A Great Visit...

We met Dawn and Bernie Berlesman in the Washington DC airport on January 24th 2009. We knew we would be meeting them and another couple that was also traveling to Ethiopia to get their new kids, because we had been in contact via email and we were all on the same flight over.

Dean and I were sitting in the airport Chili's."Carole Turner?" I heard a kind female voice say and I looked up. It was Dawn, she had recognized me from my blog. "I'm Dawn" she said.

We all made our introductions and hand shakes and within minutes we were sharing dinner and conversation about what was ahead for us as we traveled to Ethiopia to bring home children.

That night I knew we would be friends.

The group we traveled with to Ethiopia were all great, Lasting friendships were formed between all of us. We connected on a level not many will ever understand, a shared experience like no other, fastened our hearts together.

While in Ethiopia Dawn and I cried watching our children dance at the traditional Ethiopian restaurant. We cried talking about what our kids were leaving, both good and bad and we cried when Abel and Tsegaberhan (pronounced suh-gob-er-hon) had to leave the comfort and familiarity they had with each other when parting at the Washington DC airport when we flew on the New Orleans and they flew on to Indiana.

But we knew we would stay in touch. For the kids...for us.

We went to visit them last Summer and now, they have come to visit us.


Tes and E doing the napkin dance at Boutins Cajun Restaurant

We took them to Boutin's for Cajun dancing and Tes (that's what some people call Tsegabrehan) was on the dance floor within 30 seconds. "I love this dancing" she said as she came back to the table. Then off she went to tell the 85 year old couple, who had been dancing all night, how much she liked their dancing. They of course, thought she was precious.

Abel didn't dance, he just watched Tes dance with the look on his face that said loudly "I love her. She is sunshine and laughter"

At our house, Tes wanted to hang out with Evangeline more then the boys. E danced with her, did her nails and they talked about Hannah Montana and American Idol. Steele and Abel played with Bayleigh's (Tes's brother) D.S. or they played the xbox and there was the constant noise of the Plasma cars on the wood floors, Tes LOVED the Plasma cars. They provided hours of laughter and fun on the rainy days.


all the kids at Boutin's on the back porch feeding the Turtles

Tes was amazed by the amount of "dark" people that live here in Louisiana "mom, I never knew dark people lived in America." and she proceeded to talk freely with as many "dark" people she could. (Where she lives in Indiana, the only "dark" people she knows are also from Ethiopia).

"Mom, we have those in Ethiopia, can we give her money?" she pronounced as they passed by an homeless lady on the corner of North Foster. The rest of the day she seemed a little sad.

They all went to the Dream Center for church with us on Sunday, met Pastor Craig, Hope, and a lot of our church family. Then we all went to the HPAC where Bernie and Dean played football with a bunch of other BRDC guys..most of them, out of shape, who are all still sore today.

Yesterday we took them to the Cajun Village in Sorrento where they bought some T shirts dyed in Louisiana dirt and last night I made Creole Jambalaya to finish out their Baton Rouge Cajun experience.

Today they headed down to New Orleans for an engineers convention that Bernie has to be at this week. I told them all the cool sites to see and places to go to in the Big Easy.

They left Baton Rouge with some Tony's Cajun seasoning, a Winborne CD signed by lead singer Jordan Earles and some Cajun recipes. I think Louisiana culture will forever be with them.

So, the truth is, I haven't blogged since last Wednesday because I've just been to busy living life, having a great times with friends and It was wonderful!!


Dawn, Tes, E, Steele, Abel, Bernie, Bayleigh


Abel outside the Cabin restaurant in Sorrento


E at the Cajun village


Abel and I at the Cajun village


Bayleigh at the Pop and Go convenience store near our house that the kids walked to.


Tsegaberhan looking adorable at the Cajun village.


Dawn and Tsegaberhan at the Cajun village.


Steele at the Cajun village.


All the kids by the signs at the Cajun village.

I.C.U.

I'm excited to announce a new outreach that Dean and I will be leading under the Rescue and Restore Coalition to fight human trafficking in the Baton Rouge area. It takes the street side of Midnight Outreach and expands it, changes it somewhat and makes it a unique outreach unto itself.

I.C.U. stands for Inner City Unit. This outreach will be specifically focused on the north side of town, around the Baton Rouge Dream Center area. It will be after Strip Club Outreach at 11:00pm but it will be a completely different outreach so that people who wish to do the Strip Club outreach can come at 9:30pm and then stay for I.C.U. or they can just come for Strip Club outreach and not go to I.C.U. or just come for I.C.U. at 11:00pm. It's basically taking Midnight Outreach as it currently exist and splitting it into two separate outreaches, Streets will be I.C.U. and Strip Clubs will be Strip Clubs.

Dean and I love working in the streets. We love reaching out to prostitutes, crack heads, drug dealers, transvestites, etc. We feel that "I'm alive" feeling when we are in the streets. We love reaching out to the dancers and bouncers at the strip clubs for sure, we will continue to be a part of Strip Club outreach and Summer will continue to be a part of the street outreach, only now we can each cultivate and grow the areas we have been placed over.

For three years Summer, Dean and I have been serving under Alliece, Donna and Charity doing Midnight outreach, this is the next phase and it's exciting that they have entrusted us with this. It's so cool to see how Summer has won so much favor with the clubs recently, her connections with the dancers and bouncers has been such a God thing. Her heart is at Highland, that area, where most of the strip clubs are and Dean and I, well our hearts are in the inner city, at the Dream Center, for that community, and that is where the I.C.U. will be.

We are all very excited about what God is doing and will do with this new branch of the Rescue and Restore tree.

Email me if you would like more info carolesturner@yahoo.com

Hope Chest NOW in Haiti

This is an organization that Dean and I support. It's doing great things for Orphans in Swaziland, Uganda, and Ethiopia Africa, and orphans in Russia. Tom's book, Red Letters living a Faith that Bleeds is one of my top ten books and his amazing fiction book, Scared, based in Swaziland Africa, is a must read. I also buy coffee from his organization, saintscoffee.com which is fair trade and the sale of the coffee helps orphans in Africa. Plus, it's freaky good stuff! I LOVE the Ethiopian and Espresso Roast.

Dean and I really want to go to Haiti but so far, that just isn't happening. BUT maybe we can help more by not going? We bought a tent for a family in Haiti through ahomeinhaiti.org, got us a couple Help Haiti shirts from helphaitishirt.com which funds orphanages and feeding centers there, we sent support to World Visions Haiti and Compassion Internationals ongoing relief in Haiti. I don't share all that to be "look at what we did" but I always hope by putting a link on here to organizations doing great work, that YOU will click and give also. We aint breaking the bank by giving to these organizations, trust me, it's all small amounts but I know every little bit helps. So THAT's why I say all that, hope that's cool with everyone.

