melia!, Bonding with Melia!

Th 12/17 Paperwork finished in AM, depart from Addis at 10:15 pm (2:15 pm EST)

F 12/18 Arrive at Detroit Metro Airport at 2 pm EST (yes, you did the math right...that's almost 24 hours in total travel time! Oh Lord, be gracious!)

Thanks for praying!