Rachelle D. Alspaugh's Blog, page 32
August 5, 2017
A week of solitude
And today, I'm thankful for a week of solitude. Traveling for 18 days with people constantly around, living under someone else's schedule, about did this introvert in. Ha.
I came home to so many people wanting to talk, hear my stories, go out for coffee, etc. Yet all I wanted to do was hang out by myself for awhile, take time to process, to decompress, and to write it all out.
If we go out for coffee or talk on the phone, you know good and well you will never get the depth of my heart about what really happened on this trip. Now that I've written what seems like a ton of blog posts, shared my pictures and my heart, I think I can venture back out into the world of socialization again. Just in time for school to start! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH. (That came back way too fast!!!)
I've also learned to thank God for the little things now that I've experienced life without them or met people who live without them daily. As one of our high schoolers said during one of our last meetings in Guatemala, "How can I go back home and not live differently?"
When I step out of bed in the morning onto a clean floor rather than a dirt floor, I'm thankful.
When I use my own clean restroom in my own home, stocked with toilet paper and with running water to flush when I'm done, I'm thankful.
When I stand in the shower and feel the warm water wash over me, I am thankful.
When I teach in a clean classroom stocked with a gazillion supplies, I am thankful.
When I live in a community that offers free public education, free bus transportation, and is mandatory so all children can at least get through high school, I am thankful.
When I sleep with a ceiling fan over my head at night, I am thankful.
When I come in from the heat outside to an airconditioned house, I am thankful (even if it does cost me a fortune in the summer months!).
When I open the door to let my dogs out into the yard, I am thankful they have a yard.
When I cook on a stove without having to build a fire on the floor in my kitchen, I am thankful.
When I get a call from my husband in the middle of the day, I am thankful.
When I communicate with my husband via texts at any hour of the day whenever I want, I am thankful.
When I open my pantry, my refrigerator, and my freezer and find them fully stocked, I am thankful.
When I sit out on my front porch to start my day with peace and solitude (and prayer), I am thankful.
When my son and I talk about memories we made, I am thankful for the new connection between us.
When I look at current pictures of my son and his sister, I am thankful.
When I hug David's neck or run my fingers through his hair in the mornings, I am thankful.
When I sleep beside my husband in the same bed at night, I am thankful.
When I hang out at Six Flags for the day with just my two boys, I am thankful.
When we all eat dinner together as a family, I am thankful.
When my heart feels full, I am thankful.
When my son hangs out with his new Christian friends from our Guatemala trip, I am thankful.
When I can use my right hand, I am thankful.
When I see my dad progressing in his healing and recovery, I am thankful.
When I continue to get pictures from my sweet friend in Guatemala, I am thankful.
When I continue to get pictures from Spain of Laura and her mom, I am thankful.
I could go on and on. After all I experienced (and missed) on these two trips, how can I be anything but thankful?
I came home to so many people wanting to talk, hear my stories, go out for coffee, etc. Yet all I wanted to do was hang out by myself for awhile, take time to process, to decompress, and to write it all out.
If we go out for coffee or talk on the phone, you know good and well you will never get the depth of my heart about what really happened on this trip. Now that I've written what seems like a ton of blog posts, shared my pictures and my heart, I think I can venture back out into the world of socialization again. Just in time for school to start! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH. (That came back way too fast!!!)
I've also learned to thank God for the little things now that I've experienced life without them or met people who live without them daily. As one of our high schoolers said during one of our last meetings in Guatemala, "How can I go back home and not live differently?"
When I step out of bed in the morning onto a clean floor rather than a dirt floor, I'm thankful.
When I use my own clean restroom in my own home, stocked with toilet paper and with running water to flush when I'm done, I'm thankful.
When I stand in the shower and feel the warm water wash over me, I am thankful.
When I teach in a clean classroom stocked with a gazillion supplies, I am thankful.
When I live in a community that offers free public education, free bus transportation, and is mandatory so all children can at least get through high school, I am thankful.
When I sleep with a ceiling fan over my head at night, I am thankful.
When I come in from the heat outside to an airconditioned house, I am thankful (even if it does cost me a fortune in the summer months!).
When I open the door to let my dogs out into the yard, I am thankful they have a yard.
When I cook on a stove without having to build a fire on the floor in my kitchen, I am thankful.
When I get a call from my husband in the middle of the day, I am thankful.
When I communicate with my husband via texts at any hour of the day whenever I want, I am thankful.
When I open my pantry, my refrigerator, and my freezer and find them fully stocked, I am thankful.
When I sit out on my front porch to start my day with peace and solitude (and prayer), I am thankful.
When my son and I talk about memories we made, I am thankful for the new connection between us.
When I look at current pictures of my son and his sister, I am thankful.
When I hug David's neck or run my fingers through his hair in the mornings, I am thankful.
When I sleep beside my husband in the same bed at night, I am thankful.
When I hang out at Six Flags for the day with just my two boys, I am thankful.
When we all eat dinner together as a family, I am thankful.
When my heart feels full, I am thankful.
When my son hangs out with his new Christian friends from our Guatemala trip, I am thankful.
When I can use my right hand, I am thankful.
When I see my dad progressing in his healing and recovery, I am thankful.
When I continue to get pictures from my sweet friend in Guatemala, I am thankful.
When I continue to get pictures from Spain of Laura and her mom, I am thankful.
I could go on and on. After all I experienced (and missed) on these two trips, how can I be anything but thankful?
August 4, 2017
What could've been
It was hard not to see my son and his sister together and not wonder what could've been.
It was hard to feel her hugs and not wonder what could've been.
It was hard to see pictures of the three of us together and not wonder what could've been.
But I'm so thankful to see what is and not have to wonder what could've been.
The adoption could have been successful, and she would have missed her beautiful life with a mom, an aunt, and grandparents and cousins to love and be loved on as an only child. She would have missed that undivided love and attention that she so deserved and needed that I never could have given her between three children.
The adoption could have been successful, and David may have struggled immensely as being the odd one out, the sibling that didn't grow up with the other two, that didn't share the same connection or memories.
The adoption could have failed, and I may never have connected with Julian, thus meaning I never would have known anything more about those kids.
The adoption could have failed, and I may not have ever known that Juan David would still need a family two and a half years later.
The adoption could have failed, and I might not have ever seen Colombia or known why God ever put Colombia on our hearts.
The adoption could have failed, and we may never have attempted adoption again.
The adoption could have failed, and I could have been left with a gaping hole in my heart, never knowing why.
Juan's adoption could have been successful, and we may have never known a thing about his sister again.
Juan's adoption could have been successful, and then we could have been left to wonder about his sister for the rest of his life, leaving a hole in his heart that could never be filled.
Our trip to Spain could have happened, but her mom could been guarded, keeping us at an arm's distance, not fully letting us in.
Our trip to Spain could have been successful, but we could have spent a ton of money, visited unfamiliar places, and left disconnected from the little girl we went to see.
Our trip to Spain could have been successful, but we could have hugged, said goodbye, and thanked God for closure, rather than an open door.
So rather than regret not seeing what could've been, I'm so grateful for what really is rather than all the scenarios of what could've been.
It was hard to feel her hugs and not wonder what could've been.
It was hard to see pictures of the three of us together and not wonder what could've been.
But I'm so thankful to see what is and not have to wonder what could've been.
The adoption could have been successful, and she would have missed her beautiful life with a mom, an aunt, and grandparents and cousins to love and be loved on as an only child. She would have missed that undivided love and attention that she so deserved and needed that I never could have given her between three children.
The adoption could have been successful, and David may have struggled immensely as being the odd one out, the sibling that didn't grow up with the other two, that didn't share the same connection or memories.
The adoption could have failed, and I may never have connected with Julian, thus meaning I never would have known anything more about those kids.
The adoption could have failed, and I may not have ever known that Juan David would still need a family two and a half years later.
The adoption could have failed, and I might not have ever seen Colombia or known why God ever put Colombia on our hearts.
The adoption could have failed, and we may never have attempted adoption again.
The adoption could have failed, and I could have been left with a gaping hole in my heart, never knowing why.
Juan's adoption could have been successful, and we may have never known a thing about his sister again.
Juan's adoption could have been successful, and then we could have been left to wonder about his sister for the rest of his life, leaving a hole in his heart that could never be filled.
