I’ve known you for 25 days, yet you’ve been alive for 730 days. In those 25 days I’ve known you, we’ve done some life together, son.
Strange foods, first steps, embassy lines, airport floors, the longest journey of both of our lives, stares from others, plenty of tickles, teaching you to wrestle, and watching you learn to trust. In these first 25 days, I’ve seen you learn to smile, dance, play piano, hug a brother, enjoy air conditioning, scowl at American food, sigh in relief awakening in your home, and doing some serious bonding to your one-in-a-million Mommy. I see the love in your eyes for her. You get that honest from your Daddy and brother.
I’m so proud of you. On this second birthday of yours, I am so very proud to be your Daddy. You are such a strong, resilient child. You could have quit a long time ago. Sorrow, disease, or malnourishment took other children around you. But not you, Eli Botela Agnew. You were too determined. Too focused. Too resilient.
Many circumstances didn’t give you much a chance, but Jesus did.
Today, we celebrate God’s precious gift of you to our family. While it is your second birthday, it will be the first you celebrate. First piece of cake, first gift to open, and first time when people simply celebrate you. While Mommy and I missed out on the first 705 days of your life, we promise to make up for it. We are going to give you extra hugs, tickles, kisses, rubs, smiles, winks, and more attention, focus, and love that you can possibly imagine. Life did not start out easy for you, but God had plans for you, young one. He wasn’t through with you yet.
While adoption will forever be a part of your history, it is not your identity. You are an Agnew through and through. We see that more and more everyday. Never again will you have to fear being abandoned, isolated, or left destitute. You are home now. You have a family. And we are going to do everything in our power to show you the reason you were rescued is the same reason we were – Jesus.
So on this day, while we wish you happy birthday, excuse Mommy and me if we also spend some time celebrating Him. Because without Jesus, none of us would know what it was like to finally come home.
I love you, Eli. Happy Birthday. Here’s to me never missing another birthday of yours again.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
Happy Birthday to ELI!! What a wonderful birthday gift to have Travis and Amanda for your parents! And all of our North Side family to love you too!
Gosh.. he is so bea
Happy Birthday Eli! Hope you have a blessed day and many
Happy Birthday ELI !!!! You have a great Mom &am
HAPPY BIRTHD
Happy Birthday precious littl
Happy Birthd
Happy Birthda
Praise God for keeping you safe to be able to celebrate your second birthday with a mommy and daddy that love you unconditionally, Eli. Happy Birthday, preciou
Happy Birthday big man! Trav, you better spoil that little one
Happy Birthday little Eli – how precious yo
Happy Birthda
Happy Birthday Eli
Happy Birthday, son! You make us so very proud!
Gosh.. he is so beautiful
Happy Birthday Eli! Hope you have a blessed day and many more!
Happy Birthday ELI !!!! You have a great Mom & Dad
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Happy Birthday precious little Eli!
Happy Birthday~!!!
Happy Birthday Eli.
Praise God for keeping you safe to be able to celebrate your second birthday with a mommy and daddy that love you unconditionally, Eli. Happy Birthday, precious boy.
Happy Birthday big man! Trav, you better spoil that little one today!
Happy Bir
Happy Birthday little Eli – how precious you are!
Happy Birthday. 🙂
Happy Birthday Eli!!!!!!
happy Birthday little d
Travis,This is the SWEETEST letter. How precious your sweet Eli is!!!! Gosh..this letter moved me to tears. Thanks for sharing your heart. Oh no…I'm teary
Happy Birthday!
happy Birthday little dude!!!
Happy Birthday Eli and welcome
Travis,This is the SWEETEST letter. How precious your sweet Eli is!!!! Gosh..this letter moved me to tears. Thanks for sharing your heart. Oh no…I'm teary AGAIN!
Happy happy birthday birthday, Eli!
Trav! What a precious note! Eli is going to look back at all these entries one day and just be floored over how much you loved him even before you two met. He is so lucky to have you and Amanda as parents as you both exemplify our Heavenly Creator so well. Hope you’ve had an awesome day celebrating your sons bir
Happy Birthday Eli and welcome home!
I just cried like a baby. He is so blessed! Love you guys! Happy birthday
Happy Birthday, Eli!!! What a wonderful day of celebration! God bless you and your sweet mommy, daddy and big brother! We wish you much love and happ
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
and a late HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Wow! Eli & Obie are both so blessed to have parents who speak the blessings of God over them. This absolutely made me tear up. Love you
Happy Birthday to ELI!! What a wonderful birthday gift to have Travis and Amanda for your parents! And all of our North Side family to love yo
Trav! What a precious note! Eli is going to look back at all these entries one day and just be floored over how much you loved him even before you two met. He is so lucky to have you and Amanda as parents as you both exemplify our Heavenly Creator so well. Hope you’ve had an awesome day celebrating your sons birthday!
How precious! God is so good!!! Happy Birthday, E
Happy Birthday, Eli A
How AWESOME!! God is so good! Happy Birthda
How AWESOME!! God is so good! Happy Birthday Eli!
Happy Birthday to my Grandson; I love you.
Preci
I just cried like a baby. He is so blessed! Love you guys! Happy birthday Eli!!!