Overwhelmed...in the best way possible!

I have felt just overwhelmed the last 24 hours with all things adoption related. An overwhelmed feeling that has lead to tears...but not tears of sadness or exhaustion or frustration but tears of JOY!!!

It started yesterday when we found out that the boys are being transferred to the foster home in Addis Ababa this Thursday. This is about 3 hours north of the orphanage they have been in in Awassa and so it will require a car ride. I would guess this has probably been one of the first times they have been in a car and we are praying that this trip is exciting for them and not scary! They will be in the foster home for about a month and it will be a time of transition...those who work there will be getting together all the medical and other information needed for the boy's visas as well has helping the boys (along with all the other children there) to better understand what will be taking place in the coming month. It just makes it all the more "real" knowing they are leaving the orphanage for good!!!

Then, yesterday afternoon, we received two packages from CWA. One had 3 items for us that had been brought back from their trip to Ethiopia...a scarf, a bracelet and a picture. It was such a sweet unexpected blessing! And the second package brought me to tears. It was a DVD documentary made up by a couple of churches in Bozeman, MT who have a passion for the work CWA and Children's Hope International is doing in Ethiopia. It was sent to us because they needed the permission of the chidren's parents if their children were in the DVD...and Samuel and Caleb were!!!! We had the great privilege of seeing the foster home where we will go to get the boys, shots of the town of Awassa and of the orphanage and, of course, a couple of glimpses of our dear boys!!!! What a priceless treasure!!! A piece of our hearts is already in Ethiopia...their names are Samuel and Caleb...but I have a feeling that we will leave another piece behind when we go there. I can't explain it, but God has given us a heart not only for adoption but for Ethiopia and the people and ministries there!

And the sweet blessings continued this morning!!! We had inquired as to what had happened to the albums we had sent over for the boys (in light of the "off" and then "on" again adoption with them) and I received an email from our case worker at CWA who was able to find out for us. It was more than we could have hoped for. Because of the delay...the albums were taken all the way to Awassa and not only do the boys have them but their mom got to see them!!!!! I am getting weepy just writing about it. I can't even tell you the joy it brought to Bryan's and my heart to know that their momma has had a glimpse into the family her boys are going to join and to see, though it be in a small way, the result of her sacrifice. We look forward to the day that we can send her a letter with one of our post adoption reports sharing our love for Christ which has overflowed in a deep love for her and her boys!

We have also begun to make tentative reservations (we'll have to confirm them next week) for our trip over to Ethiopia. The tickets were a bit more than we had planned (almost $7,000 for our round trip tickets and the one way tickets of the boys). We crunched some numbers and realized we were probably going to be between $1,000 - $1,500 short for the total cost of the adoption. We received an email today from The Lydia Fund (part of John Piper's church). Here is a couple of sentences from the letter being sent to our agency:

Dear Tracy (CWA),

Your clients, Bryan & Krisitn Pichura have applied to the LYDIA Fund for help in their adoption expenses. Since the Pichura’s have completed the application and interview process with us, we are pleased to send this grant in the amount of $1500.00 to help with their costs.

Tears again!!! Overwhelming joy!!!! We have seen God's hand in ways that have caused us to be speechless... unable to do much more but stand in awe with hearts full of praise to our Almighty God! Never before have the words of Ephesians 3:20-21 meant more than in this past month! We are so thankful for the joy, the pain and the dependence on God that this adoption has wrought in our hearts...and this is just the beginning!

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21


Update:The boys were actually moved to Addis today...please pray for this time of transition for them!