Our trip to Spain could have happened, but her mom could been guarded, keeping us at an arm's distance, not fully letting us in.
Our trip to Spain could have been successful, but we could have spent a ton of money, visited unfamiliar places, and left disconnected from the little girl we went to see.
Our trip to Spain could have been successful, but we could have hugged, said goodbye, and thanked God for closure, rather than an open door.
So rather than regret not seeing what could've been, I'm so grateful for what really is rather than all the scenarios of what could've been.
August 3, 2017
Nothing but joy
Amidst all the beauty and fulfillment of this trip (these trips), it had its fair share of challenges each and every day.
The fear I felt leading up to the trip was nearly paralyzing. So. many. unknowns.
The hurt and disappointment that Julian did not join us followed me every single day, even onto the flight home. I know God must have had a purpose in not allowing that to work out, but I hurt for him to not be able to experience that reunion and find himself embraced into his sister's family as we were.
I dealt with extreme homesickness, missing Mike and David so very much. Combining these two trips together made for an unbearably long time away from both of them. I hated not having them both with me. We barely communicated during the Guatemala part due to our long hours away from the hotel, away from any wifi to be able to contact one another. We shared one phonecall during our last morning in Guatemala, only because I set my alarm for 1:45 in the morning to call them (2:45 a.m. Dallas time, shortly before they headed to the airport for David's departure to LA). Then in Spain, our communication was hit and miss due to the seven hour time difference. I had to stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning to be able to talk to Mike after he got home from work. We ended up sharing one phonecall again on our last morning there at 3 am, only because I asked him to call me on Tuesday night at 8:00 in order to wake me up at 3 am for our 4 am departure to the bus station. Talk about complicated. I told Mike I need more than one date a week with him now just to be able to catch up on all the time we missed.
Guatemala's main challenge was not having any access to a bathroom all day. Thankfully, miraculously, I never once found myself in need of one. But if you know my digestive issues with a gall-bladderless body, you can understand this challenge. I actually ended up bonding with another leader on the trip when we discovered that we both had the same issue! Lol. The other challenge I faced there was sleep. You'd think that I could have slept well in a nice hotel bed all to myself, but no, not when I shared the room with three high school girls. Even as quiet of a group as they gave me, I still struggled to relax enough to sleep more than a few hours each night.
Spain's main challenge was the heat. Extreme heat and no airconditioning or fans. They had warned us ahead of time of the heat, but we never expected the lack of airconditioning. Once again, I didn't sleep well for the first few days. I'd toss and turn, and then I'd wake up after an hour or so, just drenched in sweat. Leaving the window open and the bedroom doors open didn't help much, either. We went to bed around midnight every night and then didn't get up until after 10 in the morning, but I think we got up so late because we were just so exhausted from tossing and turning all night. (Plus I don't think my body ever really adjusted to the time difference--because as soon as I got home, I fell right back into my normal sleep patterns, 10:00 at night till 5 in the morning.) The last three to four days of our trip, the temperatures started dropping a little bit more each day, and we finally stopped sweating enough to enjoy each moment more fully. The very last day turned quite windy and we actually started to feel a bit chilly! I thought for sure I'd sleep well that last night.
We went to an amusement park on Monday, where we swam first and then enjoyed the rides after that. On Tuesday we went out in the late morning to meet more of her mom's friends (also teachers!), try more seafood, do a little souvenir shopping (with what little money we had available after realizing the ATM blocked my card), and then her aunt came over for our last lunch together. We then spent the early evening packing. We realized we hadn't tried Spain's famous churros yet, so we planned to eat a semi-early dinner before heading back out to have churros and hot chocolate on our last night together. After a long trek to find the famous churro place, we realized that we'd missed our chance because they'd just closed 30 minutes before we got there. We ended up going somewhere else for dessert and drinks. (FYI--ordering a small cafe con leche at 10:30 at night might interfere with any attempt to sleep for a few hours.) Laura and I had a blast on that last outting just taking a ton of selfies together, smiling, making funny faces, and enjoying being together.
We walked back home, set our alarms for 3 am, and then headed to bed right around midnight. Three hours to sleep with the beautiful breeze coming through the windows. But sleep did not come.
First I worked on the finishing touches on a letter I wanted to leave her mom, thanking her for all she did for us and for opening up her home, her life, and her heart to us. To tell her how much this meant to Juan David to be able to spend such quality time with his sister and to have her back in his life. And to tell her what the trip meant to me, to see how God had answered all my prayers for her daughter over all these years.
Then I worked on a letter to Laura, telling her how happy it made me to see the beautiful life God had given her. I told her how much I would miss her hugs and kisses, and I told her I loved her and would look forward to her visiting us in Dallas someday.
Then I laid back on her bed and just stared at the ceiling, thoughts and emotions just swirling through my head. I pray often over my sons' rooms, for God's light and love to fill them. In fact, I've prayed the same over her room, though I'd never seen it or been in it. I embraced the miracle of this opportunity and just prayed for God to fill every corner of her room and let His light and love overflow in her home. I felt pure and utter joy over those three hours on that sleepless night.
At 3 am, my alarm went off and my phone rang. I joyfully talked to Mike, so ready to go home, so fulfilled by my time in Spain.
Two summers ago, I sat out on my back porch, praying for Laura, as I did every morning. But something stirred deep within me that morning, and I prayed more boldly than ever that God would give her back to Juan David. I said, "God, I've prayed so faithfully for that little girl for seven years now, and I have to believe that one day you'll reward me for those prayers by giving her back in some way. Even if it's just a picture of her, please give us something."
Later that morning, while still sitting on my back porch, I found a facebook post on an adoption group with very specific instructions on how to ask for Juan David's full file from Colombia. I followed the instructions exactly as written, that same day. By following those instructions, one e-mail led to another, leading to the one that said, "Do you just want his file or do you want to find biological family?"
A full year later, I got an e-mail from Colombia with that long awaited picture.
A year after that, I left Spain, hugging and kissing that sweet girl, thanking her for letting me sleep in her room, telling her it's now filled to the brim with my love. I also left Spain with hundreds of pictures of her, some with her family, some with her brother, and some with just me. How could I feel anything but joy.
My heart is full. A new chapter begins.
The fear I felt leading up to the trip was nearly paralyzing. So. many. unknowns.
The hurt and disappointment that Julian did not join us followed me every single day, even onto the flight home. I know God must have had a purpose in not allowing that to work out, but I hurt for him to not be able to experience that reunion and find himself embraced into his sister's family as we were.
I dealt with extreme homesickness, missing Mike and David so very much. Combining these two trips together made for an unbearably long time away from both of them. I hated not having them both with me. We barely communicated during the Guatemala part due to our long hours away from the hotel, away from any wifi to be able to contact one another. We shared one phonecall during our last morning in Guatemala, only because I set my alarm for 1:45 in the morning to call them (2:45 a.m. Dallas time, shortly before they headed to the airport for David's departure to LA). Then in Spain, our communication was hit and miss due to the seven hour time difference. I had to stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning to be able to talk to Mike after he got home from work. We ended up sharing one phonecall again on our last morning there at 3 am, only because I asked him to call me on Tuesday night at 8:00 in order to wake me up at 3 am for our 4 am departure to the bus station. Talk about complicated. I told Mike I need more than one date a week with him now just to be able to catch up on all the time we missed.
Guatemala's main challenge was not having any access to a bathroom all day. Thankfully, miraculously, I never once found myself in need of one. But if you know my digestive issues with a gall-bladderless body, you can understand this challenge. I actually ended up bonding with another leader on the trip when we discovered that we both had the same issue! Lol. The other challenge I faced there was sleep. You'd think that I could have slept well in a nice hotel bed all to myself, but no, not when I shared the room with three high school girls. Even as quiet of a group as they gave me, I still struggled to relax enough to sleep more than a few hours each night.
Spain's main challenge was the heat. Extreme heat and no airconditioning or fans. They had warned us ahead of time of the heat, but we never expected the lack of airconditioning. Once again, I didn't sleep well for the first few days. I'd toss and turn, and then I'd wake up after an hour or so, just drenched in sweat. Leaving the window open and the bedroom doors open didn't help much, either. We went to bed around midnight every night and then didn't get up until after 10 in the morning, but I think we got up so late because we were just so exhausted from tossing and turning all night. (Plus I don't think my body ever really adjusted to the time difference--because as soon as I got home, I fell right back into my normal sleep patterns, 10:00 at night till 5 in the morning.) The last three to four days of our trip, the temperatures started dropping a little bit more each day, and we finally stopped sweating enough to enjoy each moment more fully. The very last day turned quite windy and we actually started to feel a bit chilly! I thought for sure I'd sleep well that last night.