And I have to keep telling myself, that helping Haiti isn't about me or what I want to do, it's not about being able to say "I went to Haiti" it's about being the hands and feet of Jesus to the Haitian people and all people, doing God's will, however that looks. Right now it looks like helping financially thous that are already there helping.

Will you consider giving to Hope Chest's work in Haiti? Would you take a minute and check it out below and pray about what God would have you do?

EVERY little bit helps..

From Tom's blog

Our First Sponsored Orphanage in Haiti.

We have been praying about what role Children's HopeChest needs to play in Haiti. Our goal is to have projects and community sponsorships with a number of orphanages and walk with them for years to come as they rebuild. We want to be with them long term not simply help with emergency aid.

The story of our first orphanage is below. We already have a sponsor and these children are already receiving the help they need. If you are interested in your community being engaged in Haiti, please click here to learn how to TRANSFORM an orphanage, then email me about your interest at tdavis@hopechest.org. We're thankful to Telecom Decision Makers, Inc., for being our first sponsor in Haiti.

This story comes from my buddy, Seth Barnes' blog.

When the earth shook with violence in Leogane, an orphanage of 46 girls erupted in screams. A house mom threw her body across the three nearest girls as the walls and ceiling collapsed on her, taking her life, but saving the girls.

Two of them escaped, but one named Mange remained stuck in the rubble next to the house mom who had sacrificed her life.

Trapped in the rubble, Mange cried out: "Please don't leave me here to die! I don't want to die this way!"

Two young boys from the church heard her cries and began digging. The structure looked like a concrete pancake, but they dug and cleared a hole through. Mange was saved.

All 46 orphans gathered together, but now they had no house mom. Eighteen-year-old Geesula sprang into action. Not only was she the oldest of the group, but she had been around longer than all but one of the other orphans. Geesula now became the protector of orphans. The surrounding community came in and stole all their remaining food, but Geesula saw to it that the girls were safe.

A month later, Geesula continues to be housemom for her 45 orphan sisters. She knows what the girls need each day. Before the quake, the orphanage was part of a foundation that included a bakery, guest house and medical clinic. All of those collapsed and their vehicle was demolished.

This orphanage needs your help. They have lost everything and aren't supported by any big church or organization.There has been enough death in Haiti. Now is the time for life. God is giving us an opportunity. While orphans live in tents and we still live in houses, God invites us to do more. Like those young boys who dug out Mange from the rubble, lives are saved when we hear the cries of the poor and hurting and respond.

Right now, living conditions are very primitive - tents and no electricity. Rainy season arrives next month, so there is no time to waste. The time for Haiti is now and the time for Haiti's orphans is today.

If you want to GIVE to Haiti, please Click here and mark your gift: "Haiti's Orphans."

Hear No Evil by Matthew Paul Turner

Hear No Evil's subtitle is "My Story of Innocence, music, and the Holy Ghost". A lot of it is set in the Christian Music world of the 80's and 90's. Matthew Turner, the author, was raised Fundamentalist Baptist, he didn't go to a movie until he was 19 years old and his mother thought Sandy Patty was the devil. Yea, very strict upbringing to say the least.

I really like to laugh and listen to music. They are both crucial to my mental, spiritual and physical health. SO I guess that's why I especially loved this book, it made me laugh and it was about how music affected him.

I liked his other book "Churched" a lot, it was also about his fundamentalist upbringing but more about his early childhood and it wasn't about music, so I enjoyed this one more. I have been a long time fan of his blog, Jesusneedsnewpr.blogspot.com (he's big time and still uses Blogger like me ;-) it's irreverent, edgy and his collection of Jesus pictures are book worthy! His twitter (@jesusneedsnewpr) commentary on everything from American Idol to the Olympics is hysterical too!

Having been raised Baptist and then becoming a Christian at Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, and being an extreme music lover freak, I related to so much of what he wrote about. Swaggarts church and ministry was as legalistic as there ever was. We couldn't listen to ANY secular music, definitely never go to a R rated movie and a catch phrase of the guys at JSBC (Jimmy Swaggart Bible College) was "submit woman". I was even accused of being a Jezebel and lusting after a guy friend for kissing him on the cheek after he fixed my car. There was talk of "Carole's lust problem" and it all came to a head with a huge meeting of friends concerned with my lusting after this friend even though NOTHING could have been further from the truth. There were two friends who saw through all the stupid fear induced drama, Karen and Wade. Wade defended me like a good lawyer at "the meeting". Another friend, Jimmy Clyde, didn't care if I lusted or not he just kept saying "this is stupid" and rolled his eyes a lot during "the meeting". But seven others told me how they really thought I was lusting or at least needed to be more appropriate and not kiss a 16 year old guy on the cheek for fixing my car. We eventually all recovered and lived to look back and laugh at our extreme fear, witch hunting and immaturity but at the time it was very traumatizing to be told you had a "lust problem" just because you kissed a guy on the cheek. ( I can't wait to write this chapter of my life story, there are so many "fun" stories such as this :-)

Anyways, all that to say, yea, I loved this book. I related to it. The legalism, the fundamentalism and the music. I laughed MANY times, said AMEN! many times, said OUCH several times and cried twice. THAT is the makings a great book if you ask me.

You should get it and read it.

Here are some quotes I highlighted;

"people talking about how to create something "real" and "authentic" rather then just being real and authentic. " ouch!

"After a good chiding, which included quoting Jesus, Mother Theresa, and Mr. Rogers, she eventually diagnosed me with faith-based narcissism...The manner in which you integrate your model of Christianity into conversations and other people's realities reveal and unhealthy necessity for dominance and self-gratification. You become eccentric and often passively aggressive.." I was like this for a very long time and I know WAY to many people who are like this even to this day!

..but the word 'acoustic' I understood; it was Christian for 'boring"

"they feed off of other people's attention. Like television evangelist" Refer to the fourth paragraph of this review if you wonder why I liked this quote and can't stomach televangelist.

"The odd thing about Christians pursuing fame is that they do it while pretending not to be interested in fame." Another ouch!

Click HERE to order Hear No Evil from Amazon

Richard: Part 2

Richard lived on the levee for years. Outside, in a tent or under the cover of trees. He's been off the streets and clean for almost a year now. Richard comes to the Dream Center and helps pull off old sheet rock in the auditorium. He paints, loads and unloads furniture for people and he works rings around the younger guys. All with only one arm. He out works most people around him, with only one arm. And he has been doing homeless outreach for a few months. He now helps with the outreach that reached out to him.

