"The situations that grow me the most are those in which I feel the most helpless,
but in which love compels me to keep trying." ~ Greg Boyd*
Last month I took Ariam to spend a week with AJ in Haiti. There's a big difference between fantasizing about a "baby" brother who lives thousands of miles away and the reality of a toddler brother in person.
After a year of statements like: "I will hold my baby brother to my heart" and "I will feed my baby brother his bottles" I was a little nervous that reality would not live up to her fantasy.
But I had underestimated the power of love.
Both Ariam and AJ are children who are filled with joy and love just brimming over. Within minutes of meeting they were running through the house laughing, tickling, and playing.
There was not a bit of "holding brother to her heart" or even feeding him his bottle.
But there was sharing of sunglasses, wrestling, bath taking, block stacking, and sharing snacks.
........
Not everyone has been happy that we are talking about the truth in our adoptions.
Not everyone feels we should continue fighting for change.
It is simple. Love compels us.
................
Thank you for sharing your time and resources as we work to bring AJ home.
We are getting closer to our fundraising goal and will update soon.
~A
* I was about 10 years old when Greg Boyd moved into the office next to my dad's in the theology department of Bethel College. A fascinating person whose speaking and writing has influenced my faith from childhood to adulthood.
I will say it again because I know you probably could stand to hear it again - I think it is amazing and awesome that you are speaking truth. I hope you name your agency and anyone else who was part of any bit of fraud related to your adoption. Those names need to be known to the adoption world.
ReplyDeleteIt has been hard for us to speak out about our experience. We've been dragged through the mud by our adoption agency, called crazy and trouble makers, told that our sons would be taken away from us. But we spoke out anyway because the things that were happening were not okay. I still respond to the emails I get every week asking about our agency and the orphanage we used in Uganda and though it pains me to tell people to RUN away from them when they're emailing out desperate pleas for families to sign on for all these kids they have, I know it's right.
Sometimes, we just have to do the right thing.
I'm so glad Ariam and AJ bonded. I can't wait to see you together as a family!
This is all so beautiful. Sibling love. Standing up for truth. Keep fighting. Your kids are worth that. Obviously.
ReplyDelete<3 you all.
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