Monday, May 31, 2010

Burning

We may not have had an official court date yet but a piece of my heart has taken flight and now resides in a transition home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  The second I saw her face smiling back at me on that Waiting Child List, something began to grow.  I could not shake it.  Now that we have accepted her referral, it is like one of my kids has gone on a sleepover and the house just doesn't feel the same.  Someone is missing.
I find myself thinking of her all through the day...I look at the clock and figure what time it is there.  I wonder if she went to bed like a good girl or if she gave the nannies a run for their money.  I wonder if anyone has let her sit in their lap today.  Is she getting hugs?  Do they tell her she is beautiful?  Has she had enough to eat today?  Does she have a baby doll?  Has she been told that, somewhere in America, there is a Mommy and Daddy who love her and 4 siblings who are dreaming of her...that she is no longer and never again will be an orphan?
DJ was so excited to tell his friends about her, even though she is another sister!  :)  Katie has been writing little sister's name over and over again and talking about her constantly. Gracie makes sure everyone knows that little sister is going to share a room with her.  And Drew?  Well he tells everyone he sees, stranger or friend, that we are getting little sis.  They talk about her, they plan, they imagine what she will be doing at different points throughout the day when she comes home.
Me?  I am doing my best to focus and keep my emotions under control.  Tomorrow we get the cover sheet notarized for the dossier, then head to the state capitol to have it certified.  Then, all that paperwork that has been in progress for the past 7 months gets placed in the hands of Fed Ex and sent to Virginia.  We are still waiting on our fingerprinting appointment for USCIS...it is on June 21st.  Once that is finished and we get our 171-H we will FINALLY be ready to get a court date in Ethiopia.  Daddy and I have to travel over there for court where we will meet little sister and get to love on her for a few days, then we have to head back home and wait for the embassy investigation to be complete before I can head back to pick her up and bring her home.  All of this could  take 6 months, but oh how I pray it will be faster.  LS (little sis!) needs to be home asap...and I can hardly wait to hear her voice and kiss her sweet face.
All this is to say, I could easily be stressing and worrying about her right now.  But I am choosing to trust the Lord's timing...that He is with her right now even though I am not.  I know He holds her in the palm of His hand and has protected her life thus far.  He has ordained the moment she will be in our arms and safe in her bed at home with a full belly and "Jesus Loves Me"  fresh in her mind.  I have to focus on the end result and methodically plod through each step knowing that each step brings us closer to her.  I pray for her all through the day.  I stare at her picture memorizing each detail and wondering what her voice sounds like.  I long to hear her little African accent mingled with the twang of her siblings.  I dream of that moment when I step off of a plane with her on my hip and walk into a room filled with family...her family.
Her life is about to radically change.
And we get the joy of being used by the Lord to help bring that about.  If only every child who waits could have that same hope.  It is going to be amazing to see how the Lord uses this...uses her to impact our community for Him.  There is something about a face, a smile, that made the worldwide orphan crisis suddenly very personal.  I was already passionate about adoption, about reaching out, loving, and giving in order to provide hope to every child, but the burning in my heart has now reached a whole new level.

Because, suddenly, she is my child.

That they all may be found,




4 comments:

  1. amen amen amen amen amen!

    And I can't wait to be standing with a BIG OLE sign watching you walk through the airport with that sweet girl baby on your hip!!!

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  2. i am with mary leigh... can't wait to meet her, she is a beautiful girl!

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  3. From someone who has adopted through America World, I can assure you that as soon as you signed that acceptance letter, she was told she had a Mommy and Daddy in America who loved her and were going to come get her. She gets three good meals a day plus snacks. And she is LOVED by the nannies there and given hugs and affection. She is in a good place while waiting for you to come get her!!
    In His Love,
    Amy
    Mom to John and Ryan

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  4. Amy, THANK YOU! I so needed to know those things! There are so many things I am still learning and those were definitely question marks in my mind. To know that SHE KNOWS about us, and to know she is getting love just settles my heart!

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