Really?!

Questions, questions, and more questions.  We thought we would honor all of those who have asked and help out all of those who are to afraid to ask by answering.  (As you can tell, nothing is too private for us.  We really don't mind telling!)

Are you really adopting four more children?  Yes, we really are adopting four more children.  We are not joking.  The youngest of the new Stinsons is a 4 year old boy.  His name is Orin Mihiretu.  Next is a 5 year old boy, Lee Atnafu.  The only girl in the bunch is a 6 year old.  Her name is Evelyn Shega.  Then Levi Ashenafi is an 8 year old boy.  This means our new Stinsons will fall in between our existing members.  Aubrey is 12; Emmaline is 11; Graham is 8; Levi is 8; Wil is 6; Evelyn is 6; Lee is 5; Orin is 4; Worth is 3; and Jermiah is almost 3!

Why four?  How did you get so comfortable with a group of four?  We weren't attempting to adopt four but every previous group we attempted to adopt fell through.  As we pursued this group, God swung all of the doors wide open.  And we mean wide open!  Three interviews in 2 weeks.  After what we were initially told was a long shot, it became a probability and then moved to a definate.  There are no doubts, this is the group for our family.  We have a peace that this is the step to take, and we are confident even admist the chaos. 

How do you know this is of God?  First, see previous answer.  Second,  God has given us a 12 seat van and a 12 seat table.  8 current Stinsons + 4 other Stinsons = 12 total Stinsons.  The moral of the story... don't buy a large table because maybe, just maybe, God will fill it. 

Do they speak English?  No.  They speak Kimbatissa which is a tribal language.  They are currently in the process of learning Amharic which is the national language of Ethiopia.  They have been at the orphanage since March.  By the spring we have been told they will know Amharic, but have very few English words.

How are you going to communicate with them?  We are currently in the process of learning some Amharic.  Our children are studying it in school (after convincing Mom to take a year off from the Spanish curriculum), and we are slowly..., slowly learning from them.

And last but not least...

What kind of van is that? This one seems to come from the men. For all of you wondering, it is a Freightliner Sprinter.  It seats 12, and you CAN stand up in it.  There are 2 in Springfield that we have seen, ours and one other.  FYI, we may have spotted a third this weekend.  So, if you see one around town chances are it is us.  And yes, you may look in it.  Everyone asks- it's ok.