adoption

November is National Adoption Month, or Adoption Awareness Month.  i've heard it called both.  and because of this, i've been doing lots and lots of reading on the topic as of late.  there is much out there in the cyber world about this subject.  some good, and some a wee bit discouraging.  overall, however, this continues to be a topic that i'm so passionate about.  for two obvious (and cute! :)) reasons, of course, and even more than that, i feel completely sure that God has placed this on my heart as part of my divine purpose here.  to be a voice for those who have no voice, to advocate for the fatherless....

some other things i know:

~ the resulting joy of an adoption comes only after profound loss happens first.  yes, this loss may be redeemed through the healing that comes from the presence of a "forever family", yet the pain and scars of the loss will forever remain, in varying degrees.  this is just tough. no way around it.  adoptees say this so often surfaces during various life stages and is a process of working through the layers of grief, repetitively.  then, factor in race and differences of cultures and identity questions and it just complicates things further.  

~ i don't believe adoption is for everyone, but i one hundred percent believe that everyone who is able should be investing somehow in the life of orphans, one way or another.  there are endless ways and places and causes that are all working to alleviate the worldwide orphan crisis.  God bless them for their tireless efforts!

~ locally, the greatest need is for families who are willing to consider offering a permanent home to children over ten years of age.  this is not for the faint of heart, obviously, but the greatest desire these kids have is to belong, and they wait for that day, hoping against all odds it comes...

~ adoption is such a beautiful parallel to the way i'm adopted into the family of God by the great sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus.  little me~ unworthy, imperfect, utterly sinful~ in need of a Father to say "i love you unconditionally. you cannot change this fact.  you cannot earn my love, it just is....and always will be" whoa...that moves me...what about my life would matter without the acceptance of that matchless gift? absolutely nothing...

~ lastly.  adoption has taken me to places of greater trust, greater love, greater faith, and a sense of being closer to God's heart than ever before.  it has not been simple, without stress, affordable (gulp), or even without days of doubt.  yet through every single day since our hearts were stirred to adopt~ we have known without a shadow of doubt that this was God's plan and will for our family.  so, i will continue to trust Him for the future of our family too.  because He has been faithful, and will always be there with us through the rolling waves of life.

so, i leave you with some links our SEMC Orphan Care Ministry has been sharing with our church family, and a few others.  if ever there are any adoption related questions, i would be happy to do my best to answer them or steer you in the direction of someone who could. 

 

They Break, You Know

Orphan Sunday Video

Chen Adoption Story

Clark Family Adoption Story

bedtime prayers, by Hudson

(first, hi Angela! :))

Hudson's prayer the other night was sweetness and special all rolled together. he covered his adoption, his Haitian relatives, his brother AJ, and then finished with "I pray that you'll find an awesome girl for me to marry someday."

and i added in a barely audible whisper "not yet, dear God, not yet...."

i love the prayer.  love his sincerity.  still, i'm just hoping every prospective young girl ignores him for another decade.  that could happen, couldn't it??! 

pumpkins

two little hambones remained back home with me while the oldest four were off to wrestling practice with daddy.  all the pumpkins had been individually self-designed, emptied of seeds and carved (Adam and I).  when the time came to finally light the candles placed inside each one these two crazies joined me on the front porch for pictures.  had to use the flash to see them. :)

it was windy and chilly that night, but pj's and boxers were the choice for the photos ("we're not cold!!!!")  they had their silly going on this particular night, and only this picture was even reasonable enough to post.  AJ is all into hand gestures and posing these days.  oh dear...

 

 

Adam's~ 100% by himself...

 

Hudson's

 

AJ wanted a Batman logo.  we tried.  don't judge.  i have zero artistic ability.  the seven year old boy was happy.

 

Hannah

 

Layla

 

Joelle...i picked the heart for her myself because she wasn't here to carve it~ mostly because it was simple and quick after carving four others,  and also because i love her.  so much.

 

then the yummy roasted seeds.  i truly love all of these parts of fall so much. 

