Monday, August 29, 2011

On My Mind......






AND OF COURSE..........


Saturday, August 20, 2011

Raw and Reality

It's been nearly 2 weeks since we've been home from ET. Since our return, we have been focusing most of our time on the girls. Swimming, school shopping, games, snuggles, a trip to the family farm, etc. Oh how we missed the girls while we were gone! School is now in full swing and the craziness of life begins once again. However, this Fall season my perspective has shifted. My life is forever changed. As I type the words, tears stream down my cheeks. (FYI....I cried everyday in ET and everyday since I have been home. Ask my hubby, I'm not a crier.) I wasn't crying for my son because I know he is in a good situation, in a care center where people are loving and caring for him. I know IBP will be with us one day real soon; we all can't wait for that day! You see I was crying for the multitude of people that I saw. The ones that appear to have no help or no hope. It's overwhelming, it's so overwhelming! Here is just some of what we encountered.....
make shift houses
sick, hungry children begging
women with their babies living on every street corner
disabled and elderly begging
the smell of exhaust
gentle, friendly people
people sleeping everywhere
public urination
orphanages with no grass, no carpet, no toys
orphanages that smell like vomit and urine
children asking me to be their mommy
a trash city that houses 75,000 people
a trash dump used as a food source for many
lepers
aids victims
women carrying heavy loads of Eucalyptus
hurt
desperation
children longing for affection
adults longing to be accepted
filth
deep loss
devastation

It's still very raw to me. The sights and the smells. What is raw to me, is reality to these people. Where as they may not know the difference, I do! I know the difference! Once again, I am firmly convinced that the Lord has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others. We are not rich compared to the "Western World's" standards. However, I am feeling quite wealthy compared to the "Rest of the World's" standards. For the Page's, we are praying that our family will be used in ET for HIS glory. We want to be apart of something bigger than ourselves. While in Et, Scott and I were able to meet some amazing individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of their community. I love that they have a passion for the country of ET and their people. These are the people I want to come behind and support! They are changing one life at a time. They are true heros of this age!!!!

A quick update: We have seen God's hand in this adoption process every step of the way. IBP is and will be such a blessing to our family. (In fact, once in ET, we learned that our son's name actually means "Blessed.") We received word this week that our MOWA letter has been issued and is at court. However, we don't know what type of opinion MOWA issued on our behalf and the judge was unable to review our case before courts closed. So we wait......we were told that we may not hear anything until after rainy season. I'm still praying for a miracle. I would love to have our little man home before his first birthday in October. Regardless...it's about perspective. My perspective is forever changed.










Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Beyond Words

There really aren't words that can correctly describe our time in ET with our little guy. I will attempt..... Our time with IBP was priceless. From the moment we saw him, he smiled, laughed, hugged, and smooched us. We were overwhelmed with such an affectionate welcoming from our little man. We were able to visit him three times that week. We treasured every minute of the visits. ( FYI...his cheeks are irresistible, I could not stop kissing them.) We filled our hours with play time (he loves little piggies), snuggles, feeding, and more snuggles. Our final visit, on Friday, was more than difficult. As Scott prayed over our son, the tears started flowing for both of us. As I looked up, his Special Mothers were completely touched by our emotion and love for this little guy. They did not comfort us with words but with a sincere embrace and a compassionate demeanor. I was reminded once again that the universal language that all understands is LOVE. Without a doubt, I know he is loved deeply by his Special Mothers. They kiss his hands and cheeks, calling him by a special nick name. It did my heart good to see this first hand. It gave me peace as I walked out of his room on Friday. I look forward to the day that we can hold that chubby hand again. I'm praying without ceasing that it will be much sooner than later.