T Minus 8 Days

The days are flying and I can hardly keep up!

I need to clarify something. A friend of mine today was surprised that I could be excited with all that I have to do: booking flights, booking hotels in foreign countries, organizing donations, figuring out where our four children will go for the duration of our trip, and the list goes on.

She was very relieved to know that I was not 'oh so relaxed and cheery' about all the stuff. I quickly reassured her that I woke up with butterflies every morning for the last week! There is so much to do, so much to organize, and so much responsibility!

Not to mention leaving my babies for 16 days!! Trust me, if I could have gone for a shorter time, I would have!!! But only an adoptive parent can understand how much you already love your child that you have never met; the same as you love the child in your womb before it is born.

The thought of making our girls wait an additional couple weeks and not go until September was unbearable. They have waited for 5 months for a 'Forever Family'. They have made friendly attachments and seen these children leave.

Just recently our sweet little chirrup Gadisae was broken-hearted when her little friend, Mekdes left. My friend Laura, Mekdes's mum, told me this:

I also think Gadisae was very upset by Mekdes leaving because a couple times I caught her sitting at the table with her little face in the hands.

Gadisae did seem a bit sad at the leaving but smiled when I told her that I know her new mommy in Canada and she will be able to keep in touch with Mekdes through pictures and notes...

At the same time it is not easy to leave our little ones. I have left Briton once before, but that was when he was staying with his daddy for two weeks. This time he will be staying with my friend, Erin, who has two little girls. He will be in good and loving hands, but at the same time he will not be in his own home and he will not have his big brothers with him.

Because of his lack of speech it is hard to have a two way conversation with him. So I sat him on my lap and discussed that he would be going to Julianna's house. I asked if he knew who Julianna was. He said yes. I then continued chatting with him. His responses were mainly - yes's and no's. So it is hard to know exactly how abstract the whole thing is.

I do know that when I mentioned going to Julianna's the other day (for a visit to prepare him for being left there) he said, 'No'. I quickly realized he was having anxiety about being left, so I took him on my lap and explained that we would be just going for a visit and he would be coming home with me. He immediatley smiled and was happy to go.

When I ask him about going to Julianna's house he raises his two fingers. That is his way of telling me that he is going to Julianna's because we are going to get 'the two girls'. When I asked him 'What else do you know about Julianna's house?' he replied, "Watie."

He means - water. There is a lake there. There backyard runs right into a lake. Please be praying for protection for my little ones. When I was there for a visit I wanted to take him down to the lake and show him. I didn't want him so curious about this water that he was not supposed to go near, that he ended up doing just that.

I began walking across the yard with him and when I was about 30' from the water he put his feet down and would not budge. No, sir! He had been warned up and down about the dangers of the water, while at home, so I am very pleased to see that he 'got it'. And he would not let himself near it, even with me there.

For the first week he and Cooper will be at Erin's house; Cassidy will be at my friend Tammy's house; and Austin will be at Bible camp. Then on the Saturday the 23rd, Rusty, a 'Gramma' to our kids will pick up Austin from Bible camp and take him to her house for the next five days; Erin will come and get Cassidy and stop at my house for a few days with the little boys and her girls. Then on the 28th Austin will be taken to my parents house for the last five days. And Erin will have the kids back at her house for the last week.

A lot of movement, but good care for the children!

On the 2nd of September my mother will bring Austin to the airport, and Erin will bring the other three as well. She will have my van while we are gone, so this is possible. But since we have not had our GST money returned to us *YET* (trusting God here!) we are driving our 8 passenger van. Obviously, our new family will not all fit in there. So my parents will be driving Cassidy, Colt, and Dane home from the airport, and Ray and I will drive the rest of the kids home, plus drop off Erin at her house.

Hopefully when that GST money comes through we can buy Ray a new truck with five seats and then we will have room to travel together. My dream is for me to get a GMC Savanna, but that can't happen until Ray has his truck! His beater is 19 years old and nearly 500,000 km on it!!

So, what else happened today?

Well, we had an AMAZING donation at church today!!! A very kind family gave us a cheque for ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!! That brings our cash donations up to a grand total of $3180!! Plus the boys $1200, plus Ray and my $1100, plus the eight suitcases!!!

We have a variety of things to do in Ethiopia and have been praying for God to give us direction when it came to the 'smaller orphanages' or people taking care of kids just because they are their neighbours kids, type of thing.

The day before yesterday I got an email from a fellow adoptive friend. Her sister is in Ethiopia and has connected with people who have just opened up an HIV positive orphanage!!! They have got a house and they have licensing for 28 kids, and the first children arrive this coming week!!!

They have basically nothing. They are just beginning. I do believe God has given us a clear direction!! We are very excited about this opportunity. Ray and I have discussed what he might be able to do. We are not sure what supplies are available. But what would be nice is if there was any building he could do: beds, benches etc. Simple stuff that he could do in a simple fashion - to save them a lot of money. I heard that chairs for the children to sit on are running at $35 US per chair!!!! That is expensive! So benches would be a great way to save money.

The problem is - are there supplies and are they accessible in the town of Nazaret, also known as Adama. This is also the town our girls came from. So we had intended on going there anyway!! God is good!!! We are so very excited!!!

I got the video camera working; I got the videos figured out so that I can email the little clips to the parents - YEAH!!!!

Off to bed - another day gone by so fast!!! SEVEN MORE!! YIKES!!!!!!

Please continue praying for our children:

Cooper says his ear still hurts.

Colt called me tonight and today was the first time he did not have a splitting headache. He is still dealing with a sore throat and a cough, plus he has a swollen gland. He is working 16 hour days and has not had a day off in 3 weeks! It is nuts!!! I threatened to call the camp and demand he be given time off, but after listening to him and realizing he will be home on Sunday, I decided to leave it. He will go to our doctors on Monday (the day we leave) and our homeopath also. Plus I will be pumping him with anything natural and herbal!

Austin still has that strange rash. Minor, but slightly itchy, and only on his stomach and lower abdomen.

Briton's toe are clearing up, but for the last 36 hours he has been limping and complaining that his right calf/leg hurts. He just woke up a while ago and I brought him downstairs for his toe medication. I put him on the floor to see if he would complain. He did. (My kids are not whiners, so I know when something is up). When he walked from the bathroom to his bedroom he was definitely limping. After church today, I took him to the doctor to have him look at his leg. The doctor did the typical: Felt his leg, recommended Advil or Tylenol, bring him back in 24-48 hours if he is not better, and then we will x-ray the leg.

In the meantime, while at church today I took all three younger boys up to the pastor for prayer for healing. Please pray that all three see full recoveries very quickly. I am taking them all back to the doctor on Tuesday or Wednesday if they are not better. God has the victory here and we are going to Africa, but I would like to see the little ones back to full health first!