We went to an amusement park on Monday, where we swam first and then enjoyed the rides after that. On Tuesday we went out in the late morning to meet more of her mom's friends (also teachers!), try more seafood, do a little souvenir shopping (with what little money we had available after realizing the ATM blocked my card), and then her aunt came over for our last lunch together. We then spent the early evening packing. We realized we hadn't tried Spain's famous churros yet, so we planned to eat a semi-early dinner before heading back out to have churros and hot chocolate on our last night together. After a long trek to find the famous churro place, we realized that we'd missed our chance because they'd just closed 30 minutes before we got there. We ended up going somewhere else for dessert and drinks. (FYI--ordering a small cafe con leche at 10:30 at night might interfere with any attempt to sleep for a few hours.) Laura and I had a blast on that last outting just taking a ton of selfies together, smiling, making funny faces, and enjoying being together.
We walked back home, set our alarms for 3 am, and then headed to bed right around midnight. Three hours to sleep with the beautiful breeze coming through the windows. But sleep did not come.
First I worked on the finishing touches on a letter I wanted to leave her mom, thanking her for all she did for us and for opening up her home, her life, and her heart to us. To tell her how much this meant to Juan David to be able to spend such quality time with his sister and to have her back in his life. And to tell her what the trip meant to me, to see how God had answered all my prayers for her daughter over all these years.
Then I worked on a letter to Laura, telling her how happy it made me to see the beautiful life God had given her. I told her how much I would miss her hugs and kisses, and I told her I loved her and would look forward to her visiting us in Dallas someday.
Then I laid back on her bed and just stared at the ceiling, thoughts and emotions just swirling through my head. I pray often over my sons' rooms, for God's light and love to fill them. In fact, I've prayed the same over her room, though I'd never seen it or been in it. I embraced the miracle of this opportunity and just prayed for God to fill every corner of her room and let His light and love overflow in her home. I felt pure and utter joy over those three hours on that sleepless night.
At 3 am, my alarm went off and my phone rang. I joyfully talked to Mike, so ready to go home, so fulfilled by my time in Spain.
Two summers ago, I sat out on my back porch, praying for Laura, as I did every morning. But something stirred deep within me that morning, and I prayed more boldly than ever that God would give her back to Juan David. I said, "God, I've prayed so faithfully for that little girl for seven years now, and I have to believe that one day you'll reward me for those prayers by giving her back in some way. Even if it's just a picture of her, please give us something."
Later that morning, while still sitting on my back porch, I found a facebook post on an adoption group with very specific instructions on how to ask for Juan David's full file from Colombia. I followed the instructions exactly as written, that same day. By following those instructions, one e-mail led to another, leading to the one that said, "Do you just want his file or do you want to find biological family?"
A full year later, I got an e-mail from Colombia with that long awaited picture.
A year after that, I left Spain, hugging and kissing that sweet girl, thanking her for letting me sleep in her room, telling her it's now filled to the brim with my love. I also left Spain with hundreds of pictures of her, some with her family, some with her brother, and some with just me. How could I feel anything but joy.
My heart is full. A new chapter begins.
August 2, 2017
That burning question
As much as I tried to soak up every minute with Juan David and his sister together, I will very readily admit that many moments tugged heavily on my heart strings.
All the hugs. Kisses. Holding hands. That sweet girl is as affectionate as can be. Yet my son, the one I did adopt, is as far on the other extreme as possible. Why did I have to miss out on the affectionate one? Why did I get the stiff one who desperately needs affection but pushes it away? (Though he does hang all over me when he's in an unfamiliar situation, not realizing that he's doing it.)
Then there were other moments, like when we met her extended family and her grandpa asked me about the rest of my family back at home. I showed them pictures of David and Mike, and then he said, "But you never had a girl?"
Ouch. Like a punch in the gut. How do you explain that you carried one in your heart for a long time, that she already had her own place set up in your home, but that somehow she ended up as his granddaughter, a contintent away. She actually stood right there in front of him. Yes, I had a girl, but I lost her.
No, I didn't actually say any of that. I just told him no. I had a husband and two boys.
Seeing Juan David and his sister together and hanging out with them together prompted thoughts about what it might have been like to raise them together. What could've been. The life I once thought I was jumping into when we pursued their adoption.
Yet the burning question that haunted me the entire first week almost left me hanging. What did they know about me? I knew the papers explained that the family found in the United States for them didn't end up working out, due to our "unsuitability". Those papers never said our name, though. I knew I never told Laura that I planned to adopt her, so all she ever knew was that I called her often and planned to visit her and bring her presents. After the adoption failed, I always wondered if they told her the whole story.
After spending a week with her, I was pretty sure they didn't know. As I talked more about Julian over the course of the week, I could tell her grandpa started doing the math and realized there was more to the story that didn't quite compute with the amount of time since we adopted Juan David.
I wanted to spill it out, but I prayed that God would make that moment obvious. As our time started drawing to a close without that opportunity, I started to think that maybe things were better left unsaid.
Then two or three days before our departure, I went on a tour bus ride with Laura's mom and aunt while Juan David went with his sister to visit a friend. When we finished the tour bus ride, we sat down in the plaza and ordered something to drink. We sat talking about all three kids again, and suddenly her mom did the math, too, and realized that I was in Colombia with Julian before starting our process to adopt Juan David. I told her it was a long story, and she said, "Please do tell. I want to hear it."
Then the whole story poured out, and her mom hung on to every word. Even after getting interrupted by the kids showing up midway through, she turned back to me, saying, "Continue. I'm listening."
By the time I finished the story, her sister couldn't stop smiling, realizing how destiny truly brought Laura to them and Juan David to me. An absolute peace just washed over me. Holes filled in for them, gaps filled in for me. Just as I suspected, Laura never thought more of my phonecalls than just a friend of her host family that loved her and wanted to visit her. She remembered me and my phonecalls very clearly, but she never knew the real purpose behind why I called her so often for so long.
We got back to the house shortly after, and I went straight to my suitcase to get out a copy of my books. I went to the kitchen and handed them to her mom, saying, "Here's the whole story that I just told you."
She has studied quite a bit of English, though has been out of practice for many years. But she immediately starting reading. To see my book in her home, in her hands, dedicated to her daughter, filled me with a peace I didn't know I was still searching for.
All the hugs. Kisses. Holding hands. That sweet girl is as affectionate as can be. Yet my son, the one I did adopt, is as far on the other extreme as possible. Why did I have to miss out on the affectionate one? Why did I get the stiff one who desperately needs affection but pushes it away? (Though he does hang all over me when he's in an unfamiliar situation, not realizing that he's doing it.)
Then there were other moments, like when we met her extended family and her grandpa asked me about the rest of my family back at home. I showed them pictures of David and Mike, and then he said, "But you never had a girl?"
Ouch. Like a punch in the gut. How do you explain that you carried one in your heart for a long time, that she already had her own place set up in your home, but that somehow she ended up as his granddaughter, a contintent away. She actually stood right there in front of him. Yes, I had a girl, but I lost her.
No, I didn't actually say any of that. I just told him no. I had a husband and two boys.
Seeing Juan David and his sister together and hanging out with them together prompted thoughts about what it might have been like to raise them together. What could've been. The life I once thought I was jumping into when we pursued their adoption.
Yet the burning question that haunted me the entire first week almost left me hanging. What did they know about me? I knew the papers explained that the family found in the United States for them didn't end up working out, due to our "unsuitability". Those papers never said our name, though. I knew I never told Laura that I planned to adopt her, so all she ever knew was that I called her often and planned to visit her and bring her presents. After the adoption failed, I always wondered if they told her the whole story.
After spending a week with her, I was pretty sure they didn't know. As I talked more about Julian over the course of the week, I could tell her grandpa started doing the math and realized there was more to the story that didn't quite compute with the amount of time since we adopted Juan David.