Thursday when we were on outreach Richard came up to me and said "you know what got me right here?" as he pounded on his heart with his fist "Your little one. I mean, I ain't ever known a kid to care about the Homeless like she does. She was always there. Helping. That got me. That really got me" He said as he teared up and looked off into the distance.

You can read Richard: part 1 by clicking HERE.

Don't ever think what you are doing isn't making a difference. Keep seeking Jesus and being Jesus to people.

We Are The World

I think the song starts off slow and boring but gets better when Michael sings, and from then on it's really good.

LL Cool Jay rapping, that's GREAT stuff!

Enjoy and help Haiti..

helphaitishirt.com

ahomeinhaiti.org

Jesus Walking: Barbara Conti

I know many genuine, amazing followers of Jesus. I get to be around people who serve others, help the poor, feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, people who are Jesus to others in so many ways, everyday.

But one of the most Jesus like people I know is Mrs. Barbara Conti.

Barbara is over 50 ( I wont say how far over :-) she has two grown sons. One works for Healing Place Church and the other just returned to the states after being a missionary working in Swaziland Africa with Children's Cup for three years. Her husband Bruce is an Engineer. They live in a beautiful upper middle class neighborhood in the house where they raised both of their sons.

Barbara gives to many charities, she helped us financially to bring Abel home. She prays and seeks God daily. Right now she is hosting two HPC interns from the HPC Swaziland Africa Campus who are staying with her while they are in the states working at the local HPC Campus.

Barbara doesn't work outside the home so she could be spending her free time every day watching Soap Opera's, playing tennis, shopping, getting pedicures or any other such time consumers, but she doesn't. Instead on Tuesday and Friday from 9:00am until 1:00pm she helps at the BRDC Cafe where people come in off the streets for help. She helps them get things like food, clothing, shelter, jobs. She goes on street outreach, helps with Kids camps in the Summer and whatever else Charity needs at different times throughout the week. On Wednesday she goes to a bible Study with some other ladies from around town then on Thursday from 5:00am until 10:30am she does Homeless Outreach.


Mrs. Barbara reading the bible lesson to some kids at the summer camp.

Today at homeless outreach I watched her as she went from person to person during the breakfast talking to them and smiling, making them feel welcome and at home. I watched her help a homeless family that was new in town. Then when we went out roaming to the places around the down town area where the homeless live outside, she once again was giving them food, smiling, talking and helping.


Barbara out on the Levee handing out breakfast and visiting with the homeless that live there.

Today we met Arthur. Arthur has terminal liver cancer. He lives alone in a Motel room. He had called Pastor Craig to ask for some food. He was hungry and alone. So we stopped there, visited Arthur, gave him food and drink, the group held hands with Arthur and prayed with him and talked to him about his needs.

As the team was milling around and talking to another man that stayed near by, Barbara and Nathan (BRDC Youth Ministry Leader) were still talking to Arthur. He looked so frail, like he would break if you touched him too hard. His eyes as yellow as the Sun and his voice almost too weak to hear when he spoke. "Do you know Jesus Arthur? That's the most important thing. He loves you and wants to spend eternity with you" Barbara said in the sweetest, kindest voice ever as she gently laid her hand on his arm in that "Jesus is touching you" kinda way.

Arthur answered, "Yes but I back slid I'm away from him now". Nathan told Arthur of the grace and the mercy Jesus has for him. Him and Barbara continue to talk with Arthur a few more minutes about the love and forgiveness of Jesus then we all told him we would be back next week, and we left.

People think I "do" a lot, "serve" a lot but I really don't. I just blog, twitter and Face Book about it so people know what I do. I see Barbara and I want to be more like her. She does not get paid for all this serving that she does. She is always pleasant, happy, smiling. She's never too chatty, never late, always ready to do whatever anyone needs and she NEVER does anything for attention. She does it for Jesus. She loves him and she loves people. I want to be more like that.

When I think about what it's like to be in the presence of Mrs. Barbara Conti, I think about this quote by C.S. Lewis;

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call 'humble' nowadays: he will not be a sort who is always telling you that,of course,he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.

Barbara is Jesus walking.

So much to say I'm speachless

As I mentioned before, I am writing my life story. I have only written 23 pages and that has taken me over a month. Since I started writing it I am not sleeping well. I tried to live by the Stephen Pressfield teaching of "you have to write every day" but I knew I had to take frequent breaks from the memories I was writing, cuz' going to some ugly places can make you mean, or at least it does me. That's why it's taking me so long to write I guess, I have to take breaks so I can be nice.

Last night while watching American Idol, with the entire family around me, I sat in my favorite chair and wrote five of the hardest pages of my life story. Even while LOST was on, I continued to write that story from my childhood.

After ward I talked to Dean about it. He said he was proud of me for writing my life story. He's a great husband.

I want to blog about my daily life, how God is really doing a lot in our family, in me, in Dean. About life at the Dream Center and all the cool new doors that God is opening but I just don't have it in me right now. I'm giving the little I have to my book and it's taking a lot.

CS Lewis on being yourself..

The more we get what we now call 'ourselves' out of the way and let Him take over, the more truly ourselves we become...Our real selves are all waiting for us in Him. It is no good trying to 'be myself' without Him. The more I resist Him and try to live on my own, the more I become dominated by my own heredity and upbringing and surroundings and natural desires. In fact what I so proudly call 'myself' becomes merely the meeting place for trains of events which I never started and which I cannot stop. What I call 'my wishes' become merely the desires thrown up by my physical organism or pumped into me by other men's thoughts or even suggested to me by the devils. ...Propaganda will be the real origin of what I regard as my own personal political ideas. I am not, in my natural state, nearly so much of a person as I like to believe: most of what I call 'me' can be very easily explained. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give myself up to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own. C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity

I Will Follow Him

Funny that a song that was originally a 1950's teeny bop love song can make me cry thinking of my love for Jesus.

The vocals on this are superb!

This song is like a prayer. Sing it and pray it with me.

It's good stuff.

The Civil Wars

If you have yet to discover the amazing sounds of The Civil Wars, click on the picture and get your free download. To me, they are the best new music out there right now.

I LOVE Poison and Wine and their version of Sada's No Ordinary Love.

Burnin' up the Dance Floor

Today Dean and I went to Angela and Terry's wedding.

Angela is the female lead worship leader at BRDC.

This is a video from the wedding reception, me dancing with Jordan Earles.



Jordan is the male lead worship leader at BRDC. I have known Jordan his entire life. He's like a nephew to me. His mother Lorri is one of my best friends in the whole world.

Jordan is fearless, uninhibited and free. That is why he does such a great job leading worship I think. He just lets go, gets lost in worship and praise and doesn't worry about who is or isn't impressed. He's singing for Jesus and that's all he's thinking about.

After you watch these video, you will know that he REALLY doesn't care what people think.

