National Adoption Month

I wish I had a picture for this post but it seemed to sacred a moment to take out my camera and make a flash.

We went to the presentation of the Russian orphans tonight, as a family, and I am quite sure that none of us will ever forget it.

There were about 8 or 9 orphans, ages 7 to 14. There were supposed to be several more, but apparently half of them had to be left behind as there was an outbreak of dysentery in the orphanage right before they left. :( John and I both wept as we watched them, in their baggy clothes and crooked haircuts, singing their songs---completely off tune---and bashfully reciting their poems in their native language, their eyes scanning the audience. I would imagine they were wondering if maybe, just maybe tonight would be the night they would meet their forever families.

Apparently we forgot to explain to the kids that the show was "free", not the orphans. There was quite a bit of disappointment when we didn't bring one home with us tonight. :)

It was a very quiet ride home. I overheard the boys in the very back seat, and their conversation brought me to tears. They were whispering, making a plan, to take all their savings, the money they've been saving up for an electric guitar and a BB gun......they wanted to adopt a brother instead. They have such tender hearts, and I didn't know how to respond.

I had spent my day mad because the kids vacuumed out the ashes in the fireplace but forgot to change the bag. The bag busted, and I spent the day dusting ashes off the furniture and cleaning up ashy footprints all over the house. While I was mad about the ashes, some little kids from Russia are worrying about their future in an orphanage, wondering if they will ever find a family to love them.

I am going to spend some time examining my heart, and asking the Lord how He would use me to help those who are dearest to His heart, the orphan. I hope anyone who reads this blog will do the same. If you haven't had a chance to check out The Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project, please do. What a great ministry.

 November is National Adoption Month. I plan on blogging a little bit more about our adoption, my thoughts on adoption, maybe share some adoption stories. If anyone has any questions about our family, adoption in general, our adoption of Ava, or anything else, leave a comment or email me and I'll make a blog post about it.