I wanted to spill it out, but I prayed that God would make that moment obvious. As our time started drawing to a close without that opportunity, I started to think that maybe things were better left unsaid.
Then two or three days before our departure, I went on a tour bus ride with Laura's mom and aunt while Juan David went with his sister to visit a friend. When we finished the tour bus ride, we sat down in the plaza and ordered something to drink. We sat talking about all three kids again, and suddenly her mom did the math, too, and realized that I was in Colombia with Julian before starting our process to adopt Juan David. I told her it was a long story, and she said, "Please do tell. I want to hear it."
Then the whole story poured out, and her mom hung on to every word. Even after getting interrupted by the kids showing up midway through, she turned back to me, saying, "Continue. I'm listening."
By the time I finished the story, her sister couldn't stop smiling, realizing how destiny truly brought Laura to them and Juan David to me. An absolute peace just washed over me. Holes filled in for them, gaps filled in for me. Just as I suspected, Laura never thought more of my phonecalls than just a friend of her host family that loved her and wanted to visit her. She remembered me and my phonecalls very clearly, but she never knew the real purpose behind why I called her so often for so long.
We got back to the house shortly after, and I went straight to my suitcase to get out a copy of my books. I went to the kitchen and handed them to her mom, saying, "Here's the whole story that I just told you."
She has studied quite a bit of English, though has been out of practice for many years. But she immediately starting reading. To see my book in her home, in her hands, dedicated to her daughter, filled me with a peace I didn't know I was still searching for.
August 1, 2017
Exploring Zaragoza
We sure did enjoy the next nine days as Laura and her mom took us all over Zaragoza, showing us just a little bit each day, allowing us to take it all in and truly experience the culture of the city. We also met her mom's family and spent a lot of time with them. Before we knew it, they called us family, too.
Zaragoza is beautiful. It holds so much incredible history that I couldn't even begin to absorb in my short time there. We visited huge, beautiful cathedrals, walked past the ruins of a wall built by the Romans, took pictures of an old Roman amphitheater, toured a castle first built by the Arabs while Spain was under Muslim rule for 800 years and then taken over by the Christians/Catholics, visited an amusement park, went swimming, and learned to appreciate an afternoon siesta (nap). We walked across a rock bridge built by the Romans (but obviously reconstructed since then) on a daily basis. We saw plazas full of people everywhere we went and took part in the culture of taking time to sit, grab a drink, and enjoy each other's company. We tried a lot of new foods, and I ate so many different kinds of seafood that I can't even tell you what it all was. We ate mid/late-afternoon lunches and very late night dinners. We slept in late every day and didn't go to bed until midnight or after every night.
I loved Spain, so much more than I expected. I struggled to use their vosotros verb form, but I communicated and understood just fine while there. I soaked in the tranquility of life that was so evident all around me (obviously even a little more tranquil than normal due to it being summer).
But all the touring around Spain was just an extra blessing. Watching Juan David and his sister reconnect and spend so much time together meant more to me than anything. Laura could not take her hands off of her brother, wanting to hold his hand all the time. And it didn't take long for them to pick up right where they left off seven years ago, picking on each other, squabbling, and teasing each other just like normal siblings do, as if they'd never lived a day apart. We also got to video call with their older brother, Julian, and finally catch all three of them in a picture together. I tried to send him as many pics as I could throughout the week. I wished so badly he could have been there, but I know his time will come that he can also reunite with his sister. If anything, our visit at least opened the door to that possibility.
Laura's mom embraced both of us and treated us like part of the family from the moment we arrived. This trip meant just as much to her as it did to us. Juan and I could fill her in on so many parts of her daughter's life that she missed and didn't have any way to fill without us. Because of our visit, she now knows so much more about her precious daughter. And now we have a relationship that will likely continue for the rest of our lives, two moms on two different continents, raising siblings who love each other with everything in them.
Playing soccer together in one of the many, many parks.
Some of the many typical foods we tried.
Taken from one of the towers in the Cathedral.
These pillars stood on both sides of the bridge with lions at the top. The lion is the symbol of Zaragoza. (The word Zaragoza evolved from the name Caesar Augustus.)
The remains of a wall built by the Romans.
Juan, being Juan.
Tables and chairs everywhere.
An old Roman amphitheater
Paella
Irish coffee
Siblings. Fighting one minute.
Goofing off the next minute.
Spain's version of a tortilla (which is atually just an egg and potato omelet).
Migas (Spain's version of stuffing)
Flan.
Coffee. (Comes in very tiny cups!)
A restaurant that specializes in typical food from Aragon (the "state" or region of Spain where Zaragoza is located)
The original horchata (tastes quite a bit different than in Mexico)
Open plazas everywhere. Since nearly everyone lives in an apartment (you don't even see houses), the open plazas and parks are essential to life there.
A day for Julian. Finally all three siblings on one screen. They were all smiles through that phonecall. All of them.
The one remaining castle. Aljaferia.
The throne room. Very intricately detailed.
The Kings of Aragon. Juan found his name--four different times!
Where the bullfights take place.
More new foods.
And little coffees.
A newly developed area with very modern architecture, built in 2008, around the theme of water.
From an aerial view, this building looks like a water drop.
Just a few little restaurants where we ate, learning to "tapear" (get a special bite-sized specialty from each restaurant before moving on to the next).
The day Laura took us out. Visiting Parque Grande and enjoying each other's company.
Crepes and coffee. Mmmmmmm.
A tour bus ride all over Zaragoza.
More seafood. Not even sure what it was, but they fried it like onion rings. Very tasty.
I even tried octopus on our last day. Tasty and chewy.
Our last night. About five or six hours before we left for the bus station.
The wind didn't cooperate, but there are four flags. First, the flag of Zaragoza. Second the flag of Spain. Third, the flag of Aragon. Fourth, the flag of Europe. You saw all four of these flags hanging together often.
I hope you enjoyed this little tour of many sights in Zaragoza. Sorry to put it all in one post, but I couldn't figure out how to divide it all. We embarked on our journey without a single plan in place. People asked us what we were going to do while there, and since we didn't really even know Laura's mom yet, we didn't plan anything and figured we'd just see how things went. Once we got there, we found that she had planned out every single day for us and very intentionally gave us a taste of not only the history and culture of Zaragoza, but also a glimpse into the beautiful life God had given to Laura over the last six years and a half years since Juan David had seen her last.
The day that Laura herself took us out, after riding the little three and four wheelers around the park, we sat down and had something to drink together. I mentioned to her about what a wonderful life she's had in Spain, saying she must be very happy there. She just confidently smiled and said, "Yes, I really am." As the mom who prepared for her and lost her, it did my heart a world of good to hear that straight from her.
No more wondering about her or what kind of life she lived. We saw it. We tasted it. And now we are a part of it again.
Zaragoza is beautiful. It holds so much incredible history that I couldn't even begin to absorb in my short time there. We visited huge, beautiful cathedrals, walked past the ruins of a wall built by the Romans, took pictures of an old Roman amphitheater, toured a castle first built by the Arabs while Spain was under Muslim rule for 800 years and then taken over by the Christians/Catholics, visited an amusement park, went swimming, and learned to appreciate an afternoon siesta (nap). We walked across a rock bridge built by the Romans (but obviously reconstructed since then) on a daily basis. We saw plazas full of people everywhere we went and took part in the culture of taking time to sit, grab a drink, and enjoy each other's company. We tried a lot of new foods, and I ate so many different kinds of seafood that I can't even tell you what it all was. We ate mid/late-afternoon lunches and very late night dinners. We slept in late every day and didn't go to bed until midnight or after every night.
I loved Spain, so much more than I expected. I struggled to use their vosotros verb form, but I communicated and understood just fine while there. I soaked in the tranquility of life that was so evident all around me (obviously even a little more tranquil than normal due to it being summer).
But all the touring around Spain was just an extra blessing. Watching Juan David and his sister reconnect and spend so much time together meant more to me than anything. Laura could not take her hands off of her brother, wanting to hold his hand all the time. And it didn't take long for them to pick up right where they left off seven years ago, picking on each other, squabbling, and teasing each other just like normal siblings do, as if they'd never lived a day apart. We also got to video call with their older brother, Julian, and finally catch all three of them in a picture together. I tried to send him as many pics as I could throughout the week. I wished so badly he could have been there, but I know his time will come that he can also reunite with his sister. If anything, our visit at least opened the door to that possibility.
