The countdown begins

Ok, it began months ago really but now it's getting so close. Tarikwa's court date in Ethiopia is in only 5 or 6 days from today! We've been praying that all her paperwork is in order, all T's are crossed and I's are dotted, and that the correct people show up for the court hearing. If these things don't happen, she doesn't pass and then we all continue to wait. I trust God and after all we've been through, realize that His timing is perfect in all things.

I can't help but think in 5 or 6 short days, this child will officially and legally belong to a family. Her last name will change to ours and she will be our daughter. Wow, it's really an overwhelming thought. This sweet girl, who has prayed to be a part of a family who cherishes her for way too long, soon will officially be our child. Yea!!!!!!

Speaking of Tarikwa, as we were sitting at breakfast the other morning, Blaine announces, "I think we need to repaint Tarikwa's room purple." Now you do remember that we had the house all professionally painted after the house was rebuilt. In a letter we received from her, she stated she liked the colors yellow, green and red. So we had her room painted a very pretty yellow. The last two letters we've gotten, you will remember, she said she likes "priple and blue." So Daddy's little girl is getting a "priple" room on Saturday!! Then Sunday, we'll go purchase her bedroom furniture from Ikea and spend hours and hours assembling it! So worth every second!! I told Blaine, "I think you are going to spoil this child silly!" He replied, "Yeah, it's going to be hard not to."

I'm trying to remind the family that we need to be very careful about having expectations of how she'll react to "things." It is typical that children who have never had anything, don't know how to take care of things naturally. It seems logical that if you've never had anything of your own, the first "thing" you receive, you'd take care of with great care. Not true in reality. Being careful with "things" is learned, from my experience anyway. So we don't want to give her too much until she learns this. We're still working on this with Mihiretu! Actually, he's so much better than he was:) But I agree, we all will struggle to hold back from giving her everything she's never had before. But a "priple" room, she will have.

Even though her court date is always on my mind, I have to say that I'm not nervous or stressed about it, at least at this point. God has worked everything out in terms of her joining our family and I trust that He will continue to do this. He puts the lonely in families. It's His job. It's His heart. We praise Him for blessing us with another daughter!

I had a conversation recently with someone I consider to be a godly woman. She has a very godly husband. They have one child, a freshman in college. They are loving and doting parents. She asked me about our adoption of Tarikwa, wondering how it was coming along. I told her and she said, "I sure wish we could adopt. But we're too old." I assured her they were NOT too old, at least not for a little bit older child. She said that she'd love to have a couple more but her husband wouldn't be in favor of it.

There is a lot to that conversation, I realize. I know she's not exposed to the adoption world in the way that we are and many of you are. Because of this, she can't imagine adopting a child who is not a baby or young toddler. She would want to have the child at a young age so she could mold them more effectively. I totally get that.

It made me sad and since this meeting, I've begun praying for her that God would show her His will for her life in regards to the orphan. I also took it as a bit of a challenge. Why has she never been exposed to the beauty of adoption, including older child adoption? I guess because sadly, there are so few people doing it. It makes me sad to think that people I consider very godly have not understood that the orphan and widow are at the very heart of God. He considers the care of them to be "pure and faultless religion." Pure and faultless.

Well, God has caused our paths to cross. I hope that as she and others look and observe our little family, they see that this is not only do-able, but that it is an enormous blessing.

With 147 million orphan children, we really can't afford to wait. This is an emergency. This isn't going to make me popular with some but I'm going to say it anyway. If we look at this the way it is...as an emergency...we'd act.

Think of the Jews during the Holocaust. I have said many times, "Where were the people of God? How did they allow this to happen? People were dying. Where were the Christians?"

I'm afraid that one day, the same will be said of our generation.

In my next post, I will include ideas for those of you who are interested in caring for orphans. We all have a part to play.

Many blessings,

Laura