Enjoy.

Our Adoption Journey So Far..

I was diagnosed with endometriosis when I was a teenager so when I got married at age 27, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to have kids. After a year of trying to get pregnant my husband and I went to our pastor at the time, Larry Stockstill, and asked him to pray over us. Him and his wife prayed for us and that next week I conceived Evangeline. She is 13 years old now. She was a miracle, because I was told by my doctor that I probably wouldn’t ever birth children due to my Endometriosis. After she was born I tried mild fertility treatments but they only made my endometriosis worse. At age 40 I had to have a hysterectomy.

When Evangeline was about 5yrs old we looked into adoption. We knew we wanted to adopt a bi-racial child, we saw ourselves with a boy. But once we started looking into the cost of adoption we didn’t know how it would be possible. We just didn’t have that kind of money. So we laid down the dream of having more children, I started classes at LSU and we were content with our one child.

Then one day at a church sponsored health fair I saw a booth for His Heart for Orphans adoption ministry. I went over and talked to the lady in charge of it. Her name was Aimee and her and her husband had just started this ministry at our church. The ministry was to help families find financial resources for adopting and provided support to families that have adopted or were trying to adopt. I told her how we wanted to adopt but felt it was too expensive, she looked me right in the eyes, gently grabbed my arm and said “if you ever have an opportunity to adopt, don’t let money stop you. God can and will provide the money”. I walked away in tears and shaking. I tried to brush it off as her not understanding OUR financial situation but God was moving.

One month later I received a call from my sister informing me that a girl she worked with was giving her baby up for adoption. The girl had walked into my sister’s office and asked her if we wanted to adopt her baby. (My sister had told many people about our fertility issues and desire to adopt a bi-racial child) The girl was pregnant with a bi-racial baby boy.

We started the process and I immediately became overwhelmed with the cost. We had no savings, no credit cards, it seemed impossible. I was laying in bed feeling overwhelmed by doubt and fear. I prayed and then I thought “I wonder what scripture verse was printed on the journal page where I wrote about getting the call about adopting Steele?” For some reason I had not noticed the scripture verse when I wrote in my journal that day. I grabbed my journal, opened it to that page and saw “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. Mark 10:27” I showed it to Dean, we were both silent, God had spoken. It was gonna be ok.

Two months later we were in a hospital in Florida getting our son Steele. Yes, Aimee was right, God provided all the money. Impossible time frame (only 2 months from the first call to his birth) and an impossible money situation, all were met by a God bigger then any circumstance.

Our son Steele is 5yrs old now.

We also had an adoption fall through a week before the baby was born in 2006. The birth mother decided to keep the baby. It was a very sad time for us. We still think about that baby boy and pray he is loved and taken care of.

My husband really took that loss hard and was not ready to head down the adoption road again as soon as I was but in the Fall of 2007 some friends called and said that God told them to give us $6000.00 so we could adopt from Africa. They knew that my heart was leaning toward adopting from there. Dean said I could start looking into it so I started looking again on Rainbow kids and other sites. I found a young man named Abel who was 11 yrs old according to the short description and he lived in Ethiopia. I immediately felt drawn to him. I talked to Dean, but at the time he just didn't feel like we should adopt an 11 yr old boy. So I let it go.

In January of 2008 I was praying, and I kept hearing Abel’s name every time I prayed. At first I thought maybe God just wanted me to pray for him, I soon realized that was not it. Finally after a few days of prodding by the Holy Spirit I got online to see if he was still available. I found him immediately and guess what? He wasn't 11yrs old he is 7yrs old!! I don't know if I read wrong or it was typed wrong or what but God wanted to make sure I knew the truth. When I inquired of the Agency they confirmed that he was 7 yrs old and still available. I had not even seen his picture yet. I called Dean, told him what had been going on with me, how I really felt God was wanting us to adopt Abel, and how he was really only 7 not 11 years old. I asked him if we could start the process of adopting him and he said yes. He now had a peace about it and was ready to proceed.

We found out that Abel had been orphaned as a baby, his mother and father both died of AIDS and he was being raised by his 50 year old grandmother. She had placed him for adoption because she was unemployed and could no longer care for him.

It took one year for us to complete the adoption of Abel and bring him home. International adoptions cost at least double what domestic adoptions cost but NO amount of money is too much for God and he provided all the funds we needed.We had many delays and set backs but now we see that God was working in the delays. He had it ALL under control.

Abel has been home a year now. It has been the absolute best year of my life but also one of the hardest years of my life.

We feel the next child we will adopt will be HIV+. I think it will be a girl, under age 5, but that is all in Gods hands. Right now we know that we are to work hard for the cause of orphaned children, especially children orphaned by AIDS and/ or the ones with HIV. We sponsor children and families, fund care centers that feed AIDS orphans, fund orphanages that house HIV+ orphans and we use our voice to advocate for them.

We know that helping orphans is what we are called to do, however that looks.

His Heart For Orphans Adoption Fund and Much More..

2010 is shaping up to be an exciting time of growth for His Heart for Orphans, the Adoption Ministry of Healing Place Church. I would like to tell you about all the ways YOU can be involved in this vital ministry.

YES, even if you have not adopted a child, you can still be involved.

One way HHFO helps families in the process of adopting is through grants. Qualifying HPC families can receive financial assistance to help with adoption expenses. BUT we can only give out what funds we have available in the grant fund. There is now a link where anyone wanting to donate to this fund can do so. The image above is our new widget that you can click on and it takes you to the credit card donation page.

Please consider adding this widget to your blog side bar/and or Facebook page so that visitors to your blog or Facebook page, can also give.

There are also several different adoption related outreaches of HHFO. Below you will find the links (and again, these are widgets you can take for your blog/facebook) to information about these different meetings and how they help and encourage families before, during and after the adoption process.

If you have questions please Email adoption@healingplacechurch.org

A Home In Haiti, How you can help

Last night Dean and I bought a tent for a family in Haiti. It was very easy, I clicked on this Amazon link from the web site AHomeinHaiti.org.

We were only able to afford one tent, it was $55 but its water proof and a family of 3 can fit in it. I bet 4 people could squeeze in if need be.

It's not much, I know, but it's something. We can all do something.

I would like to challenge each person that reads this blog to go purchase a tent for a family in Haiti. Read below to learn why this is such a desperate need right now.

Thank you for helping the people of Haiti. God Bless.

I copied this from the AHomeinHaiti.org site.

In just a few days, it will begin to rain regularly in Haiti. Could you imagine living outside, permanently, in the rain, with nothing but cloth sheets held up by sticks to protect you? Currently, this is set to be the very harsh reality for over 700,000 Haitian men, women, and children who still have nothing to protect them from the elements.

