What do Greathouse's do on their first weekend home as a family?

Count your blessings name them one by one!

Tomorrow 8/28/10 will mark our one year anniversary of applying to America World Adoption. Some things we have prayed continuously for is the we would bond with our son and him to us, that he would be loved and be shown Gods love, for his health, and that he would be safe. It is amazing to us how God has shown us so clearly that He not only cared enough to hear our prayers, but He is showing us how He answered our petitions to Him.
First of all let me say that we feel so connected to Dubale. It is difficult for me to explain, but in our hearts we know that we are family. Though he came to us a different route than Tella and Casey, it is amazing at how God has bonded us together. Sometimes I forget that I did not birth him. Dubale has been shown love. We can tell it by the way he has bonded to us and his ability to express himself. He wraps his little arms so tightly around our necks and gives kisses galore. The Doctor at the Transition Home told us that Dubale was one of the healthiest children there. Thank you Lord. And Boy can this kid eat. He has learned to bow his head for prayers before starting his meal....well sometimes he sneaks a little nibble if he is really hungry. I can just see Jesus throwing His head back and laughing as He watches our family. The Lord tells us that He sets the lonely in families. I just didn't know how lonely I was. Funny thing is, most people think we are helping/saving a little child, but he in a sense is helping us. We are so very blessed to have been given three beautiful children. We are so very thankful.

Dubale is quite the jokester. Mom says I will earn it trying to play a joke on him. The other day I was sweeping and laid the dust pan down. When I went back to get it, I thought I had lost my mind because it was gone. That was until I say our son walking nonchalantly across the dining room from the living room. Sure enough the lost dust pan was hidden in the living room.
He loves to wrestle, play Lego's, cars, and anything to do with a hammer. He is definitely his fathers son. He loves his sisters, whom he calls Auntie Tella and Auntie Casey.
Another day as he was watching me wash my hands, he wanted to wash his. Since he had just washed his I told him no. He decided to force himself to go to the bathroom since he knew that I couldn't say no after that. To resourceful!
Dubale does great with people. He is definitely gifted in that area. He sticks out his little hand to either shake or give high five. Occasionally he announces, "Hi, I Dubale".
He is definitely a daddy's boy. He mimics everything. When Grandma comes to visit, he insist on holding her hand or sitting next to her. Too cute!
We are so very blessed. Thank you Lord for putting our family together. Thank you for placing friends and family around us to encourage and support us. Thank you for giving us Your wisdom, strength and courage. Thank you for being such an awesome Father. Dawn

TEENS ROCK

Yesterday we realized that our original plan fell through for getting the bookbags. Well, I should say our original plan fell through. God's however was smooth sailing! You know I hear a lot of people complaining about "our youth today" and I have always felt offended by these remarks and felt them unjust. Yesterday the youth in my circle, if you will, showed just how amazing they truly are.
After Casey heard the news about the lack of bookbags, she immediately said, "I will text my friends". So off she went. Within 2 hours teens started showing up at our front door. As of now, we have 10 of the 17 needed to take to our friends and Casey, with confidence in her eyes and voice said, "Don't worry mom we will get all that we need". WOW!!!
1 Timothy 4:12 tells us, "Do not let anyone look down because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life,in love, in faith and in purity".
Psalm 119:9 says "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word."
These youth are awesome; living out their faith! I can imagine God looking down on their activities and on their hearts and smiling from ear to ear with pride in His children. Our God Reigns!!!

God is Good

Today around 11am mom said to Tella and I that she didnt know if we would be able to take the bookbags to the street kids as we had planed. But I felt like that wasnt gonna happen so I sent out a mass text to all my friends in New Martinsville. By noon Anna Haught told me she could get me some. I was pumped!! Anna has been soooo excoted about helping with whatever and very excited for Dubale to come home. :)
Next I got a text from AZ (Ashtin) she said she had three that I could have..soo by one I had 5 book bags!! Tella and I went to get some other things from walmart for the trip and as I was there I got a Text from Sam Deem. She said she had SIX! and her aunt had some I can pick up tomorrow! WOW can you say God has giving me some pretty AWESOME friends!!! So Right now I have 11 book bags and I started the day out with 0! Its amazing how this is working out!






Anna and I havent always been good friends,we have gone to school together sence we were little but never really got to know each other. But this passed summer at Young Life camp we became friends. She is soo sweet,she does anything for you.Strong in her walk with God witch I need a friend like that! I was so excited that she got to help with the street kids. They will never forget this! I love you Anna!!

Ashtin and I have been friends for a few years now, shes been my first period buddy in high school. haha we would always sit in our math class eatting dreamin about being on the beach or just be outside of Magnolia! She has a huge heart and is always will to help if its just giving me a pen to right notes , giving me a hug on a bad day and tellin me how many days til summer or the weekend, to giving 3 bookbags to change a childs live! I love you AZ!!!


Sam and I are like Sisters! We have gone to the same church together sence I moved here.shes the best! always knows what to say when Im ready to just walk away.Her nana is like my own nana, sam always jokes that Im nans favirot. Sam and I have been through it all toegether think and thin and we seem to come out of it smiling ear to ear! I was floored when I read my text that said she had SIX bookbags! woo ! I love you Saaaaaam!!!!

