First, praying for all in Haiti and those waiting to hear word on loved ones.
Prayer request: There is a paper needed at the US Embassy in Addis Ababa by USCIS here in the States. Please pray that it gets there smoothly.
We are not frantically packing, as I thought we might be. Much to the dismay of more organized people, our suitcases are in the attic, and they are EMPTY. We've not packed on thing. The babies' cribs are full of things we plan to take for them, so that's a good thing. We leave in two weeks. It's okay, though. We plan to pack lightly for ourselves.
We have shown the house quite a few times over the last few weeks. We currently have an offer and another family is coming to look at the house for the second time today. Praying and Praising God. Also, sweating like a madwoman as I run around cleaning up our home for millionth time this month...slight exaggeration, and actually Jim did most of the work on this one.
We sold Jim's tractor and purchased a van. Praising God for his guidance with this. The kids LOVE it. Because they love it, it makes me love it all the more.
Some friends are throwing us a shower this evening. The only thing they've told us is that our friends Megan and Ken will serenade us with a rendition of "Islands in the Stream"-can't wait! They are singing maniacs :-)
I will be done with work in 6 days. I had a moment as I sat there yesterday, thinking of my students. I realized for the first time how much I will miss them. I mean really miss them. They bring so much joy to my life. They're so funny. So sweet. They're like little golden retriever puppies...they just love you and love you and love you. They keep you young. It's like reliving your childhood all over again some days. You even start to think like a first grader. I find myself laughing at the oddest things. I remember when I first started teaching this grade level, I thought they were a rare breed. They laughed when things fell off the wall, I tripped, said the wrong thing, etc. Now I find myself laughing along with them. Crazy.
And then there's my friends at work. Words can't express what they mean to me and how much they encourage me. I trust the Lord and His best for all of us. It just doesn't take away the "I'll miss them" factor. However, God has provided an awesome new teacher for the students and a wonderful lady to add to mix of women at work. I'm so thankful for His hand in all of this, down to the last detail.
When we started the adoption journey, I had NO idea it would be like this when we brought our babies home. Actually, I didn't ever think we'd actually bring babIES home. Always thought it would be one. I know I've said it a lot in this post, but seriously, just praising God for His goodness. It's not been easy. I could write a year's worth of posts on the struggles and things we've learned along the way. We've learned, however, that God is Faithful. He is always with you, no matter what comes along.
A wonderful friend sent this to me today. How did I miss these verses??!!
"When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. ~Matthew 17:6-8
