"too much beds"

News alert:  the twins confirmed orphanages suck (excuse my language)

they told us that they would cry every night and then the other kids would cry too- the staff would come in and tell them that it's ok and to stop crying-
but they said they kept crying,
they told us that after they met us on our 1st trip they didnt cry at night anymore, they slept with their photo books that we gave them and they would pray that we would hurry up and come back to get them. 

 My jaw dropped at hearing them tell us these things but theres more...

I know I have written about how our 4 year old daughter begged us to go "get more kids" when she came home from 4 years of orphanage life in India, "they dont have a mommy or daddy!"

Well, if you told me that I would have a similar conversation w/ my 11 year old twins who grew up in rural Africa in a family- and have only lived in an orphanage for several months...I would not have believed you.

BUT-coming home w/ NO English...2 MONTHS later I found myself laying in one of their beds at night in disbelief at what Im hearing:

"Mommy, me and Jerusalem and Sova- we (can) share 1 bed...Jacob and Caleb- (can) share 1 bed...THEN... 3 more beds!!! We get more kids...too much beds...too much...house too big...mommy and daddy adopt again...yes, good. Me big, me adopt too!"

Ummm...what do we say to that?

"well, honey, the typical US household has 2.5 kids and we dont want to look too weird." (Oh yeah, too late for that ;)

Anyways-Im trying to stall their inquiries while I rally the troops around me :)

 

Once again I'm finding myself praying not only to heal their broken orphan hearts-but to PRESERVE their compassion- there's just some things too precious to try to forget.

  People say adoption is too expensive but don't think twice about taking out a $16,000 Car loan.

Yes...we need cars.  That would rank high on my list. 

But children need families.  They should not have to grow up in institutions or on the streets.

 

Do you know that there are 0% interest adoption loans available?  Personaly I believe God will just provide the funds when you put in a little bit of effort but if you are OK with financing a car...would you ever consider financing an adoption?

 

There are also countless grants available- that actually give money- we were granted $3500 when they thought we were going to adopt 1 baby!  (should have sent the application in when we new about the twins ;)

 

Below are 2 excerpts from the book,

 'Orphanology: Awakening to Gospel-Centered Adoption and Orphan Care" by Tony Merida and Rick Morton

"The task is huge and daunting.  There is no easy answers to the worlds orphan crisis.  We must not be paralyzed by the size of the challange.  We must focus on the power of God, as He is our challange giver.  He, not the sad state of human failing, has given us this challange, and He will supply our needs.  Just as we recognize that our adoption in Christ was not plan B in God's working out of His plan for redemption, we must take comfort that God's plan for caring for the fatherless is not just His way of dealing with a social problem.  It is the gospel on display in our lives.  Living out James 1:27 in our present context calls upon the body of Christ to discover a multifaceted approach to visiting and caring for the orphan."

Where to start:

-the internet
we did a search on adoption agencies- went on a yahoo group about picking an adoption agency- picked about 10 that looked good- sent away for their free packets on their websites

once the packets pile in you probrably cant go back.  Some come w/ dvd's that make your husband cry and want to sell your wedding rings

we higlighed programs that interested us and crossed out the agencies who's prices were a bit higher than others...basically thats how we chose our agencies-

Then you take a deep breathe,  sign the papers, ignore the fact that you see lots of numbers following that dollar sign when you really have no money and Pray.  Than grab His hand tight and hold on...

When it's over and the child whose picture was on your fridge for a year is wearing that cute outfit that was on the hanger for a year...you wonder how in the world that happened and still fathom at God's goodnes.

 

 

 

 

Our Journey to Helen & Jerusalem

          
Our Ethiopian Adoption journey to bring home our beautiful girls.
Looking back at this long adventure brings tears to my eye's at the goodness and provision of God.


(I cant figure out why the scrolling words go away so fast...I guess if you want to read them you have to pause it- until I figure it out ;)

Christmas!

Glitter was discovered by the twins this season!

So after looking at photos of our family camping outside (in the summer!) the twins were so excited at that thought that they begged to set up camp outside...in the dark...in Decemeber.  That spent 2 hours making their house and even ate their dinner outside in the cold.  They told us that they always wanted to sleep outside but their mother would not let them because of the men who drank and walked around at night.  Again- amazing how they could explain this to us- it was pretty funny seeing Jerusalem trying to impersonate a drunk- they said the men would knock on their door and their mother would tell them to go away...

 We had gingerbread decorating w/ grandma and Chocolate making w/ uncle Larry.  The girls love this type of stuff!

 

 

Decorating our Christmas tree...Helen was not satisfied w/ our lights...she had us running out for more strands because it was not colorful enough :)

Pulling out the Christmas stuff Helen found the 'Christmas tree skirt'- when she asked what it was and Sova said, "our Christmas tree skirt"  - well how would she know that it was litteraly a skirt for the tree!  She said, "my Christmas tree skirt" and proudly wore it around the house.  The next day when she saw her beloved skirt aound the tree- she realized what it was for and cracked up.

 

 

Oh my this was a night to remember!  At christmas time in Ethiopia the main meal is called, 'Doro Wat' (basically a spicy chicken dish w/ onions and tomatoes)  The girls told us that they would sleep at their church on Christmas and when they went home they would eat this meal.  We put on some loud Ethiopian music and cooked together.  They defiantly knew what they were doing!  I would take the onions off the stove and they would say, "no, cook more- brown."  And while chopping the chicken they would say- "smaller."  They were quite excited w/ the outcome- yum!

 

 

The night before Christmas eve we all watched the Nativity Story.  We woke up on Christmas Eve and told the kids that we were going to Bethlehem...(a small town in CT) to see a special nativity scence.  There is a working Abby in that town w/ a beautiful creche in the woods.  It was such a simple and quiet outing where we just tried to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.  That night we did a pj's and breakfast night w/ aunty Jess and the cousins.  At 10pm I took 3 of the kids to a candlelight mass...we we got out after 11pm and it was snowing!  Jerusalem kept her head out of the window the whole way home shouting, "Merry Christmas Everybody!!!!"  Even after several attempts to draw her head in she would say, "but it's Christmas mommy!" and back out her head would go into the snowflakes :)

 

 Stuffing the stockings took significantly longer this year!

 Christmas morning Caleb :)

                                                    The previous video post shared it all  :)
                                                      We had some excited girls!

 Since the snow- the twins ask everyday to go sledding!  Even Jacob noticed by saying, "Wow, mom usually we just go sledding a couple times a winter- I think we beat our record."  They LOVE snow...  and iciceles.

 

Our past adoption journey was so long that we have been waiting 2 Christmas's to bring home a child (but actully turned plural to children;)  it felt so good to have a Christmas with my heart in tact to my body.  It was quite full this year and for that I am thankful!