Thank you everyone for everything!!
Love Casey

EMBASSY APPOINTMENT

We got "the call". We leave this Friday, arriving in Addis Saturday evening, and picking up Dubale on Tuesday for Wednesday Embassy Appt. This is the last hurdle in bringing our boy home. It has been such a mix of emotions the last couple of days and we are simply humbled at God's grace, mercy, guidance, strength in our lives. God has orchestrated out each intricate detail. It is simply amazing! We have had family and friends come alongside of us in amazing ways. Thank each of you so much for helping us in so many ways. Phone calls just to make sure we aren't going into orbit, donations that we will take to some friends we have met in previous trips...friends who range from 5-15 years old and live on the streets....God must be rejoicing at how you have provide for these in their time of distress and have helped us to minister to these children while we are there. I don't think I can fully explain the difference this truly is making in their young lives. They will have a new set of clothes including warm dry shoes to keep them warm and dry. Even more importantly, they will feel the love of Christ because of you. THANK YOU. You have prayed for us and with us. What a gift!
Tella, Casey and Justin have truly been a blessing in helping to pack, repack, run so many errands, help to keep me grounded etc. Let me tell you that is no small feat!
Our friends, Danny and Anissa Anderson and their girls have graciouly offered to transport us to and from the airport. What a weight off our shoulders. THANK YOU!
God has truly blessed each of us. He has adopted us and is teaching us about this through the adoption of our son, Dubale Wade Greathouse. We are humbled to say the least. I Love You guys. Dawn

Fingerprints of God

Shortly after becoming a Christian and moving into our home in 2000, I remember clearly a prayer that God would place "a" good Christian Friend in my life. You know, someone to share life's sweetness and struggles with, someone to pray with, to encourage and be encouraged by, "A Friend". Long story short, I got a call from Cindy explaining that she would like to start a women's small prayer group and asked me if I would be interested and asked me to pray about it for a week and she would call me back. I tried to tell her then that I had already been praying for this and the answer was yes! She insisted that I pray for a week and she would call me back. Now ten years later it is evident that in our friendship she tends to be the planner and I continue to be the more spontaneous. But what is AWESOME was that God heard my prayers, answered in a mighty way and has walked in our friendship to help us learn from each other, support/lift up each other in prayer, laugh and cry together, share happy times and times of great sorrow. He has truly blessed me with such a friend.
His blessings of friends didn't stop there. God has brought so many friends into my families life. Friends that we can call on at any time and know that they will just not mind, but they freely come alongside of us in so many ways that I can't even list them. We work together, play together, encourage one another's children, you know share life as it is happening.
Recently, as we are preparing and waiting to go back to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to pick up our son, these same Friends that God has blessed our lives so richly with have gone Above and Beyond anything we could have ever imagined. But isn't that how God works? He can, will and does provide for His family in such a mighty way.
Let me share:
June 2009 Tella Casey and I had the unbelievable opportunity to travel with Pastor Don, Cindy and Hope to bring home their three children. The intricate detail of how this worked out was nothing but God! His fingerprints were covering this trip and the details that He showed us of how He was working this out even years before. It is kind of like opening a huge, beautiful Christmas gift only to find more beautifully wrapped gifts! We just keep unwrapping them in awe at the beauty of the gift and the gift itself only to find that there are more and they are getting more beautiful and exquisite.
While we were in Ethiopia in 2009 we learned of a particularly vulnerable group of kids. Yes, it is a 3rd World Country and poverty is such that I had never experienced. A yound man, Robel, who is in his mid 20's had "taken these kids in". By that, I am not saying into a house, shelter, etc. These children ages ranging from 5-15 years old are living on the streets of Ethiopia.
How is Robel taking them in? The kids have to be willing to do two things. Work and go to school. He is trying to teach them how to care for themselves without begging, which is so prominent in Addis. To do this the children work. Some shine shoes, sell packs of gum, toothbrushes, etc for 1/2 the day. The other half they go to school. Robel works three jobs to pay for their education. These kids stole our hearts. They are not to be pittied. They need Friends to come alongside them and guide, direct, help educate, keep them fed and clothed. While we were there we bought their products and had our shoes cleaned. They were thrilled to get the work. In July 2010 Tim and I had an opportunity to spend some time with them again. They are wonderful. One young boy, Samuel, asked me if I was coming back. When I told him yes, he asked me to bring him a pair shoes. See, we think Africa and we think hot and dry temperatures. Right now it is 50 degrees in the day and raining. These children are cold! So when we came back and started talking to our friends and family about this they did what good friends do. They began helping to put things together for us to take back. We have decided to make a "survival bag" for each of the "street kids". Each backpack will include: fleece tie blanket, Tshirt, Jeans, tennis shoes, rain poncho, toothbrush and paste. In addition we have had donations for the kids at the orphanage, including blankets, clothes, school supplies, and balls.
God knew it was going to take each of us to working together to do the works He has had planned for years. Some to go, some to pray, some to provide, some to encourage and support.....
I have been Amazed the past two weeks at how God has shown His plan and so many intricate details that I am just in AWE!
In James 1:27 God tells us: "Religion that God accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help, and keeping yourself free from the world's evil influence." I am so thankful to be part of this plan and am so thankful to each person who has worked as the "Body of Christ" in this endevour.