Community

This past weekend we were incredibly blessed to spend two different evenings and well on into the night (we let our kids stay up way too late the past 4 nights, once you include the swim meet from tonight, too and I'm paying for it with grouchy kids) with some amazing friends who share our heart for adoption!

Friday night we ate dinner, watched the kids swim in the pool, and talked for hours and hours at some friends' house with a few other families who either have adopted children or are in the process to adopt.

It was sweet fellowship with people who "get it", who don't think we're crazy at all for what we are doing, who can discuss things like raising a child who doesn't look like you, who understand the agony of waiting to be able to bring home the children you already love as your own.

And by a crazy, unexpected, unplanned twist, a young lady who has volunteered for the past 10 months in the care center in Ethiopia where our daughter is, was there! She is back in the U.S. on vacation. We got to meet her, to hear all about the reading program she does with the toddler and preschool aged children in our agency's care in Ethiopia. And best of all, we got some inside details on our girl, from someone who has been with her 3 days a week for the past 7 months! Amazing!!!

We now know which crib is hers from the series of cribs that line the room in the pictures we've gotten. We know that she can sing the ABC song. And among many other things, we learned of the sweet nickname the nannies use for her. A nickname I can imagine us continuing to use once she's home with us.

Then Sunday evening was our church adoption group meeting. A group that did not exist at all a little over a year ago and we lamented the fact that we had no obvious support within our own church. But what a difference a year makes (and a ton of prayers and beating down the doors of church leaders helps, too)!

It was such a sweet evening as adoption testimonies were heard, God was marveled at over and over again, and children representing many different cultures ran around together!

There is just something about the community of adoption.

I think it's because by opening ourselves up to adopting children, our idea of family has to become more fluid. Family is no longer just people related to you by blood or marriage.

And therefore within this group it's possible for people to feel like family when you've only just met!

There was a two and half year old little girl adopted at age 13 months from Ethiopia there last night. Of course I couldn't take my eyes off her! She's about 1 month older that our little girl who is in Ethiopia. Her momma is my new styling-Ethiopian-little-girl-hair mentor! And because of how sweet, open, and candid that mom was to me, even I, the girl who hates to ask for help, will not hesitate to drive my new little Ethiopian daughter over to her house with us both in tears and say, "Help! Help me figure out how to take care of and fix her hair!"

I'm so, so grateful to have this community. Adoption is most assuredly a road that should not be walked alone.

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