Divine Introduction

Before we came to Brasil, we were asked to bring down a laptop for one of the students here. He’s such a great guy. His name is Rodrigo. He and his wife, Lailah (who reminds me SO MUCH of one of my former roommates, Shanda...I almost call her “Shanda” sometimes, that’s how much she reminds me of her) have 2 sons, Lucas (4) and Andre (born in May). We started getting to know them and of course Joel spent time with Rodrigo every day at the airport.

Well, Rodrigo’s parents basically do exactly what I described seeing myself doing in my vision. Asas de Socorro had their graduation the at the beginning of December (students who actually come to the flight school here stay around 4 years...Joel will not be participating in a graduation like this since he is just doing some further training, not the whole school). We got the chance to meet Rodrigo’s parents. Here’s their story...

The dad worked in the electronics field and was happy. He always sensed he had more of a missionary type heart. But, he was very involved in his church. He loved the “social work” type of thing and fulfilled that love by really helping in that aspect of his church...the benevolence type stuff.

Well, he and his wife had 3 children. At one point she went to a conference concerning the evangelism of children. Somehow through that time, she began to really want to adopt a child...a baby. In fact, they planned to adopt 1 or 2. Well, he became increasingly unfulfilled and knew that it was time for a change. His wife challenged him by saying, “Why don’t we just work for God?” He asked her if she had the guts for that. Apparently they both did.

The opportunity came up for them to adopt, but it wasn’t a baby...it was a 10-yr. old. Their oldest child at the time was 9. So, they would be embarking on completely new territory. They were very brave though and didn’t just dismiss it. They prayed about it and knew that that was what God would have them do. They became involved with some people that were in ministry adopting children. That family had 10 children total...some adopted and some biological. They lived in an area where there were 2 houses. So, Rodrigo’s parents moved into the extra house and the plan was to adopt 7 children, making a total of 10 children for them too (since they had 3 biological). This was to happen over the course of 5 years. But, by the end of 2 years, they already had 11 children. The mission that they were associated with wanted them to stop. But, they knew that God didn’t want them to stop.

Long story short...they now have 34 children. 4 of their children are now married. They have 6 grandchildren. And 28 kiddos are still at home...their “big, little house” they called it. Big because it is big, but little because with all those people, it’s still crowded of course. Their youngest child right now is 3 years old. They are not sure if they are done adopting or not...it is a step-by-step, “what does God have for us now” existence.

It’s not an orphanage they run. It’s not a foster home. It is a home and a family. These kids are adopted and part of a family for good. I asked them how the kids felt about being in a home with so many other kids. They said that the kids know that it’s a ministry. They are all well aware of what it is like to not have a home and a family...they are all on board with helping to provide a chance like they have been given to other kids. These kids have all been rejected in a major way at least once...some of them were taken home to a family only to be returned to the orphanage. That runs deep. But, they focus on how all of us have been adopted...into God’s family. We are all orphans in need of adoption. They said that it is a challenge of course, to bring these kids in and help them to heal. But, they focus on bringing them to Jesus first...then it’s an easier process for the healing to take place.

Not only have they adopted though, they have helped others to adopt too...here and internationally. They founded an organization themselves. They have helped to place many children from orphanages in homes here in Brasil. He said that he knows the states (as in the states of the U.S.A) better than he knows Brasil because he’s been there so many times traveling to so many states just speaking to churches and other groups about the importance of and need for adoption. They have found homes for 40 children in the United States. And 4 children so far in Europe. Amazing! Such wonderful things they are doing. I just stood there and cried while talking to them, hearing their stories.

The need is so great. Just so happened that we had visited and helped with an outreach at the orphanage that is 2 streets over from us that same day before we went to the graduation. At that orphanage, there was a little boy named Luciano that just clung to one of the ladies that was there with us. He’s 2 years old. He just holds on and won’t let go. He was one of the ones who was of course put in the orphanage when he was born, but then a family took him home, only to return him after they either couldn’t take care of him any longer or just didn’t want him. Double rejection. I don’t know if that’s common in the U.S. or not, but it seems to be here. My heart breaks for these kids.