Laura's mom embraced both of us and treated us like part of the family from the moment we arrived. This trip meant just as much to her as it did to us. Juan and I could fill her in on so many parts of her daughter's life that she missed and didn't have any way to fill without us. Because of our visit, she now knows so much more about her precious daughter. And now we have a relationship that will likely continue for the rest of our lives, two moms on two different continents, raising siblings who love each other with everything in them.
Playing soccer together in one of the many, many parks.
Some of the many typical foods we tried. 
Taken from one of the towers in the Cathedral.
These pillars stood on both sides of the bridge with lions at the top. The lion is the symbol of Zaragoza. (The word Zaragoza evolved from the name Caesar Augustus.)
The remains of a wall built by the Romans.
Juan, being Juan.
Tables and chairs everywhere.
An old Roman amphitheater
Paella
Irish coffee
Siblings. Fighting one minute.
Goofing off the next minute.
Spain's version of a tortilla (which is atually just an egg and potato omelet).
Migas (Spain's version of stuffing)
Flan.
Coffee. (Comes in very tiny cups!)
A restaurant that specializes in typical food from Aragon (the "state" or region of Spain where Zaragoza is located)
The original horchata (tastes quite a bit different than in Mexico)
Open plazas everywhere. Since nearly everyone lives in an apartment (you don't even see houses), the open plazas and parks are essential to life there.
A day for Julian. Finally all three siblings on one screen. They were all smiles through that phonecall. All of them.
The one remaining castle. Aljaferia.
The throne room. Very intricately detailed.
The Kings of Aragon. Juan found his name--four different times!
Where the bullfights take place.
More new foods.
And little coffees.
A newly developed area with very modern architecture, built in 2008, around the theme of water.
From an aerial view, this building looks like a water drop.
Just a few little restaurants where we ate, learning to "tapear" (get a special bite-sized specialty from each restaurant before moving on to the next).
The day Laura took us out. Visiting Parque Grande and enjoying each other's company.
Crepes and coffee. Mmmmmmm.
A tour bus ride all over Zaragoza.
More seafood. Not even sure what it was, but they fried it like onion rings. Very tasty. 
I even tried octopus on our last day. Tasty and chewy.
Our last night. About five or six hours before we left for the bus station.
The wind didn't cooperate, but there are four flags. First, the flag of Zaragoza. Second the flag of Spain. Third, the flag of Aragon. Fourth, the flag of Europe. You saw all four of these flags hanging together often. I hope you enjoyed this little tour of many sights in Zaragoza. Sorry to put it all in one post, but I couldn't figure out how to divide it all. We embarked on our journey without a single plan in place. People asked us what we were going to do while there, and since we didn't really even know Laura's mom yet, we didn't plan anything and figured we'd just see how things went. Once we got there, we found that she had planned out every single day for us and very intentionally gave us a taste of not only the history and culture of Zaragoza, but also a glimpse into the beautiful life God had given to Laura over the last six years and a half years since Juan David had seen her last.
The day that Laura herself took us out, after riding the little three and four wheelers around the park, we sat down and had something to drink together. I mentioned to her about what a wonderful life she's had in Spain, saying she must be very happy there. She just confidently smiled and said, "Yes, I really am." As the mom who prepared for her and lost her, it did my heart a world of good to hear that straight from her.
No more wondering about her or what kind of life she lived. We saw it. We tasted it. And now we are a part of it again.
July 31, 2017
Guatemala to Miami to Madrid to Zaragoza
Neither Juan David nor I had ever been to Europe before. We'd always heard wonderful things, but we had no idea what to expect. I suppose we both imagined Madrid as a city full of people, amidst all the hustle and bustle of city life. We knew it would look and feel somewhat like America (rather than a third world country), but we expected to see much older and more sophisticated buildings and structures filled with a history we just don't have here in the United States.
We definitely saw all that, other than all the people (because apparently everyone disappears from the city for the summer, either to the mountains or the beach, to avoid the excessive heat). We felt very pleasantly surprised, though, to find the city to feel so peaceful and tranquil. We found open plazas, parks, walkways, benches, and sitting areas everywhere. People out walking or just sitting outside together, enjoying each other's company. We didn't realize that this captured a huge part of Spain's culture, something we'd end up seeing everywhere we went.
In between bus rides and train rides, we took as many pictures as we could, just to show that we really did spend a little time in Madrid. Sadly, I can't tell you what anything is. Laura's mom was an excellent tour guide, but I don't remember even half of what she told me. I just listened and took in as much of the scenery as I could. I still couldn't get over the fact that I was actually in Spain, somewhere I don't know that I ever even dreamed of going before we found out that Laura had moved there. If you've been to Madrid, maybe you've seen some of these sights.
We finally made our way back to the airport/train station to catch a train to our final destination, Zaragoza, Spain. Here we are, waiting on our train. This picture spoke volumes to me. Juan David and Laura are overlooking a small pond of turtles in the middle of the train station.
Turtles. Who knew what a foreshadowing this picture taken in 2008 represented.
(The only picture I ever had of me with both of them, overlooking a pond of turtles. The last time I ever saw her. Only God knew that the next time I would see her again, we'd find ourselves standing over another pond of turtles, 9 years later, in Madrid, Spain.)
We got on the train around 9 pm for an hour and a half ride to Zaragoza. Then we'd take a taxi from the train station to finally get to Laura's home. Two very long, tiring, exciting, emotional days of travel to get there. This beautiful sight awaited us as our taxi drove closer to drop us off. I couldn't believe we were actually there. It all felt so surreal.
Once we got to their home, got out of the taxi and entered her home, another surprise awaited me. They showed us the guest room, where I assumed I'd be staying. We put our suitcases in there, and her mom showed me an empty closet where I could hang my clothes for each day. She then explained that Juan would be sleeping in there, Laura would stay in her mom's room, and I could have Laura's room to sleep in.
Laura's room.
Laura once had a room in my own house. I painted it for her. Decorated it for her. Hung bright orange curtains for her. Filled the closet with pretty clothes for her. Adorned the shelf with dolls and other toys for her.
I will never forget the day I fell to my knees and sobbed as I finally cleared out that closet and donated all the clothes that I wasn't able to send to her when I found out she would never occupy that room. She wasn't coming home to her room, after all. It took me nearly a year after the adoption failed to even be able to open that closet again and face the remaining contents.
But if that wasn't her room, then where was it? Where did God plan to send her? Would I ever know, or would I be left to wonder about her for the rest of my life until I got to heaven?
And suddenly, seven years later, there I was. In her bedroom. The one she did go home to. The one she did occupy. The one she did fill up with pretty clothes and cute toys. The one she grew up in and now began the early stages of her journey to womanhood in.
I could let the emotion of this moment overwhelm me. Or I could breathe it all in and realize God loved me so much that He perfectly arranged to give me this priceless gift.
Only God.
We definitely saw all that, other than all the people (because apparently everyone disappears from the city for the summer, either to the mountains or the beach, to avoid the excessive heat). We felt very pleasantly surprised, though, to find the city to feel so peaceful and tranquil. We found open plazas, parks, walkways, benches, and sitting areas everywhere. People out walking or just sitting outside together, enjoying each other's company. We didn't realize that this captured a huge part of Spain's culture, something we'd end up seeing everywhere we went.
In between bus rides and train rides, we took as many pictures as we could, just to show that we really did spend a little time in Madrid. Sadly, I can't tell you what anything is. Laura's mom was an excellent tour guide, but I don't remember even half of what she told me. I just listened and took in as much of the scenery as I could. I still couldn't get over the fact that I was actually in Spain, somewhere I don't know that I ever even dreamed of going before we found out that Laura had moved there. If you've been to Madrid, maybe you've seen some of these sights.
We finally made our way back to the airport/train station to catch a train to our final destination, Zaragoza, Spain. Here we are, waiting on our train. This picture spoke volumes to me. Juan David and Laura are overlooking a small pond of turtles in the middle of the train station.
Turtles. Who knew what a foreshadowing this picture taken in 2008 represented.
(The only picture I ever had of me with both of them, overlooking a pond of turtles. The last time I ever saw her. Only God knew that the next time I would see her again, we'd find ourselves standing over another pond of turtles, 9 years later, in Madrid, Spain.)
