You've Got Mail

Everything with the adoption has kind of been in a lull since we found out our dossier is approved and headed toward Ethiopia.  We've reached the waiting stage of our paper pregnancy.  

Then, yesterday was a good mail day - both snail mail and email!  

We received the notices for our fingerprint appointments!  I was shocked to have them already and glad that they're not *too* far away.  I was hoping they'd be a little sooner, but in reality it probably doesn't matter.  We're facing the court closure for the rainy season, so unfortunately we probably have until September to get this all done.  Still, I don't want to be looking back and thinking "if only I'd gotten ____ done a little quicker, maybe we'd be further along."  

There was something else fun in the mail, too.  The official welcome packet from our granting organization - Brittany's Hope.  We're eager to get all of the paperwork done for them [more notarized forms!!].  We're also very grateful for what they do and represent and for their help in bringing Little E home.  

Then, as I was standing in line at Lowe's to buy a bunch of plants that were marked down to fifty cents and one dollar [score!] an email came through on my phone.  So, I glanced at it while I was waiting and saw the subject line "Photos of E".  My heart dropped and I started frantically trying to get them to come up.  Meanwhile, it's my turn in line and the clerk is getting impatient.  I was trying to explain that I'd just gotten new pics of the little boy we're adopting, while trying to still work the phone, and put plants up on the counter.  She wasn't impressed and neither were the people in line behind me.  Eventually, after she sloooowwly rang us up, we literally ran to the truck, threw stuff in the back, and got the phone to pull up the pictures.  I had so many thoughts all at once: he's changed, his hair has grown, he looks sad, he's beautiful, he needs his mama, I love him.


I emailed the pictures to Justin immediately and called him so I could be on the phone when he opened them.  He printed them out really big and brought them home to me.  When we showed them to Maci, who just turned three, she grabbed one and started kissing all over it and talking about how he is going to be her brother.  It was precious and made me very happy.  

If only we could all see other people through the eyes of a child.  Maci does not see his skin color, or his economic situation, or his special needs.  She just sees a person who needs a home, a family, and lots of love.  What a good example of the type of love that God wants us to show each other.  God calls us to love one another, above all else.  Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone took that to heart?

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13