One of the lessons I've learned through the years is to open my heart more than I think safe and choose not to let fear control my actions. "Fear not" comes down to a simple choice; either to trust in God's good will for me or not. I choose to believe and trust with all my heart. So hear I go.....
Born in Virginia I grew up never imagining I would travel half way around the world much less fall in love with a country, it's people, especially the children.
Life has taken me down many a path I never dreamed I would travel, but looking back I see how truly blessed I have been and how all the trials, tribulations, heartaches, and joys have
worked in and through me. I have been given the honor of being the mom to two very special children through the gift of adoption. Marc, now 19 years old came to me when he was 3 months old and Sarah, age 17 when she was 6 weeks old. I am so grateful to their birth mothers who choose the harder option of giving them life and a future as opposed to terminating their lives in an abortion.
Life hasn't always been easy, and there have been many surprises along the way, but our lives have always been bursting at the seams with much laughter, joy, and adventure.
I've had the amazing privilege and great joy of going to Kazakhstan 7 times since 2000. In 2002 Marc and Sarah traveled with me and began to understand the love that had started to grow in my heart for these children.
The last two years we have hosted high school exchange students in our home for the school year. Last year we had the joy of having Tahmina from Turkmenistan join our family. This year Zareen from Bangladesh is here untill June 2008. It has been a challenge for all of us at times, but oh the fun we have had tasting new foods, learning about other cultures and having these girls become part of our family.
The other day I was asked "how many children do you have?" I said, "It depends on how you are counting because lots of children call me "Mom". She then said "I mean how many biological children do you have." to which I answered; "None". She looked at me with a confused faced as I explained, I adopted my two, have a daughter in Turkmenistan, a daughter from Bangladesh, and about 800 children in Kazakhstan I love with all my heart. I have been truly blessed with the large family I dreamed of as a child, just not the way I imagined. My bank account might be small, but it in no way represents how rich my life is in the many blessings and joys I've been given.
I'm 46 years old and my "younger" sisters like to keep reminding me I'm closer to 50 than 40, but I reaaly don't care. The road that stretches out before me takes a sharp turn making it impossible to see what the future holds.
