Reflections from a Rooftop 01

It was dark as we flew into Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From a few thousand feet above the mountain top city, known as the Rooftop of Africa, I remarked to Amy how few lights there are below in this capital city as compared to any city of any size in America. Few or many, however, as we descended into Africa both Amy and I felt in one sense that we had reached the end of a long, God-designed journey that began not when we got on the plane nearly 24 hours ago but at the tender age of youth when each of us, strangers to each other, were united in a common dream of one day going to Africa although unsure why. It was for this reason that Amy burst into tears upon seeing the sparse city lights of Addis below and why I was unable to express any other thought than, “Thank you, Jesus.” But this was only half of the story. While we both recognized that this was the end of one long journey it was also the beginning of a new one, one we cannot fathom. If you had asked either Amy or I when we were 13 why we had dreams of one day going to Africa neither of us would have ever thought it would be to adopt two children from Ethiopia. Ask either of us today why we dreamed of Africa when we were 13 and the answer will come without a moment’s hesitation: to adopt two precious children from Ethiopia. So, no, I nor Amy knows what the future now holds. We have, however, that blessed assurance that God is the perfector of our journeys. I am content to know that God is the Master Dreamweaver.

After a sleepless night Sunday we waited anxiously in the hotel diner for our kids to arrive. I lost count of the cups of coffee I drank. We are staying in a hotel with 3 other families who are adopting from the same agency as we and over the past few months we had gotten to know each other fairly well through emails and blogs. Each of them, however, had flown into country earlier than Amy and I and were already in custody of their children. They all waited with us in the diner, sharing more of their stories with us while offering to video tape and take pictures of our fast approaching union with two new Holtz’s. One story in particular I have to mention about one of the couples with us, Joel and Sarah (adopted a 5 month old beautiful baby girl), who live in Maryland. Joel works for World Vision and Sarah is an associate pastor at their church. In passing they said something about belonging to a Lutheran church when they lived in St. Louis some years ago. I asked what church that was, since I too lived in St. Louis and was attending a Lutheran church at the time. Turns out it was the same church! It gets weirder. In St. Louis my dad was a financial advisor for Thrivent Financial, a Lutheran fraternal insurance company, and it turns out that Joel and Sarah both have met my parents AND Joel’s parents are good friends with my dad and clients of his as well as Joel’s sister and husband! What a small world we live in and how intricately we are all connected to people around the globe in ways we cannot even begin to imagine. I believe God chuckled as we all picked our jaws up off the table.

to be continued…