waiting...

dear boys and girl,

today i'm thinking a lot about this whole waiting thing.  there are tangible and legitimate reasons why it's okay that you're not home yet.  dad and i have much work to do before we welcome you home.  things for work, things in our house, things in life.  but sometimes, like right now, my head can tell my heart that until it falls off, but it doesn't make the waiting any easier.

about seven weeks ago we sat in our adoption attorney's office in Sierra Leone.  he promised us we'd be in court in front of a judge that week.  two weeks later i left, and we still hadn't been to court.  another month has gone by and we're still waiting.  it's okay.  this is what we signed up for.  it helps a little to know going into this that things will never operate on a timeline, even if someone tries to give you one.  the blessing is that you have this much more time to spend with your friends, your caregivers, and be in your birth country.  the curse is that i miss you.  a lot.  like crazy.

once we go to court, we will have another 4-6 months before dad can go get you.  every time we skype you ask dad when he's coming to see you.  then you giggle and smile those huge, gorgeous smiles!

this week ELEVEN of your friends came home to their American families.

The Jones' welcome home their eight children!

The Pyles with Betty, Fallah, and Sam

sam, the oldest at the center, the boy who started it all, came home to Kentucky.  i was there as he set foot on american soil, stood in his very own bedroom for the first time, and ate pizza and cake with his five brothers and sisters.

sam is a celebrity in my opinion.  he and his brother and sister deserve an easy road for the rest of their lives.  they lived in the bad orphanage for a while until one day the Americans with The Raining Season came to visit the orphanage.  sam saw an opportunity for rescue.  he escaped from the orphanage and ran to the hotel where he knew the Americans were staying.  he told them how they were abused, starved, and mistreated at the orphanage.  he told them about all the kids that needed help so badly.  he fought for himself, his brother and sister, his friends, and so many other kids.  because of sam, TRS has rescued and empowered over 120 kids.  he started it.  he was the beginning.

i love sam because he's always been a role model, a big brother, and sometimes a father figure to you boys and so many other boys at the center.  sufian, when you were misbehaving on my last trip you had a hard time listening to mom telling you how to behave!  when sam showed up, you pulled it together immediately and obeyed every word.  he earned your love and respect, and he earned mine.

betty is sam's little sister.  the very first thing betty said to me was, "sufian, abdulrahman, and foday they say to tell you hello if i see you in America."  i almost melted on the spot.  a personal message from my boys!  sufian, you and betty are especially close.  i can't wait for the day when you can hug her again.  she is a beautiful girl, and i am so honored i was there to welcome her home.

and sweet fallah.  he is the youngest sibling, but just as respected as his older brother and sister.  when i found out betty was in your apartment, kaday, and sam and fallah were in your room, boys, i felt like i'd won the lottery!  they are superstar kids, superstar students, and incredible spiritual leaders.

Sam, Betty, and Fallah

welcoming these kids home make the waiting a little easier.  even if our case isn't moving, at least others are.  that makes my heart really happy!

so i will wait more.  and i will miss you more and more.  and i will love you more and more and more!  but i am so blessed to be missing you, because that means i was given the opportunity to love you and know you.

Just after we had the adoption talk!

My beautiful, gorgeous, precious girl.

Suf, you're getting too big! 

My boys. 

Our night with just you, Foday!

The day you were baptized, Abdulrahman.

Kaday, you snuck out of school to come see me!

love,
mom