We got on the train around 9 pm for an hour and a half ride to Zaragoza. Then we'd take a taxi from the train station to finally get to Laura's home. Two very long, tiring, exciting, emotional days of travel to get there. This beautiful sight awaited us as our taxi drove closer to drop us off. I couldn't believe we were actually there. It all felt so surreal.
Once we got to their home, got out of the taxi and entered her home, another surprise awaited me. They showed us the guest room, where I assumed I'd be staying. We put our suitcases in there, and her mom showed me an empty closet where I could hang my clothes for each day. She then explained that Juan would be sleeping in there, Laura would stay in her mom's room, and I could have Laura's room to sleep in.
Laura's room.
Laura once had a room in my own house. I painted it for her. Decorated it for her. Hung bright orange curtains for her. Filled the closet with pretty clothes for her. Adorned the shelf with dolls and other toys for her.
I will never forget the day I fell to my knees and sobbed as I finally cleared out that closet and donated all the clothes that I wasn't able to send to her when I found out she would never occupy that room. She wasn't coming home to her room, after all. It took me nearly a year after the adoption failed to even be able to open that closet again and face the remaining contents.
But if that wasn't her room, then where was it? Where did God plan to send her? Would I ever know, or would I be left to wonder about her for the rest of my life until I got to heaven?
And suddenly, seven years later, there I was. In her bedroom. The one she did go home to. The one she did occupy. The one she did fill up with pretty clothes and cute toys. The one she grew up in and now began the early stages of her journey to womanhood in.
I could let the emotion of this moment overwhelm me. Or I could breathe it all in and realize God loved me so much that He perfectly arranged to give me this priceless gift.
Only God.
Two dreams come true in one day!
About two weeks before we left, a friend who is also an adoptive parent to Colombian children let me know about some places we could possibly visit while in Spain because she had just returned from there. She mentioned touring the Real Madrid soccer stadium, so I looked it up to see if they'd even be open on Sundays. I knew that we'd likely only be in Madrid the day we flew in. When I saw that they closed at 6:30 on Sundays, I told Juan he better tell his sister how badly he wanted to go.
I'm glad he told her because he almost missed his chance! Her mom has absolutely no interest in soccer whatsoever, so she'd already planned out several other places for us to go that afternoon while in Madrid. Historical places that most people wouldn't want to miss if they only had one day to tour Madrid, but to my son, touring that stadium topped all of those opportunities. To him, that "museum" was the only one that mattered.
So, as soon as we finished eating lunch, we hopped on a bus and headed toward the stadium. I took a ton of pictures (and he took even more), but I don't think my pictures really do it justice. I love watching my boys play soccer, but I'm not a fanatic for the sport, so I can't say I really understood what I was looking at. All I saw was a sweet girl who couldn't stop hugging her brother. Those were the moments I wanted to capture. Seeing those two together again was my dream come true.
As I said in a previous post, I have a lot more pictures that are clearer and better, but for her privacy, I will only post the ones that don't identify her so obviously.
Where the players sit. It's dark in the picture, but Juan David and Laura are sitting there together on the players' chairs.
What an incredible experience.A day I will never forget. A memory I will never regret making with my son.
He watched two of his dreams come true in one day. I had one of the greatest longings of my life fulfilled to finally see those two together again.
(Plus they had wifi there, so I got to send pictures to Mike and David right in the moment. Oh, and I forgot to mention, David flew to Los Angeles the day before on another youth mission trip, which made for a crazy week of keeping up with everyone's time zones!)
I'm glad he told her because he almost missed his chance! Her mom has absolutely no interest in soccer whatsoever, so she'd already planned out several other places for us to go that afternoon while in Madrid. Historical places that most people wouldn't want to miss if they only had one day to tour Madrid, but to my son, touring that stadium topped all of those opportunities. To him, that "museum" was the only one that mattered.
So, as soon as we finished eating lunch, we hopped on a bus and headed toward the stadium. I took a ton of pictures (and he took even more), but I don't think my pictures really do it justice. I love watching my boys play soccer, but I'm not a fanatic for the sport, so I can't say I really understood what I was looking at. All I saw was a sweet girl who couldn't stop hugging her brother. Those were the moments I wanted to capture. Seeing those two together again was my dream come true.
As I said in a previous post, I have a lot more pictures that are clearer and better, but for her privacy, I will only post the ones that don't identify her so obviously.
Where the players sit. It's dark in the picture, but Juan David and Laura are sitting there together on the players' chairs.
What an incredible experience.A day I will never forget. A memory I will never regret making with my son.
He watched two of his dreams come true in one day. I had one of the greatest longings of my life fulfilled to finally see those two together again.
(Plus they had wifi there, so I got to send pictures to Mike and David right in the moment. Oh, and I forgot to mention, David flew to Los Angeles the day before on another youth mission trip, which made for a crazy week of keeping up with everyone's time zones!)
July 30, 2017
Next stop ... Spain.
After several hugs and sweet goodbyes to our new friends that traveled to Guatemala with us, Juan and I took off to the other side of airport on our own to board a plane headed across the Atlantic rather than toward home. I could literally feel myself tensing up. I wanted to cling to Juan, but our seats didn't even end up together. I ended up on one side of the airplane with him a row behind me on the other side. He'd complained of stomach issues all day, so I knew his nerves were bothering him, too.
I sat down in my seat, and tears immediately filled my eyes. Fear and anxiety gripped me, and it was all I could do not to panic. I had no idea what to expect once we got to Spain. I couldn't have been more thankful for the sweet blue-eyed Spaniard blondie sitting next to me, traveling with her Daddy and her big sister. She was as cute as cute can be! I listened to their Spanish accents as they talked to one another and realized I wouldn't have any trouble understanding once I got to Spain.
I took some Dramamine right before boarding, so I did my best to stay awake until they served us dinner, and then I curled up with the blanket they gave me and the neck pillow I brought and hoped to sleep my way across the Atlantic for the 7-8 hours. The lights soon turned off, the little girl beside me fell asleep, and so did I. Our flight took off around 11:00 that night, and I woke up around six thirty the next morning, right before the flight attendants came around with breakfast.
I am so thankful I slept so well on the flight, because by the time we landed around 8 am Miami time, it was already two in the afternoon in Madrid. I ran my fingers through my hair quickly, chewed another piece of gum to hopefully help my breath, and hoped I looked presentable after sleeping all night on an airplane. I'd waited nine years to see Laura again, and this didn't make our meeting ideal. Her eyes would be glued to her brother, though, not to me. I didn't even know how much she even remembered me, to be honest.
I met up with Juan as we got off the airplane, we took a picture, and at some point we got our Spain stamp on our passports. I don't remember anything else, but apparently quite a bit of time passed between the time we landed and the time we walked out to finally see Laura. I had my phone as ready as I could to capture the moment, but while dragging a suitcase with one hand and tryiing to video with the other, I only got about 8 seconds on camera, all from behind. Laura's mom stood on the other side with her camera, catching Laura take off running past the barricades as soon as she saw her brother, running straight toward him with the first of her many huge hugs. Her mom said she'd been going crazy since the moment she woke up that morning and then it only got worse after we landed as she waited for us to get our luggage and get through immigration. It was a beautiful moment. That "little girl" had been longing for her brother for years.
Much to my surprise, when her arms were not wrapped around her brother, she showered me with just as many hugs and kisses. She remembered me. And her mom welcomed me with open arms.
We found a place to safely store our luggage for the next few hours, and then we grabbed a bus into Madrid to find a place to eat lunch and begin getting to know one another. My nerves began to settle very quickly, and before we knew it, everyone felt pretty comfortable together. (Though Juan's aversion to all things seafood still didn't change even after the next nine days of living on the Iberian peninsula. Lol)
One dream fulfilled. Next stop: a visit to the Real Madrid Soccer Stadium, a true soccer player's dream. And who better to experience the dream with than his precious "little" sister?
We could never have imagined the blessings ahead over the next nine days.
(On a sidenote, I just want to let you know ahead of time that I will not be posting very many "good" and clear pictures of Juan David and his sister, mostly out of respect for her privacy. Those of you that are close to me have probably already seen those pics, anyway.)
