Away We Go

   Tomorrrow Ryan, Molly and I head to Rwanda.  We are so blessed to have the opportunity to take loved ones with us.  Our time isn't long but every minute has been given a lot of thought and we are there with one intention: to love on kids who will probably never have an earthly family.

    A lot of people don't get it.  

• "So you aren't, like, building a school or something?"  Nope, no building. No medical work.  Our job is to hold children that never get held.  Listen to kids that have something to say.  Pray for the mostly forgotten and forsaken. 
• "It seems like that would just hurt those kids to give them attention and then leave them"  My scientific method, backed by years and years of research in child development, tells us that infants that get skin-to-skin contact for just an hour are healthier than children who aren't.  There is no price to place on giving a child touch.  The alternative, ignoring the 210 million orphans is worse.
• "Don't you just want to take one home?"  Ugh.  This comment is the worst.  I know when people say this, they mean "it is so sad and if I saw that I would want to do more." So do more.  But don't consider children a souvenir or an accessory.

     While we are gone, we honestly have no worries regarding the boys.  They will be loved well (really, really well) by their Uncle Andy and Katie, then their Nana and Pops.  Dressing the crew is tricky, so I have labeled each boy for each day that we aren't here.  There are love notes stuck inside their underpants (I know boy humor), there are treats and fun activities and casseroles in the freezer.  I have been praying diligently for over a year that they don't miss us much while we are gone, that Etienne's heart will be confident in us, that our family here will have patience, strength and energy for My 3 Sons.  Truthfully, most of the time I feel like it's a Blake-E-Zeke world and the rest of us are sometimes invited in.  That is God's grace that we aren't worried about anything stateside.

     That being said, we covet your prayers!  Prayers that everyone stays safe and healthy, that Andy and Katie, Nana and Pops all have fun with little frustration. Prayers for good sleep for everyone. Prayers that Blake, E and Ezekiel just continue to hold onto each other (wrestling to the ground while doing so, I'm sure). Prayers that Ryan and I lead our team well,  both physically and spiritually.  

     Whew. This is crazy.  After all these years, it seems that we thrive on crazy.