We visited Selah's orphanage yesterday and Bella's today. As I said, Bella was turned in by her mother at around one month of age. After being in Ethiopia, I am so, so frustrated by things I read on the Ethiopian sites about babies being recruited for adoption, etc. While I'm sure that may happen in isolated incidents all over the globe, I have personally viewed abandoned babies and they are abundant. At different orphanages, I hear the same story over and over from different workers. Today they casually pointed to a one week old baby girl and commented that she was the little girl that someone had just found in a shed. I have stared at the TINY, tiny malnourished babies that they police have brought into the home we are staying at and am angry that people will spread the untruth that there are not babies that need adoption in Ethiopia. I would love to say so much more, but I will move on.
Selah and Bella are doing wonderfully and I think I understand their lives so much clearer. I am amazed at Bella's personality; she has been to the transition home about four times total because the orphanage would send her for better medication when she got sick over the last two years; she was moved for the last time within days of us claiming her (because they already loved her and wanted her there). She is the friendliest two year old and jabbers in her language at the workers when they pass. She politely kisses me on each cheek and turns for me to return the favor when we part.
Selah has cried the last two times I have left her; while it makes me sad, it shows that she is attaching to us and really is a good sign. While Bella kisses on me, Selah puffs her face in a pout because we are leaving her. It's amazing how different they are, yet they sing and dance the same little number and it is so cute! I can't wait to post it on YouTube.
It's kind of hard to leave tomorrow, but I really miss my crew at home also! I am hoping to get some sleep tonight after I attempt to wash pollution beyond America's comprehension out of my hair from spending five hours on the road to Nazaret and back. I am also hoping that there is Wifi at the airport because they are requiring us to be there early enough that I'm sure we will have sit around time and I can post.
If there is no more Internet, I will be home Friday afternoon.
My two boys are from Nazaret!!!! (aka, Nazareth because they do not use "th" in Ethiopia/Etiopia) (KVI) The older boy's name is Natnael, the Ethiopian form of Nathaniel. People thought we were crazy to bring "older boys" into our home. When we got our referral I asked the Lord to confirm that it was His will for us to adopt and that these were our children. I figured it was like "baiting" to look up verses on adoption or orphans. Both the boys had Biblical names, so I figured I would just look then up. I started with Nathaneal. Just looked in my concordance under Nathaneal. The first versus listed was John 1:46 -- Nathaneal said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Phillip said to him, "Come and See." Now, Nathaeal's name is in verse 45, but the first one listed in my concordance was 46 and this verse has nothing to do with adoption to anyone other than me at that moment. The "world" was saying, what good can come from this, but the Lord said "come and see". We went and great things have come from Narareth.
ReplyDeleteBeth, I can not even tell you how relative your comment is....there is far more to my Nazaret story that I am able to share at the moment. How old were your boys when you brought them home? Thank you for taking the time to write!
DeleteThat is a powerful and incredible story! I feel blessed just to hear it! --Elaine
DeleteJenny, My boys were 6 and 4. I don't really consider that "older" but at the time my children were 6, 5, 4, and 1 and most of my friends children were about the same age. (For our home study we just had ourselves approved for up to 4 children up to 15 years of age.) Many people are scared of children older than about 3, but my older boy adjusted more quickly and easily than the younger -- which I attribute to a combination age and personality. When my husband and I were in Ethiopia we fell in love with many of the older children (and now I define that as double digits) and have always told people to consider stretching themselves in this area. It may seem when you adopt a 14 year old that you only get to be their mom (or dad) for 4 years, because we always talk to new moms about the "next 18 years" as if we are done when they turn 18. I am 36 and still seek my mom's advice and love. You will be their parent for the rest of their lives -- which is more likely to be longer than the time you missed. OK, I will get down from my soap box now.
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