As in the United States, the older the child is, the less and less likely it is for them to be adopted. Also, as in the U.S., if they are a sibling group, they are harder to adopt out. But, in the U.S. I know they really try to keep sibling groups together. Here, from what they were telling us, they don’t really try to keep siblings together (although that is becoming more common, thank goodness)...if someone wants to adopt them separately, they do. So, again...much damage. Siblings are close and siblings who have been put in an orphanage really stick together...what a ripping apart when one is removed and one is left behind.

The kids with physical or emotional disabilities/problems are hard to get adopted. But, and I found this surprising, also the kids with darker skin are hard to adopt out. The darker the skin, the less likely to be adopted. Wow. So sad.

Rodrigo’s parents have focused a lot on the kids who nobody else wants...the ones with emotional/physical problems, the ones that have siblings (they take them all), the older ones (the oldest they’ve adopted was 13 at the time), and the ones with darker skin. What a ministry they have! I don’t even know their names, but if you would, just add them to your prayer list...theirs is such an important, ongoing ministry. And, if you are at all prompted to pursue adoption of a little Brazilian kiddo, please let me know. I now have contacts who could possibly start the ball rolling to make it happen. What an awesome God we serve of great introduction, networks, and connections to get His job done here on earth!

A couple more things to note:
-We’ve always been pretty sure and insistent upon the fact that the kids we’d adopt wouldn’t be older than Grady. There’s wisdom in that in that we would’ve already embarked on certain age-specific things with Grady and therefore would have at least a little experience with things instead of just being “thrown in there” with an older child. But, we are challenged by and impressed with this couple. Is it a God thing that we’ve felt this way in the past? Maybe...but maybe it’s our own fears. “God help us to be open and know Your will for us...not just what seems right and logical in the natural.”
-34!! That’s a lot, right? I’ve always wanted a big family, but 34?!? :-) But, these people wanted only 3, then maybe 4 or 5, then 10 at the most...but, God just kept on making it clear that they were to have more. Again, “God help us to be open to Your will alone, even if it seems ridiculously crazy in the natural.”

We're so excited to see what God does in this area in our lives. Pray with us for God's leading in this area...concerning what our part is, and also what yours is too.

The Vision

I love journals. They provide very good details and specific dates to what you would usually forget with time. I strongly suggest that you journal. Some people say that they just aren’t “journal people.” Well, I wasn’t either, but I’m sure glad that I disciplined myself to do it. It’s not about journaling your feelings or your emotions (although you do that sometimes). Some people’s excuse is that they don’t want people to see on paper how they are feeling or have felt in the past...they are even afraid of damaging family relations. But, you don’t even have to put that kind of stuff in your journal. More importantly it’s about making sure you log the things that God is doing in your life...what an encouragement to you when you look back on those books and what an encouragement they can be to others who read them, even after you are dead and gone. Although our journals of today aren’t divinely inspired like the Bible, that is one of the great features of the Bible, is it not? Aren’t we so encouraged by the lives of the ordinary people in the Bible who God used and did extraordinary things with and through?

But, that’s not really what this post is about...I just had to share that because although I’ve forgotten the specific details and dates of what I’m about to share, thanks to my handy dandy journal, it is all re-submitted in my brain. So, about the vision...

I posted a while back about my passion for adoption and seeing Steven Curtis Chapmans’s video “When Love Takes You In.” I even posted that video on my blog. We saw that video on Aug. 10th, 2002. Then...

From my journal (written 9-14-02):
On Aug. 29th I was in the shower. I got, what I believe to be, a vision of my future. I was older. We had lived in a different country for years, done the whole adoption thing, and I was traveling around to different churches here in the states, speaking to congregations about the need for adoption of these children in different countries. It was awesome. It got me so excited.

I told Joel about it that night. His eyes started welling up with tears. I asked him why he was crying. He said that since the beginning he really felt like this was about much more than just us adopting kids.

From my own recollection at this point, I believe this to be the only vision I've ever had. It was split-second and I got all that information. It was also so exciting and inspiring. You know how when you just wake up from a dream you know God has given you or you hear Him very clearly on something in your quiet time...you are just so pumped and full of anticipation about what He is going to do? That's what it was like.

So awesome. And it's especially very exciting considering where we are now and just the things that have happened recently. More on that in the following post.