 

now, bring on Christmas!!! :)

 

my five runners

cross country season is officially complete.  the five oldest competed, and AJ is just simply too young to enter, but his day is coming!  we are truly so proud of their efforts to prepare daily for these events.  the highschool girls had practice four times a week, and this involved lots of conditioning and distance running to be "race-ready" for the various meets.  they both did great~ consistently finishing in the top third of their category.  the younger three were part of the team at the new school.  to even qualify for a spot on the team, a requirement was that they log forty kilometres in training, most being completed on their own time.  that was big~ simply just in finding the days and daylight to get it all in by the deadline.  Hudson and i enjoyed many 2-3 km jogs down our road together.  some days he'd be all "mr. energy" and other days he'd need some encouragement and reminders that he is "Haitian strong".  he persevered, made the team, and even went on to compete at the district level where he finished 22nd out of 71 nine year old boys.

 

 

 

Layla joined a strong team of 11 year old girls already at the new school.  they competed so well that their combined team points got them the pennant at the district level.  individually, Layla finished 10th from 63 girls at district level, which was impressive all on its own, but even more so when i learned she'd fallen over a tree root out on the course.  she came in with mud on her knees and a bruised up shoulder, but her determination was delightful to see!  this course also contained an ominous hill which was pretty difficult for them as it wasn't something they'd trained for.

 

 

Adam was equally determined. through other sports and community events, he knew many of the runners that faced him at the start line. solid, competitive runners that were there on a mission. he had a goal of keeping a certain one in view at all times, and even at district level he managed to do so. he finished 27th out of approx 60-70 13-year old boys.

 

overall, i think all five were pleased. it had been hard work, but a great season to be out enjoying some trails and the benefits of cardiovascular work-outs. we praised their commitment and perseverance even through the discomfort...here's hoping a healthy lifestyle with lots of varied activity becomes their chosen pattern for years to come.

 

 

 

coffee...on an anniversary

i realize this is two posts in a row about Ethiopia.  i'm on an accidental roll! :)  yes, i've been remembering this "country of coffee" often this month, and it just so happens today is the anniversary of the court appearance when AJ became legally ours~ when we first heard a judge utter the words "he's yours." four years ago. crazy....reading that post over is just the best memory...so clear still. oh how i wish i had these journal accounts for each delivery of my four homegrown kids and Hudson's adoption too....i don't, so the baby books will have to do. 

 

back to the coffee....these articles and stories come to me by way of an adoption group i'm part of online.  there are some women there who are great resources for all things adoption and Ethiopia.  it's like they sit and scour the internet all day for anything related.  i'm sure they really don't, they have kids and families too, but wow~ are they ever a great wealth of information!  this article on the coffee business in Ethiopia is fascinating, to me at least.  Jeff and i have purchased coffee at two of the cafes mentioned and pictured, as well as partaken in the traditional coffee ceremonies and the beautiful way Ethiopians show their hospitality through this event....fond memories (wild understatement!)  great coffee.  great people. 

 

there, i'm done now.  for awhile at least...
 

ethiopia

i can't stop watching this, three and a half minutes that take me back....so well done that i can almost taste the injera, smell the roasting coffee beans, and hear the bustling sounds that i remember so well from our time in Ethiopia...this week marks four years since we first laid our feet down on the red soil of that exotic and amazing land.  with our two oldest daughters we took in all that we could on that journey to our dear AJ...it was unforgettable and one we hope to repeat someday.  even if you've never been, this gives you a small window into Ethiopian cuisine and culture....enjoy!

tooth fairy

this is the first front tooth to be lost by AJ, our last and youngest child.  sniff, sniff...this happened a few weeks ago, and actually it was his big, brave cousin that took on "tooth-pulling" duties.  i was glad because pulling teeth is something i strongly dislike, especially when they aren't literally just hanging and instead have a bit of a root still attached, as did this one...but AJ wanted it out and was determined the time had come.  he wiggled it and wiggled it all through the morning church service...he was on a mission.

 

AJ was a bit worried the tooth fairy would take his tooth, so i encouraged him to write a note to ease his concerns.  after all, it was a very fine front tooth and any smart tooth fairy would want to take it with her...thankfully, the message was clear enough that the tooth remained there the next morning with two dollars....he was an excited little man and so happy to go to school to show the "new look".