Lifebook

Our adoption agency Bethany Christian Services has recently started offering an amazing service to adopting families....it's called a Lifebook. It's a set of 2 dvd that provides our family with valuable information about Desalee's past and chronicles our time in Ethiopia. We received this treasure while we were still in country, but hadn't really gotten around to viewing it until just yesterday.

I can only think of one word..WOW!

It was like opening a huge surprise gift that you had no idea you were getting! The first of the DVD's is really the kind of thing that you would share with your family and friends. It starts with some interesting information about Ethiopia and the culture. Then it gives more specific information about the area that Desi came from, followed by photos and footage of her in the orphanage. The videographer was there to document our first meeting [which is in reality kind of boring to watch because she was kind of catatonic!] and the farewell ceremony the day we took her from the orphanage. It will be great to show this to the important people in our lives and with Desi some day.

But the real treat was the 2nd DVD--her birth history. I blogged about our meeting the Desi's birth father [ here ]. We thought that we got all the info that this man was willing to give that day. It's really not that I felt like he was holding back, but in "the moment" it's hard to remember to ask all the questions. I spent the next couple of days thinking of things that I wished that I had asked and feeling disappointed that it was too late to ask if her mothers hair was soft or course? curly or straight? What was her birth like? Why did you give her that name?

This video stunned us with all that it held! And so many questions were answered! Thank God! We had no idea that we would have this to give her! I won't share the specifics because this treasure belongs to Desi and we will wait for the right moment to share it with her and allow her to decide who she will share it with.

I am so grateful that we were offered this service and resource.

I was skeptical at first as to whether it was worth the cost....
TOTALLY WORTH IT!!