Carros Festa

Or is it Festa Carros (or neither...ha ha ha)...I don't know. But, we had a "Cars" party for Grady yesterday and it was a success. Despite it being a bad month for a birthday party (everyone is traveling), we had a good turnout...friends from the seminary, Asas, and our church came. Also, my brownies came out hard yesterday and we couldn't find the Cars candle that we bought for the birthday cake (so funny). But, still...all in all a great time. :-)

First of all, Joel made Grady a birthday present on his actual birthday (Thursday)...a great zipline. I know I put lots of pictures of that on here, but their facial expressions were great. I recommend clicking on the pictures so you can see a bigger image of those great expressions. So cute.

And then the rest are of yesterday at the party.















At the party, opening presents.



Singing "Happy Birthday" to Grady...in Portuguese (I really need to learn that song). :-)

So pathetic. We brought the only candles we have since we couldn't find the "Cars" one. And to top it all off, the wind was so bad that they wouldn't stay lit, so I told Grady just to pretend he was blowing it out. He smiled politely but probably thought I was nutso. And, guess what I just found in the past 5 minutes? Yep, the "Cars" candle here on our table...one of the kids must have drug it out of the bags that had all the other stuff before we headed up to the party. Sheesh.
Family pictures.
As you can tell, Hadley was not at all paying attention to photography at the time.
This little boy belongs to one of the seminary students. He is the 3rd child in his family also and was born the same day as Eissa.
The kids, on sugar highs, playing in the park. :-)
Adult chatter as the party winds down.

After the party, everyone went down to the pool to take a dip. After we had cleaned everything up, we went down to see them all and Grady and Hadley even got to swim in their undies...a great end to the birthday party.

Homeschool Humor

Amazing how I can be so passionate about something and yet poke so much fun at it at the same time. Whatever. But, this is really funny. Go here and click on 'A Homeschool Family.'

More about Grady's birthday tomorrow...or maybe even later tonight.

My 4-Year Old

I can't believe I have a 4-year old. But, I do. Yes, as of 7:09 this morning, Grady is 4 years old.

Even 3 years old didn't seem so old. But, kids who are 4 do things like go to preschool. 4 just seems way older than 3 to me. I know...people have kids who are now 7 or 12 or 23 or even 40 something (gasp!!). :-) But, yeah...I'm having a little difficulty with the 4 thing. It was also fun to have a 3-yr. old, a 2-yr. old, and a 1-yr. old. That is no longer...and it will never happen for our family again where we have children in sequential ages like that.

But, on to Grady, the birthday boy...

OH MY GOSH!! I love this boy!! He's so great. He's super sweet and lots of fun. He tends to be more reserved than his sisters, is very thoughtful about the things he does and says, and let me just tell you...this kid is clean and orderly. One day a couple of weeks ago, I had some laundry I was going through on the couch. This particular pile had, yes...been there a couple of days. Grady is very helpful anyway, but I think he was just tired of seeing the disorder too. He came and told me that he could put his clothes away himself. Nice. At first I was leary, but I needn't fear. I went to his closet and it had been completely redone. He had taken each pile and put it exactly where he wanted them to be...it was superbly done. Then, he proceeded to climb up to hang up his own shirts. He moved all of the unused hangers to the left side of his closet and put all the shirts on the right. I got a shirt down for him a couple of days ago and just took it off the hanger. He kindly informed me that I needed to move the hanger over to the left side of the closet. Hilarious!! Of course I obeyed. I am NOT going to thwart this behavior in any way, let me tell you. It might actually get a little irritating sometimes. For instance, today he asked me what we were going to do with the Christmas tree. I told him nothing right now. He told me, "Well, I don't want it just there." Translation: "Come on now, Christmas is over...let's get this house back in order." :-) I am not a slob...but, I do think that he took more after his father in that area (I tend to be a little more "relaxed"). Still, I plan to put this particular trait to good use for the next 18 years or so. What a great role model and example he will be to the rest of the children. :-)

Although he can be more pensive and serious, he is a hoot too. Some of the things he says are hilarious. He loves to pick around and laugh. He has the greatest laugh. He continues to be VERY social. At church the other night, one of the college-age girls came and told me that when he grows up he's going to be a supermodel. She said that she took her camera out with all of her friends and he turned on the charm. He loves playing games. Grady still loves his movies, that's for sure. But, really he is into everything these days...playing outside, doing activity books, doing "school," reading books, playing with his sisters, pretending he is a knight fighting soldiers to rescue the princess (that would be Hadley), he and Hadley like to run from the "monster" (that would be Eissa...she doesn't get it yet, so she loves it...runs after them just laughing her head off...we already limit that game, but when she gets older it will probably be eliminated altogether). Grady is just a great all-around kid.

