Desta's name

Ah, the name of our baby.  With each of our children, Matt and I seem to always mull around many names until the right one came along.  This has been a rather long process for our daughter Desta.

Several months ago Matt and I decided that we wanted her to have a name associated with her birthplace. We wanted her to have a connection to Africa without feeling that her name was only about Africa (ie, not standing out with a very hard to pronounce name). We were also aware that her age would have a lot to do with any name change that we did. If she was older than an infant, I think we would have stayed with her given (name at referral) name.  

We believe that the meaning of our children’s name represents who they become as they grow.   I began scanning lists of Ethiopian names and had settled on a few.  Trying to get an African name to work with “Monberg” is no easy task.  We finally found one. 

Desta means Joy in Amharic. For those who do not know, Amharic is one of the main languages spoken in Ethiopia.   I love that meaning.   JOY! 

After getting her referral, seeing her referral name from the paperwork and how she had received it, we decided that we would rename her Desta. 

This adoption journey has been filled with many emotions.  I must say that every time I look at her little picture, a smile comes to my face.  I am filled with JOY as I think about this beautiful treasure God has decided to give us.