I sat down in my seat, and tears immediately filled my eyes. Fear and anxiety gripped me, and it was all I could do not to panic. I had no idea what to expect once we got to Spain. I couldn't have been more thankful for the sweet blue-eyed Spaniard blondie sitting next to me, traveling with her Daddy and her big sister. She was as cute as cute can be! I listened to their Spanish accents as they talked to one another and realized I wouldn't have any trouble understanding once I got to Spain.
I took some Dramamine right before boarding, so I did my best to stay awake until they served us dinner, and then I curled up with the blanket they gave me and the neck pillow I brought and hoped to sleep my way across the Atlantic for the 7-8 hours. The lights soon turned off, the little girl beside me fell asleep, and so did I. Our flight took off around 11:00 that night, and I woke up around six thirty the next morning, right before the flight attendants came around with breakfast.
I am so thankful I slept so well on the flight, because by the time we landed around 8 am Miami time, it was already two in the afternoon in Madrid. I ran my fingers through my hair quickly, chewed another piece of gum to hopefully help my breath, and hoped I looked presentable after sleeping all night on an airplane. I'd waited nine years to see Laura again, and this didn't make our meeting ideal. Her eyes would be glued to her brother, though, not to me. I didn't even know how much she even remembered me, to be honest.
I met up with Juan as we got off the airplane, we took a picture, and at some point we got our Spain stamp on our passports. I don't remember anything else, but apparently quite a bit of time passed between the time we landed and the time we walked out to finally see Laura. I had my phone as ready as I could to capture the moment, but while dragging a suitcase with one hand and tryiing to video with the other, I only got about 8 seconds on camera, all from behind. Laura's mom stood on the other side with her camera, catching Laura take off running past the barricades as soon as she saw her brother, running straight toward him with the first of her many huge hugs. Her mom said she'd been going crazy since the moment she woke up that morning and then it only got worse after we landed as she waited for us to get our luggage and get through immigration. It was a beautiful moment. That "little girl" had been longing for her brother for years.
Much to my surprise, when her arms were not wrapped around her brother, she showered me with just as many hugs and kisses. She remembered me. And her mom welcomed me with open arms.
We found a place to safely store our luggage for the next few hours, and then we grabbed a bus into Madrid to find a place to eat lunch and begin getting to know one another. My nerves began to settle very quickly, and before we knew it, everyone felt pretty comfortable together. (Though Juan's aversion to all things seafood still didn't change even after the next nine days of living on the Iberian peninsula. Lol)
One dream fulfilled. Next stop: a visit to the Real Madrid Soccer Stadium, a true soccer player's dream. And who better to experience the dream with than his precious "little" sister?
We could never have imagined the blessings ahead over the next nine days.
(On a sidenote, I just want to let you know ahead of time that I will not be posting very many "good" and clear pictures of Juan David and his sister, mostly out of respect for her privacy. Those of you that are close to me have probably already seen those pics, anyway.)
July 29, 2017
A day to relax and have fun
Our last day in Guatemala, after a day of training and then four days of hard work, we slept in a bit and then headed into Guatemala City as a team to enjoy the day together. (These pictures are in no particular order.)
Juan sporting his purchase from the market earlier in the day.
The street leading into the marketplace. Juan and I both agreed that it looked a lot like Villa de Leyva in Colombia.
Cute little Guatemalan nativities. I usually buy one in every country I visit, but I ran out of money this time. Much to my surprise, one of the girls I worked with all week ended up finding one for me in the airport and buying it for me as a gift. I was very deeply touched by her gesture. :)
Typical Guatemalan clothing.
One particular place near the market that had about anything you could want. It's not where we ended up shopping, though.
Nothing better than an afternoon coffee break at a real coffee plantation (and a break from teenagers! LOL.)
Hanging out under the birds.
My favorite picture from the whole trip in Guatemala. Yes, I will be framing this one. We have matching shirts and all! This leg of the trip was very bonding, an experience I will never regret sharing with my son.
Lunch at a really cool restaurant.
Best dessert ever!
Amazing tacos!
My amazing homekit team. We didn't even know we'd all ordered the same shirt (we had several to choose from for the trip).
There we are again. Mom and son. We both had a lot of fun throughout the week as we met new people, telling them that he was my son and I was his mom. Kinda threw everyone for a loop!
Right in front of the marketplace.
More pics from the coffee plantation.
The restaurant we ate at that night, and the nachos we attempted to share.
And the soccer game broadcast on the television in the restaurant--straight from Frisco, Texas. Small world.
Going to Guatemala with my son was an unforgettable experience. I absolutely loved serving alongside him and watching him assume a very natural role of leadership, stepping up to the plate to use his bilingual and bicultural skills so naturally. I am thankful that we will always have these memories to share.
We also got to celebrate his 4th Adoption Day anniversary during the week, where Shane arranged for him to be sung "Happy Birthday" to at a pizza place that evening. It was the "joke" of the week--that Juan turned four. :)
At the beginning of the week, Shane shared that the church had been praying for FIVE years for a door to open for us to work with Guatemala. It hit me that God had chosen Juan to be part of that first team before we even knew we'd have another chance to adopt him. God really does have big plans for that young man. I look forward to watching those plans continue to unfold in the years to come.
Thank you to those of you who prayed and who gave. This trip should have cost us $3400 plus $200 in typhoid shots. When we ended up making plans to travel to Spain, we only needed a one way ticket to Guatemala, which brought the price down almost a thousand dollars. I paid the first $500 deposit. Within a very short amount of time, we got word that we didn't owe a penny more. I then paid $200 for our typhoid shots, and before we left, two people gave us gifts that covered the shots, too. So, for $500 out of our pockets, we got to serve together, make new friends together, experience another country together, bond in a new way, and make memories that will last a lifetime. I am truly grateful.
Juan sporting his purchase from the market earlier in the day.
The street leading into the marketplace. Juan and I both agreed that it looked a lot like Villa de Leyva in Colombia.
Cute little Guatemalan nativities. I usually buy one in every country I visit, but I ran out of money this time. Much to my surprise, one of the girls I worked with all week ended up finding one for me in the airport and buying it for me as a gift. I was very deeply touched by her gesture. :)
Typical Guatemalan clothing.
One particular place near the market that had about anything you could want. It's not where we ended up shopping, though.
Nothing better than an afternoon coffee break at a real coffee plantation (and a break from teenagers! LOL.)
Hanging out under the birds.
My favorite picture from the whole trip in Guatemala. Yes, I will be framing this one. We have matching shirts and all! This leg of the trip was very bonding, an experience I will never regret sharing with my son.
Lunch at a really cool restaurant.
Best dessert ever!
Amazing tacos!
My amazing homekit team. We didn't even know we'd all ordered the same shirt (we had several to choose from for the trip).
There we are again. Mom and son. We both had a lot of fun throughout the week as we met new people, telling them that he was my son and I was his mom. Kinda threw everyone for a loop!
Right in front of the marketplace.
More pics from the coffee plantation.
The restaurant we ate at that night, and the nachos we attempted to share.
And the soccer game broadcast on the television in the restaurant--straight from Frisco, Texas. Small world.
Going to Guatemala with my son was an unforgettable experience. I absolutely loved serving alongside him and watching him assume a very natural role of leadership, stepping up to the plate to use his bilingual and bicultural skills so naturally. I am thankful that we will always have these memories to share.
We also got to celebrate his 4th Adoption Day anniversary during the week, where Shane arranged for him to be sung "Happy Birthday" to at a pizza place that evening. It was the "joke" of the week--that Juan turned four. :)
At the beginning of the week, Shane shared that the church had been praying for FIVE years for a door to open for us to work with Guatemala. It hit me that God had chosen Juan to be part of that first team before we even knew we'd have another chance to adopt him. God really does have big plans for that young man. I look forward to watching those plans continue to unfold in the years to come.
Thank you to those of you who prayed and who gave. This trip should have cost us $3400 plus $200 in typhoid shots. When we ended up making plans to travel to Spain, we only needed a one way ticket to Guatemala, which brought the price down almost a thousand dollars. I paid the first $500 deposit. Within a very short amount of time, we got word that we didn't owe a penny more. I then paid $200 for our typhoid shots, and before we left, two people gave us gifts that covered the shots, too. So, for $500 out of our pockets, we got to serve together, make new friends together, experience another country together, bond in a new way, and make memories that will last a lifetime. I am truly grateful.