We will be having a birthday party for him on Saturday. I had asked him what kind of party he wanted. He proceeded to tell me that he wanted "ummmm, a blue party, a red party, a green party, a skateboard party, a superman party, a bunny rabbit party, a frog party, a sword and horsey party..." It went on and on like that every time I asked him. :-) So funny. Well, we finally just gave him options ourselves. I asked him if he wanted an airplane, cars, or sword and horse party. He said he wanted a sword and horse party, so he could fight the soldiers and rescue the princess. Well, he also got a Cars movie, small dry-erase board, and Lightning McQueen car for Christmas from our friends Thad and Wendy Cooper and their family. He is SUPER into that now since he got those gifts. Well, I realized that night that I'd said "Cars" party instead of what he calls it..."Lightning McQueen." So, although I personally preferred the sword and horse party (I'm not into character-type themes for parties, nurseries, etc.)...well, it's not my party. So the next day I gave him his options again and instead of saying "Cars" I said "Lightning McQueen." Lightning McQueen it is. So we will be having a Cars birthday party on Saturday at 3pm at the seminary playground. Stop by if you can. :-)

We love our little Grady Lester Ebersole who is no longer little...definitely a big boy now. Happy 4th Birthday, Grady!!

Projects

In addition to all the Christmas decorations, we have been a pretty productive bunch around here. It's been really fun. And, of course, not just fun...it's all very practical stuff. I'm pretty impressed with my handy husband. Some of the wood he used for his projects that you will see below was leftover scraps from the bunk bed (all of the highchair was leftover bed wood) and some was given to him at Asas after some construction was done. The other pile of scraps he got for about 1 buck at a wood shop nearby. Pretty resourceful furniture we now have (and he's not done...toyboxes are next). Anyway, enjoy the pictures...

The kids made Christmas presents for all the grandmothers...Granny (Madden), Grandma (Ebersole), Granny Hough, and GramAlta (a.k.a. Grandma Martin). People reading this in Ephrata, PA, shh!!...Grandma's placemats are still in the mail. I got a laminator before we left (every mother should have one...I'm serious), so the kids painted pictures and I laminated to make them placemats. The kids had a great time. The placemats made it there in record time (a week) and I know at least the Grannies on my side were able to use them on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for the big family celebrations. Nice for our kiddos to still be able to have a presence there, even though we weren't physically there.
Joel was about to start on all of his wood projects. He had some little odd pieces though that he put together to make this cute little plane for Grady. He loves it of course.
Joel had a few helpers. They love to help Daddy in his "shop." Here he is getting started on a highchair.
The weekend before Christmas we made some "Christmas cookies." We had no actual fun Christmas things like cookie cutters or red and green sprinkles or whatever. I did find some red food coloring so we just colored our cookie dough red. We made choc. chip cookies and sugar cookies. It was a fun time.
Joel also made a handy little step stool. It is now in front of the toilet for Hadley, but before it made it to the bathroom, the kids had to try it out as a little booster seat at the table...a shared one.
Joel even snuck out for a bit on Christmas day to work on the highchair.
Eissa getting a little sneak peek of what it's going to feel like. Then the other kids had to try it out too...


Eissa in her new highchair. She didn't like that restraining bar at first...we LOVE it. She would always climb out of the other chair we were using. Thanks Kristin and Steve, by the way, for the use of that chair for the last 6 months.
Hadley had to try it out too. You can raise the restraining bar and have a seat for others, even adults. Pretty cool.
After the highchair was done (literally right after he finished), he went right to work on the next project...an activity table for the kids.
The kids helping Daddy with the table yesterday to get the job done.
And the end result (it's not completely done, but Joel has to wait on some tools to get here...it's usable though), in their playroom with the kids playing, excited about their new table. I asked Grady what he thought about it and he said, without looking up from his activity, "It's wonderful. It's the wonderful thing in the world." As in, "it's the most wonderful thing in the whole world." :-) Love his expressions these days.
Eissa is a major poser these days. Can't take the camera out without her looking and smiling BIG. Really funny.
And this is what the playroom looks like now, after everything found its place. Very cute little playroom.
The reading area needs some work, but guess what the next project is after the toyboxes? Yep, a bookshelf...book display actually (like the ones you see in libraries), but we might hire out for that one.
A result of the playroom being set up today was this. We had to move some of the stuff in the playroom to the room off our bedroom, which is technically the owner's office...we were using it as Eissa's room. So, now that room is again an office/future new baby's room. And, yes...Eissa got promoted to sleeping in the big kids' room last night...a new year, a new room for Eissa. :-) Although she doesn't look too happy in this picture, I think she will love it. She was SUPER tired (didn't have her afternoon nap) and just wanted to go to sleep when her annoying Mama was taking pictures. :-) It's a cute set-up though...and she just fits.
We moved some shelves out of their room, so now all the pictures and stuff are on top of the closet. It's cute.
Then Grady needed a picture taken.
And Hadley too. :-)

