Foster Home Visits

I am going to backtrack a few days to share about our visits to the foster homes where our boys lived before coming to us. Isaac lived for most of his life at Swallow's Nest. This home is run by Pam and Clay Williams. They also took care of Moriah for a few months before we adopted her. Pam is in the US for awhile, so Rebekah, their intern, picked us up and took us to Swallow's Nest. It was fun to love on the babies for awhile. Kimberly had a little boy in mind that she had seen in pictures, so she was happy when Andy spotted him. Kimberly scooped him up and didn't put him down until we left! There are so many sweet children there. Some of them have families on the way (one had gotcha day today!) but some are still waiting. It really touched my heart how they all recognized us because they had been passing around the little photo album that we had sent to Isaac. After a little while, Isaac began to cry. He asked Rebekah if he was going to stay there. She told him that he would leave with us and would not be staying there. He was a little happier then, but sat in Caleb's lap for the rest of the visit. I was glad that he wanted to be with us and already felt the difference that a forever family makes. Swallow's Nest does wonderful work, though, and I am so thankful for all of the loving care that he received.

Rebekah with some of the little "swallows." I love that delicate little girl in the background.
Wish I could have brought her home, too. Who am I kidding... I wish I could have brought them all home.

Isaac felt better when Caleb was near!

Kimberly's little buddy

Outside of Swallow's Nest

 Next, we went to lunch at a delicious Chinese Restaurant. We had some time before our scheduled visit to Joshua's foster home, so Clay met us at a children's play place. The kid's had a great time running around there.

Lunch at the Chinese Restaurant with Rebekah. 

Thanks, Clay, for the fun time at the play area!

 At 2:30 we went to Joshua's foster home. I do not exactly understand how he came to live there. But it was a wonderful place where he was clearly loved and well cared for. About thirty kids (from babies to teenagers lived there.) The kids his age were at school, so we hung around until they came home. They were happy to see him and glad to meet us. But the sadness in some of their eyes reduced me to tears. They were so clearly longing for a mom and dad of their own. A foster home (however loving) is not a forever family and they know it! They had given him a party before he came to us and the decorations were still up. He served all of us water and snacks. He clearly loved the little ones and was great with them. They told us that they purposely put him in with the younger boys because he was such a help with them. I loved seeing how much the workers there loved him. They could not have been more thrilled to see him with us. It was a sweet visit for all of us. It was great to have Rebekah there with us to interpret and to talk with the foster home workers.

Joshua was so happy to show us off to his friends at the foster home.

The babies were all so cute and chubby. They were clearly well loved.

He loved the babies

Some of Joshua's friends

We took a taxi ride back to the hotel where we collapsed into bed, exhausted.

To add to the emotional nature of the day, one couple in our group decided not to accept the baby that they received on Gotcha Day. She had more complicated medical issues than they were prepared to deal with. The whole situation broke our hearts as we watched this little one return to the orphanage. We are praying that she will not have to wait too long for a forever family who will be able to give her the love and care that she needs. Her Heavenly Father, the defender of the helpless, and Father to the fatherless has not forgotten her and we trust that He has a wonderful plan for her life.

It is hard to put into words the mixed emotions of this journey. We are thrilled with the blessings the Lord has given us. We are sad for their many losses. We are excited for the days ahead. We are scared and afraid about all of the challenges that those days will hold. We have seen things that break our hearts and things that make us laugh. We have witnessed the wonder and mystery of another culture. We have struggled through the cultural and language barriers that make everything harder. We can't wait to get home, yet we will be sad to leave.

We know the Lord is using all of these things to stretch and grow us and so we can only give thanks.