A letter from Tarikwa!

The Thursday we moved back home, we received the most wonderful email. It was from a woman who works for our adoption agency and was in Ethiopia when our sweetie received her long awaited gift bag!! She graciously relayed the experience to me.

"Tarikwa was in a room being tutored by a volunteer and initially we couldn't find her when it was announced there was a welcome bag with her name on it. Her friends were racing around shouting her name and we finally realized where she was. That girl has a beaming smile...but at that moment, it was brighter than I'd ever seen it. Just pure joy! I think she had been despairing of ever having a family, especially after L left. Her friends surrounded her and they were all hugging and congratulating her...just so so so cute to watch. Then we took pictures of her opening the bag, looking at the photos. Her eyes were just huge as she examined each picture. She kept pronouncing each of your names and her new last name. "I will be Tarikwa E_____, right?...My father is Blaine, my mother is Laura, etc."

"When I arrived the next morning, she came right up tome with the book and named off the whole family, the ages of "my new brothers, my new sister..." It was just a moment to melt your heart."

Then she helped Tarikwa write a letter to us which we received Tuesday, last week! It is so sweet.

It reads;

"Dear family,

Hi my family. How are you? I am very happy because you are my family. I pray for you every day. I like colors blue. I love Jesus a very much. I love sport soccer team Arsenal. I love very much MY FAMILY, mom and dad."

Then she wrote the word "family" and surrounded it with a heart. With some more "I love you's" she signed it "From: Tarikwa E____"

Getting this information was like a huge hug for my mommy heart!

I can now visualize her receiving her gift bag with clarity! What a wonderful moment! Even if I wasn't there I feel as if I was. Thank you, Susan from the bottom of our hearts!

We also received a couple super, duper photos of her. In one she is holding our gift bag and her face says it all...pure joy! In the second one, she is wearing the t-shirt we sent her with all our faces on it, along with hers. She looks very proud!

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to be 1 of 3 families to take part in the making of a video for our church to honor "National Adoption Month" in November. The subject was, "How has adoption blessed your family?" It was fun and of course, I flubbed my lines but Blaine delivered his lines flawlessly. Thank goodness for editing!

We are still waiting to hear on a court date for Tarikwa. Hopefully soon!

Thank you all for all your kind words and blessings. They mean so much.

Blessings,

Laura