To all the mamas and will-be mamas out there - happy belated Mother's Day! Being back in Ethiopia is like coming back to a second home. We drove in and the kids immediately jumped on Anthony, yelling "Underdog!!!" and pulling him out back to the little swing set at the Transition Home. Their joyful laughter and big smiles makes your heart feel like it is going to burst. The kids here are the sweetest children I have ever met.
It was an amazing mother's day for us. We have already witnessed God's hands at work in SO many moments.
The first has been our time with Elora. We walked into her room and the nannies began saying "Rekik!! Mommy's here! Mommy's here!" And suddenly, i saw her precious face again...and I got overjoyed and terrified all at the same time. As she looked at me uncertainly, I realized that we had a lot of getting to know each other to do.
But the getting to know her...has been utterly amazing. I have no idea what her routine is like...how she likes to be held..when she drinks...when she naps. This sort of thing usually scares me to death...but we have been taking it one step at a time. I read the book "Kisses from Katie" (an AMAZING read!) on the airplane ride and was struck with one simple line that said something like: "I had no idea what I was doing...but I knew I could give her plenty of love and we would figure it out together."
So I have taken a deep breath...focused on loving Elora..and watched all the little miracles unfold. Like getting her to take a 3-hour nap...and figuring out that she cries only when she is hungry or tired. Discovering that she likes to be held in a cradle position or cuddled close to my shoulder ...but NOT facing outward! We have celebrated her sleeping through the night (2x now!) and kissed her little cheeks more times than we can count. She greets us with big grins every time now (she can be a fairly solemn thing) and loves touching our faces with her little fingers. In these two days...I feel like we KNOW our daughter..and that she KNOWS us. And to me...this is SUCH a miracle. We still have a long way to go...but the loving each other part is there.
Here is my second witness of God's gracious love for us and His little ones. We watched as a couple, tired beyond belief, fresh off of a plane, met their 3-year-old daughter for the first time. This sweet girl had her whole world shatter about 5 weeks ago..her family gone, her life as she knew it ended. She shyly walked into the arms of her new mama and daddy..unsure, hesitant, a little confused...and within the day, this sweet ones heart was theirs. You could just see the joy on her little face every time she saw her new mama. Her little arms were constantly wrapped around her daddy's legs, never wanting to let go. This little one's face...going from Uncertain to Certain of Being Loved has made my heart burst open all over again.
Every time i am here...I don't want to leave without taking all these children home with me. They love so openly...and have lost so much. There is so much pain that surrounds adoption...but the Joy and Love that surrounds it is unmatched...it's just God's fingers EVERYWHERE.
It was an amazing mother's day for us. We have already witnessed God's hands at work in SO many moments.
The first has been our time with Elora. We walked into her room and the nannies began saying "Rekik!! Mommy's here! Mommy's here!" And suddenly, i saw her precious face again...and I got overjoyed and terrified all at the same time. As she looked at me uncertainly, I realized that we had a lot of getting to know each other to do.
But the getting to know her...has been utterly amazing. I have no idea what her routine is like...how she likes to be held..when she drinks...when she naps. This sort of thing usually scares me to death...but we have been taking it one step at a time. I read the book "Kisses from Katie" (an AMAZING read!) on the airplane ride and was struck with one simple line that said something like: "I had no idea what I was doing...but I knew I could give her plenty of love and we would figure it out together."
So I have taken a deep breath...focused on loving Elora..and watched all the little miracles unfold. Like getting her to take a 3-hour nap...and figuring out that she cries only when she is hungry or tired. Discovering that she likes to be held in a cradle position or cuddled close to my shoulder ...but NOT facing outward! We have celebrated her sleeping through the night (2x now!) and kissed her little cheeks more times than we can count. She greets us with big grins every time now (she can be a fairly solemn thing) and loves touching our faces with her little fingers. In these two days...I feel like we KNOW our daughter..and that she KNOWS us. And to me...this is SUCH a miracle. We still have a long way to go...but the loving each other part is there.
Here is my second witness of God's gracious love for us and His little ones. We watched as a couple, tired beyond belief, fresh off of a plane, met their 3-year-old daughter for the first time. This sweet girl had her whole world shatter about 5 weeks ago..her family gone, her life as she knew it ended. She shyly walked into the arms of her new mama and daddy..unsure, hesitant, a little confused...and within the day, this sweet ones heart was theirs. You could just see the joy on her little face every time she saw her new mama. Her little arms were constantly wrapped around her daddy's legs, never wanting to let go. This little one's face...going from Uncertain to Certain of Being Loved has made my heart burst open all over again.
Every time i am here...I don't want to leave without taking all these children home with me. They love so openly...and have lost so much. There is so much pain that surrounds adoption...but the Joy and Love that surrounds it is unmatched...it's just God's fingers EVERYWHERE.
Well that is SOO ni-ce! With tears in my eyes, I am so grateful that God chose to bless us with you two there to witness and help us record those precious first moments! You guys (as I told you a million times) were our blessing on our first trip to meet our baby girl.
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