When you purchase waterproof tents or donate cash directly, it will provide an immediate home in Haiti for people that so desperately need it. These tents are Phase 1 of our long-term project, but are not debatable or optional.



Yes -homes of wood and stone and steel are needed. We are working on that RIGHT NOW, but while we work, we must ensure that we ACT to provide shelter from the impending rainy season that begins in March and hurricane season that begins in June. Our tents are flown & shipped weekly to Haiti through trusted partners and are distributed directly by experienced professionals on the ground.

Buy actual tents RIGHT NOW and ship them to us for free via Amazon.com.

Thank you for being the solution! Let's get to work!

Children Sold..

I had a few people email or message me after the CBS news segment on the girls from Ethiopia who were sold to an adoption agency and adopted by a couple here in America. Many were wondering what the possibility was that Abel could have been sold like they were.

Abel was living in Mekelle which is a city in northern Ethiopia. His grandmother took him to what is equal to our social services office kinda and she dropped him off to them. They filled out paper work, stating that she told them she could not care for him anymore because of her age and she had no income. He stayed in their care until they were able to prove he was an orphan and was eligible for adoption then they notified the adoption agency. He was then flown to Addis Ababu, which is a 5 hour plane ride. He stayed in Addis for 19 months, at the Care Center, until we picked him up.

A month before we got him, 18 months after she had dropped him off at the social services office, she was flown to Addis Ababbu to stand before a judge in person. She told the judge that she was his grandmother, was unemployed, and wished for him to be adopted. She said she understood what that meant. The judge was presented with documentation showing deaths of both Abel's parents and where they were buried. There was also sworn testimonies from witnesses to verify her story.

The day she appeared in court she also went to visit Abel in the care center. He said he thought she was coming to get him but she wasn't. She again told him to stay there. He said she didn't cry but he did. He said he was very sad that day.

So, yes, I believe that what we know to be Abel's story is true. I do not believe he was sold to our agency. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I have no reason to believe our agency did that. The agency on the news story had other families come forward about the same thing and are under investigation. The agency we used is not.

I think A LOT of reform needs to come to Ethiopian adoptions. It's a messy unregulated money maker and that needs to stop. I do believe many children are sold by hungry desperate families.

Here is the link to the documentary "Fly Away Children" about corrupt Ethiopian adoptions.

Fly Away Children

Abel's Valentine..

Abel gave Dean and I this drawing today for Valentines Day.

You see the boxes, with "Faml" that are on each side of the family picture? That's "Family" he said he sounded out all the words to spell them ;-)

Then the family picture with him in it is in the middle box.

and then in the boxes on the bottom he drew first himself all alone, then a plane (with Ethiopian flag colors on the tail fin, he remembers so well) and then another plane (cuz' we changed planes in DC) then our home.

It reads.."Dear mom and dad thankyou for lat me live wit you I love my faml your sun Abel Turner".

I make a point NOT to make him feel he needs to thank us or be grateful that we adopted him. Yet, he is thankful. Maybe because I always thank God FOR him when we pray at night and we tell him how glad we are that he is in our family.

A day celebrating love, that's what Valentines is supposed to be about. Dean got me roses and sweet tarts, he knows I love Sweet tarts. The kids all gave me something special and I gave them something. Gifts to say, "hey, don't ever forget that I love you. I got your back. We are family".

We celebrated love this Valentines Day.

E

Look at that baby!!


Now she's growing up really fast.. way to fast.

She's a great kid.

Adoption Reality: "Why You Take Me?"

Now that Abel is completely fluent in English, we have been talking a lot about his life in Ethiopia, especially his life at the Care Center. Abel was there for almost 20 months. He was never abused there in any way. He says he never saw any abuse there. Other families say their kids were abused either physically or sexually while they were there. I am sad for them. I know dealing with your child being abused ANYWHERE is very hard and painful.

But what I am having the hardest time working through is that NONE of the kids at the Care Center were told by ANYONE at the agency or by the nannies working at the Care Center that they are being adopted.

Abel said that when we got him, he had no idea that he was not returning to his grandmother. Not until he got here to America, to our house did he figure it out. And even then he was confused as to why we took him.

I remember the day, about a month after being home with him. He was starting to learn how to communicate with us in English.

He looked at me and asked "Why you take me?"

I was shocked and saddened. I answered "We didn't take you Abel. You didn't have a family anymore. You were staying at the Care Center waiting for a family. We are now your family. We were waiting for you too"

Then he said to me, very puzzled and confused, "But I do have family. Cousins, Uncle, Grandma. I miss them. I want to go back to them"

We have had several hard discussions like that and in them he has told me many times that his grandmother never said she would not see him again. The nannies never told them they would be getting new families. The Adoption Agency person in Ethiopia never told the kids either. And when he received gifts from us and pictures, he just thought we were someone sending him stuff.

He said he loved being at the Care Center. He ate regularly, unlike when he was with his grandmother and he played all the time he said.

I really do believe he has come to terms with it all and he embraces us as his family now. But my heart breaks for what he has gone through, needlessly, in my opinion. I think he should have been told what was going on, as best they could for someone his age. They should have at least not lied to him, not deceived him...or us.

I would have been fine if our agency had said "look, we don't tell the kids what adoption is, who you people are that send them stuff, why your sending it. We don't tell them they wont be returning to their Ethiopian families. We just don't tell them anything so your kid may be a little freaked out until he understands."

I would have even been fine with "look, these kids have all been sexually or physically abused more then likely. We do our best to hire good nannies but there is no police abuse clearance in Ethiopia, there is no way to know until something happens. They also can't watch all 23 kids all the time, kids touch each other, especially kids that may have been abused before coming into the care center. So be ready to deal with these things."

Problem is our agency didn't tell us any such thing. Instead they said sexual abuse is non existent in Ethiopia pretty much. The nannies love the kids so much and are always tender and caring and these kids are anxiously awaiting new parents. All not true.

SO, my advise to anyone adopting, ask your agency how they inform the children they are getting a new family. Do the kids understand they are not just at day care until their Ethiopian family can get them back? Do they understand what getting a new family means?

What does the agency do, if anything, to ensure safety at the Care Center? Do they have cameras? If not, why? Do they allow corporal punishment? If so, do they have guidelines? Again, all this could be bizarre and impossible to implement in a third world country, but if so, the agency needs to level with you about that reality so you can be ready to help your child when they get to your home.

I think every parent I am talking to these days would have much rather the truth then the lies.

Check out this story elleia-of-samoa-and-spanish-fork-and-samoa sad and all to familiar.

Letdown as Part of Your Dream?

I took this from Ben Arment's blog. I read it and it stabbed me in the heart.