July 28, 2017
Leading VBS in Guatemala --an intentional strategy versus another fun program
Why Vacation Bible School? And why do we structure it the way we do?
Our kids broke up into teams to train the leaders of i58 Ministries on how to effectively take the Gospel to families in the surrounding community through programs similar to Vacation Bible School or 5 Day Bible clubs.
It' a lot harder to "plan" and "run" a structured program when you don't know any of the logistics of where you'll be, how many kids you might have, what materials are available, etc. So while it's good to have some sort of plan in place, it's the intentional strategy that matters most, not the execution of a program. Our overall goal is to connect personally to the people, thus earning their trust in order to share Jesus with them.
We went through all the hows and whys of starting with a large group (getting their attention and setting the stage), a small group (finding time to connect personally with the kids), an object lesson (something tangible and practical that the kids can take home to remember and retell what they learned), and a recreational time (to get the kids loosened up, having fun, helping them connect with you in a kinesthetic way so they will want to come back for more.)
Our team was the first team that our church has ever sent to Guatemala, and we were also the first team that the church, Iglesia Vida Real, has ever hosted as a mission team. They are a constantly growing mega-church in Guatemala City (with several satellite locations just like Lakepointe Church here), but this was an eye opening opportunity for them to start taking the Church OUT to the surrounding communities rather than just drawing them IN to their existing buildings and programs.
After training their leaders, then we broke up into teams back at the hotel to go over the first lesson and "plan" out a strategy for Day #1. We were told we could have 50 kids show up, or we might have 200. Only God knew.
My team was in charge of the object lesson, so we made "glasses" to go with the Bible lesson about Saul finding his sight again after he decided to follow Jesus.
After working hard out in the homes all morning, we met back up at the local public school (where the kids had recently dismissed for the day), had a quick sandwich lunch, and got as ready as we could for the day.
We set up a table to collect names, ages, and give out nametags. It literally took all hands on deck as we watched the line of local children continue to grow rather than shorten. Roughly 250 kids showed up on Day 1.
Every day we had to end up changing our strategy due to different challenges we faced, and the sheer number of kids that kept coming. By the second day, I ended up in the group of preschool children along with their moms, so we ran our program much differently than those who had the older children. I fully embraced this role, not only because I am a preschool teacher, but also because this gave us a chance to connect with the moms, as well. And they really seemed to hang on to every word we said.
Juan ended up with the older children, and the leader of his group said he really stepped up to the plate with his bilingual and bicultural skills and led the entire group of 60-70 kids with amazing enthusiasm. She said the kids just adored him. I loved hearing about my son teaching others how to have a relationship with Christ. I wish I had pictures, but I wasn't anywhere near him to take them.
And when it seemed like all had turned to chaos and no one had even paid attention, we handed out some paper and said to draw or write something they had learned. That's when we saw the fruit of our labors--they really did get it!
Of course, nothing turned out as "planned", but we stayed intentional and connected personally with the kids. We apparently earned their trust rather quickly, because they kept coming back all week. Some days a few of our teams got delayed in the homes working on the homekits, so they didn't make it back at all for VBS. We quickly rearranged ourselves and played different roles each day. But in the end, we ended the week with full hearts, knowing each of those kids heard the Gospel several times, seeds were planted, and now i58 Ministries and Iglesia Vida Real can follow up wth these specific contacts in the surrounding communities.
On the last day, we took all the leftover materials and supplies we had to divvy them up and leave a bag of supplies for each teacher in the school that so graciously lent us their classroom. We hope they were blessed and that we left a positive impression on them, as well.
This trip differed from any other mission trip I've been on. The physical labor was much more demanding, the conditions much more challenging, and the level of intimacy with the families and children much stronger. Somehow combining all of that together, leading a Bible program for kids whose homes you'd just visited and literally changed by the additions we added to them, made it so much more of an intimate experience than I'd ever experienced before. We stayed busy ALL DAY LONG, constantly drinking our bottled water in order to stay hydrated and yet not having access to a bathroom the entire day (the school had toilets, but no running water, so they just kept them locked while we were there). Yet I never once heard our team complain about absolutely anything. They were there to serve.
A group of high school kids mostly from Rockwall, Texas. They went with the intention to serve and change lives, yet I can tell you that they all went home changed, as well. I know I did.
Our kids broke up into teams to train the leaders of i58 Ministries on how to effectively take the Gospel to families in the surrounding community through programs similar to Vacation Bible School or 5 Day Bible clubs.
It' a lot harder to "plan" and "run" a structured program when you don't know any of the logistics of where you'll be, how many kids you might have, what materials are available, etc. So while it's good to have some sort of plan in place, it's the intentional strategy that matters most, not the execution of a program. Our overall goal is to connect personally to the people, thus earning their trust in order to share Jesus with them.
We went through all the hows and whys of starting with a large group (getting their attention and setting the stage), a small group (finding time to connect personally with the kids), an object lesson (something tangible and practical that the kids can take home to remember and retell what they learned), and a recreational time (to get the kids loosened up, having fun, helping them connect with you in a kinesthetic way so they will want to come back for more.)
Our team was the first team that our church has ever sent to Guatemala, and we were also the first team that the church, Iglesia Vida Real, has ever hosted as a mission team. They are a constantly growing mega-church in Guatemala City (with several satellite locations just like Lakepointe Church here), but this was an eye opening opportunity for them to start taking the Church OUT to the surrounding communities rather than just drawing them IN to their existing buildings and programs.
After training their leaders, then we broke up into teams back at the hotel to go over the first lesson and "plan" out a strategy for Day #1. We were told we could have 50 kids show up, or we might have 200. Only God knew.
My team was in charge of the object lesson, so we made "glasses" to go with the Bible lesson about Saul finding his sight again after he decided to follow Jesus.
After working hard out in the homes all morning, we met back up at the local public school (where the kids had recently dismissed for the day), had a quick sandwich lunch, and got as ready as we could for the day.
We set up a table to collect names, ages, and give out nametags. It literally took all hands on deck as we watched the line of local children continue to grow rather than shorten. Roughly 250 kids showed up on Day 1.
Every day we had to end up changing our strategy due to different challenges we faced, and the sheer number of kids that kept coming. By the second day, I ended up in the group of preschool children along with their moms, so we ran our program much differently than those who had the older children. I fully embraced this role, not only because I am a preschool teacher, but also because this gave us a chance to connect with the moms, as well. And they really seemed to hang on to every word we said.
Juan ended up with the older children, and the leader of his group said he really stepped up to the plate with his bilingual and bicultural skills and led the entire group of 60-70 kids with amazing enthusiasm. She said the kids just adored him. I loved hearing about my son teaching others how to have a relationship with Christ. I wish I had pictures, but I wasn't anywhere near him to take them.
And when it seemed like all had turned to chaos and no one had even paid attention, we handed out some paper and said to draw or write something they had learned. That's when we saw the fruit of our labors--they really did get it!
Of course, nothing turned out as "planned", but we stayed intentional and connected personally with the kids. We apparently earned their trust rather quickly, because they kept coming back all week. Some days a few of our teams got delayed in the homes working on the homekits, so they didn't make it back at all for VBS. We quickly rearranged ourselves and played different roles each day. But in the end, we ended the week with full hearts, knowing each of those kids heard the Gospel several times, seeds were planted, and now i58 Ministries and Iglesia Vida Real can follow up wth these specific contacts in the surrounding communities.
On the last day, we took all the leftover materials and supplies we had to divvy them up and leave a bag of supplies for each teacher in the school that so graciously lent us their classroom. We hope they were blessed and that we left a positive impression on them, as well.
This trip differed from any other mission trip I've been on. The physical labor was much more demanding, the conditions much more challenging, and the level of intimacy with the families and children much stronger. Somehow combining all of that together, leading a Bible program for kids whose homes you'd just visited and literally changed by the additions we added to them, made it so much more of an intimate experience than I'd ever experienced before. We stayed busy ALL DAY LONG, constantly drinking our bottled water in order to stay hydrated and yet not having access to a bathroom the entire day (the school had toilets, but no running water, so they just kept them locked while we were there). Yet I never once heard our team complain about absolutely anything. They were there to serve.
A group of high school kids mostly from Rockwall, Texas. They went with the intention to serve and change lives, yet I can tell you that they all went home changed, as well. I know I did.
