June 6 – Wednesday

I am a new Auntie! Moses is now Tim and Angie son. Moses is so sweet, quiet, and beautiful. He really is precious! Monday Tim and Angie went to court with all the signed papers to adopt Moses. Everything went smoothly until they met up with Mose Aunt at Amecet. She was there to pick up Moses. Somehow she was not in on all the paper signing and she was mostly worried she missed out on some money. She was saddened though and took sometime to hold Moses and grieve. Angie was heart broken and confused. But they had already gotten the judges approval and the sister too knew this was best for Moses. What a lot of emotions.

While they were gone Lydia, Grace, and I made welcome home and it's a boy signs with streamers. I really wanted to make this special occasion as special as you can when there is no other family around, no one to show the new baby off to, and no where to go and celebrate. We also planned a taco supper and made a cake in the shape of a rattle.

I have been overwhelmed lately and haven't known how to feel with the busy process of adopting Moses (and it isn't even my adoption), but when they came home with Moses I hugged Angie and just cried. What a beautiful, exciting, emotional thing.

And now they adjust to having two children. Figuring out Moses routine, sounds, how to take two kids for a walk or to the store, holding a baby while making supper, loving Avalien while busy with a new baby... Moses is a good baby though and Avalien is doing great. He differently knows he is in a new place and is unsure of all the change. A lot has happened to him in a short time. Lydia and Grace LOVE him. Lydia is good little mommy. She loves to help Angie and just wants to be by Moses. Grace is very loving gets in His face and says, “hi baby” all day long. She really is cute by him. She kisses him and talks to him like we probably talk to her.

I wish you could come and see the girls. I am sure they have changed a bunch since you saw them last. Lydia is full of imagination. The people here love her and think she is so funny. Some of them know by now to ask what her name is today. She is just fun to be with and listen to. She continues to sing and now dances too. The other day she was going away with Josh and she was shouting out the window things I say to her when I go away, “I love you, be good, take good care of Gracie...” Grace is a strong willed stinker but she is so darn cute you just laugh sometimes. She has personality! She does and says the silliest things sometimes. I wish you could hear her. The girls love the song “Who's the King of the Jungle” (remember that one Chris?) so now after every meal Grace will say bubble, bubble. She also says, Bible, come, sho (so), see, yaap (lap), Tabta (Tabitha), mean nup mean nup (clean-up clean-up)...I love listening to her talk.

Josh went to visit a blind school the other day. He took Lydia too and she played with the kids. Josh told me little bit about it and it made me want to go and see the school and students myself. My heart just aches when I hear about needy people, yet I often wonder how much my heart can take. I feel like I am really stretching my heart already.

Today Tim and Angie took Moses back to the doctor because of his cold and fever. I went too because Lydia has had some on and off bumps on her head. (She are fine.) Some of the kids from Amecet were sick too and needed to see the doctor. A few of the kids are HIV positive and one of the boys is 6 years old and SO thin. Angie commented that it is when kids have AIDS that it is so sad, so unfair. I couldn't agree more. They didn't choose a sinful life style, take risks, or anything. They are just the result of other peoples mistakes. I see sin that destroys and leads to death. (I know not everyone who has AIDS has sinned to get it but the disease is a result of sin.) I have heard so much about AIDS but for the first time I see the faces and know the people. What a difference it makes. It is all only numbers and words until you experience it yourself. I really feel for these dear children. All they know life to be is sickness and suffering. Thankfully, I read again today in the Bible about how God loves all He has created (Ps. 145). That is our hope and peace – God loves all of us!

Another heart wrenching story from Amecet, last year there was a three year old girl brought in because she was almost beaten to death. I guess she was going to be used as a human sacrifice. They drug her behind a car (or were about to) and she came in with all nail marks on her body. People who do that kind of evil to a child have to be possessed by satan himself. It is just plain evil. (And I know it happens in America too because I read similar testimonies while working at Crossroads.) The little girls did great at Amecet but still would freak out at the sight of blood. Angie told me they were getting another child who was almost beaten to death by his family. I am so thankful there is a God who loves and can heal.

We have been without power for 48 hours now. It makes me very thankful for a generator but we can't run it all the time so life is still frustrating without power.