God doesn’t allow one, single experience to be wasted on you. What you think might have been a worthless endeavor, a big mistake, or a pointless job was exactly what God needed you to experience for what’s coming ahead.

What if heartbreak and setback were qualifications for your dream? What if your dream required thick skin and you didn’t have it? Would you be okay with facing letdown after letdown if it helped prepare you?

Oswald Chambers says, “Before God can use a man greatly, he must wound him deeply.” Are you willing to accept pain for greatness?

Finger Nail Droppings, The Story of My Life

I am writing my life story. I have about 16 pages done so far. Yes, it's called Finger Nail Droppings, The Story of My Life. I will explain the title in the book.

For now I thought I'd let you read a snippet from the first chapter. Just a little taste of what makes me me...

She had married at age 16, had given birth to my sister when she was 18, me at 19 and divorced by age 20. Her and my dad had been high school sweethearts. They were those crazy love struck kids you hear about in old 1950’S songs. Their parents didn’t like them dating so they ran off to Georgia and got married and soon mom was pregnant with my sister.

After my sister was born they headed to New Orleans to play music. They had big dreams of fame and Rock and Roll. Dad was a drummer and my mom sang. Dad got a job playing drums at the Gunga Den strip Club on Bourbon Street. Mom tended bar and my sister Donna stayed in a play pin in the dressing room, the strippers would watch her while they were on break. I was in my mom’s belly as she waited on the drunken strip club patrons.

But the reality of married life with children was starting to take it’s tole on the Rock and Roll teen dreamers. Playing drums in strip clubs in New Orleans was just not going to work with two little babies. So mom and dad packed up and went back home to Florida, dad started working at Eckerd drugs store and mom waited tables. Dreams of fame faded, and responsibility beckoned to my dad..

WHO DAT at the BRDC

From BRDC Saints Super Bowl day

The BRDC band, FRONT ROW- Frank, Kim, Kristin, Angela, Josh, Me, Jeremy. BACK ROW-Arnie, Danny, Jordan, Sean.

From BRDC Saints Super Bowl day

The ladies of the BRDC worship team, Angela, Me, Kristin and Kim

We all wore our Saints colors today to church.

Pastor Craig talked about how the Colts are mentioned 1 time in the bible...the Saints are mentioned 98 times. I think it's obvious who God is pulling for ;-)

As a proud resident of Louisiana and someone who has been here for over 24 years. I have to say, I am so glad the Saints are in the Super Bowl. It's really not even about football for me, it's more about a team that represents a city. New Orleans suffered severe devastation from Katrina. The Super Dome was trashed and the Saints owner talked about moving the team. Pain on pain for a while. BUT now, THE Louisiana team is in the Super Bowl.

This is the final touch on a rebuilt house. A house that had been destroyed but a house determined to come back as a much better house, a stronger house. I know that's cheesy and really doesn't make much sense, SO what. I like it. I like the energy that is permeating the air in Louisiana today. Celebration. Healing. Laughter.

It's all good.

In closing I really only have one question for you...

WHO DAT?



We actually had this song playing at "Flow" time at church this morning!

who dat dog

Update on Uganda Adoption Situation

I received a comment on my last post by a social worker in Uganda. She said that this is very common there, wording always has to be changed and this is nothing to fret about. She directed me to this blog http://lifelineadoption.blogspot.com which is staying current with information about the situation in Uganda.

This is her blog post from yesterday..

UGANDA UPDATE

The US Embassy is calling for a change in the wording in the legal guardianship decrees in Uganda. At this time, the US Embassy will not issue Immigrant Visas for children seeking to come to the US under a legal guardianship until this wording has been changed. Our attorney is diligently working to find out if the High Court judges would be willing to change the language used in the legal guardianship decrees. The decrees need to specifically state the judges’ awareness of the family’s intentions to adopt the Ugandan child or children in the US and that the judges understand the child or children will obtain dual citizenship in Uganda and in the US. He is specifically asking these questions on behalf of Lifeline families. Similar problems have arisen at the US Embassy in Uganda in the past and have been resolved successfully in a matter of weeks. Our attorney is hopeful that the current situation will be resolved in a timely manner as well. We will continue to update with timely and accurate updates.

Claire Davis
International Social Worker

So I am really praying this lady is right and it is all no big deal.

This is from an email I received from Meghan this morning,

"Prayer needs: Our attorney has spoken with heads of the division, and will be drafting a legal opinion on the matter over the weekend to present on Monday (hopefully). He needs our prayers!! His arguments must be so clear, so convincing, so un-arguable, that the principal and deputy judges totally agree. IF that happens, they will then have to reword our rulings and the nightmare will be over"

That's all I know right now. Let's just continue to pray for Moses and the other children to be able to come home soon.

Continue to read Meghan's blog for updates.

HELP NEEDED! Matt Family Ugandan Adoption in Crisis

My dear friends and BRDC kids church leader Meghan and Chris Matt are in the middle of adopting 3 year old Moses from Uganda. Meghan has been in Uganda for 10 days. Yesterday Meghan, along with 25 other families, received word that the U.S. government would no longer grant visa's to children from Uganda.

THIS is very bad. Most of these parents have already been declared the legal parents of these children by the Ugandan courts BUT if they can't get visa's then that means they can not be brought into the U.S. That means that Meghan and the other families will not be able to bring their children home unless this changes.

Please Please Please help these families.

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW,

If you are a Louisiana resident, we have a friend in Washington, Mary Landrieu. She is the co sponsor of the Equality for Adopted Children Act. PLEASE contact her and ask her to intervene on behalf of these children.

landrieu.senate.gov

This is the letter I sent to her, you can copy and paste it just take out my personal stuff..

Hello Senator Landrieu.

Thank you so much for your work on behalf of children adopted internationally to have the same rights as other American citizens.We adopted our 7 year old son from Ethiopia last year.

Unfortunately we have a crisis situation right now with adoptions in Uganda. My dear friend, a Baton Rouge Louisiana resident, Meghan Matt, is in Uganda waiting to bring her son home. She, along with 25 other families, were told yesterday that they would not receive Visa's for their children to return to the U.S. with them. These children have been declared the legal responsibility of the U.S. parents by a Ugandan judge but the U.S. government has now decided they will no longer grant Visa's for these children. The U.S. government is requesting that the judge rewrite all adoptions granted to state that the child is now a U.S. citizen. In the mean time we have 25 families, already in Uganda for weeks, waiting to bring their children home. Including one child who is sick and in need of medical care. Is there any way you can help?

contact local media and tell them about this situation,

WBRZ channel 2

WAFB channel 9

Also, join EACH through equalityforadoptedchildren.org, put "Uganda" in the comments. The more numbers and proof of effected people the better.

I will keep you all posted on any new developments as I receive them.

