Let's get a great ending to this great story

An email I sent to people:


Hi, everyone!

I have recently learned of some wonderful events that I feel the responsibility to pass on, because you never know how it pans out.

Here's the story. Sorry, it's long. Last year, I met a woman in my adoption blogworld that lives in Granbury, Texas. She and her husband adopted a little girl, just a year older than Piper and they were in the same orphanage. While they were in Ethiopia picking up their daughter, Gladney(the adoption agency) was about to begin the Bright Futures Camp, here in Texas where they bring older children to stay for a week in hopes of finding them families to adopt them. A sibling group of 2 girls, one tween, one teen, and their brother, age 17 were not finding a host family, and ran the risk of not being able to come. Becky (my friend) and her husband, since they had done the homestudy for their adoption and were obviously approved, being as they were there to pick up their child, said that the Kinfe kids(the 3 siblings and who are separated in diff. orphanages) could come stay with them during the Camp. That was pretty big, considering that they were bringing home a 3 year old girl who is just as strong willed as Piper is! Anyways, the kids had a fantastic time, but unfortunately, were unable to find a family.

This is still the case, but some recent events have come to light. David Nasser, who is a new name to me and author of Glory Revealed and runs David Nasser Outreach(and whom I will be learning much more about) was set to speak at Liberty University for Spiritual Emphasis Week. He prompted students to do a 'jeans' campaign to help the Kinfe kids in getting adopted. Basically, he challenged them to donate the cost of a pair of their jeans. Being as this was to about 4000 students, the results were more astounding than you can imagine. He asked on Wednesday, and by Friday, they had $85,000. Not only would this cover adoption, but aid in college, as well. That just brought me to tears. You can read more about it at Liberty Journal

I met the kids last year at an Ethiopian American Soccer tournament, while they were here visiting for the camp. I saw them again when I went to get Piper. Let me tell you what I know about these guys.
The oldest boy, Aschalo, bought a chemistry book when he was here for fun! He was gracious and studious, and did well with the Becky's (age 3 and 4)kids. He will age out at 18 in December, I believe this year. This means that he will not be adoptable if it doesn't happen soon and if the girls do get adopted, they will be separated over an ocean. Genet(I think 16) is shy and studios and wants to be a pilot when she grows up. And Yesalemush (at 15) is the artist and all girly girl. These are just unjust short bios. These precious kids need a family. You are welcome to read more about them in Becky's blog ....just look at her June-July entries last year. Aschalo speaks pretty good English and the girls know some, too. They are learning it at the orphanage.

Here is an excerpt of their recent letter to Becky:

'We are so busy, we spend our time by study. Many children are finish their process and goes to U.S.A. we are very sad. Every day we pray to God to help us to get a family from Texas. We ask you again don't forget us to find a family to adopt us.'

Pass it on!

Sugar and spice...uh, are we sure about that???

Today has been one of those days. At school, after chapel, Piper refused to walk on her own, and she plopped down on the floor and wouldn't budge. I caught her sweet teacher picking her up to bring her back to class, so I made Piper walk and gave her time out for her 'tude and refusing to do what she was told. Since we have been home (3pm), she has been in time out 5 times. It is 4:42. I am truly fearful of the teenage years!! She reminds me of the velociraptors (sp?) in Jurassic Park, looking for the weakness in the fence. She knows her sweet teacher will give in, so she pushes. And she pushes her brothers, too, until I catch her. They cave on her for anything she wants, whether they have a right to it or not, bless their hearts. I am glad it is that way rather than the other way around!

Well, she just helped herself out of time out, so she's back in again.

It's so funny. Everyone I hear of who has girls first say they are easy and their boys(if they come later) are harder. I am sooo the other way around! While I am glad my girl is spunky(yeah, that's P.C. for a stinker), and that no one will get past her, she is a handful! I think I am probably having a hard time with the fact that there is someone else who needs to be parented differently and that is hard to do with all three kids at the same time, at the ages that they are. I struggle with the fact that a lot of things don't seem fair to her and I worry it will affect the way she thinks she is treated. Factors are things like her age (she can't do as much as big bros) or her behavior(she truly thinks she has been wronged sometimes, when it is just part of learning the rules). We aren't big spankers (the boys next to never get one), but at this age, until they are older and able to understand the rules and punishment is more along the lines of privilege removal, swats and time outs are it. I don't believe that you can reason much with a 2 year old, so this is our approach. Please don't get into the whole spank/not to spank debate, that's not what this is about. But I am open to other options since while these do work, I worry about the fact that she doesn't see it happening to the boys and may have issues with that that could present themselves later.

Anyone with their strong willed kids have any other methods? Her infractions aren't huge, but have to be addressed. They tend to be refusal to cooperate or take "no" as an answer.

That said, here are some pictures of my cutie pie in her (RED) jammies and being little Mama to her big brother, wiping the snot from his nose. I love it!

What's Your Thang?

"The need is the call"

Pretty much speaks for itself. Just in case anyone was wondering what their "thing" or "calling" or "cause" should be, like I used to wonder. Saw that today and just thought it was good.

We have a camera again. Yay! Here are a couple of updated pictures of Piper, who obviously knows how to work the camera when she wants to!

I just read Same Kind Of Different As Me. What a moving book. It's a nice reminder not to judge and remember that your work is never done. After a minuscule reflection, I realized how dumb I was in my last post. There is nothing unselfish about me. I am just as selfish as I always have been. I just happen to do what I'm supposed to sometimes.One of the things I am supposed to do and actually did was go to Haiti for our church mission trip. I have gone twice, and this year, we decided that Dennis will go. I wouldn't miss Haiti for anyone else, let me tell you. There may be no privacy(uh, you just think you are alone on the side of that mountain on a pit stop), no cool air reprieve, and a language barrier, but I LOVE going there! The reasons why would take days to write. I would love for Dennis to go and be able to share that same sentiment that I have when I talk about Haiti. I am very confident that once he goes and plays with the kids(Ethiopia and Haiti are very similar in many ways), he will be a sunk ship! We actually stay in a village called Les Abricots at the Pastor's home. Our trip is guided by Reciprocal Ministries Inc. (RMI). We have partnered with them in their sister church program. We go once a year and commit to praying for our sister church. We have wired the church for power, sent a generator, and built pews as some of our projects. We do a women's bible study and try to do something special for them, since we are truly honored guests while we are there and they work sun up to sun down to make sure we are taken care of. We also sponsor children for school through the Hope for Kids program. My dream is to someday go for a couple of big trips a year and volunteer at places like God's Littlest Angels(a wonderful orphanage) or at places like Real Hope for Haiti. That would be awesome. Now, I know that it's isn't Piper's country, but it is the place that planted the seed for her adoption in the first place. Once you teach the Macarena to about 50 kids who don't speak English, you are done for!