Choices

It's scary the choices we make sometimes. I know I've made choices I've regretted. People make choices they regret everyday. A woman drives too fast to get where she's going and hits a child on the road. A man is careless and gets his saw too close to his finger and then he lives without a finger for the rest of his life. A young guy does a surface dive into the water hitting a rock and is paralyzed for the rest of his life. A woman lays her baby down in a crib that is under a window unit air conditioner and comes back to find her baby crushed under the fallen piece of equipment. (those last 2 things actually happened to one family in the matter of less than 2 years)

Why am I thinking about these things this morning? Well, it's just good to think about...good to be on our toes and cautious and careful...good to be aware of the outcomes our choices can have.

But, specifically, I woke up thinking about Sylvian Coody this morning. I have NO IDEA why really. It just got me to thinking though.

I was never really close friends with Sylvian. He was a few years older than me. But, he did hang out with some of my friends my age...he partied with them all the time. I saw him and talked to him often, esp. my senior year of high school. I was never a "partier" but my senior year and during college, I would often (almost every weekend) just stop by the hang-outs of my friends. They would be guzzling the beer of course. They loved me, probably because even though I was a "goody goody" I still liked to hang out with them. They would always politely offer me some of their goods. I would smile and decline. I would ask them if they had any coke to which they would laugh...and that's the way it went.

Some of the situations that I found myself in, during high school mostly, were not situations that I would want my children to be in. I'm not saying that hanging out with the "bad crowd" was always harmless. But, during this time period that wasn't the case. I had my own car and would just drop by. Good times. I loved my beer-guzzling, dope-doing friends. Unfortunately for them, that lifestyle tends to catch up with you.

It was about 3 or 4 years after high school that I walked through my dorm apartment living area. My roommates had flipped on the news while they ate their supper. I noticed the man on the screen. It was Sylvian.

He had been at a party and was super high. One of the girls there had a baby. The baby wouldn't stop crying. He shook it, but it still wouldn't stop. Well, you can guess the ending. A horrible one. One that ended up with a dead baby and a young man in the state penitentiary for life.

That was the end result of many years of bad choices. Sylvian was really a sweet, friendly, fun-loving guy...but, those choices he made turned him into a very, very high, dark, crazy man that night.

We all have to make choices every day. Some bring life and some bring death. We may never be at the point of making choices that will end a life in the natural like Sylvian, but there are so many other kinds of death-bringing choices.

I got to talk to one of my bestest (like that word?) friends yesterday. We got to talking about a family of a friend of ours. The man is very passive and the woman is very powerful and assertive in her personality. Over the years the man has just kind of shut down. Choices. This woman has basically dominated all these years...chosen to do so, even if in ignorance. The man has chosen to shut down and become numb. Neither one is functioning in the role that they are called to. That brings death in this family where there could be abundant life. This couple could end up splitting up and that would bring even more death, even more visible to the people around them. But, even if they choose to stay together like this, the family is not living up to the full, life-giving potential they could be.

I don't know...it's just really reminded me this morning that I need to be careful. I need to bring life, not death. I need to not be "uppity" with my husband. I need to not be critical and judgmental (of them and others) with my children. I need to live joyfully and not let myself get in the ruts of just doing life. I need to not grumble and complain...ever...even just a little bit. I need to bring life.

Just what I'm thinking about today. Now that I write all this out, I somehow think it not a coincidence that I woke up thinking about Sylvian. This is the first day of the new year after all...pretty good time to be thinking about my choices.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!!