Check Meghan and Chris's blog HERE

And this blog is written by the parents of baby girl Sarah Elizabeth, who is very sick and one of the 25 kids trying to get home from Uganda.

PRAY!!

1 Year Home

Today when Abel arrived home from school I had him do the usual routine, change clothes and start doing his homework. I made him and Steele go into the office where Evangeline was already working on homework. I had gotten them some new drawing pads and handwriting practice books so they sat down and started working on them.

I went to get their snack ready.

Only today Abel got a very special, 1 year home surprise "snack". Our friends Dawn and Bernie, parents of Tes, had sent him food from an Ethiopian Resturaunt! Abel walked into the dining room and couldn't believe his eyes! Shero, Doro Wat, Injera and Peas!!

"Is this my celebration mom?" He said while stuffing his face with his favorite food in the world.

"It's part of it. Mrs. Dawn and Mr. Bernie are celebrating 1 year with Tes also so they wanted to share this with you. Isn't that nice?"

"I love it mom".


Abel with his card from Dawn, Bernie, Tes, Bailey and Taylor

THANK YOU DAWN AND BERNIE!!!!!!! You made this 1st anniversary so special for Abel.
We can't wait 'till ya'll come visit in March.

I meant to do a "1 Year home" post on the actual anniversary, but with the Flu and all, well I just couldn't go there. Now I can. I'm ready.

I have to say, it has been the absolute best year of my life, hands down, but also one of the very hardest years of my life.

We have had hard days. Days where I wondered if I had what it took to do this. But there have been more good days. Great days. He truly is a gift from God.

The greatest thing to watch is Evangeline and Steele with Abel. There is no hesitation, they are brothers and sister. Period. No question. THAT is a miracle. It is so much fun to witness.

And like I have said before, reaching out before the feeling is there is what activates and grows the feelings. Daily, we all get more attached to each other. Heart ties are coiling around and deeply into all our hearts connecting us more and more each day.

Let me tell you a few things we have discovered about our son over this last year..

Abel is funny. He is a great dancer. He is freakishly observant. He notices everything. He remembers everything. He is sharp as a tack.

He made a hat out of paper and tape. There is nothing he cant make with paper and tape.

He is a great drawer. He loves baseball, Hip Hop dancing, Michael Jackson and President Obama.

In one year he has gone from not knowing English, entering 1st grade without ever attending Kindergarten, making D's in English to NOW making Bs in English! He had trouble writing neatly but now has beautiful handwriting. He makes As and Bs in Math.

He has grown from being 48 inches tall and weighing 43lbs to now being 51 inches tall and weighing 49lbs. He is a great eater. He loves Oatmeal and Frosted Flakes cereal with warmed milk.

We found out he has permanent hearing loss in his right ear, probably due to a child hood sound trauma. He can't hear high pitches in that ear at all.

I think he will be a builder or an artist, or maybe an Architect where he can combine both. No matter what he does or doesn't achieve or who he becomes as an adult, He will always be our son and we will always be so glad that God let us be his parents.

Happy 1 year home Abel Dean G-Medhein Turner!

Looking back...

From Getting Abel from Ethiopia

Tes, Abel, Parker and Morgan in Ethiopia, the day we were about to leave to come back to America. This is one of my favorite pictures. Check out Jilian's blog (she is Parker and Morgan's mom) she is real and I love her and that whole family very much.

From Getting Abel from Ethiopia

Mike and Rosie with Abe, Dawn Bernie and Tes, Dean me and Abel, Ashley, Jillian with Parker and Morgan.The group we traveled with. We are all still so close. I love them all and feel forever connected to them because of what we shared.

What Does Helping Haiti Really Look Like?

Since the quake I have been itching to go help in Haiti. Dean is listening to his Creole ipod app to learn some of the language and we are anxiously waiting to hear from Pastor Dino if/when teams from HPC will go.

But during this time of waiting I have also been researching how to really help Haiti right now and down the road.

There are two schools of thought on this that I am consistently finding.

One says, go now, do whatever needs to be done while you're there, use the trip to raise awareness,THIS will help Haiti.

The other says, don't go now, fund the aide groups that are already there to do more of what they have been doing, give to empower the Haitian people, and only go later if a group on the ground expresses their need for you and your skills specifically.

I think I fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.

Here are a couple of great blogs to read to give some perspective,

Tales from the Hood
Good_Intentions_are not Enough

So, I'm praying and working all this out in my heart and mind and right now, I'm not too certain of much.

BUT I do know that it has nothing to do with making ME feel like I did something to help. I don't need to be a hero or a star. I need to do exactly what God wants me to do. Period. The Haitian people are not a cause, they are not voiceless, they are people who have suffered a terrible devastation, God's children like we all are. I dare not interject my selfish desires or ambitions into this.

I have complete confidence in the leaders from HPC that are in Haiti and have been there since the quake, trying to figure out how we can best help. I know they will not send teams if that is not in the Haitian people's best interest. They will not burden the Haitian people BUT only help, really help, however that looks. I know they are praying hard and working hard to find what we are supposed to do and not do. I respect these people and will follow their lead. They have MUCH more experience in this then I do.

SO for now we wait, pray and we give. Give to people that have been helping Haiti long before and will be there long after this.

THAT, I know cant hurt and I know it does help.

Compassion International

World Vision

Love a Child

Help Haiti Shirt

Sick

Couple days ago Steele came home from school and fell asleep, he was sick. He had a 103.6 fever. Steele has never really been sick. As a baby he had whopping cough but we didn't even know it until a few months of him coughing like and old man who had smoked his entire life. Other then the awful coughing fits, he didn't even act sick with that. So it was really weird that he was so sick. I took him the next day to the Doctor and he tested positive for flu. She said they don't test for Swine Flu specifically but his culture showed positive immediately so he had it bad. He got on Tami Flu immediately and by the next day his fever was gone and he was wanting to play. E has been immunized for the Swine Flu already because of her diabetes. I had not gotten the boys immunized.

Then Saturday morning I woke up feeling like I had been beat! As the day progressed, I KNEW I had what Steele had. I started running fever, only 100.6 but I felt freakishly bad. I took Tami Flu and today, I feel much better. I'm still sick, but way better then yesterday. What ever "flu" it is, it's a bad one. The worse I have ever had for sure.



Yesterday was one year ago that we arrived back in America with Abel. We were going to celebrate this "gotcha day" by going to Chuck E Cheese but since I was sick and Steele was still on medication we have postponed it.

Then this morning at 4am I wake up to Evangeline vomiting. Her pump tubing had broke so her blood sugar was over 600. We changed the site, and got some insulin in her. We had to check it every hour after that till 8am when it was finally down under 200. She is feeling fine now.

