New photos!

We recently sent Hailu a notebook. Isaac and my nephew and niece drew pictures in it for him, and I also put maps in it of the United States, Africa, and a world map with stick figures of me Mike and Isaac near PA with arrows drawn across the ocean to Ethiopia and a little stick figure of Hailu there. I wrote that we are coming soon! I also sent him a necklace because I haven't seen him wearing the other one we sent him since he got to Addis. I don't know if it broke or if they just didn't let him wear it, but I decided to send him another one either way~It is a little shield that has the verse Joshua 1:9b on the back of it: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." I also put crayons and pencils, a little American flag, and a pack of gum in the pocket inside the notebook. I wrote to him that he can write or draw in it while he waits for us and show us what he did when we come to get him.
WELL, we received photos of him today with all these things! I was so excited and thankful once again for this gift from the staff there in Addis. In the photos I see him trying to read what I wrote to him, and he wrote a message to us....It is hard to see in the picture, but it says "I love you Isaac- I love you Mama- I love you Papa" I was so impressed with his writing! I am not sure if someone may have had to tell him how to spell each word, but he still knew how to write all the letters correctly! It looks like he is doing really well....oh and of course we LOVED what he wrote! WE LOVE YOU TOO HAILU!!! What an exciting way to start the weekend!