by Aaron Marshall on February 3, 2012
While in Ethiopia I kept my business partner and friend Jason Falls updated about the destructive policies and procedures of the organizations involved in international adoption, i.e. UNICEF and the US Embassy in Ethiopia. He notified the media and we we had multiple camera crews waiting for us at the airport! Having just come off of days of air travel, we tried our best to make some noise about the issue. Here are some of the different news station reports.
We hope to raise awareness of this attack on International Adoption, and work to see that more families can adopt children without being deterred by the shallow and destructive policies of organizations meant to serve us and the children. If you want to go deeper, you can start by reading (or even skimming) this article from Harvard.
by Aaron Marshall on January 29, 2012
Surreal… That is the only way to describe the way we feel as we post this. After 2 years of grueling process and months of unexpected living in Ethiopia we are coming home… Nichole is dreaming of Maido Sushi, our kitties and a big comfy bed, and I am dreaming of Buffalo Wild Wings and Quills Coffee. Zurich is in for a HUGE surprise when he experiences cold weather for the first time.
The thing we are most excited for though is for you all to meet this bundle of Ethiopian joy. With that said, we happily invite you to meet us at the airport when we return this thursday.
DETAILS
When: 5pm Thursday, February 2nd
Where: Louisville Airport (SDF)
Who’s invited: YOU ARE.
No need to RSVP, but if you’d like to here is an event page on Facebook.
Words can’t express our gratitude for all of you. Your prayers, notes, comments, likes, gifts, and love have been invaluable to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you…
SEE YOU SOON!!!
by Nichole Marshall on January 26, 2012
Help us with the final costs of bringing Zurich home. Simply make a $20 donation here and we will bring you one of these beautiful necklaces handmade by local Ethiopian women.
Thank you for the continued support and encouragement throughout these past two years of our adoption journey. We can’t wait for Zurich to meet everyone!!
by Aaron Marshall on December 28, 2011
Zurich did not clear the US Embassy and our case has been forwarded to the main embassy in Nairobi for further investigation. Our case is solid, so we are not nervous about being declined, but there were some recent changes at the embassy that likely made this happen. We are not certain how long this will take. Some cases can get cleared quickly while others have to jump through hoops that can take months.
We did not expect this at all. Out of the hundreds of cases our agency has submitted there have only been three families forwarded to Nairobi.
To make matters worse I’ve been very sick and dehydrated after picking up a parasite from something we ate and wasn’t able to keep fluids down. It got so bad that we went to a hospital. The Ethiopian hospital was not as scary as I had imagined, but it was definitely different. The staff was kind, and I am doing better now. We had just come out of a sleepless night and a day in an Ethiopian hospital when we got the bad news from the embassy.
Needless to say, we have felt broken and confused. Haven’t the Marshall’s been through enough? What else could possibly go wrong?!
We have decided to stop asking those kinds of questions. They are useless, and apparently things can always get worse! In spite of the hardship we are in, we feel incredibly blessed and fortunate. Its in these moments that the gospel becomes very real, and we cling to the truth that the ultimate hardship was already taken from us, we are given strength for our daily hardships, and our future hardships will be conquered for us…
The truth is God loves us deeply and he is weaving something beautiful into our lives. Don’t pity us, instead celebrate with us as we get to tangibly experience God’s presence.
It is well with our souls.
by Aaron Marshall on November 17, 2011
With great pleasure we would like to introduce all of you to the newest member of the Marshall family, Zurich Abraham Marshall!!! We passed court today, which means we are officially his, and he is officially ours!
Holding him for the first time.
This was right after they handed him to Nichole. He snuggled immediately. I got overwhelmed had to stop taking pictures because it reminded me of
when Nichole was holding Figi under her neck in the same way. Two of the sweetest moments of my life.
This was his bed at the orphanage. There is a room full of people and a TV on to the left of this picture.
His birth certificate.
His very first picture after he was found. Close to 1 month old here.
This is where he was found.
These were some flowers that were growing from the bush he was beside.
In case you were wondering, Nichole is still in Ethiopia with him now. We are now waiting to be submitted to the US Embassy and cleared to bring him back to the states. Only 4-8 weeks to go!