All this on the tail end of Dean being home all week recovering from a Hernia surgery. Crazy.

She's a Slut, Don't be Friends With Her..

“mom, today I was talking to this girl at school, she was nice but my friend was standing behind her and she was looking at me like..”

Evangeline starts making the ‘cut’ motion, sliding her straightened hand back and forth in front of her neck.

Then she continued.. “when the girl left, my friend was like, ‘she’s a slut. Don’t be friends with her’. She said that girl had slept with a lot of people. My other friends were like, ‘yea’.

She was really pretty too, mom. She seemed nice.”

Evangeline tells me all this while flat ironing her hair, getting ready for church youth group.

I jumped in with a response pretty quick…

“Evangeline, do not listen to your ‘friends’! Ugh. That is what I hate about school. Crap like that!

Don’t let them tell you who you can be friends with or who is a slut!

Evangeline, did you know that I was that girl when I was in Junior High?

People thought I was slutty. But I wasn’t.

By ninth grade, my friends were the ones having sex, I wasn’t.

The ‘good girls’ that I was friends with were the ones sleeping with their boyfriends, not me.

If that girl tries to lead you down the wrong path, then you can choose not to hang around her.

Or you could try to be a good influence on her.

But don’t just listen to what others say.

Most of the time when girls say stuff like that, it’s bull crap jealousy stuff and not reality”.

_______________________________

I've started a new category, "Junior High Conversations" because I am sure there will be many such conversations like the one I had tonight.

I am hoping to get my friend Karen to post my favorite Junior High conversation ever, that took place between her and one of her sons...

stay tuned..

Trouble of the World-Mahalia Jackson

Just because she can wail!

Enjoy.

From Pastor Dino in Haiti: Immerse yourself in Hope

Since the quake two weeks ago several teams from HPC and the churches we partner with have gone over to Haiti to find out how we can help. They have brought over supplies and teams of Doctors have gone and are still going in weekly rotations. Now a group of pastors from around the U.S. are there. Pastor Dino is with them.

I think of Haiti every day. I know Dean and I will eventually go there. My heart is now burdened for the children. When 200,000 people die, many kids are left orphaned and die themselves.

I asked Dean this morning if he could adopt a child with a limb or something missing? There will be THOUSANDS of orphans with missing legs, arms, fingers, toes, etc. because of this kind of disaster.

We have no idea what our place in this disaster is in the future, for now we pray and pray. God be with them. God give wisdom to the people who want to help. Give strength to the people that are on the ground now. Give your peace and as Dino said, help them to hang on to hope...

Here is what Dino wrote on his blog today. Follow him on twitter also at @dinorizzo.

January 27, 2010

Immerse Yourself In Hope

But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.-Psalm 39:7

I’m standing in Port-au-Prince, Haiti as I write this – watching people’s faces. It really seems like there is a depletion of hope here. My prayer is for hope to be restored to these people.

And really, no matter what your situation is, that’s my prayer for you. Hold on to hope like crazy. Every day, something or someone is going to try to rip it away from you, and what you’re left with is empty living, hollow, shallow and a very bleak outlook.

I think that’s why the Bible tells us 54 times to put our hope in God, in His Word, in His grace. I want to encourage you today to immerse yourself in hope and stay in that place where everything you see you see through the eyes of hope.

My heart breaks for these precious people in Port-au-Prince; tragedy on top of extreme poverty. And what I’m sensing that could be the greatest devastation of all is the loss of hope. Please continue to pray for Haiti. And make sure you’re soaking yourself in hope in the Lord. Only His hope can carry you through.

Tomorrow, E Goes to School

Tomorrow morning at 7:30am E will go back to school. I have home schooled her for the last 3 years. This is not easy for me but it's right.

The other day when I was enrolling her, she with her blue streaked hair and nose ring, me with my Hippie wave hair, no make up, wearing my TOMS and T-shirt with a heart on it that looked like a redneck tattoo. I thought "what must these proper school people be thinking of us?" as I answered questions about why she hadn't been immunized at all until 2006, filled out forms for management of her diabetes at school and was told she would have to get the blue out of her hair and the nose ring out of her nose. I realized what a huge transition this will be for all of us. While other 13 year old girls were reading about social studies, E was cooking and feeding the homeless breakfast, taking them blankets and boots and becoming like family to them.

AND piercing her nose and dying her hair blue.

But tomorrow, all that changes. She will go to normal school and become a conventional student just like 99% of the other American girls her age.

From thanksgiving outreach

BUT She will still be getting up at 5am on Thursdays to go cook breakfast for the homeless. She wont be able to go feed them because after she cooks, she will go to school. To her, homeless outreach is HER outreach, that is her place in the body. So, even though they wont see her, she will still be reaching out to the homeless from behind the scenes. AND come summer, she will be back out there hanging with them like she loves to do.

Even though she will now be wearing the conventional school uniform, have to study the same stuff as all the other kids her age, won't have blue streaked hair or a nose ring in her nose, in her heart she will always be an unconventional girl really...and that makes me very happy.

Megan

Tomorrow at 8am I take Smeggers (that is ONE of our nick names for Megan) to the airport so she can go home to Okeechobee. She is leaving us. She's been here since July.

I know this is right. It's hard for a 14 year old girl to be away from her mom. When she was little, anytime she came to visit here or anywhere that wasn't home, even with her mom, after only one night she would start asking her mom "when are we going home?". So it was shocking that she wanted to stay here. We all have become so attached to her. The boys love her so much and Evangeline, well, I don't know what my little E is gonna do without her Smeggers.



Megan's sister Candice used to come and stay a month or two almost every summer when she was growing up, after she left I would always get sad while I was making my coffee in the morning. Coffee time was mine and Candice's time so making it and drinking it in the morning would remind me of her and make me miss her for a long while after she left. I know it will be even worse with Megan. So many things will remind us all of her. She likes her coffee with TONS of sugar. She was THE best security chick at kids sign in desk at church. The BRDC kids love and fear her. Everyone at the BRDC will miss her terribly. Hip Hop class, Homeless breakfast, all the things she was involved in will miss her.



I know she is not mine, I knew that when she chose to stay. I knew her mom allowed it because she wanted Megan to read better, get some help with English and spelling. Help I could offer in a home school setting. I did the best I could, I really do think I helped her. Even though I knew all along she couldn't stay forever, she will be leaving with a piece of my heart.



She doesn't like a lot of affection. I always grab her and hug her and she fights it. But tonight I held her for a while and I prayed for her. I know God has huge plans for Megan. Huge! I am so happy that we had the honor of having her stay with us and enrich our lives for this short time. I know she will come to visit again, and we will go down there, but for now, we are sad that she now longer will share our home. She will always be in our hearts.

Ok, I need to stop now before I start crying.