Travel Update

My sister, Debbie Roberson, and I are scheduled to leave Nashville, Tennessee on March 31 and arrive in Addis Ababa on April 1. We'll stay until April 6 and then will arrive back in the U.S. with Yohannes on April 7. While I'm excited for the trip, I'm also wondering how one keeps a 3-year-old occupied during a trip of over 24 hours! Let's hope Yohannes can sleep through some of his excitement!

Introducing Yohannes Lemley Armstrong

In Spring 2007, I began working with Children's Hope International to adopt a child from Ethiopia. All of the necessary paperwork arrived in Addis Ababa on November 15, 2007. On December 10, I received word that I had been paired with a three-year-old boy named Yohannes. I also received the above photo of him and fell in love instantaneously.

Yohannes's mother left Yohannes at birth with his maternal grandmother, who raised him for the first three years of his life. On November 30, 2007, his grandmother took him to the Finot Lewegen orphanage in Addis Ababa.

Early in January, I was informed that Yohannes would become my legal son later in the month. On January 23, 2008, however, I learned that the adoption would be delayed by about six weeks and that I would hear more in early March. This was sad and difficult news to hear, but with the support of family, friends, and colleagues, the wait ended up being bearable.

On March 10, I received unofficial word that the adoption could proceed. On March 14, I received the official word: Yohannes is my son. I am so excited! Check back in a couple of weeks for more information about my travel to Addis Ababa to meet Yohannes and bring him to his new home.